2006 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 Owner's Manual

48 Getting started
Driving
Seat belt height adjustment
Adjust the height so that the upper part of
the belt runs over the middle of the shoul-
der.
1Button for belt outlet height
adjustmentAdjusting belt outlet higher
Slide belt outlet upward.
The belt outlet engages in five various
positions.
Adjusting belt outlet lower
Pull and hold release button1.
Slide belt outlet in desired position.
Let go of release button1.
Please comply with the instructions for
“Proper use of seat belts” (
page 47).
Starting the engine
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.

49 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 149).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 356).
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.
i
You can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey to
position3 and release it again immedi-
ately. The engine then starts automati-
cally.

50 Getting started
Driving
Parking brake
1Parking brake lever
2Release buttonRelease the parking brake by lifting
lever1 up slightly, pressing button2
on the lever and moving lever1 down
to the stop.
The warning lamp; (USA only) or
3 (Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Driving
Depress the brake pedal.
Move gear selector lever to positionD
orR.Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could release the parking brake,
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP or N if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!
In order to avoid damaging the trans-
mission,

wait for the gear selection process
to complete before setting the vehi-
cle in motion.

place the gear selector lever in
positionPorR only when the vehi-
cle is stopped.
!
If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.

51 Getting started
Driving
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 220).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 227).
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.
i
You can open the doors from inside.
Open doors only when the conditions
are safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic
locking using the control system
(
page 142).
!
Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.

52 Getting started
Driving
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 110).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press combination switch in direction
of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampK orL in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 24).The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
i
To signal minor directional changes
such as changing lanes, press combi-
nation switch only to point of resis-
tance and release. The corresponding
turn signals will flash three times.

53 Getting started
Driving
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (page 35).Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
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Intermittent wiping interval is depen-
dent on wetness of windshield. Pauses
between wipes are automatically con-
trolled by the rain sensor.
!
Do not operate the wipers when the
windshield is dry. Dust that accumu-
lates on a windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield. If it is necessary to operate the
wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 54).

54 Getting started
Driving
Intermittent wiping
Set the combination switch to
positionI.
Single wipe
Press combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1 past the resistance point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system” (
page 249).
Rear window wiper/washer
The rear window wiper / washer switch is
located on the upper part of the center
console.
1Interval wiping on/off
2Indicator lamp
3Simultaneous operation of wiper and
washer
i
Intermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.
!
If anything blocks the windshield wip-
ers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off
immediately.

For safety reasons, withdraw
SmartKey from starter switch be-
fore attempting to remove any
blockage.

Remove blockage.

Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in combination switch positionI,

set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.

have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

55 Getting started
Driving
Switch on the ignition (page 35).
Interval wiping
Switching on
Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Switching off
Press upper half1 of the switch
again.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Press and hold lower half3 of the
switch.
The wiper operates with washer fluid.
The rear window will be wiped for ap-
proximately another five seconds after
the switch is released.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system” (
page 249).
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.

The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.

Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.
Give very little gas.
Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
i
The rear window wiper will also auto-
matically engage if

the windshield wipers are engaged.

the gear selector lever is placed
inR “Reverse”.