2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 display

227 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
The pull release lever is under the driver’s
side of the instrument panel.
1Release lever

Pull release lever1 upward.
The hood is unlocked.
2Safety hook

Lift hood up slightly.

Pull safety hook2 in direction of ar-
row and open hood.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, open the hood only with
wipers in parked position.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature display indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled down. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.

229 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must

be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2.
The standard display (
page 115) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message is seen in the multifunction
display:MEASURE. CORRECT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVELAfter about three seconds this
message is displayed:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOWOne of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:

ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK


ADD 1.0 Qt. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)


ADD 1.5 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.5 LITERS
)


ADD 2.0 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
2.0 LITERS
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 231).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 333) and
(
page 334).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.

230 OperationEngine compartment
If engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
repeating check procedure.

If engine is not yet at normal operating
temperature, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
NOT WHEN ENGINE ON!
Turn off the engine.

If the engine is at normal operating
temperature, wait five minutes before
checking oil.

If the engine is not yet at normal
operating temperature, you must wait
30 minutes before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL

Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 271). Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must


be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iPerform the engine oil level check with
the dipstick if it cannot be completed
with the control system (
page 230).
In this case we recommend that you
have the system checked at a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
iThe engine oil level can be checked by
either the oil dipstick or via the multi-
function display in the instrument
cluster (
page 229). The amount of
engine oil needed is shown more
precisely in the multifunction display.

231 Operation
Engine compartment
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 227).

Pull out oil dipstick1 (
page 232)

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstickThe oil level is correct when it is between
the lower (min) and upper (max) mark of
the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 231).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 333) and
(
page 334).
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 271). Adding engine oil
iThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!Only use approved engine oils. For a
listing of approved engine oils, refer to
the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet in your vehicle literature port-
folio.
In addition, check the oil filler cap for
important information pertaining to the
engine oil needing to meet a specific
Mercedes-Benz specification (e.g. MB
229.5). If such information is printed
on the oil filler cap, only use an engine
oil from the list of approved engine oils
in the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet that meets the specifi-
cation indicated on the oil filler cap.
Using engine oils of other specification
may cause the FSS to incorrectly deter-
mine the next service interval and will
r e s u l t i n e n g i n e d a m a g e n o t c o v e r e d b y
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

233 Operation
Engine compartment
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
1Cap

Using a rag, turn the cap slowly approx-
imately one half turn to the left to re-
lease any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.

Check coolant level.
The coolant level is correct if the level

for cold coolant: is level with the
mark on the reservoir


for warm coolant: is approx. 0.6 in
(1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap until you hear
it click a few times.
For more information on coolant, see
“Coolants” (
page 336).
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature display in-
dicates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
194°F (90°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1⁄2turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

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.

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.

253 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has switched off because charging
voltage has fallen below 10 volts. The battery
may not be charged.

Turn off unnecessary electric con-
sumers.
When the battery voltage is above this
value again, the ABS is operational
again.

Note the messages in the multifunc-
tion display (
page 260).