Driving sys
tems 154
of its narrow width. The distance to the vehi-
cle in front will be too short. Speedtronic
Speedtronic brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load
on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly. If
you need additional braking, depress the
brake pedal repeatedly rather than continu-
ously. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu-
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying
constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely. G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. for driving on winter tyres
(Y page 156) G
Risk of accident
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable Speedtronic With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control, Distronic* and variable
Speedtronic.The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R
LIM indicator lamp off:
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
Variable Speedtronic is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running. 1
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 Storing the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed Controls
* optional
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Driving sys
tems 158 Level control*
The level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. This results in reduced fuel
consumption and improved handling.
When you are driving in ADS* COMFor
AUTO (Ypage 157), the vehicle is lowered to
the high-speed level as the speed increases.
As the vehicle decelerates, the vehicle is
raised back up to highway level.
In ADS* SPORT(Ypage 157), the vehicle
skips highway level and lowers directly to the
high-speed level depending on the basic set-
ting (Y page 158) or (Y page 160).
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as pos-
sible.
The vehicle level may change visibly when you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. When the temperature drops, the
vehicle level is lower; with an increase in tem-
perature, the vehicle level rises.
When you unlock the vehicle or open a door,
the vehicle begins to balance the load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant level changes, e.g. after the vehi-
cle has been stationary for a long period, the engine must be on. For safety reasons, the
vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened and continues when the door has
been closed. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of
the wheel arch or the underbody when you
begin a level change. You could otherwise
trap yourself or others. G
Risk of accident
Always select as low a vehicle level as pos-
sible. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This
increases the risk of the vehicle tipping
over.
Adapt your driving style to suit the vehicle
level. ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot
override the laws of physics.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance to prevent damage to the vehi-
cle. You will find information about driving off-
road in the "Operation" section
(Y
page 235).
Vehicles with AIRMATIC package* Basic settings, excluding ML 63 AMG
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted. Select raised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-speed level for normal roads.
The individual vehicle levels are:
R
Raised level: 60 mm above highway level
R Highway level: +/- 0 mm
R High-speed level: 15 mm below highway
level
Basic settings for the ML 63 AMG
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the ADS setting selec-
ted. Select raised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-speed level for normal roads.
With AUTO ADS, the vehicle is 73 mm higher
when in raised level than it is in highway level.
Raised level
Only select the raised level when this is appro-
priate for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel Controls
* optional
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Air conditioning
184
i
The residual heat automatically switches
off after around 30 minutes or if:
R the ignition is switched on
R the battery voltage drops Auxiliary heating/ventilation*
G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the aux-
iliary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You
should therefore switch off the auxiliary
heating in confined spaces without an
extraction system, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When operating the auxiliary heating, parts
of the vehicle may become very hot, and
highly inflammable material such as fuels
could be ignited. Operating the auxiliary
heating is thus prohibited at filling stations
or when your vehicle is being refuelled. You
must therefore switch off the auxiliary heat-
ing at filling stations.
The auxiliary heating heats the air in the vehi-
cle interior to the set temperature without
using the heat of the running engine. The aux-
iliary heating is operated using fuel directly from the vehicle's fuel tank. For this reason,
the tank content must be at least at reserve
fuel level to ensure that the auxiliary heating
functions.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode
to ventilation mode.
You cannot use the auxiliary ventilation to
cool the vehicle interior to a temperature
lower than the outside temperature.
Before activating
X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Set the temperature.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated even when the air conditioning is being
controlled manually. Optimum comfort can
be attained when the system is set to auto-
matic mode. Set the temperature to 22 †.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated or deactivated using the remote control
or the button on the centre console. The on-board computer can be used to spec-
ify up to three departure times, one of which
may be preselected (Y
page 133).
Switching the auxiliary heating/venti-
lation on/off using the centre console
button Centre console
1
X Auxiliary heating/ventilation
The colours of the indicator lights on the but-
ton have the following meanings:
Blu eA uxiliary ventilation activated
Red Auxiliary heating activated
Yello wDeparture time preselected
(Y page 132) Controls
* optional
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Sliding sunroof
187The auxiliary ventilation
is switched on. The num-
ber in the display shows
the remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
ventilation.
