2008 MERCEDES-BENZ G500 Owner's Manual

40 Getting started
Unlocking
For information on starting the engine, see
(
page 54).
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps
(except high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) will go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in park
position P.
iIf the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of time, it can
no longer be turned in the switch. In this case,
the steering is locked. To unlock, remove
SmartKey from the starter switch and reinsert.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be
sufficiently charged.

Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(
page 396).

Get a jump start (page 397).
To prevent accelerated vehicle battery discharge
or a completely discharged vehicle battery,
always remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch when the engine is not in operation.
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41
Getting started
Adjusting
 Adjusting
Seats
Warning!G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the seat belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries.
The seat backrest and seat belts provide the
best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly
upright position and seat belts are properly
positioned on the body. Your seat must be
adjusted so that you can correctly fasten
your seat belt (
page 48).
Observe the following points:

Adjust the backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.

Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still a llows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The po-
sition should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.

Adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports
the back of the head at eye level.

Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is
being adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the power seats can be
operated when the respective door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
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42 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the respective front door.1 Head restraint height
2 Seat backrest tilt
3 Seat fore and aft adjustment
4 Seat cushion tilt
5 Seat height
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
or
Open the respective front door.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child. For addi-
tional information, see “Children in the vehi-
cle” (
page 77).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is no t properly secured in
the child restraint.
!When moving the seat, make sure

there are no items in the footwell or behind
the seat

the cup holder next to the armrest is
removed (
page 219)

the cup holder in the front passenger
footwell is folded closed (
page 220)
Otherwise you could damage the seat and/or
cup holders.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the seat position together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
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43
Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow
3.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow 4 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow 2.
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow 5.
Make sure you have sufficient head-
room. Head restraint height
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow
1. Head restraint fore and aft adjustment
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint.
Adjust the head restraint to the desired
position by pushing or pulling on the
upper edge of the head restraint cush-
ion.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 108).
Warning!G
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned and engaged head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports the
back of the head at eye level. This will
reduce the potential fo r injury to the head
and neck in the event of an accident or
similar situation.
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44 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheelSteering wheel adjustment
Make sure that

you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows,

you can move your legs freely

all displays (incl. malfunction and indi-
cator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visibleThe steering wheel adjustment stalk is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1 Adjusting steering wheel, in or out
2 Adjusting steering wheel, up or down
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
or
Open the driver’s door.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving could cause the dr iver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the steering wheel adjust-
ment feature can be operated when the
driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the steering wheel together
with the settings for the seat position and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
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45
Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting steering wheel in or out
Move stalk forward or backward in
direction of arrow
1.
Adjusting steering wheel up or down
Move stalk up or down in direction of
arrow 2.
For information on “Heated steering
wheel”, see (
page 225).
Easy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
activated or deactivated in the
Convenience submenu of the control
system (
page 156). With the easy-entry/exit
feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or

insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch with the driver’s door closed
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you:

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position 0
or 1
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move the steering wheel adjustment
stalk (
page 44).

Press one of the stored position buttons
or the memory button (
page 115).
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could open the driver’s
door and unintentionally activate the
easy-entry/exit feature, which could result
in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
iThe last set steering wheel position is stored
when

the ignition is switched off (page 39)

the position is stored into memory
(
page 115)
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46 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 177). Exterior rear view mirrors
iIf the current position
for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in
motion. All steering wh eel adjustment must
be completed before setting the vehicle in
motion. Driving off wit h the steering wheel
still adjusting could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (out wardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
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47
Getting started
Adjusting
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1 Adjustment button
2 Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
3 Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror buttonSwitch on the ignition (page 39).
Press button 2 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button 3
for the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror.
Push adjustment button 1 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting. For more information, see “Storing exterior
rear view mirror parking position (Canada
only)” (
page 116).!If an exterior rear view mirror housing is
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear) or
rearward (hit from the front), reposition it by
applying firm pressure until it snaps into place.
The exterior rear view mirror housing is now
properly positioned and you can adjust the
mirror in the usual manner.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the exterior rear view mir-
rors together with the settings for the steering
wheel and the seat position.
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