2004 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG center console

80 Safety and SecurityDriving and safety systems
The ESP control switch is located in the up-
per center console.ESP on/off
Press upper half of switch.
ESP is deactivated and the ESP warning
lamp v in the instrument cluster
comes on.Even if the ESP has been turned off, it is
still active in the following situations:


when braking


at vehicle speeds up to approximately
37 mph (60 km / h), if one wheel reach-
es the grip limit, e.g. when the street is
icy on one side
The brake is applied until the wheel re-
gains sufficient traction.
If one or more drive wheels are spinning,
the ESP warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, regardless of the
speed.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period of time with the ESP
switched off. This may cause serious
damage to the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iTurn ESP on immediately if the afore-
mentioned circumstances do not apply
anymore.
iIf the ESP is switched off, it will be au-
tomatically activated when exceeding a
vehicle speed of 37 mph (60 km / h) or
exceeding a severity threshold of side
acceleration.

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.

98 Controls in detailSeatsBackrest contour
Adjust the contour of the backrest to
the desired position using switches2
and 3.
Backrest side bolsters

Adjust the backrest side bolsters so
that they provide good lateral support
using switch4.
Heated seats
Driver’s and front passenger seats
The switch is located in the center console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press upper switch position1 again.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
Both red indicator lamps on the switch
come on.iThe seat heater will be automatically
switched off after approximately
30 minutes.iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately five
minutes. Only one indicator lamp re-
mains lit.

145 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Transfer case
For more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 213).
Gear range
Switching transfer case
The switch is located in the center console.1Transfer case indicator
2Gear range indicator
Transfer case indicator1 in the multi-
function display shows the gear position of
the transfer case.
H
HIGHRoad position
L
LOWOff-road position
This position is intended for
driving off-road and step gradi-
ents.
The transmission will not up-
shift automatically to the next
higher gear range when driving
at the rpm limit.The transfer case supports the
engine’s driving force (approx. 1/2speed). Output is there-
fore increased.
N
NeutralNo power is transmitted from
the engine to the drive axle.

150 Controls in detailDifferential locksSwitching differential locks on and off
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case (center) differential lock
2Rear axle differential lock
3Front differential lock
4Engagement indicator lamps (yellow)
5Function indicator lamps (red)Switching differential locks on
Transfer case differential lock

Press switch1.
The yellow engagement indicator
lamp4 for the transfer case differen-
tial lock comes on.
The ESP warning lampv comes on.
When the differential lock engagement
operation has been completed, the red
function indicator lamp5 comes on.The message
ABS NOT AVAILABLE –
DIFFERENTIAL LOCKED
appears in the
multifunction display.
The ESP warning lampv and the
ABS- warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluster come on.
Once the transfer case differential lock
is switched on, you can now, if needed,


switch on rear axle differential
lock2
or


switch on rear axle differential lock
and front differential lock2
and3.
iThe differential locks can only be
switched on in the sequence 1,
2,3.
!To avoid damage to the transfer case
and differential locks:

Engage differential locks only at low
speed (walking speed, not more
than 5 mph).


Do not engage differential locks if
the driving wheels are spinning due
to lack of traction.


Do not engage on paved roads.

186 Controls in detailUseful featuresCup holder in rear passenger footwellParcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.
Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
1Ashtray
2Cigarette lighter
3Cover plate
Opening ashtray
Briefly push the cover plate3.
The ashtray opens automatically.
!Before folding the seat backrest for-
ward and the rear seat bench down, be
sure that all containers in the rear cup
holder are removed.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges in the parcel net.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle and cause injury to
vehicle occupants.!When large objects are stored in the
parcel net, do not slide the seat fully
forward, it could damage them.

259 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
7
The indicator lamp comes on.
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the passen-
ger front airbag is switched off.

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
The system is malfunctioning when there is
no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the
front passenger seat.
7
The indicator lamp does not
come on with a BabySmart
TM1

child seat properly installed on
the front passenger seat.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat and check
installation of the child seat.

If the light remains out, have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint
to transport children on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired.

343 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front airbag when such a
seat is properly installed (indicator
lamp7 in the center console
comes on). See your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center for
availability.
BabySmartTM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front airbag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed.BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.COMAND
(C
ockpit M
anagement and D
ata Sys-
tem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and the
navigation system, as well as other op-
tional equipment (CD changer, tele-
phone, etc.).
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.