2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 service
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240 OperationWinter driving
Winter drivingBefore the onset of winter, have your vehi-
cle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. This
service includes:
Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.
Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent/antifreeze which is formulated
for below freezing point temperatures
(page 339).
Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to ensure
the engine can be started even at low
ambient temperatures.
Tire change. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mend M+S rated radial-ply tires with a
minimum tread depth of approximately 1⁄6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the
winter season.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, ESP, EBB and
4-ETS in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure all winter
tires mounted are of the same make and
have the same tread design.
Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your ve-
hicle, you must place a notice to this effect
where it will be seen by the driver. Such no-tices are available at your tire dealer or any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Block heater (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heat-
er.
The electrical cable may be installed at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under
1⁄6in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no long-
er suitable for winter operation.
Warning!
G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Page 242 of 376
242 OperationMaintenance
MaintenanceWe strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, in ac-
cordance with the Service Booklet at the
times called for by the FSS (Flexible Ser-
vice System).
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Service Booklet at the
designated times /mileage called for by
the FSS may result in vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
FSS will notify you when your next service
is due.
Approximately one month before your next
service is due, one of the following mes-
sages will appear in the multifunction dis-
play while you are driving or when you
switch on the ignition (example service A):SERVICE A IN XX DAYS
SERVICE A IN XX MILES (KM)
SERVICE A DUE NOW!
The type of service due is indicated in the
speedometer display field:
9Minor service (A)
½Major service (B)Clearing the service indicator
The service indicator is automatically
cleared
after 10 seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the ser-
vice threshold while driving
after 30 seconds, once the suggested
service term has passed
You can also clear it yourself.
Press the reset button on the instru-
ment cluster (
page 25).
Service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the multifunction display:SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX DAYS
SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX MILES (KM)An accoustic signal will sound.
The Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center will
reset the service indicator following a com-
pleted service.
iThe interval between services depends
on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short-distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.
Page 243 of 376
243 Operation
Maintenance
Calling up the service indicator
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 115).
Press buttonk orj on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.
Resetting the service indicator
In the event that the service on your vehi-
cle is not carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center, you
can reset the service indicator yourself.
Switch ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 115).
Press buttonk orj on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the FSS
indicator appears in the multifunction
display.
Press the reset button (
page 25) for
about three seconds.
This message appears in the tachome-
ter:
SERVICE INTERVAL?
RESET WITH R BUTTON FOR 3 SEC.
To confirm, press reset button until you
hear a signal.
The service indicator now displays the
reset interval.
iIf the vehicle battery is disconnected,
the days of disconnection will not be in-
cluded in the count shown by the ser-
vice indicator. To arrive at the true
service deadline, you will need to sub-
tract these days from the days shown
in the service indicator.
Do not confuse the service indicator
with the engine oil level indicator :.
iIf the service indicator was inadvertent-
ly reset, have a Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper service has
been performed. Resetting the system
without performing proper service as
called for by the FSS will cause the FSS
to incorrectly determine the next ser-
vice interval which will result in engine
damage not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 256 of 376
256 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
?
The yellow “CHECK ENGINE”
malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction of:
The fuel management system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which impact emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive
emissions values and may switch the engine
to its limp-home (emergency operation)
mode. Serious damage can occur to the
emission system.
Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics sys-
tem. It allows the accurate identifica-
tion of system malfunctions through
the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located near the hood lock
release on the upper left of footwell.
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.
Check the fuel cap.
Your gas tank is empty.
After refuelling, start the engine three
or four times in succession. The
limp-home mode is canceled.
Page 265 of 376
265 Practical hints
What to do if …
Symbol messagesDisplay symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
#
BATTERY/ALTERNATOR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The battery was charged with a battery
charger or jump started.
Have the battery checked at a service
station.
The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:
alternator malfunctioning
broken poly-V-belt
Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. Notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
If it is intact:
Turn off unnecessary electric consum-
ers.
Drive immediately to the nearest au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
UNDERVOLTAGE
ENGINE ON!
The battery has insufficient voltage.
Start the engine.
Page 266 of 376
266 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
#
UNDERVOLTAGE
SWITCH CONSUMERS OFF!
The battery has insufficient voltage.
Have the battery checked at a ser-
vice station.
2
BRAKE WEAR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The brake pads have reached their
wear limit.
Have the brake pads replaced as
soon as possible.
3
BRAKE FLUID
VISIT WORKSHOP!
There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.
Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle
and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Do not add brake fluid! This will not
solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the last message displayed can
result in an accident. Have your brake sys-
tem checked immediately.
Do not add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid res-
ervoir can result in spilling brake fluid on hot
engine parts and the brake fluid catching
fire. You can be seriously burned.
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks. !Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Service book-
let.
Page 279 of 376
279 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
1
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
SERVICE
The system is malfunctioning. The air-
bags or emergency tensioning device
(ETD) could deploy unexpectedly or fail to
activate in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP!
The system is malfunctioning. The air-
bags or emergency tensioning device
(ETD) could deploy unexpectedly or fail to
activate in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center immediately to have the
system checked.
Otherwise the SRS may not be activated
when needed in an accident, which could re-
sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-
ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.
Page 311 of 376
311 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in front of the rear
seat bench and below the cup holder
Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Large 12 volt storage batteries contain
lead.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
Charging the battery
Have the battery removed at a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
If you charge the battery yourself, make
sure to comply with the operating instruc-
tions for your battery charger.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 235).
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.!Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center for further information.