The auxiliary heating is
switched on. The number
in the display shows the
remaining time (in
minutes) for the auxiliary
heating. Sliding sunroof
Sliding/tilting sunroof*
G
Risk of injury
Children could injure themselves if they
operate the sliding/tilting sunroof.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS–GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle,
even if you are only leaving it for a short
time. G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped when you are opening and closing the
sliding/tilting sunroof. If there is a risk of
entrapment, release the switch and push it
briefly in any direction to stop the sliding/
tilting sunroof. G
Risk of injury
The glass in the sliding/tilting sunroof
could break in an accident. If you are not
wearing a seat belt, there is a risk that you
could be thrown through the opening in the
event of the vehicle overturning. Therefore,
always wear a seat belt to reduce the risk
of injuries. !
Only open the sliding/tilting sunroof if it
is free of snow and ice. Otherwise, mal-
functions may occur.
Do not allow anything to protrude from the
sliding/tilting sunroof. The seals could oth-
erwise be damaged.
i Resonance noises can occur in addition
to the usual airflow noises when the slid-
ing/tilting sunroof is open. They are caused
by minor pressure fluctuations in the vehi-
cle interior.
Change the position of the sliding/tilting
sunroof or open a side window slightly to
reduce or eliminate these noises.
i It is also possible to open and close the
sliding/tilting sunroof from the outside
using the "Summer opening" (Y page 101)
and "Convenience closing" (Y page 102)
features respectively.
When PRE-SAFE ®
* has been activated, the
sliding/tilting sunroof closes automatically in
the event of danger, leaving a small gap open. Controls
* optional
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Features
207Example illustration
1
To engage the mobile phone
2 Connector contact
3 Mobile phone bracket
X Slide the lower end of the mobile phone
into connector contact 2in mobile phone
bracket 3.
X Push the top part of the mobile phone in
the direction of arrow 1until it engages in
mobile phone bracket 3.
The mobile phone is connected to the
hands-free system and to the multi-func-
tion steering wheel.
The battery is charged depending on the
charge status and the position of the key in
the ignition lock. The charging process is
shown in the mobile phone display. i
The system reads the phone book stored
on the SIM card and in the mobile phone
memory. If the same entry is stored in both
of the phone books, both of these entries
will be shown in the multi-function display.
You can make a call using the sand
t buttons on the multi-function steering
wheel. You can control other mobile phone
functions via the on-board computer
(Y page 136).
i When you remove the key from the igni-
tion lock, the mobile phone remains
switched on for approximately ten minutes
(run-on time). If you make a call during this
time, the mobile phone will be switched off
approximately ten minutes after you have
ended the call.
Run-on time:
You can change the run-on time by making
an additional phone book entry on the SIM
card. For the name, enter "Idletime" and for
the number, enter a figure between "1" and
"30" (minutes). If you have not entered a
number or have entered a different num-
ber, the run-on time of ten minutes will still
apply. For information on how to create a phone
book entry, refer to the mobile phone oper-
ating instructions.
Own number sending:
The hands-free system does not recognise
whether own number sending is enabled or
disabled in the mobile phone. The phone
number is therefore always sent by default.
By creating an additional phone book entry
on the SIM card, you can switch the own
number sending function on and off. For
the name, enter "CALLID" and for the num-
ber, enter a "0" or a "1". Entering "0" will
prevent the telephone number from being
sent; entering "1" will allow it to be sent.
For information on how to create a phone
book entry, refer to the mobile phone oper-
ating instructions. Controls
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Features
210tion for at least 20 seconds before trying
another position.
X Keep the transmitter button on the garage
door's remote control depressed until indi-
cator lamp 1starts to flash rapidly.
The programming was successful if indica-
tor lamp 1flashes rapidly.
X Release the transmitter buttons on the
garage door's remote control and the inte-
grated remote control.
If indicator lamp 1goes out after approxi-
mately 20 seconds and did not flash rapidly
before this:
X Release the transmitter buttons on the
integrated and portable remote controls.
X Repeat the programming procedure. At the
same time change the distance between
the garage door's remote control and the
transmitter buttons in the rear-view mirror.
i If the garage door system works with a
rolling code, after programming you must
synchronise the remote control integrated
in the rear-view mirror with the garage door
system receiver.
You will find further information in the
garage door opening system's operating
instructions, e.g. the sections on "Synchro-
nising the transmitter" or "Registering a new transmitter". You can also call the hot-
line mentioned above.
Opening or closing the garage door Once programmed, the integrated remote
control will assume the function of the garage
door system's remote control. Please read
the operating instructions for the garage door
system.
X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Press the transmitter button on the rear-
view mirror that you have programmed to
operate the garage door.
Garage door system with fixed code: indi-
cator lamp 1lights up continuously.
