2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV Owners Manual

Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of
DISTRONICPLUStod etect vehi-
cles when cor nering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedl yorlate.
Vehicles travelling on adifferent line DISTRONIC PLU
Smay not detec tvehicles
travelling on adifferent line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLU
Shas not detected the vehi-
cle cuttin ginyet. The distanc etothis vehi cle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detec
tedt he
vehi cleinf ront on th eedge of the car riage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tanc etot he vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstruction sand sta tionary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns
acorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationar yvehicle, DI STRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these. 182
Driving systemsDrivin
gand parking

Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLU
Smay mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossin gyour lane .Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffi cligh ts with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. Leve
lcon trol (vehicle switht he
ON&OFFROA Dpackage)
Importan tsafety notes Leve
lcontrol adapts the vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving
situation. Thi sresults in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level whil ethe
vehicle is in motion. Thi senable sthe vehicle
to adjus ttothe new level as quickly as pos-
sible.
The vehicle level ma ychange visibly if you
par kthe vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperatur edrops, th evehi-
cle level lowers; with an increase in temper-
ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unloc kthe vehicle or open adoor, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant leve lchanges, e.g. after the vehi-
cle has been stationar yfor along period, the
engin emust be on. For safety reasons, the
vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed .Lowering is interrupted if adoor is
opened; it con tinues once the doo rhas been
closed. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is near the wheel arch
or vehicle underside when you make achange
to the vehicle level. Otherwise, you or others
ma ybet rapped. G
WARNING
Always select as lo wavehicle level as possi-
ble. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This increa-
ses the risk of the vehicle tipping over.
Adapt your driving style to suit the vehicle
level. ESP ®
can notreduce the risk of an acci-
dent if you driv etoo fast .ESP ®
cannot over-
ride the laws of physics.
! When driving on extremely roug hterrain,
select ahigh vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance to prevent damage to the vehi-
cle.
For information about drivin goff-road, see
(Y pag e166).
Basi csettings The exten
ttowhich the vehicle is raised or
lowered depend sonthe basic setting selec-
ted.
Select:
R Highway/high-spee dlevel for driving on
normal roads
R Off -road level 1for drivin goneasily nego-
tiable off-road terrain
R Off-road level 2for drivin gonnormal off-
roa dterrain
R Off -road level 3for freeing the vehicle from
especially difficult off -road terrain at low
speeds
The individual vehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
R Highway level: +/– 0mm
R High-speed level: –15 mm
R Off-road leve l1:30mma bove highway
level Driving systems
183Drivingand parking Z

R
Off-road level 2: 60 mm abov ehighway
level
R Off-road level 3: 90 mm above highway
level
Highway/high-speed level !
Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered .It
could oth erwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody. :
Selector wheel
; To raise the level
= Indicator lamps
? To lowe rthe level
X Star tthe engine.
X Selector wheel : engaged:
brieflypress
selecto rwheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
If one or mor eindicato rlamps =are on:
X Turn selector wheel :anti-clockwise ?
until all indicator lamps =that are lit start
to flash.
The vehicle is lowered to highway level. As
soon as the next lowes tlevel is reached,
the indicator lam pstops flashing and goes
out.
While the adjustment is taking place, ames-
sage appears in the multifunction display,
e.g.: If you press the
%ora button on the
multifunction steerin gwheel, the message
will disappear.
Onc ehighway level has been reached, all indi-
cator lamps =go out. You will see amessage
in the multifunction display, for example: The vehicle automatically select
shighway
level if you are drivin gataspeed above
11 5k m/ horify ou drive at between
10 0k m/ hand 11 5km/ hfor aroun d20sec-
onds. The vehicle is lowered to high-speed
level if you are travelling at higher speeds.
Off-road levels G
WARNING
Off-road level 3isnot perm itted for use on
public roads. Off-road leve l3gives your vehi-
cle avery high centr eofgravity. This increa-
se st he risk of the vehi clet ippin gover.
R Onl yselec toff-road level 3for drivin goff-
road in particularl yrough terrain.
R Adjust your drivin gstyle to the altered han-
dling charac teristics.
R Do not drive faster than 20 km/h.
R Avoid sudden majo rsteering movements.
R Take account of th ealtered handling char-
acteristics.
Only select an off-road level if this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel 184
Drivin
gsystemsDrivin gand parking

