2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class Tow

vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible.
Check the engine oil level. The engine oil
warning lamp warning must not be ignored.
Continuing the journey while the symbol is
displayed could lead to engine damage.XWheel-changing tool kit: check that the
jack is working and make sure you have the
wheelbrace, a robust tow cable and a
folding spade in the vehicle.XWheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure. A table with the
recommended tire pressures can be found
on the B-pillar on the driver's side of your
vehicle.XCheck for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.XReplace any missing valve caps.XReplace dented or damaged wheels.XWheels: dented or deformed wheels could
result in a loss of tire pressure and damage
the tire bead. Therefore, check the wheels
before driving off-road and replace them if
necessary.
Check list after driving off-road
GWarning
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possible
damage to your vehicle has occurred, you
should turn on the hazard warning flashers,
carefully slow down, and drive with caution to
an area which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle appears
unsafe, have the vehicle towed to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on
normal roads. After driving off-road, check
the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident
to yourself and other road users.
XDeactivate the off-road drive program
( Y page 193).XDeactivate DSR ( Y page 192).XVehicles with the AIRMATIC package: lower
the vehicle to a level that suits the road
conditions, e.g. highway/high-speed level.XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.XClean the front and rear license plates.XClean the wheels/tires, wheel arch and the
underbody with a water jet. Check for
damage and remove any foreign objects.XAfter the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.XCheck whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber
bellows of the axle joints and propeller
shafts.XAfter driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.XTest the brakes.
Driving on sand
GWarning!
Do not reduce the tire inflation pressure
before driving through sand. However, if you
do so, remember to correct the tire inflation
pressure before continuing your trip. Driving
with reduced tire inflation pressure increases
the risk of losing control of the vehicle and
rolling over.
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Hilltops
When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator
immediately before reaching the brow of the
hill. Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to
travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R loss of traction
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill
R Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight.
Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways,
tip and rollover.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting enables
the front wheels to be locked accurately,
briefly and repeatedly, causing them to dig
into the loose ground. Note that when the
front wheels are fully braked, they slide
easily over the ground surface and
therefore steering is impaired.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network
is also available in other countries. The
Service Hotline's current telephone numbers
for use when you are abroad are to be found
in the "Service24h" section of the Service
Booklet.
Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety guidelines
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding 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, 2 or 3 in 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
GWarning
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle's speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic,
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a constant speed.
R The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.
R The use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid
changes in tire traction can result in wheel
spin and loss of control.
R Deactivate the cruise control when driving
in fog.
The "Resume" function should only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed.
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GWarning
When cruise control brakes, the brake pedal
is pulled back (i.e. operated automatically).
The area around the pedal must not be
blocked by obstacles:
R Do not place any objects in the footwell.
R Ensure that floormats and carpets are fixed
securely. In particular, do not place several
floormats on top of one another.
R Do not place your foot under the brake
pedal, as it could become trapped.
Non-compliance could lead you to cause an
accident in which you and/or others could be
seriously injured.
i Cruise control should not be activated
during off-road driving.
Cruise control lever
:To store the current speed or a higher
speed;To store the current speed or a lower
speed=To deactivate cruise control?To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
R USA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles
R Canada only: e.g. ¯90 Km/h
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.XBriefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ; to the pressure point.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last speed stored
GWarning
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
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Setting a speedGWarning
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
XPress the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.XRelease the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For
example, if you accelerate briefly to
overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Setting in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Setting in 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h)
increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards =.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you are driving below 20 mph (30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control Off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC
Important safety guidelines
DISTRONIC regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front. It
brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding 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, 2 or 3
in 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 a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC causes your vehicle to brake and
maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front.
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Activating DISTRONIC, storing and
maintaining the current speedGWarning!
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC if the vehicle is to be set in motion
by other means (e.g. in a car wash or by
towing).
You can activate DISTRONIC in the following
circumstances:
R if the engine has been started and you have
been driving for up to two minutes
R while driving, except if you brake
R if the parking brake is not applied
R if ESP ®
is activated
R if the transmission is in position D
Activating while driving
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/h) , you can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display. If
the vehicle in front is not shown in the
multifunction display and is no longer being
detected, because it has changed lanes, for
example, DISTRONIC is deactivated and you
hear a warning tone.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ? or press it up : or down ; to the
pressure point.
DISTRONIC is activated.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down ; until the desired speed
is set.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the thumbwheel on
the cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance ( Y page 177).
i
If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC Override message
appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine by
the position of the accelerator pedal.
Driving
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
operates in the same way as cruise control.
If a slower-moving vehicle is detected in front,
DISTRONIC causes your vehicle to brake and
maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in
front.
