2008 MERCEDES-BENZ G55AMG engine compartment

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10 Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 13
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 15
Symbols ............................................... 16
Operating safety .................................. 17 Proper use of the vehicle ............... 17
Problems with your vehicle .................. 18
Reporting safety defects...................... 19 Reporting safety defects ................ 19
Vehicle data recording ......................... 20 Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 20At a glance .......................................... 21
Exterior view......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 28
Center console ..................................... 30 Upper part ...................................... 30
Lower part ...................................... 31
Overhead control panel ........................ 32
Door control panel................................ 33
Storage compartments ......................... 34Getting started ................................... 37
Unlocking ............................................. 38 Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 38
Starter switch positions .................. 39
Adjusting .............................................. 41 Seats .............................................. 41
Steering wheel ................................ 44
Mirrors ............................................ 46
Driving .................................................. 48 Fastening the seat belts ................. 48
Starting the engine ......................... 54
Parking brake ................................. 55
Driving off ....................................... 55
Switching on headlamps ................. 56
Turn signals .................................... 57
Windshield wipers ........................... 58
Rear window wiper/washer ............ 60
Problems while driving.................... 61
Parking and locking .............................. 62 Parking brake ................................. 62
Switching off headlamps................. 64
Turning off engine ........................... 64
Releasing seat belts........................ 64
Locking ........................................... 65
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Contents
Operation......................................... 243
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 244
Driving instructions ............................ 245 Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 245
Drinking and driving ..................... 245
Pedals .......................................... 245
Power assistance ......................... 246
Brakes .......................................... 246
Driving off..................................... 247
Parking ......................................... 248
Tires ............................................. 248
Hydroplaning ................................ 249
Tire traction .................................. 249
Tire speed rating .......................... 250
Winter driving instructions ........... 251
Standing water ............................. 252
Passenger compartment .............. 252
Off-road driving ............................ 253
Driving abroad .............................. 261
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 261
Catalytic converter ....................... 262
Emission control........................... 263
Coolant temperature .................... 263 At the gas station .............................. 264
Refueling ...................................... 264
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 265
Engine compartment ......................... 267 Hood ............................................ 267
Engine oil ..................................... 269
Transmission fluid level ................ 273
Coolant level ................................ 274
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp
cleaning system ........................... 275
Tires and wheels ................................ 277 Important guidelines .................... 277
Tire care and maintenance ........... 278
Direction of rotation ..................... 280
Loading the vehicle ...................... 280
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 286
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 288
Tire labeling.................................. 294
Load identification ....................... 298
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 299
Maximum tire load ....................... 300
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 301 Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 302
Tire ply material ........................... 304
Tire and loading terminology........ 304
Rotating tires ............................... 307
Winter driving .................................... 309 Winter tires .................................. 309
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 310
Snow chains................................. 310
Maintenance...................................... 311 Maintenance service indicator
message ...................................... 311
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display .............. 313
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 313
Vehicle care....................................... 314 Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 314
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23
At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Tailgate105
Cargo compartment

Loading instructions208

Expanding206

Cargo tie-down rings209

Partition net*210

Cover blind214
2Rear view camera203
3Rear window defroster181
4Rear lamps376
5Fuel filler flap264
Refueling264
Fuel265,
424
ItemPage
6Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting46
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors177
7Hood267
Engine oil269
Coolant274
8Windshield wipers58
Wiper blades, replacing386
Wiper blades, cleaning319
9Windshield
Cleaning with windshield
washer fluid59
Cleaning319
Windshield defroster180
aPower tilt/sliding sunroof195
ItemPage
bDoors
Locking and unlocking100
Opening and closing104
Locking/unlocking in an
emergency368
cHeadlamp cleaning system177
dFront lamps376
eTires and wheels277,414
Checking tire inflation
pressure288
General information277
Flat tire388
Spare wheel366
fFront towing eye402
Rear towing eye402
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125
Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
The controls for the interior lighting are
located in the overhead control panel.
1 Left reading lamp
2 Left reading lamp switch
3 Right reading lamp switch
4 Right reading lamp
5 Rocker switch for automatic control
6 Interior lamp Automatic control
Deactivating automatic control
Press symbol
= on rocker
switch 5.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a door Activating automatic control
Move rocker switch
5 to center
position.
The interior lighting (except cargo
compartment lamps) comes on in
darkness when you

