2006 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG steering

144 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting key-dependency
Use this function to set whether the mem-
ory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel and the exterior mirrors should be
stored separately for each SmartKey
(
page 107).
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
CONVENIENCE submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
SETTINGS KEY-DEPENDENT.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Pressæ orç to set key depen-
dency to
ON or OFF. Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror
Use the
MIRROR SETTING WHEN PARKING
function to select whether the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror should be
turned downward during parking maneu-
vers when reverse gear is engaged. For
more information, see “Activating exterior
rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 164).
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
CONVENIENCE submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
MIRROR SETTING WHEN PARKING.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Pressæ orç to switch function
ON or OFF.
i
For safety reasons, resetting the
SETTINGS KEY-DEPENDENT submenu to
factory settings will not reset while
driving.
In the display you will then see the mes-
sage:
CONVENIENCE – CANNOT BE
TOTALLY RESET TO FACTORY SETTINGS
WHILE DRIVING
.

147 Controls in detail
Control system
You can use the functions in the TEL menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND.
Press buttonÿ orè on the
steering wheel repeatedly until you see
the
TEL menu in the display.
Which messages will appear in the display
field depends on whether your telephone is
switched on or off:

If the telephone is off, the message in
the multifunction display is:
TEL OFF.

If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the display is
empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network,
READY is indicated in the dis-
play.
1Signal strength
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can op-
erate it using the control system.Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the display you will then see the message:
Press buttons.
You have answered the call. In the dis-
play you see the length of the call.
Ending a call
Press buttont.
You have ended the call. In the display
you will again see the standby
message.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

159 Controls in detail
Differential locks
Differential locks
For more information on off-road driving,
see “Off-road driving” (
page 227).
Differential locks improve the vehicle’s
tractive power off-road. Switch on differen-
tial locks:

for off-road driving

to turn the ABS off during off-road driv-
ing

for driving through water

when driving on deep snow and icy or
fouled surfaces
!
Do not engage the front axle differen-
tial lock when driving around tight cor-
ners. This restricts steering ability.
!
When driving off-road, apply only mod-
erate pressure to the accelerator pedal
if the differential locks are switched on.
When running on a (single-axle) dyna-
mometer – no matter how briefly – you
must:

raise the non-driven axle
or

disconnect its drive shaft
and

engage the transfer differential lock
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
Never drive on pavement with differential
locks engaged.
Steering control will be strongly affected
with the differential locks activated.
The ABS, BAS, and ESP are switched off au-
tomatically when the transfer case differen-
tial lock is activated.

160 Controls in detail
Differential locks
A few words about differentials and
differential locks
When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels
on the outside of the curve must travel far-
ther and rotate faster than the inside
wheels. The differential, the operation of a
set of gears that allows the powered
wheels in a vehicle to turn at different
speeds, makes this essential function pos-
sible.
The drawback is that the differential also
sends most of the engine’s power to the
wheel with the least load or strain on it. For
example, if one of a vehicle’s powered
wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins
because there is no traction, all of the en-
gine’s power will go to that wheel because
the power will take the path of least resis-
tance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sit-
ting on dry pavement where it could get
enough grip to start the vehicle moving,
sits idle because it receives no power.The Electronic Traction System (ETS) ad-
dresses this problem and provides for
good control and steering ability by auto-
matically slowing the slipping wheel and
thus increasing the power to the other
non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle
moving. The ESP and ETS in this vehicle
feature such intelligent limited-slip differ-
ential technology, ideally suited for
on-road and light off-road driving. Transfer
case position LOW (
page 157) also en-
hances off-road driving capabilities
(
page 227).
More extreme off-road conditions may call
for another solution, engaging a differen-
tial lock or preventing the differential from
operating altogether. As part of its stan-
dard equipment, this vehicle comes with
three differential locks: front, transfer case
(center) and rear. Each can be engaged
simply by pushing dashboard-mounted
buttons in sequential order (center, rear,
front) (
page 161). When the transfer
case (center) differential is locked, half of
the engine’s power is automatically distrib-
uted to the front wheels and half to the rear wheels. When the rear differential is
locked, power going to the rear wheels is
equally distributed, so that both rear
wheels turn at the same speed and torque.
When the front differential is locked, all
four wheels now turn with equal power and
torque. Please be aware that engaging the
differential locks will significantly reduce
the steering ability of the vehicle.
For your safety and the safety of others
and to prevent damage to the vehicle, the
differential locks must not be engaged
when driving on paved roads. It is impor-
tant to understand that during
on-road/paved driving, differentials are
absolutely necessary for providing the es-
sential control and steering ability of the
vehicle. The differential locks, therefore,
must not be engaged when driving on
paved roads and should only be used to
the extent necessary to negotiate off-road
conditions which cannot be handled by the
systems (automatic 4-ETS, the ESP, manu-
al switch position “LOW” of transfer case)
this vehicle comes equipped with.

165 Controls in detail
Good visibility
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:

ten seconds after you put the gear se-
lector lever out of position R

immediately once you exceed a vehicle
speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)

immediately when you press button1
for driver’s side exterior rear view
mirror
Headlamp cleaning system
The switch is located to the left of the
steering column.
1Headlamp washer switch
Switch on the ignition (page 35).
Press switch1.
The headlamps will be cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.
Sun visors
The sun visors help protect you from sun
glare while driving.
Warning!G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.

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.

202 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls
using thes andt buttons on the
multifunction steering wheel. Use the con-
trol system for performing other telephone
functions (
page 146).
See separate operating manual for infor-
mation on how to operate the telephone.
Tele Aid The Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

Automatic and manual emergency

Roadside Assistance and

Information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç.
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.
!
The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
SOS button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated. If the system is
not activated, the indicator lamp in the
SOS button stays on after switching on
ignition and the message
TELE AID
EMERG. CALL – NOT ACTIVATED
will be
shown in the multifunction display for
approx. 10 seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

207 Controls in detail
Useful features
Information button¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button¡.
Press and hold the button (for longer
than two seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance
Center will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
INFO – CONNECTING CALL will
appear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
INFO – CALL CONNECTED appears
in the multifunction display. The Tele Aid
system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color
and location (subject to availability of cel-
lular and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. When a voice connection is estab-
lished the audio system mutes and the
message
TELE AID – INFO CALL ACTIVE
appears in the multifunction display. Infor-
mation regarding the operation of your ve-
hicle, the nearest Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center or Mercedes-Benz USA prod-
ucts and services is available to you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only). Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the tbutton on the
multifunction steering wheel.
i
The indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red
for approx. ten seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after switching on igni-
tion (together with the SOS button and
the Roadside Assistance button•).
See system self-check (page 203)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ is illuminated continuous-
ly and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
INFO –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the tbutton on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.