2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG towing

Contents
Battery ............................................... 311
Charging the battery .................... 311
Disconnecting the battery ............ 312
Reconnecting the battery ............. 312
Jump starting ..................................... 313
Towing the vehicle ............................. 315
Transporting the vehicle............... 317
Towing the vehicle -
various problem scenarios ........... 317
Front towing eye .......................... 318
Rear towing eye ........................... 318
Freeing a stranded vehicle ........... 318
Fuses ................................................. 319
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ............................... 319
Fuse box in battery box................ 319
Fuse box in front passenger
footwell ........................................ 320
Fuse box in middle tunnel ............ 321
Technical data.................................. 323
Spare parts service............................. 324
Warranty coverage ............................. 325
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 325
Identification labels ............................ 326
Layout of poly-V-belt drive .................. 327
G 500/G 55 AMG ......................... 327
Engine ................................................ 328
Rims and tires .................................... 329
Rims and Tires ............................. 329
Spare wheels ................................ 330
Electrical system ................................ 331
Main dimensions, vehicle weights
and ratings ......................................... 332
Main dimensions........................... 332
Vehicle weights and ratings .......... 332Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. .......... 333
Capacities ..................................... 333
Engine oils .................................... 334
Engine oil additives ....................... 335
Air conditioning refrigerant ........... 335
Brake fluid .................................... 335
Premium unleaded gasoline.......... 335
Fuel requirements......................... 336
Gasoline additives......................... 336
Coolants ....................................... 336
Anticorrosion/antifreeze .............. 337
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system .......................................... 339
Consumer information........................ 340
Uniform tire quality grading .......... 340
Technical terms............................... 343Index................................................. 349

84 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsArming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms
automatically.
Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 in the switch comes
on briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
Canceling the tow-away alarm
To cancel the alarm:

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
or

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
while the ignition is turned on.

92 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingYou can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 133).
For information on towing the vehicle, see
“Towing the vehicle” (
page 315).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the vehicle from in-
side using the central locking switches.
This can be useful, for example, if you want
to unlock the passenger door from the in-
side or want to lock the vehicle before
starting to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.The central locking switch is located in the
center console.
Central locking switch1Locking
2Unlocking
iThe doors and the tailgate unlock auto-
matically after an accident if the force
of the impact exceeds a preset thresh-
old.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed


is on a test stand
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause an accident and/or
serious personal injury.

183 Controls in detail
Useful features
Useful features
Interior storage spaces
Glove box
1Unlocked position
2Locked position
3HandleOpening the glove box

Pull handle to open.
The glove box is illuminated with SmartKey
in starter switch position1 or2 when
opening the lid.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.Warning!
G
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause
instability during some maneuvers which
could result in an accident.
Warning!
G
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident and sudden maneuvers.
iThe glove box can be locked and un-
locked with the mechanical key.

194 Controls in detailUseful featuressystem mutes and the message
TELE AID
– ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center. For
services such as labor and/or towing,
charges may apply. Refer to the Roadside
Assistance manual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.Information button¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button¡.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
INFO – CONNECTING CALL
will
appear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
INFO – CALL CONNECTED
appears
in the multifunction display. The Tele Aid
system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color
and location (subject to availability of cel-
lular and GPS signals).
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2 (together with the SOS
button and the Information
button¡).
See system self-check (
page 191)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network was not available). The
message
TELE-DIAGNOSIS –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the ìbutton on the
multifunction steering wheel.


251 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Brush guard*
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

315 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the ground only so far as necessary to have the
vehicle moved to a safe location where the
recommended towing methods can be em-
ployed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment, with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts. Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the ESP (
page 79),
tow-away alarm (
page 83) and the
automatic central locking
(
page 133).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in position N and the Smart-
Key must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the vehicle may be
towed only for distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h).
If the vehicle is towed with one axle
raised (observe instructions regarding
flexible drive shaft and propeller
shafts), the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position1).
Otherwise, the 4-ETS may become en-
gaged which may cause loss of towing
control.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.Warning!
G
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
Always tow with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.

316 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iThe gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP and the SmartKey
will not turn in the starter switch if the
battery is disconnected or discharged.
See notes on the battery (
page 311)
or on jump starting (
page 313).
Manually unlocking transmission gear
selector lever (
page 290).
iTo signal turns while being towed with
hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate combination
switch for left or right turn signal in usu-
al manner – only the selected turn sig-
nal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, note the following:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, the vehicle doors
lock if the wheels are turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle doors from lock-
ing, deactivate the automatic central
locking (
page 133).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the towing eye. Never at-
tach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
vehicle chassis, frame or suspension
parts.