79 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Switching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have the drive wheels
spin and thus cut into surfaces for better
grip such as:
starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains.
sand or gravel.
when driving off-road.
When the ESP is turned off
engine torque is not limited.
the drive wheels can spin.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a ESP equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner
which could jeopardize the user’s safety or
the safety of others.!Driving the vehicle with varied size tires
will cause the wheels to rotate at differ-
ent speeds, possibly causing the ESP to
activate. For this reason, all wheels, in-
cluding the spare wheel, must have the
same tire outside diameter.
!The engine must be shut off when
the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer.
the vehicle is being towed with one
axle raised.
Otherwise, the ESP will engage the
brakes and seriously damage the brake
system.
iThe ABS, BAS and ESP are automatical-
ly switched off when the differential
locks are switched on (
page 150).
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
149 Controls in detail
Differential locks
A few words about differentials and differential locks
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels
on the outside of the curve must travel far-
ther and rotate faster than the inside
wheels. The differential, the operation of a
set of gears that allows the powered
wheels in a vehicle to turn at different
speeds, makes this essential function pos-
sible.
The drawback is that the differential also
sends most of the engine’s power to the
wheel with the least load or strain on it. For
example, if one of a vehicle’s powered
wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins
because there is no traction, all of the en-
gine’s power will go to that wheel because
the power will take the path of least resis-
tance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sit-
ting on dry pavement where it could get
enough grip to start the vehicle moving,
sits idle because it receives no power.The Electronic Traction System (ETS) ad-
dresses this problem and provides for
good control and steering ability by auto-
matically slowing the slipping wheel and
thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP and ETS in this vehicle
feature such intelligent limited-slip differ-
ential technology, ideally suited for
on-road and light off-road driving. Transfer
case position LOW (
page 145) also en-
hances off-road driving capabilities
(
page 213).
More extreme off-road conditions may call
for another solution, engaging a differen-
tial lock or preventing the differential from
operating altogether. As part of its stan-
dard equipment, this vehicle comes with
three differential locks: front, transfer case
(center) and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by pushing dashboard-mounted
buttons in sequential order (center, rear,
front) (
page 150). When the transfer
case (center) differential is locked, half of
the engine’s power is automatically distrib-
uted to the front wheels and half to the rear wheels. When the rear differential is
locked, power going to the rear wheels is
equally distributed, so that both rear
wheels turn at the same speed and torque.
When the front differential is locked, all
four wheels now turn with equal power and
torque. Please be aware that engaging the
differential locks will significantly reduce
the steering ability of the vehicle.
For your safety and the safety of others
and to prevent damage to the vehicle, the
differential locks must not be engaged
when driving on paved roads. It is impor-
tant to understand that during
on-road/paved driving, differentials are
absolutely necessary for providing the es-
sential control and steering ability of the
vehicle. The differential locks, therefore,
must not be engaged when driving on
paved roads and should only be used to
the extent necessary to negotiate off-road
conditions which cannot be handled by the
systems (automatic 4-ETS, the ESP, manu-
al switch position “LOW” of transfer case)
this vehicle comes equipped with.
216 OperationDriving instructionsRims
Dented or bent rims can cause tire
pressure loss and damage the tire
beads. For this reason, check and, if
necessary, change rims before driving
off-road.
Vehicle tool kit
Check if the vehicle jack is functional.
In all cases take the vehicle tool kit, a
strong tow rope, a shovel and a small
plank (to put under the vehicle jack on
sandy soil) with you.Driving in steep terrain
Slope angle127°
236°
Comply with the warnings
(page 214) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 214).
Driving on embankments, slopes and
other steep inclines should only be
done straight up or downhill, i.e. in the
line of gravity. Maximum vehicle climb-
ing ability is a 80% grade.
Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 142).
Drive slowly.
Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.
Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
Traction in steep terrain
Be easy on the accelerator and watch for
continuous wheel traction when driving in
steep terrain.iThe 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting away the
front axle.The 4-ETS recognizes the sit-
uation and limits the torque for the
front wheels by braking them. Simulta-
neously the torque for the rear wheels
is provided.
239 Operation
Tires and wheels
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
97 lb-ft (130 Nm).
Use only genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.
310 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Using the pump lever, open the lower-
ing screw on the jack approximately
one turn (
page 308).
The vehicle is resting fully on its own
weight.
Remove the jack.
After use, disassemble pump handle
(page 308) and store jack in the des-
ignated storage compartment
(page 284).
1-5 Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1 to 5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 97 lb-ft
(130 Nm).
Press the jack piston in again and close
the lowering screw. Store the jack
(page 284) and the other vehicle
tools (
page 283).
After changing the wheel, secure the
damaged wheel on the spare wheel
mounting bracket (
page 286). Make
sure the wheel cannot come loose.
Check the tire inflation pressure and
correct it if necessary.
A table with the tire pressure values for
your vehicle is located on the fuel filler
flap.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel as soon as possible. The
wheels could come loose if they are not
tightened to a torque of 97 lb-ft (130 Nm).
328 Technical dataEngine
Engine
G 500 (463.249
1)
1The quoted data apply only to the standard vehicle. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for the corresponding data of all special bodies and special
equipment.
G55AMG (463.246)
1
Engine
113
113
Mode of operation
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
4-stroke engine, gasoline injection
No. of cylinders
8
8
Bore
3.82 in (97.00 mm)
3.82 in (97.00 mm)
Stroke
3.31 in (84.00 mm)
3.60 in (92.00 mm)
Total piston displacement
303.0 cu in (4966 cm
3)
331.8 cu in (5439 cm
3)
Compression ratio
10:1
10.5:1
Output acc. to SAE J 1349
292 hp / 5500 rpm
(218 kW / 5500 rpm)
349 hp / 5500 rpm
(260 kW / 5500 rpm)
Maximum torque acc. to SAE J 1349
336 lb-ft / 2800 - 4000 rpm
(456 Nm / 2800 - 4000 rpm)
391 lb-ft / 3250 rpm
(530 Nm / 3250 rpm)
Maximum engine speed
6000 rpm
6000 rpm
Firing order
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8
Poly-V-belt
2380 mm
2380 mm
331 Technical data
Electrical system
Electrical system
G500
G55AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/150 A
14 V/150 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
Battery
12 V/90 Ah
12 V/90 Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch F 8 DPER
Beru 14 FGH 8 DPUR X 2
NGK PFR5R-11
Electrode gap
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
Tightening torque
15 – 22 lb-ft (20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 lb-ft (20 – 30 Nm)
346 Technical termsPoly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing
engine
clutch/torque converter
transmission
transfer case
drive shaft
differential
axle shafts/axles
Rear Parking Assist*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.Remote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint system
Seat belts, belt tensioner, airbags and
child seat restraint systems. As inde-
pendent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the transmission gear selec-
tor lever from being moved out of
positionP without key turned and
brake pedal depressed.
SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and airbags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.