If DISTRONIC detects a faster-moving vehicle
in front, it increases the driving speed, but
only up to the desired speed you have stored.GWarning!
If you depress the brake pedal, DISTRONIC is
deactivated. DISTRONIC will then no longer
brake your vehicle. In such cases, control the
distance from vehicles traveling in front with
the brake alone. You could otherwise cause
an accident and thereby injure yourself and
others. The driver remains fully responsible
for the vehicle's distance from other vehicles,
the speed being driven and for braking in good
time.
Stopping
GWarning!
DISTRONIC must never be operated,
activated or deactivated by a passenger or
from outside the vehicle.
If DISTRONIC detects that the vehicle in front
is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is
stationary.
i Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a
standstill at a sufficient distance behind the
vehicle in front. The specified minimum
distance is set using the thumbwheel on
the cruise-control lever.
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DISTRONIC is deactivated automatically
when stopping:
R on flat stretches of road or on downhill
gradients when the vehicle is stationary
R while the vehicle is still moving on uphill
gradients, to prevent the vehicle from
unexpectedly rolling back when
DISTRONIC is deactivated
If DISTRONIC is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone.XTo prevent the vehicle from rolling away,
apply the foot brake or parking brake.
Setting a speed
GWarning
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/
or serious injury to you and others.
XPress the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.XRelease the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC is
activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
Setting in 1 mph (Canada: 1 km/h)
increments
XBriefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up : for a higher speed or
down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.Setting in 5 mph (Canada: 10 km/h)
incrementsXBriefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up : for a
higher speed or down ; for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last speed stored
GWarning
The set speed stored in memory should only
be set again if prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Possible
acceleration or deceleration differences
arising from returning to the preset speed
could cause an accident and/or serious injury
to you and others.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC is activated and accepts the
current speed if it is activated for the first
time, or adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. This time span
determines the distance that DISTRONIC
should maintain from the vehicle in front,
depending on the road speed. You can see
this distance in the multifunction display
( Y page 179).
GWarning!
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver's preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving
recommendations for safe following distance.
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XTo increase: turn thumbwheel ; towards
= .
DISTRONIC then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.XTo decrease: turn thumbwheel ;
towards :.
DISTRONIC then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain the
minimum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
DISTRONIC displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC is activated, one or
two segments in the set speed range light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC.
If DISTRONIC detects a vehicle in front,
segments ; between the speed of the
vehicle in front : and stored speed = light
up.GWarning!
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp · in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the Distronic system
calculates that the distance to the vehicle
ahead and your vehicle’s current speed
indicate that the Distronic will not be capable
of slowing the vehicle sufficiently to maintain
the preset following distance, which creates
a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
in which you should intercede with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation. Do not wait for the
operation of the warning signal to intercede
with your own braking. This will result in
potentially dangerous emergency braking
which will not always result in an impact being
avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
GWarning
DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with a
maximum deceleration of 13 ft/s 2
(4 m/s 2
).
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum possible braking
power.
You must apply the brakes yourself to avoid a
collision. DISTRONIC brakes the vehicle to
restore the set distance to the vehicle in front
or to restore the set speed. In this case, the
brake pedal is depressed automatically,
which can be seen by a movement of the
brake pedal.
Always keep the driver's footwell clear,
including the area under the brake pedal.
Objects in this area may impair pedal
movement and cause the DISTRONIC braking
function to malfunction.
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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 that there is always sufficient
ground clearance to prevent damage to the
vehicle.
! Remove the key from the ignition before
raising one or more wheels with the
appropriate equipment.
Information on "Off-road driving"; see
( Y page 166).
Level setting
Basic settings, excluding AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting
selected. Select raised level for off-road
driving or highway/high-speed level for
normal roads.
The individual vehicle levels differ from
highway level as follows:
R +2.3 in (+ 60 mm) in raised level
R +/–0 in (+/–0 mm) in highway level
R –0.6 in (–15 mm) in high-speed level
i The high-speed level is not available when
you are towing a trailer. Observe the notes
on driving with a trailer ( Y page 198).
Basic settings for AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the ADS setting
selected. Select raised level for off-road
driving or highway/high-speed level for
normal roads.
In raised level, the vehicle is 2.9 in (73 mm)
higher than in Highway level with ADS
AUTO .
Raised level
Only select raised level if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption may increase and handling may
be affected.XStart the engine.XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ; flashes. The vehicle rises
to raised level.
While the adjustment is taking place, a
message appears in the multifunction
display, e.g.:
If you press the V, U , & or *
button on the multifunction steering wheel,
the message will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached raised level,
indicator lamp ; remains lit. You will see a
message in the multifunction display, for
example:
If you want to select raised level at a speed
above 40 mph (64 km/h), the Level
Selection Not Permitted message
appears in the multifunction display.
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