2006 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 catalytic converter

Contents
Operation......................................... 217
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 218
Driving instructions ............................ 220
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 220
Drinking and driving ..................... 220
Pedals .......................................... 220
Power assistance ......................... 221
Brakes .......................................... 221
Driving off..................................... 222
Parking ......................................... 222
Tires ............................................. 223
Hydroplaning ................................ 224
Tire traction .................................. 224
Tire speed rating .......................... 225
Winter driving instructions ........... 225
Standing water ............................. 226
Passenger compartment .............. 227
Off-road driving ............................ 227
Control and operation of
radio transmitters......................... 235
Driving abroad .............................. 236
Catalytic converter ....................... 236
Emission control........................... 237
Coolant temperature .................... 238At the gas station .............................. 239
Refueling ...................................... 239
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 240
Engine compartment ......................... 242
Hood ............................................ 242
Engine oil ..................................... 243
Transmission fluid level ................ 248
Coolant level ................................ 248
Windshield/rear window
washer system and headlamp
cleaning system ........................... 249
Battery ............................................... 251
Tires and wheels ................................ 252
Important guidelines .................... 252
Tire care and maintenance ........... 253
Direction of rotation ..................... 255
Loading the vehicle ...................... 255
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 260
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 261
Tire labeling.................................. 263
Load identification ....................... 267
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 268
Maximum tire load ....................... 269Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 270
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 271
Tire ply material ........................... 273
Tire and loading terminology ........ 273
Rotating tires ............................... 276
Winter driving .................................... 278
Winter tires .................................. 278
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 279
Snow chains................................. 279
Maintenance...................................... 280
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 281
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 281
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 281
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 282
Vehicle care....................................... 283
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 283

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.

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”.

149 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 49).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

the gear selector lever
positionD(
page 151) with
gear ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 154)

transfer case position (HIGH or LOW)
(
page 157)

the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 153)

the vehicle speed
i
During the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.

236 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive
Mercedes-Benz service network at your
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas
which are not listed in the index of a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center directo-
ry, you should request pertinent informa-
tion from an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Light Truck Center.Catalytic converter
Your Mercedes-Benz is equipped with
monolithic-type catalytic converters, an
important element in conjunction with the
oxygen sensors to achieve substantial con-
trol of the pollutants in the exhaust emis-
sions. Keep your vehicle in proper
operating condition by following our rec-
ommended maintenance instructions as
outlined in your Maintenance Booklet.!
To prevent damage to the catalytic con-
verters, use only premium unleaded
gasoline in this vehicle.
Any noticeable irregularities in engine
operation should be repaired promptly.
Otherwise, excessive unburned fuel
may reach the catalytic converter,
causing it to overheat and potentially
start a fire.

245 Operation
Engine compartment
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition (page 35).
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before re-
peating check procedure.If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
NOT WHEN ENGINE ON!
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait five minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 311).
!
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.
i
Perform the engine oil level check with
the dipstick if it cannot be completed
with the control system (
page 246).
In this case we recommend that you
have the system checked at a
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

248 Operation
Engine compartment
Screw oil filler cap2 back on filler
neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 376) and
(
page 377).
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
(plastic bridge) 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.


312 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible causePossible solution
: ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL!You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the engine or
the catalytic converter.Have oil siphoned or drained off. Ob-
serve all legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!There is no oil in the engine. There is a
danger of engine damage.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as possible.
Turn off the engine.
Add engine oil (page 247) and check
the engine oil level (
page 244).
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.Have the oil checked.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP!The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.Check the engine oil level
(
page 244) and add oil as required
(
page 247).
If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
The measuring system is malfunctioning.Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.