2006 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG transmission

157 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Transfer case
For more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 227).
Transfer case position
Switching transfer case
The switch is located in the center console.
1Transfer case indicator
2Gear range indicator
Transfer case indicator1 in the multi-
function display shows the gear position of
the transfer case.Switching from HIGH to LOW
Press upper half (“LOW”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
L is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.
 Put gear selector in D.
HHIGH
Road position
LLOW
Off-road position
This position is intended for driv-
ing off-road and step gradients.
The transmission will not upshift
automatically to the next higher
gear range when driving at the
rpm limit.
The transfer case supports the
engine’s driving force (approx.
1/2speed). Output is therefore
increased.
NNeutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle.
!
The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:

The engine is running.

The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.

The vehicle is not at standstill.

The vehicle speed does not exceed
25 mph (40 km/h).
i
If the shift procedure does not take
place press upper half (“LOW”) of the
transfer case switch again.

158 Controls in detail
Transfer case
Switching from LOW to HIGH
Press lower half (“HIGH”) of the trans-
fer case switch.
Once the shift is complete, gear
position
H is displayed in the transfer
case indicator.
 Put gear selector in D.Messages in the multifunction display
If a shift was not completed and the multi-
function display shows one of the following
messages:

TC SHIFT CONDITIONS NOT FULFILLED
The shift did not take place. At least
one shift condition was not met.
Repeat the shift procedure.

TC IN NEUTRAL
The shift did not take place. The trans-
fer case is in neutral. The gear
position
N is displayed in transfer case
indicator1.
Repeat the shift procedure.

TC SHIFT – CANCELLED
The shift did not take place.
Repeat the shift procedure.

TRANSFER CASE – VISIT WORKSHOP!
There may be a malfunction in the
system.
Repeat the shift procedure.
If the shift procedure still does not take
place, have the vehicle checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center as soon as possible.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
section (
page 321).
!
The shift procedure can only be per-
formed when:

The engine is running.

The gear selector lever for the auto-
matic transmission is in positionN.

The vehicle is not at standstill.

The vehicle speed does not exceed
40 mph (70 km/h).
i
If the shift procedure does not take
place press lower half (“HIGH”) of the
transfer case switch again.
Warning!G
If TC is in neutral, transmission positionP
will not hold vehicle. The parking brake must
be applied to hold vehicle in place.
i
If the SmartKey is in starter switch
position0 or1, an alarm will sound if
the transfer case is in positionN and
the driver’s door is opened.
Engage transfer case to gear position
HIGH or LOW.

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.

214 Controls in detail
Useful features
Exact location and color of the button
may vary by garage door opener brand.
Depending on manufacturer, the “train-
ing” button may also be referred to as
“learn”or “smart” button. If there is dif-
ficulty locating the transmitting button,
refer to the garage door opener opera-
tor’s manual.
Step 9:
Press “training” button on the garage
door opener motor head unit.
The “training light” is activated.
You have 30 seconds to initiate the follow-
ing step.
Step 10:
Firmly press, hold for two seconds and
release the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (2, 3,
or4).
Step 11:
Press, hold for two seconds and re-
lease same button a second time to
complete the training process.Some garage door openers (or other rolling
code equipped devices) may require you to
perform this procedure a third time to
complete the training.
Step 12:
Confirm the garage door operation by
pressing the programmed integrated
signal transmitter button (2, 3,
or4).
Step 13:
To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the steps above starting with
step 3.
Gate operator/Canadian programming
Canadian radio-frequency laws require
transmitter signals to “time-out” (or quit)
after several seconds of transmission
which may not be long enough for the inte-
grated signal transmitter to pick up the sig-
nal during programming. Similar to this
Canadian law, some U.S. gate operators
are designed to “time-out” in the same
manner. If you live in Canada or if you are having dif-
ficulties programming a gate operator (re-
gardless of where you live) by using the
programming procedures, replace step 4
with the following:
Step 4:
Continue to press and hold the inte-
grated signal transmitter button (2,
3, or4) while you press and re-press
(“cycle”) your hand-held remote con-
trol transmitter6 every two seconds
until the frequency signal has been
learned. Upon successful training, the
indicator lamp1 will flash slowly and
then rapidly after several seconds.
Proceed with programming step 5 and
step 6 to complete.


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.

226 Operation
Driving instructions
Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 278).
Standing water
For more information, see “Driving through
water” (
page 231).
Do not engage the transfer case in position
LOW when driving on ice or packed snow. At
speeds below 18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle
steering is adversely affected by the LOW
RANGE – ABS (
page 81).
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monox-
ide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior re-
sulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
!
Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth.
Never accelerate before driving into
water. The bow wave could force water
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the passenger compartment
or the engine compartment. Water in
these areas could cause damage to
electrical components or wiring of the
engine or transmission, or could result
in water being ingested by the engine
through the air intake, causing severe
internal engine damage. Any such dam-
age is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


230 Operation
Driving instructions
Driving in steep terrain
Slope angle
127°
236°

Comply with the warnings
(
page 227) and rules for off-road
driving (
page 228).

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 which is equiv-
alent to a slope angle of approximately
38 degrees. Keep in mind that the
climbing ability of the vehicle depends
on terrain conditions.

Select gear range2 or1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
page 154).

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.
i
The 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.

231 Operation
Driving instructions
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:

loosing ground contact when cresting
hills

loosing its forward momentum

speeding up too much after climbing
the hillDriving downhill

Select gear range1 on the automatic
transmission (
page 154).

Drive downhill observing the same
rules as driving uphill (
page 230).Driving through water
119 in (48 cm)

Before driving through water, deter-
mine its depth.
It should not be deeper than approxi-
mately 19 in (48 cm).
Make sure you check the water bed.
The ground surface may not be firm
which may result in deeper waters than
expected when driving the vehicle
through it.
!
Only apply the service brake if the vehi-
cle is traveling straight downhill, i.e. in
the line of gravity.
i
The special LOW RANGE – ABS setting
allows for precise and brief (cyclical)
blocking of the front wheels, permitting
them to dig into loose ground.
Remember that, when stopped, the
front wheels slide across a surface and
thus lose their ability to steer the vehi-
cle.