cons
umption may incr easeand handling per-
formance may be affected. X
Start the engine.
X Selecto rwheel : en
gaged: briefly press
selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To raise: turns elector wheel :clock-
wise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
or
X To lower: turns elector wheel :anti-
clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
Indicator lamps =for the desired off-road
level flash:
R Off-road level 1: thel ower indicator lamp
flashes.
R Off-road level 2: thel ower and centr eindi-
cator lamps flash.
R Off-road leve l3:allthree indicator lamps
flash.
The vehicle is being adjusted to the off-road
leve lselected. As soon as an off-road level is
reached, the corresponding indicator lamp
stops flashing and lights up constantly.
Whil ethe adjustment is taking place, ames-
sage appears in the multifunction display,
e.g.: The vehicle rises from highway level to off-
road level 1.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction stee ring wheel, the message
will disappear.
i Up to off-road level 2, you can hid ethe
messages usin gthe % ora button
on the multifunction steering wheel.
Onc eoff-roa dlevel 2has been reached, you
will see amessage in th emultifunction dis-
play, for example: Lower and
centre indicator lamps =areo n.
While the adjustment from off-ro adlevel 2to
off -ro ad level 3istaking place, you will see a
message such as the following in the multi-
function displ ay: The
Max. speed 20 km/h message draws
your attentio ntothe maximum speed permit-
ted for off-road level 3.
Onc eoff-roa dlevel 3has been reached, you
will see amessage shown in whit einthe mul-
ti fu nction display, for example: Driving systems
185Drivingand pa rking Z

If yo
udrive above 20 km/h at off-roa dlevel 3,
you will see the following message shown in
red in the multif unctio ndisplay: You also hear
awarning tone. The vehicle is
lowered.
i You cannot clear these messages.
Off-road level 3iscancelled.
If you continue to increase your speed, the
red message continues to be shown in the
multifunction displ ay.T he newl yset level is
not displayed until the vehicle has been set
to alevel suitable for the curren tspeed.
If you maintain or reduc eyour speed, you will
see amessage shown in white while the vehi-
cle is being lowered, such as: The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 2.
Once off-road level 2has been reached, you
will see amessage in th emultifunction dis-
play, for example: If you sele
ctan off-road level when driving at
too high aspeed, the Please reduce speed message appears in the mult
ifunction
display.
You can select the following:
R Off-road leve l1atspeeds up to
10 0k m/h
R Off-road level 2atspeeds up to 65 km/h
R Off -road leve l3atspeeds up to 20 km/h
If you are drivin gabove 80 km/ hordrive
between 65 km/h and 80 km/h for longer
than 20 seconds ,off-roa dlevel 2will be can-
celled. The vehicle is lowered to off-road
level 1.
You will see amessage in the mul tifunction
display, for example: If you are drivin
gabove 11 5km/ hordrive
betwee n100 km/h and 115 km/h for longer
tha n20s econds ,off-road level 1will be can-
celled. Dependin gonthe vehi cle's speed and
the AD Smode selected (Y page 188), the
vehicle is automatically lowered to highway
or high-speed level.
You will see amessage in the multifunc tion
display, for example: 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

HOL
Dfunction
Gen eral notes Th
eH OLD function ca nassist the driver in the
foll owing situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvrin gonsteep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver' sdoor is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the electric parkin gbrake is released.
R thet ransmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activatin gthe HOL Dfunction X
Make sure that th eactivation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until HOLD display
:appears in the multi-
function display.
Th eH OLD func tion is activated. You can
release the brake pedal. i
If depressing the brake pedal the first
tim edoes not activate the HOL Dfunction,
wait briefly and then try again. G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you apply the brakes again with acertain
amount of pressur euntil HOLD disappears
from the multifunctio ndisplay.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parkin gbrake.
R yo ua ctivate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After atime, the electric parkin gbrake
secure sthe vehicle and relieves the service
brake. G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
func tion is activated.
The HOL Dfunction must never be operated
or deactivated by apassenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the elec-
tric parking brake and must not be used for
parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply ,e.g. bat-
tery failure. Driving systems
187Drivingand parkin g
Z

