2005 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 wheel

324 Practical hintsWhere will I find...?Removing the spare wheel
1Mounting screws
Unscrew mounting screws1.

Remove the spare wheel.For more information on changing the
wheel, see “Flat tire” (
page 346).
Warning!
G
Make sure no one is injured when removing
the spare wheel.
Grip wheel from the sides.
Keep hands from beneath the wheel.
iAfter changing the wheel, secure the
replaced wheel on the spare wheel car-
rier. Make sure the wheel cannot come
loose.
Cover the wheel with the cover plate.
Repair or replace damaged tire as soon
as possible and return spare tire as
original spare.

346 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever toP.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.

Remove the vehicle tool kit
(page 321) and the jack
(page 322).

Remove the spare wheel from the
spare wheel mounting bracket
(page 323).Information on spare wheel
When you replace the vehicle’s tires, you
can use the spare wheel as a regular wheel
if:


it is not more than six years old


rim and tire are the same model as the
regular wheels
Warning!
G
For your safety, remove spare wheel from
the spare wheel mounting bracket before
undertaking any further steps.
Warning!
G
If the spare tire is more than six years old or
is not the same model as the regular tires,
have the spare tire replaced with a new tire
at the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare tire.
Warning!
G
G55AMG:
Vehicles with different tire dimensions on
the front and rear axle: rim and tire size of
spare wheel and normal wheel differ.
Handling will be adversely affected when the
spare wheel is used.
Do not exceed the maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).

347 Practical hints
Flat tire
Mounting the spare wheel
Prepare the vehicle (
page 346).
Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:

Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:

Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.
Wheel wrench
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle under the axle housing. To
help avoid personal injury, use the jack only
to lift the vehicle during a wheel change.
Never get beneath the vehicle while it is sup-
ported by the jack. Keep hands and feet
away from the area under the lifted vehicle.
Always firmly set parking brake and block
wheels before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure the jack is posi-
tioned correctly under the axle housing. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.
If the vehicle is not raised as described, it
could slip off the jack as a result of vibra-
tions (e.g. opening or closing a door or the
tailgate).

348 Practical hintsFlat tirePump handle (three pieces)1Indent for activation of release bolt2
Assemble the pump handle for the
jack. The pump handle is located in the
vehicle tool kit.
Jack2Release bolt
Close release bolt2.
To do so, turn indent1 to the right in
the pump lever until its stop.

Place jack on firm ground.

Position jack under the axle housing,
so that it is always vertical (plumb-line)
as seen from the side, even if the vehi-
cle is parked on an incline.
Be certain the jack arm is positioned
correctly under the axle housing (axle
must fall into jack contour).

Jack up the vehicle by pumping (arrow)
until the wheel is clear of the ground.
Never start engine while vehicle is
raised.
iNever turn release bolt2 more than
one or two revolutions. Hydraulic fluid
can otherwise escape.

349 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
Remove the wheel bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Push the wheel onto the wheel hub and
press firmly.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.Warning!
G
Make sure no one is injured when removing
the wheel.
Grip wheel from the sides.
Keep hands from beneath the wheel.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center
or call Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. Other wheel
bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.

350 Practical hintsFlat tireLowering the vehicle
Using the pump lever, open the lower-
ing screw on the jack approximately
one turn (
page 348).
The vehicle is resting fully on its own
weight.

Remove the jack.
After use, disassemble pump handle
(page 348) and store jack in the des-
ignated storage compartment
(page 322).
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 322) and the other vehicle
tools (
page 321).

After changing the wheel, secure the
damaged wheel on the spare wheel
mounting bracket (
page 324). 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).

356 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleMercedes-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 86),
tow-away alarm (
page 89) and the
automatic central locking
(
page 141).
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in position N and the
SmartKey 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 sure 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.

357 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!
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.
For more information, see “Battery”
(page 351) and “Jump starting”
(page 354).
For information on manually unlocking
transmission gear selector lever, see
(page 327).
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
usual manner – only the selected turn
signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the
hazard 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 141).
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.