Page 244 of 417

243 Operation
Engine compartment
Closing
Lower hood and let it drop into lock
from a height of approximately 0.7 ft
(20 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.
Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the turn signals to the left and
right of the hood, then it is not properly
closed. Open it again and let it drop
with somewhat greater force.
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when
the vehicle is new
the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Warning!G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage,
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system
with the engine running
while starting the engine
if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually
Warning!G
Be careful that you do not close the hood on
anyone.
!
Do not push the hood closed manually,
as this could damage it.
i
Do not use any special lubricant addi-
tives, as these may damage the drive
assemblies. Using special additives not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may
cause damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is
available at any Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.
Page 245 of 417

244 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least five minutes with the
engine turned off
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:
Switch on the ignition (page 35).
The standard display (
page 123) should
appear in the multifunction display.
Press buttonk orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message is seen in the multifunction
display:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOW
MEASURE. CORRECT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVEL
One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK
ADD 1.0 Qt. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!
(Canada: 1.0 LITER)
ADD 1.5 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!
(Canada: 1.5 LITERS)
ADD 2.0 Qts. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!
(Canada: 2.0 LITERS)
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 247).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 376) and
(
page 377).
i
If you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
Page 246 of 417

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.
Page 247 of 417

246 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must
be parked on level ground
be at normal operating temperature
have been stationary for at least
5 minutes with the engine turned offTo check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (page 242).
Pull out oil dipstick1 (page 247).
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstick
The oil level is correct when it is between
the lower (min) and upper (max) mark of
the oil dipstick.
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 247).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 376) and
(
page 377).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 311).
i
The engine oil level can be checked by
either the oil dipstick or via the multi-
function display in the instrument
cluster (
page 244). The amount of
engine oil needed is shown more
precisely in the multifunction display.
i
The filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
Page 248 of 417

247 Operation
Engine compartment
Adding engine oil
Only use approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of ap-
proved engine oils and oil filters, refer to
the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet in your vehicle literature portfo-
lio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), or changing
of oil and oil filter at change intervals long-
er than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
G500
1Oil dipstick
2Oil filler cap
G55AMG
1Oil dipstick
2Oil filler cap
Unscrew oil filler cap2 from filler
neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Page 249 of 417

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.
Page 283 of 417

282 Operation
Maintenance
Resetting the maintenance service
indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center, you can have the maintenance ser-
vice indicator reset. The automotive main-
tenance facility carrying out the
maintenance service will find the informa-
tion for resetting the maintenance service
indicator in the maintenance-relevant in-
formation for your vehicle. Such informa-
tion is available from either your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz.i
If the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance ser-
vice indicator with the engine oil level
indicator :.
i
If the maintenance service indicator
was inadvertently reset, have an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance
service has been performed. Resetting
the system without performing the
proper maintenance service as called
for by the maintenance service indica-
tor will result in engine damage and/or
other vehicle damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 312 of 417

311 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the ADD 1.0 QT. ENG. OIL - WHEN
NEXT REFUELLING!
(Canada: 1.0 LITER)
message appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the required level with an ap-
proved oil specified in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet.
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible causePossible solution
: USA only:
ADD 1.0 Qt. ENGINE OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!
Canada only:
ADD 1.0 LITER ENG. OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!
The engine oil level is too low.Add engine oil (page 247) and check
the engine oil level (
page 244).
!
The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.