
Contents
Practical hints.................................  289
What to do if … ..................................  290
Lamps in instrument cluster ........  290
Lamp in center console................  297
Vehicle status messages in the 
multifunction display ....................  298
Where will I find...? ............................  323
First aid kit ...................................  323
Vehicle tool kit .............................  323
Vehicle jack..................................  324
CD changer ..................................  324
Spare wheel .................................  325
Unlocking/locking in an emergency ..  327
Unlocking the vehicle ...................  327
Locking the vehicle ......................  328
Fuel filler flap ...............................  328
Manually unlocking the 
transmission gear selector lever ..  329Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 330
Tilt/sliding sunroof ....................... 330
Brush guard* ...................................... 331
Lowering and raising brush guard . 332
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 333
SmartKey ...................................... 334
Replacing bulbs .................................. 335
Bulbs ............................................. 336
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 338
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 343
Replacing wiper blades....................... 346
Removing wiper blades ................. 346
Installing wiper blades .................. 347
Flat tire ............................................... 348
Preparing the vehicle .................... 348
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 349
Battery................................................ 353
Charging the battery ..................... 353
Disconnecting the battery............. 354
Reconnecting the battery.............. 355Jump starting......................................  356
Towing the vehicle..............................  358
Transporting the vehicle ...............  360
Towing the vehicle - various 
problem scenarios ........................ 360
Front towing eye ...........................  361
Rear towing eye ............................ 361
Freeing a stranded vehicle ............ 361
Fuses.................................................. 362
Fuse box in passenger 
compartment ................................  362
Fuse box in battery box ................ 362
Fuse box in front passenger 
footwell ......................................... 363
Fuse box in middle tunnel .............  364 

Contents
Technical data..................................  365
Parts service ......................................  366
Warranty coverage .............................  367
Loss of Service and Warranty 
Information Booklet......................  367
Identification labels............................  368
Layout of poly-V-belt drive .................  369
G 500 ...........................................  369
G 55 AMG.....................................  369
Engine ................................................  370
Rims and tires ....................................  371
Rims and Tires..............................  372
Spare wheels ................................  373
Electrical system................................  374
Main dimensions, vehicle weights 
and ratings .........................................  375
Main dimensions ..........................  375
Vehicle weights and ratings .........  375Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. .........  376
Capacities ....................................  376
Engine oils....................................  377
Engine oil additives ......................  378
Air conditioning refrigerant ..........  378
Brake fluid ....................................  378
Premium unleaded gasoline .........  378
Fuel requirements ........................  379
Gasoline additives ........................  379
Coolants.......................................  380
Anticorrosion/antifreeze..............  381
Windshield/rear window 
washer system and headlamp 
cleaning system ...........................  382Technical terms...............................  383
Index.................................................  389 

85 Safety and Security
Driving and safety systems
Warning!G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of 
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can 
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP 
cannot prevent accidents, including those 
resulting from excessive speed in turns, fol-
lowing another vehicle too closely, or aqua-
planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful 
driver can prevent accidents. The capabili-
ties of a ESP equipped vehicle must never be 
exploited in a reckless or dangerous manner 
which could jeopardize the user’s safety or 
the safety of others.
!
Driving the vehicle with varied size tires 
will cause the wheels to rotate at differ-
ent speeds, possibly causing the ESP to 
activate. For this reason, all wheels, in-
cluding the spare wheel, must have the 
same tire outside diameter.
!
The engine must be shut off when
the parking brake is being tested on 
a brake test dynamometer.
the vehicle is being towed with one 
axle raised.
Otherwise, the ESP will engage the 
brakes and seriously damage the brake 
system.
i
The ABS, BAS, and ESP are automati-
cally switched off when the differential 
locks are switched on (
page 161).  

192 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
The gross vehicle weight which is the 
weight of the vehicle including fuel, tools, 
spare wheel, installed accessories, pas-
sengers and luggage / cargo must never 
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 
(GVWR) for your vehicle. In addition, the 
load must be distributed in such a way so 
that the weight on each axle never exceeds 
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for 
the front and rear axle. The GVWR and 
GAWR for your vehicle are indicated on the 
certification label which can be found on 
the driver’s door B-pillar (
page 368). The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to 
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being 
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Warning!G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and 
fastening materials appropriate for the 
weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown 
around inside the vehicle, and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items 
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, always use parti-
tion net when transporting cargo.
Never ride vehicle with the tailgate open. 
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may 
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death. 

