ContentsOperation......................................... 213
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 214
Driving instructions ............................ 216
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 216
Drinking and driving ..................... 216
Pedals .......................................... 216
Power assistance ......................... 217
Brakes .......................................... 217
Driving off..................................... 218
Parking ......................................... 218
Tires ............................................. 219
Hydroplaning ................................ 220
Tire traction .................................. 220
Tire speed rating .......................... 221
Winter driving instructions ........... 221
Standing water ............................. 222
Passenger compartment .............. 223
Off-road driving ............................ 223
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 231
Driving abroad .............................. 232
Catalytic converter ....................... 232
Emission control........................... 233
Coolant temperature .................... 233At the gas station .............................. 235
Refueling ...................................... 235
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 236
Engine compartment ......................... 238
Hood ............................................ 238
Engine oil ..................................... 239
Transmission fluid level ................ 244
Coolant level ................................ 244
Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp
cleaning
system ......................................... 245
Battery ............................................... 247
Tires and wheels ................................ 248
Important guidelines .................... 248
Tire care and maintenance ........... 249
Direction of rotation ..................... 251
Loading the vehicle ...................... 251
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 257
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 259
Tire labeling.................................. 261
Load identification ....................... 265DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 266
Maximum tire load ....................... 267
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 268
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 268
Tire ply material ........................... 270
Tire and loading terminology........ 271
Rotating tires ............................... 274
Winter driving .................................... 275
Winter tires .................................. 275
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 276
Snow chains................................. 276
Maintenance...................................... 277
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 278
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 278
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 278
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 279
Vehicle care....................................... 280
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 280
Contents
Practical hints................................. 287
What to do if … .................................. 288
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 288
Lamp in center console ................ 295
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 296
Where will I find...? ............................ 321
First aid kit ................................... 321
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 321
Vehicle jack.................................. 322
CD changer .................................. 322
Spare wheel ................................. 323
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 325
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 325
Locking the vehicle ...................... 326
Fuel filler flap ............................... 326
Manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever .. 327
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 328
Tilt/sliding sunroof ...................... 328Brush guard* ...................................... 329
Lowering and raising brush
guard ............................................ 330
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 331
SmartKey ...................................... 332
Replacing bulbs .................................. 333
Bulbs ............................................. 333
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 335
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 341
Replacing wiper blades....................... 344
Removing wiper blades ................. 344
Installing wiper blades .................. 345
Flat tire ............................................... 346
Preparing the vehicle .................... 346
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 347
Battery................................................ 351
Charging the battery ..................... 351
Disconnecting the battery............. 352
Reconnecting the battery.............. 353
Jump starting ...................................... 354Towing the vehicle.............................. 356
Transporting the vehicle ............... 358
Towing the vehicle - various
problem scenarios ........................ 358
Front towing eye ........................... 359
Rear towing eye ............................ 359
Freeing a stranded vehicle............ 359
Fuses.................................................. 360
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 360
Fuse box in battery box ................ 360
Fuse box in front passenger
footwell ......................................... 361
Fuse box in middle tunnel ............. 362
ContentsTechnical data.................................. 363
Parts service ...................................... 364
Warranty coverage ............................. 365
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet...................... 365
Identification labels............................ 366
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 367
G 500 ........................................... 367
G 55 AMG..................................... 367
Engine ................................................ 368
Rims and tires .................................... 369
Rims and Tires............................. 370
Spare wheels................................ 371
Electrical system................................ 372
Main dimensions, vehicle weights
and ratings ......................................... 373
Main dimensions .......................... 373
Vehicle weights and ratings ......... 373Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 374
Capacities .................................... 374
Engine oils.................................... 375
Engine oil additives ...................... 376
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 376
Brake fluid .................................... 376
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 376
Fuel requirements ........................ 377
Gasoline additives ........................ 377
Coolants....................................... 378
Anticorrosion/antifreeze.............. 379
Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp
cleaning system ........................... 380
Technical terms............................... 381Index................................................. 387
13 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MER-Cedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100. It
is in your own interest that we can contact
you should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Truck” found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter (in the USA) at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes,
or Customer Service (in Canada) at
1-800-387-0100.Operating your vehicle outside the USA
or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in for-
eign countries, please be aware that:
service facilities or replacement parts
may not be readily available,
unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-
alytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts,
gasoline may have a considerably low-
er octane rating, and improper fuel can
cause engine damage.Certain Mercedes-Benz models are avail-
able for delivery in Europe under our
European Delivery Program. For details,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or write to:
In the USA:
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9
25 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Reset button for:
Resetting trip odometer
121
Resetting individual or
all settings
132,
133,
145,
279
Instrument cluster
illumination
120
2
LLeft turn signal
indicator lamp
24
3
?Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
(USA only)
292
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
(Canada only)
292
vElectronic Stability
Program (ESP)
warning lamp
84,
293
AHigh beam
headlamp indicator
lamp
52,
114
Item
Page
4
KRight turn signal
indicator lamp
24
5
Fuel gauge with:Fuel reserve warning lamp
24
1Supplemental
Restraint System
(SRS) indicator lamp
66,
294
294
6
Multifunction display
with:
123
Trip odometer
24
Main odometer
24
Transfer case program
mode
154
Gear selector lever position
148
Outside temperature
indicator
122
Clock (see COMAND
operating instructions)
123
Item
Page
7
Speedometer
8
Tachometer with:;Brake warning lamp
(USA only)
50,
290
3Brake warning lamp
(Canada only)
50,
290
-Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
indicator lamp
80,
288
49 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmissionGearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 148).Starting
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 35).
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 58).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn SmartKey in starter switch to
position0 and repeat starting proce-
dure.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.
Get a jump start (
page 354).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.
56 Getting startedDrivingThe coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.
Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 244).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:
Do not start the engine under any
circumstances.
Notify local fire and/or police
authorities.
If the extent of the damage cannot be
determined:
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.
If no damage can be determined on the
major assemblies
fuel system
engine mount:
Start the engine in the usual manner.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning message in the multifunction
display (
page 306).
92 Controls in detailIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed in your vehicle.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions of your vehicle, this section will
be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key. The locking
tabs for the mechanical key portion of the
two SmartKeys are a different color to help
distinguish each key unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:
the doors
the tailgate
the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control1‹ Lock button
2Locking tab for mechanical key
3Œ Unlock button
4Battery check lamp
5Â Panic button (
page 79)
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 172) and tilt/sliding
sunroof (
page 175) using the
SmartKey.