Garage door system with rolling code: indi-
cator lamp 1flashes briefly and then lights
up for approximately two seconds. This is
repeated for up to 20 seconds.
i The transmitter will transmit a signal for
as long as the transmitter button is being
pressed. The transmission will be halted
after a maximum of 20 seconds and indi-
cator lamp 1will flash. Press the trans-
mitter button again if necessary. Clearing the remote control memory X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Press and hold transmitter buttons 2and
4 for approximately 20 seconds until indi-
cator lamp 1flashes rapidly.
The memory is cleared.
i You should clear the remote control mem-
ory before selling the vehicle. Compass*
In the Off-road menu* (Y page 126), the
compass displays the compass bearing of
your direction of travel. You will see N,NE, E,
SE, S,SW, Wor NW in the multi-function display.
To obtain an accurate display of your com-
pass bearing, the correct geographical zone
must be set. If necessary, the compass must
also be calibrated (Y page 213).
If the compass is not calibrated or is malfunc-
tioning due to external interference, you will
see the Compass – – – message in the dis-
play.
i Large buildings, bridges, power lines or
large transmitting masts as well as metallic Cont
rols
* optional
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Refuelling
216 Running-in notes
The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with
excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R You should therefore drive at varying road
and engine speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this time. Do not exceed 2
/ 3 of
the maximum permissible engine speed for
each gear.
R Change gear in good time.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the pressure point (kick-
down).
R Only use ranges 3,2or 1for slow driving,
e.g. in mountainous terrain.
After 1,500 km you may gradually bring the
vehicle up to full road and engine speeds. Additional driving tips for AMG vehicles:
R
Do not drive faster than 140 km/h for the
first 1,500 km.
R Only bring the engine up to a maximum
speed of 4,500 rpm for a brief period.
R It is advisable to select drive program Cfor
comfort mode.
i You should also observe these notes if the
engine or rear axle transmission on your
vehicle has been replaced. Refuelling
Refuelling
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switch off the engine and the auxiliary heat-
ing* before refuelling. G
Risk of injury
Avoid any contact with fuels.
You can damage your health if your skin
comes into direct contact with fuel or if you
inhale fuel vapours. G
Risk of fire
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Never mix diesel with petrol.
This causes damage to the fuel system and
engine and could result in the vehicle catch-
ing fire.
! Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not use diesel to refuel
vehicles with a petrol engine. Even a small
quantity of the wrong fuel will damage the
injection system. Damage resulting from Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
227G
Risk of accident
Should the tyre pressure drop repeatedly:
R Check the tyre for foreign bodies.
R Check whether the wheel is losing air or
the valve is leaking.
Tyre pressure that is too low has a negative
effect on the vehicle’s active safety, which
could lead to your causing an accident.
Tyre pressure changes by approximately
0.1 bar for every 10 °C change in ambient
temperature.
If you measure the tyre pressure in enclosed
spaces where the temperature differs from
the outside temperature, you will have to cor-
rect the measured value accordingly.
When the vehicle is driven, the tyre tempera-
ture, and with it the tyre pressure, will
increase depending on the road speed and
the load on the tyres.
Therefore, you should only correct tyre pres-
sures when the tyres are cold.
The pressure of warm tyres should only be
corrected if it is too low for the current oper-
ating conditions.
Driving with tyre pressure that is too high or
too low can: R
shorten the service life of the tyres
R increase the likelihood of tyre damage
R have a negative effect on handling charac-
teristics (e.g. by causing aquaplaning)
i The tyre pressure values given for low
loads are minimum values which offer you
good ride comfort characteristics.
You can, however, also use the values given
for higher loads. These are permissible and
will not adversely affect the running of the
vehicle. H
Environmental note
Check the tyre pressure regularly, at least
every 14 days. Tyre pressure loss warning system
G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system does
not warn you of an incorrectly set tyre pres-
sure. The table on the inside of the fuel filler
flap will help you decide whether the tyre
pressures should be corrected.
The tyre pressure loss warning system does
not replace the need to regularly check
your vehicle's tyre pressures, since an even loss of pressure on several tyres at the
same time cannot be detected by the tyre
pressure loss warning system.
The tyre pressure loss warning system is
not able to warn you of a sudden loss of
pressure, e.g. if the tyre is penetrated by a
foreign object.
In the event of a sudden loss of pressure,
bring the vehicle to a halt by braking care-
fully. Do not make any sudden steering
movements when doing so.
While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pres-
sure loss warning system monitors the set
tyre pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enables the system to detect
significant pressure loss in a tyre. If the speed
of rotation of a wheel changes as a result of
a loss of pressure, a corresponding warning
message will appear in the multi-function dis-
play.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or gravel Operation
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