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a front door (only the interior
lighting in the front comes on)

open a rear door (only the rear
interior lamps come on, if the rear
automatic control is activated
(
page 126)
The interior lighting switches off after
10 seconds if feature is activated, see
“Setting interior lighting delayed shut-off”
(
page 154).
!An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON
position for extended periods of time with the
engine turned off could result in a discharged
battery.
iThe interior lighting is factory-set to
automatic mode.
iIf a door remains open, the interior lamps
switch off automatically after approximately
5 minutes when the SmartKey is removed or in
starter switch position 0.
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131
Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperat
ure gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(
page 26).
Resetting trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the
standard display (
page 140).
If it is not displayed, press button è
or ÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel (
page 134) repeatedly until
the standard displa y appears in the
multifunction display.
Press and hold reset button 1
(
page 130) until the trip odometer is
reset.
Warning!G

Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns which can occur
just by opening the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam
coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning message in the multifunction display
(
page 346).
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C).
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
iDuring severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature may
rise close to 248°F (120°C).
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184 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. You can oper-
ate the climate control system in either the
automatic or manual mode. The system
cools or heats the interior depending on
the selected interior temperature and the
current outside temperature. Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the
A/C mode is deactivated
(
page 189).
Warning!G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature).
This may cause burns or frostbite on unpro-
tected skin in the immediate area of the air
vents. Always keep sufficient distance
between unprotected pa rts of the body and
the air vents. If necessary, use the air distri-
bution control (
page 186) to direct the air
to air vents in the vehicle interior that are
not in the immediate area of unprotected
skin.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility an d endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before its
scheduled interval. A clogged filter will reduce
the air volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior
before driving off, see “Summer opening fea-
ture” (
page 193). The climate control will then
adjust the interior temperature to the set value
much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
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185
Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
Set air volume control
1 (page 183)
to position 0.
Reactivating
Make sure the ignition is switched on
(
page 39).
Set air volume control 1 (page 183)
to any speed.
The previous settings are once again in
effect. Operating the climate control system
in automatic mode
Activating
Press button
U (page 183) while
the engine is running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air
distribution are adjusted automatically.
Use temperature controls 2 and3
(
page 183) to separately adjust the
air temperature on each side of the
passenger compartment.
The interior air temperature is adjusted
automatically. Deactivating
Press button
U (page 183) once
more.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic operation of the air
volume and air distribution switches
off.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls 2 and 3
(
page 183) to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).
The climate control will adjust to the set
temperature as fast as possible.
Warning!G
When the climate control is switched off, the
outside air supply and circulation are also
switched off. Only choo se this setting for a
short time. Otherwise the windows could
fog up, impairing visi bility and endangering
you and others.
iWhen operating the climate control system
in automatic mode, you will only rarely need to
adjust the temperature, air volume and air
distribution.
In automatic mode, cooling with dehumidify is
switched on. This function can be switched off
by pressing button 9 if necessary
(
page 189).
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221
Controls in detail
Useful features
Opening the ashtray
Briefly touch at top of cover plate
3.
The ashtray opens automatically.
Removing the ashtray insert
Secure the vehicle from movement by
setting the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to neutral
position N.
Now you have more room to take out
the ashtray insert.
Turn off the engine. 4
Sliding button
5 Astray insert
Push sliding button 4 to the right.
Ashtray insert 5 disengages and
protrudes a short distance.
Remove ashtray insert 5 from ashtray
frame in direction of the arrow. Reinstalling the ashtray insert
Push ashtray insert
5 down into the
ashtray frame until it engages.
Push at top of cover plate 3 to close
the ashtray.
Cover plate 3 engages.
Ashtrays in the rear passenger
compartment
There is located one ashtray on each rear
passenger door.
1 Cover
2 Catch
3 Ashtray insert
Warning!G
Remove ashtray only with vehicle standing
still. Set the parking brake to secure the
vehicle from movement. Move gear selector
lever to neutral position N. With the gear se-
lector lever in neutral position N turn off the
engine.
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