2005 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 transmission

178 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting a higher speed
Lift cruise control lever to position1
and hold it up until the desired speed is
reached.

Release cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress cruise control lever to
position2 and hold it down until the
desired speed is reached.

Release cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Fine adjustment in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments
Faster

Briefly tip cruise control lever in
direction of arrow1.
Slower

Briefly tip cruise control lever in
direction of arrow2.Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function)

Briefly push cruise control lever to
position4.
Cruise control resumes the last set
speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing),
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the transmission will au-
tomatically downshift if the engine’s
braking power does not brake the vehi-
cle sufficiently.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to preset
speed could endanger yourself and others.

209 Controls in detail
Useful features
Step 7:
To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps above starting with
step 3.
Rolling code programming
To train a garage door opener (or other roll-
ing code devices) with the rolling code fea-
ture, follow these instructions after
completing the “Programming” portion
(steps 1 through 6) of this text. (A second
person may make the following training
procedures quicker and easier.)
Step 8:

Locate “training” button on the garage
door opener motor head unit. Exact location and color of the button
may vary by garage door opener brand.
Depending on manufacturer, the “train-
ing” button may also be referred to as
“learn”or “smart” button. If there is dif-
ficulty locating the transmitting button,
refer to the garage door opener opera-
tor’s manual.
Step 9:

Press “training” button on the garage
door opener motor head unit.
The “training light” is activated.
You have 30 seconds to initiate the follow-
ing step.
Step 10:

Firmly press, hold for two seconds and
release the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (2, 3
or4).
Step 11:

Press, hold for two seconds and re-
lease same button a second time to
complete the training process.Some garage door openers (or other rolling
code equipped devices) may require you to
perform this procedure a third time to
complete the training.
Step 12:

Confirm the garage door operation by
pressing the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (2, 3
or4).
Step 13:

To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps above starting with
step 3.
Gate operator/Canadian programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter signals to “time-out” (or quit)
after several seconds of transmission
which may not be long enough for the inte-
grated signal transmitter to pick up the sig-
nal during programming. Similar to this
Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators
are designed to “time-out” in the same
manner.
iIf the indicator lamp1 blinks rapidly
for about two seconds and then turns
to a constant light, continue with pro-
gramming steps 8 through 12 as your
garage door opener may be equipped
with the “rolling code” feature.

218 OperationDriving instructionsAfter hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
To ensure sufficient traction during
off-road driving, activate differential locks
as needed (
page 158).
Parking
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by selecting gear range3,2 or1 on the
automatic transmission to use the
engine’s braking power (
page 150).
This helps prevent overheating of the
brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.

222 OperationDriving instructionsRoad salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 275).
Standing water
For more information, see “Driving through
water” (
page 227).
Do not engage the transfer case in position
LOW when driving on ice or packed snow. At
speeds below 18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle
steering is adversely affected by the LOW
RANGE – ABS (
page 81).
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monox-
ide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior re-
sulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth.
Never accelerate before driving into
water. The bow wave could force water
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the passenger compartment
or the engine compartment. Water in
these areas could cause damage to
electrical components or wiring of the
engine or transmission, or could result
in water being ingested by the engine
through the air intake, causing severe
internal engine damage. Any such dam-
age is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


226 OperationDriving instructionsDriving in steep terrainSlope angle127°
236°

Comply with the warnings
(page 223) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 224).


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 150).


Drive slowly.


Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the brake as needed.


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.Driving across a hilltop
Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do not
select gear rangeN), to prevent the vehi-
cle from speeding up too much after climb-
ing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to drive
across the hilltop.
After climbing a hill, driving in this manner
prevents the vehicle from:


jumping across the hilltop


loosing its forward momentum


speeding up too much after climbing
the hill
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.

227 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving downhill

Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 150).


Drive downhill observing the same
rules as driving uphill (
page 226).Driving through water
119 in (48 cm)


Before driving through water, deter-
mine its depth.
It should not be deeper than approxi-
mately 19 in (48 cm).
Make sure you check the water bed.
The ground surface may not be firm
which may result in deeper waters than
expected when driving the vehicle
through it.


Comply with the warnings
(page 223) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 224).


Switch off the exterior lamps as well as
the climate control.


Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 150).


Enter the water only at a shallow spot,
driving at walking speed.
!Only apply the service brake if the vehi-
cle is traveling straight downhill, i.e. in
the line of gravity.iThe special LOW RANGE – ABS setting
allows for precise and brief (cyclical)
blocking of the front wheels, permitting
them to dig into loose ground.
Remember that, when stopped, the
front wheels slide across a surface and
thus lose their ability to steer the vehi-
cle.
!Never accelerate before driving into
the water. The bow wave could force
water into the engine and auxiliary
equipment, thus damaging them.

229 Operation
Driving instructions


Check the vehicle clearance before
crossing obstacles.


Comply with the warnings
(page 223) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 224).


Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 150).


Cross obstacles (e.g. tree stumps or
big rocks) very slowly by aiming one of
the front wheels at the center of the ob-
stacle, and repeat same with the rear
wheel.Ruts


Check the vehicle clearance before
driving in ruts.


Comply with the warnings
(page 223) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 224).


Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 150).


Drive slowly next to the ruts rather than
through them if at all possible.
!Special attention is needed when you
cross obstacles on a steep incline.
The vehicle could slide sideways as a
result of its possible slanted position
which in turn may result in the vehicle
tipping or rolling over.
!A number of off-road tracks or other by-
roads have deep ruts. If the vehicle
does not have enough ground clear-
ance:

it could be damaged


the underside of the vehicle may
come down on a surface and re-
main stuck
After off-road driving or crossing obsta-
cles, inspect vehicle for any damage,
especially vehicle underbody and sus-
pension components. Failure to do so
can adversely affect the vehicle’s fu-
ture performance, including increased
chance of an accident.

244 OperationEngine compartment
Screw oil filler cap2 back on filler
neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 374) and
(
page 375).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. The transmission has a per-
manent supply of automatic transmission
fluid.
If you notice transmission fluid loss or gear
shifting malfunctions, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center check
the automatic transmission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level,

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground.


the engine must be cool. The coolant
level should reach the COLD LEVEL
mark in the reservoir.
!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.
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 coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°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.