253 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure 
at least once a month. For more informa-
tion on checking tire inflation pressure see 
“Recommended tire inflation pressure” 
(
page 260).Tire inspection
Every time you check your tire inflation 
pressure, you should also inspect your 
tires for the following:
excessive treadwear (page 254)
cord or fabric showing through the 
tire’s rubber
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in 
the tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above 
conditions.
Make sure you also inspect the spare tire 
periodically for condition and inflation. 
Spare tires will age and become worn over 
time even if never used, and thus should be 
inspected and replaced when necessary.Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon 
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire inflation pressure
Distance driven
Warning!G
Regularly check the tires for damage. Dam-
aged tires can cause tire inflation pressure 
loss. As a result, you could lose control of 
your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the 
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have 
sustained damage, replace them.
Warning!G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after 
six years, regardless of the remaining tread. 

255 Operation
Tires and wheels
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must 
make sure the tires rotate in the direction 
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the 
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of 
the tire.Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much 
weight it may properly carry. 
The Tire and Loading Information 
placard can be found on the driver’s 
door B-pillar. This placard tells you im-
portant information about the number 
of people that can be in the vehicle and 
the total weight that can be carried in 
the vehicle. It also contains information 
on the proper size and recommended 
tire inflation pressures for the original 
equipment tires on your vehicle.
The Certification label, also found on 
the driver’s door B-pillar tells you about 
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight 
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the 
weight of the vehicle, all occupants, 
fuel and cargo. The Certification label 
also tells you about the front and rear 
axle weight capacity, called the Gross 
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR 
is the total allowable weight that can be carried by a single axle (front or rear). 
Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR for 
either the front axle or rear axle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work 
with the information contained on the 
placard with regards to loading your 
vehicle.
i
Spare wheels may be mounted against 
the direction of rotation (spinning) even 
with a unidirectional tire for temporary 
use only until the regular drive wheel 
has been repaired or replaced. Always 
observe and follow applicable tempo-
rary use restrictions and speed limita-
tions indicated on the spare wheel. 

264 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire size designation, load and speed 
rating
1Tire width 
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed ratingGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used, 
the tire size molded into the sidewall may 
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire 
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation 
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire 
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation: 
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design 
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation: 
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design 
standards. 
Letter “T” preceding the size designation: 
Temporary spare tires which are high 
pressure compact spares designed for 
temporary emergency use only. 
Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 264) indicates 
the nominal tire width in mm. Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (
page 264) is the 
dimensional relationship between tire 
section height and section width and is 
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio 
is arrived at by dividing section height by 
section width. 
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 264) indicates 
the tire construction type. The “R” stands 
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B” 
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire 
with a speed capability above 149 mph 
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size 
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18). 
For additional information, see “Tire speed 
rating” (
page 266).
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual 
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in 
above illustration. 

274 Operation
Tires and wheels
DOT (Department of Transportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the 
tire meets requirements of the 
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross Axle Weight Rating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible 
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on 
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for 
the front and rear axle indicated on the 
Certification label located on the driver’s 
door B-pillar.
GTW (G
ross Trailer Weight)
The GTW is the weight of the trailer plus 
the weight of all cargo, equipment, luggage 
etc. loaded on the trailer. GVW (G
ross Vehicle Weight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the 
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel, 
installed accessories, passengers and 
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue 
load. The GVW must never exceed the 
GVWR indicated on the Certification label 
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
GVWR (G
ross Vehicle Weight Rating)
This is the maximum permissible vehicle 
weight of the fully loaded vehicle (weight of 
the vehicle including all options, passen-
gers, fuel, and cargo and, if applicable, 
trailer tongue load). It is indicated on 
Certification label located on the driver’s 
door B-pillar.
Kilopascal (kPa)
The metric unit for air pressure. There are 
6.9 kPa to 1 psi; another metric unit for air 
pressure is bars. There are 100 kilopascals 
(kPa) to 1 bar.Maximum load rating
The maximum load in kilograms and 
pounds that can be carried by the tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
The sum of curb weight, accessory weight, 
vehicle capacity weight and production 
options weight.
Maximum tire inflation pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air 
pressure that should ever be put in the tire 
under normal driving conditions.
Normal occupant weight
The number of occupants the vehicle is 
designed to seat, multiplied by 
68 kilograms (150 lbs).
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle 
at their designated seating positions.