2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 ESP

80 Safety and SecurityDriving and safety systems
The ESP control switch is located in the up-
per center console.ESP on/off
Press upper half of switch.
ESP is deactivated and the ESP warning
lamp v in the instrument cluster
comes on.Even if the ESP has been turned off, it is
still active in the following situations:


when braking


at vehicle speeds up to approximately
37 mph (60 km / h), if one wheel reach-
es the grip limit, e.g. when the street is
icy on one side
The brake is applied until the wheel re-
gains sufficient traction.
If one or more drive wheels are spinning,
the ESP warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, regardless of the
speed.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period of time with the ESP
switched off. This may cause serious
damage to the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iTurn ESP on immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply
anymore.
iIf the ESP is switched off, it will be au-
tomatically activated when exceeding a
vehicle speed of 37 mph (60 km / h) or
exceeding a severity threshold of side
acceleration.

81 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Switching on the ESP
Press lower half of switch.
The ESP warning lampv in the in-
strument cluster goes out. You are now
again in normal driving mode.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 257).Warning!
G
When the ESP warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP is
switched off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP.

83 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Disarming the alarm system
The alarm system is disarmed when you
unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey. The
turn signal lamps blink once to indicate
that the alarm system is deactivated.Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
or

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not blink
three times, one of the following ele-
ments may not be properly closed:

a door


the tailgate


the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is initi-
ated automatically by the Tele Aid sys-
tem provided Tele Aid service was
subscribed to and properly activated,
and that necessary cellular service and
GPS coverage are available.

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed in your vehicle.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions of your vehicle, this section will
be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key. The locking
tabs for the mechanical key portion of the
two SmartKeys are a different color to help
distinguish each key unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the tailgate


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹ Lock button
2Locking tab for mechanical key
3ΠUnlock button
4Battery check lamp
5Â Panic button (
page 73)
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 165) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof (
page 167) using
the SmartKey.

90 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the tailgate from inside
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on door handle2.
If door was locked, the locking knob1
moves up.
Closing the tailgate
Separately locking the tailgate
1Neutral position
2Locked
Warning!
G
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the tail-
gate opening when closing the tailgate. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as other-
wise exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the SmartKey in the cargo
compartment.
iTo deny any unauthorized person ac-
cess to the tailgate, lock it separately
with the mechanical key. Leave only
the SmartKey less its mechanical key
with the vehicle.

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch, see (
page 104).
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to U.
iIf you remove the SmartKey and open
the driver’s door while the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on:

a warning sounds


$ appears in the multifunction
display


the message
TURN OFF LIGHTS!
ap-
pears in the multifunction display
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to
B
when driving or when traffic
and / or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position
U
to
B
with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U

to
B
will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.

111 Controls in detail
Lighting
2Cargo compartment lamps
Switching on and off with the tailgate
open
If the tailgate should remain open for a
longer period of time, the cargo compart-
ment lamps may be switched off separate-
ly.1Door lock
2Lock cylinder
Switching off

Open the tailgate.

Press door lock1 down until it engag-
es (arrow).Switching on

Press lock cylinder2 to activate the
cargo compartment lamps again.
The cargo compartment lamps will
switch on.
!Do not close the tailgate if the lock is
engaged in down position. The lock
could otherwise be damaged.
When locking the tailgate, it is impor-
tant that the door lock be in the same
position as shown in the illustration.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the tail-
gate opening when closing the tailgate. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.
Only drive with the tailgate closed as other-
wise exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.

114 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the multifunction display (
page 115).
For information on how to select the unit of
the displayed temperature, i.e. degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F),
see “Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 127).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs, etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.