2006 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 brake

181 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.

Rear Parking Assist*, which assists
your parking maneuvers.
For information on the BAS, ABS, ESP,
4-ETS, and EBB driving systems, see “Driv-
ing and safety systems” (
page 80).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 23).
i
The cruise control should not be acti-
vated during-off road driving.
Warning!G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.

Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

182 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Sets current or higher speed
2Sets current or lower speed
3Cancels cruise control
4Resumes at last set speed
Setting current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated.Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
Cruise control is canceled. The last set
speed is stored for later use.
or
Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control is canceled. The last set
speed is stored for later use.
i
On uphill or downhill grades, cruise
control may not be able to maintain the
set speed. Once the grade eases, the
set speed will be resumed.
!
Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving, except to
coast when the vehicle is in danger of
skidding (e.g. on icy roads).
i
The last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.

183 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting 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.
i
Depressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing),
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
i
When 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.

184 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Rear Parking Assist*
The Rear Parking Assist system is an elec-
tronic aid designed to assist the driver dur-
ing parking maneuvers. It visually and
audibly indicates the relative distance be-
tween the rear of the vehicle and an obsta-
cle.
The Rear Parking Assist system is auto-
matically activated when you switch on the
ignition and shift the gear selector lever to
positionR.The Rear Parking Assist system monitors
the rear area of your vehicle by means of
four sensors in the rear bumper.
1Sensors
Warning!G
Rear Parking Assist (rear Parktronic) is a
supplemental system. It is not intended to,
nor does it replace, the need for extreme
care. The responsibility during parking and
other critical maneuvers always rests with
the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts, or
street curbs). Such objects may not be de-
tected by the system and can damage the
vehicle.
The operational function of the Rear Parking
Assist can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice. See
“Cleaning the Rear Parking Assist sensors”
(
page 286).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers or the air
brakes of trucks) can cause the system to
send erratic indications, and should be tak-
en into consideration.
Warning!G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.

185 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Range of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow, and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damage them.Minimum distance
The minimum distance between the sen-
sors and an obstacle is approximately
20 in (50 cm). If you encounter an obstacle
in this range, all the warning lamps come
on and you hear a warning signal. If the ob-
stacle is closer than the minimum dis-
tance, the actual distance may no longer
be indicated by the system. Centerapprox. 59.1 in (150 cm)
Cornersapprox. 40 in (100 cm)
!
During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or
below the height of the sensors (e.g.
planters or trailer hitches). The Rear
Parking Assist system will not detect
such objects at close range and dam-
age to your vehicle or the object may
result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sourc-
es (e.g. truck air brakes or jackham-
mers) may impair the operation of the
Rear Parking Assist system.

198 Controls in detail
Useful features
Storage bags
Storage bags are located on the rear side
of the front seats.Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
1Ashtray
2Cigarette lighter
3Cover plate
Opening ashtray
Briefly push the cover plate3.
The ashtray opens automatically.Removing the ashtray insert
4Sliding knob
5Astray insert
Warning!G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges in the storage
bags.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle and cause injury to
vehicle occupants.
Warning!G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Turn off the engine and set the parking
brake. Otherwise the vehicle might move as
a result of unintended contact with the gear
selector lever.

221 Operation
Driving instructions
Power assistance
BrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on and there is no audible warn-
ing (EBB), the brake fluid level in the
reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected
immediately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.
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.
Warning!G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components
or salty road conditions, the first braking ac-
tion may be somewhat reduced and in-
creased pedal pressure may be necessary to
obtain expected braking effect. Maintain a
safe distance from vehicles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.!
Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 82).

222 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, 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 161).
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 154).
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.