R
the electrica lsystem in thee ngine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicl eorpark it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver' sdoor is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engin eisswitched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop func tion.
R as ystem fault occurs.
R the powe rsupply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is am alfunction, the transmission may also
automatically be shifted into position P.AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC enables
asuspension tuning set-
ting to be selected and regulates the damping
behaviou rand level of your vehicle. The sys-
tem comprises aminimum of two compo-
nents. These are ADS (Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem) (Y page 188 )and level control
(Y page 189) .Your vehicle ma yalso be equip-
ped with the Active Curv eSystem
(Y page 188).
Observe the notes on driving with atrailer
(Y page 226).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) General notes
ADS adapts th
edamping characteristic sto
the curren toperatin gand driving situation. Thi
sd epends on:
R your drivin gstyle
R the road surface conditions
R the AD Ssetting
R the vehicle level setting
Your selection remains stored even if you
remov ethe key from the igni tion lock. X
Star tthe engine.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tunin ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing asporty
drivin gstyle, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted "Sports tuning". The vehicle is lowered
by 15 mm.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer amore com fortable
driving style ,but also when drivin gfast on
straight roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted "Comfort tuning". The vehicle is raised
by 15 mm.
Active Curve System The Active Curve System uses activ
estabil-
isers to optimis eboth drivin gcomfort and
vehicle agility. Depending on the AD Smode 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

selected (Y
page 188), the Ac tiveCurve Sys-
tem also changes the setting.
If you select ADS comfort mode:
R rolling movement is reduced in the event of
changing surface undulations.
R the roll angle when cornering is reduced.
R the driving style is agile.
If you select ADS sport mode:
R the roll angle is reduced significantly.
R the driving style is even more agile.
Leve lcontrol Import
ants afety notes
Leve lcontrol adapts the vehicle leve lauto-
matically to the current operating and driving
situation. This results in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved handling.
If you select ADS comfort mode
(Y page 188), the vehicle is lowered to high-
spee dlevel as the speed increases. As the
vehicle decelerates, the vehicle is raised back
up to highway level.
If you select ADS sport mode (Y page 188),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level dependin gonthe
basic setting (Y page 189).
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 ma ychange visibly if you
par kthe vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehi-
cle level lowers; with an increase in temper-
ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open adoor, the
vehicle begins to compensat efor load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant leve lchanges, e.g. after the vehi-
cle has been stationary for along period, the
engin emust be on. For safety reasons, the
vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed .Lowering is interrupted if adoor is opened; it con
tinues once the doo rhas been
closed. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is near the wheel arch
or vehicle underside when you make achange
to the vehicle level. Otherwise, you or others
ma ybet rapped. G
WARNING
Always select as lo wavehicle level as possi-
ble. If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle
centre of gravity shifts upwards. This increa-
ses the risk of the vehicle tipping over.
Adapt your driving style to suit the vehicle
level. ESP ®
cannot reduc ethe risk of an acci-
dent if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot over-
rid ethe laws of physics.
! When driving on extremel yrough terrain,
select ahigh vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground
clearance to prevent damage to the vehi-
cle.
For information abou tdriving off-roa d, see
( Y page 166).
Basic settings
The exten ttowhich the vehicle is rai sedor
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted. Select raised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-spee dlevel for normal roads.
The indiv idua lvehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
R Highway level: +/ –0mm
R High-speed level: –15 mm
R Raised level: +60 mm
Raise dlevel
Only select raise dlevel if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption may increase and handling may be
affected. Driving systems
189Drivingand parking Z