2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 ESP

152 Controls in detailGood visibility
Good visibilityFor information on windshield wipers, see
“Windshield wipers” (
page 47) and for
setting the exterior rear view mirrors, see
“Exterior rear view mirror” (
page 38).
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirrors
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirrors and the interior rear view
mirror will respond automatically to glare
when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view mir-
ror
The interior rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirrors do not react, for example,
if the cargo compartment is fully loaded.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or the respiratory sys-
tem. In case it does, immediately flush af-
fected area with water, and seek medical
help if necessary.

164 Controls in detailPower windows
Power windowsOpening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the front passenger and the rear doors.
1Switch for rear door window override
(
page 71)
2Left front window
3Right front window
4Right rear window
5Left rear window

Turn SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or2.Opening the windows

Press switch 2 to 5 to the resistance
point.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.
Closing the windows

Pull on switch 2 to 5.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.
Fully opening windows (Express-open)

Press switch 2 to 5 past the resis-
tance point and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Stopping windows

Press or pull respective switch again.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
The closing procedure can be immediately
halted by releasing the switch or by releas-
ing button‹ on the SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from starter switch, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment can cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

169 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.


Rear Parking Assist*, with which you
can assist your parking maneuvers.
The BAS, ABS, ESP, 4-ETS and EBB driving
systems are described in the “Safety and
Security” section (
page 74).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 23).
iThe cruise control should not be acti-
vated during-off road driving.
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

172 Controls in detailDriving systemsRear Parking Assist*
The Rear Parking Assist system is an elec-
tronic aid designed to assist the driver dur-
ing parking maneuvers. It visually and
audibly indicates the relative distance be-
tween the rear of the vehicle and an obsta-
cle.
The Rear Parking Assist system is auto-
matically activated when you switch on the
ignition and shift the gear selector lever to
positionR.The Rear Parking Assist system monitors
the rear area of your vehicle by means of
four sensors in the rear bumper.
1SensorsWarning!
G
Rear Parking Assist (rear Parktronic) is a
supplemental system. It is not intended to,
nor does it replace, the need for extreme
care. The responsibility during parking and
other critical maneuvers always rests with
the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Rear Parking
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Rear Parking Assist sensors”
(page 247).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

185 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cup holdersCup holder next to the armrest

Place cup holder bracket1 into re-
cess.
If the cup holder is no longer in use, it can
for example, be stored in the storage com-
partment below the armrest or in storage
pouch on the door panel.Cup holder in front passenger footwell

Swing bracket1 upwards until it
clicks into place.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle maneu-
vers.
!Fold the cup holder closed before mov-
ing the front passenger seat fully for-
ward.

190 Controls in detailUseful featuresTele Aid The Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:


Automatic and manual emergency


Roadside Assistance and


Information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your ac-
quaintance call, you will receive a user ID
and password via first call mail. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
( U S A o n l y ) , y o u w i l l h a v e a c c e s s t o a c c o u n t
information, remote door unlock, profile
and more.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after turning
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and the message
TELE AID
EMERG. CALL – NOT ACTIVATED
will be
shown in the multifunction display for
approx. 10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
iThe SOS button is located above the in-
terior rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest cov-
er.!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

192 Controls in detailUseful featuresmultifunction display. All information rele-
vant to the emergency, such as the loca-
tion of the vehicle (determined by the GPS
satellite location system), vehicle model,
identification number and color are gener-
ated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display. The Re-
sponse Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident
provided they can speak to an occupant of
the vehicle.The Tele Aid system is available if:


it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
teriLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is il-
luminated continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL FAILED appears in the multifunction
display for approx. 10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

193 Controls in detail
Useful features
Initiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button
Briefly press on cover1.
The cover opens.

Press SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button2
flashes until the emergency call is con-
cluded.

Wait for a voice connection to the Re-
sponse Center.

Close the cover1 after the emergen-
cy call is concluded.Roadside Assistance button•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button•.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than two seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside As-
sistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
TELE-DIAGNO-
SIS – CONNECTING CALL will appear in
the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
TELE-DIAGNOSIS –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. The Tele Aid system will trans-
mit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established the audio
Warning!
G
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle, ve-
hicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe loca-
tion. The Response Center will automatically
contact local emergency officials with the
vehicle’s approximate location if they re-
ceive an automatic SOS signal and cannot
make voice contact with the vehicle occu-
pants.