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
187 Controls in detail
Loading
3Lift tensioner
4Tie down
5Hook
6Ring
Lift tensioner3 must point in the direc-
tion of the cargo compartment.
Set the length of tie downs4 and lift
tensioner3 to the rings6.
Insert tie down hooks5 in rings6.
Pull loose ends of tie downs4 until
net is tight.
After driving a short-distance, check the
tension of the partition net, retighten if
necessary.Removing partition net
Lift tensioner upward to a horizontal
position to release tensioning of strap.
Disengage tie down hooks from rings.
Remove partition net from holders.
Storing partition net
Roll up partition net and secure it.
Store partition net behind rear seat
bench.
Loading instructions
The gross vehicle weight which is the
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools,
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers and luggage / cargo must never
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR) for your vehicle. In addition, the
load must be distributed in such a way so
that the weight on each axle never exceeds
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axle. The GVWR and
GAWR for your vehicle are indicated on the
certification label which can be found on
the left door pillar (
page 366).
188 Controls in detailLoadingThe handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried
against front or rear seat backrests,
and fasten them as securely as possi-
ble.
The heaviest portion of the cargo
should always be kept as low as possi-
ble against front or rear seat backrest
since it influences the handling charac-
teristics of the vehicle.
For additional safety when transporting
cargo while the rear seats are unoccu-
pied, fasten the outer seat belts cross-
wise into the opposite side buckles.
Always pad off sharp edges.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the
weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, always use parti-
tion net when transporting cargo.
Never ride vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.
iThe rear cargo compartment is the pre-
ferred place to carry objects. The en-
larged cargo compartment (rear seats
folded) should only be used for items
which do not fit in the rear cargo com-
partment alone.
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.
251 Operation
Tires and wheels
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
The Certification label (Example B),
found on the driver’s door B-pillar, tells
you about the gross weight capacity of
your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR in-
cludes the weight of the vehicle, all oc-
cupants, fuel and cargo. The
Certification label also tells you about
the front and rear axle weight capacity,
called the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). The GAWR is the total allow-
able weight that can be carried by a sin-
gle axle (front or rear). Never exceed
the GVWR or GAWR for either the front
axle or rear axle.
Depending on production date, some
vehicles may also be equipped with a
Tire and Loading Information placard
(Example A). This placard tells you
about the number of people that can be
in the vehicle and the total weight that can be carried in the vehicle. It also
contains information on the proper size
and recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for the original equipment tires
on your vehicle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your
vehicle.
iSpare wheels may be mounted against
the direction of rotation (spinning) even
with a unidirectional tire for temporary
use only until the regular drive wheel
has been repaired or replaced. Always
observe and follow applicable tempo-
rary use restrictions and speed limita-
tions indicated on the spare wheel.
252 OperationTires and wheelsTire and Loading Information
Your vehicle is equipped with the
Certification label (Example B) listing the
permissible gross vehicle weight (GVWR)
and gross axle weight (GAWR) for the front
and rear axle. Depending on production
date, some vehicles may also be equipped
with a Tire and Loading Information plac-
ard (Example A). Placard (Example A)
1Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placard
The placard showing the load limit informa-
tion is located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Tire and Loading Information placard (Example A),
locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.”
on this placard. The combined weight of all
occupants, cargo / luggage and trailer
tongue load (if applicable) should never
exceed the weight referenced in that
statement.
For more information, see “Steps for deter-
mining correct load limit (only applicable
to vehicles with placard Example A)”
(
page 254).
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the plac-
ard on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading
the tires can overheat them, possibly caus-
ing a blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iData shown on placard examples are
for illustration purposes only. Load lim-
it data are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in the illus-
trations below. Refer to placard on ve-
hicle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.
253 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label (Example B)GVWR, GAWR on Certification label The Certification label showing the load
limit information is located on the driver’s
door B-pillar. Locate the heading GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GAWR
(Gross Axle Weight Rating) on this label.
The combined weight of the vehicle, all oc-
cupants, all cargo/luggage and trailer
tongue (if applicable) should never exceed
the GVWR and GAWR for the front or rear
axle listed on the Certification label.
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight lim-
its (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.
Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants
that can be in the vehicle. Observe front
and rear seating capacity. Depending on
production date, your vehicle may be
equipped with placard Example A.
Your vehicle may not be equipped with
placard A nor other placard posting the
seating capacity. Legal requirements at
time of production of your vehicle did not
require manufacturers to post the seating
capacity.
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are designated seating posi-
tions and seat belts available. Be sure ev-
eryone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt.
Placard (Example A)1Seating capacity
iData shown on placard examples are
for illustration purposes only. Seating
data are specific to each vehicle and
may vary from data shown in the illus-
tration below. Refer to placard on vehi-
cle for actual data specific to your
vehicle.
254 OperationTires and wheelsSteps for determining correct load limit
(only applicable to vehicles with placard
Example A)
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under Title
49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part
575 pursuant to the “National Traffic and
Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1 (Vehicles equipped with placard
Example A)
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s placard.
Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400-750 (5 x150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 256).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 252).