2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV stop start

P
Park position with parkin glock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
i The DIREC TSELE CT lever alway sretur ns
to its original position. The curren ttrans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dap pe ars in the
transmission position display
(Y pag e146) in the mult ifunction display.
Transmissi onposition and driv epro-
gram display The current transmission pos
ition and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. :
Trans mission position display
; Driv eprogram display
i Thea rrow sint he transmission position
displa yshow how and int owhich transmis-
sion position syou can chan ge usingthe
DIRECT SELECT lever.
! If the transmission position displa yint he
multifunction displa yisnot working, you
should pull away carefully to chec kwhether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should selec ttrans-
mission position Dand drive program Eor
S.Don ot restric tthe shift range. Engaging pa
rk position P X
Push th eDIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
i The automatic transmission shi ftsa uto-
matically int opark posi tion Pif you open
th ed river' sdoor when th evehicle is sta-
tionar yordriving at very lo wspeed ,and the
transmission is in position Dor R.
i If you dep ress th ebrake peda land push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or dow n,the
parking lock is disengaged and the trans-
mission shifts to neutral N.
If you want to shift from park position P
directly to Ror D,d epress the brak eand
pus hthe DIREC TSELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance.
! If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from
D to R,f rom Rto Dor directly to P.Other-
wise ,the automatic transmission could be
damaged.
Engaging pa rk position Pautomatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off th eengine using the key and
remove the key, or if you swi tcho ff the
engin eusingthe Start/Stop button and
open on eofthe front do ors.
R HOL D(Ypage 187) or DISTRONI CPLUS
(Y page 174) bra keyour vehicle until it is
stationar yand at leas tone of th efollowing
condition sisfulfilled:
- there is asystem malfunction.
- there is asevere uphill or downhill slope.
The electric parking brak eisthena lso
applied.
Engaging revers egear R !
Only shif tthe automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X Push the DIREC TSELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance. 146
Automatic transmissionDrivin
gand parking

Neutral
NwithE CO st art/stop function
act ivated Th
eE CO start/sto pfunctio nswitches the
engin eoff automatically if the vehicle is
braked to astandstill whe ninneutral Nand
th eb rake is still depressed.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, se e(Ypage 142).
Shifting to neutra lNX
Push th eDIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
Transmission position Dwith ECO
start/stop function activated The ECO start/stop fun
ction switches the
engin eoff automatically if th evehicle is
braked to astandstill when in transmission
position Dand the brake is still depressed.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 142).
Shifting to transmissio nposition D X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance. Transmission position display
The curren ttransmission positio niss hown in
th em ultifunctio ndisplay. :
Transmission position
The arrows in the transmission position dis-
play show how and int owhich transmission
positions you can change usin gthe DIRECT
SELECT lever. !
If the transmission position displa yinthe
multifunction displa yisnot working, you
should pull away car efullytoc heckwhether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Select transmission position D.
Do not restrict the shift range. Transmissio
npositions B
Park position
This prevent
sthe vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission int oposition
P (Y page 160) unless the vehicle
is stationary.
The automatic transmission shifts
to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the key
R switc hoff th eengine whe ninR
or Dand open one of the front
doors C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
147Drivingand parking Z

A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmiss
ionto N
whil edriving. Otherwise, th eauto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No powe ristransmitte dfromt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wyou
to move the vehicl efreely, e.g .to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deacti vated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in dange rof
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you swit choff the engin eusing
the key or the Start/Stop but ton,
the automatic transmission shifts
to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Changin
ggear
The automatic transmission shift stothe indi-
vidual gear sautomatically when it is in trans-
missio nposition D.This automatic gearshift-
ing behaviour is determined by:
R ap ossible limitation of the shift range
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the roa dspeed Driving tips
Accelerator peda lposition Your style of drivin
ginfluences how the auto-
matic transmissio nshift sgear:
R littl ethrot tle: earl yupshifts
R mor ethrot tle: late upshifts
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximu
macceleration.
X Depress the accelerato rpedal beyond the
pressur epoint.
The transmission shift stoalower gear
depending on the engin espeed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Trailer towing X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2 (Y page 150) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, even if cruise control,
DISTRONIC PLU SorSPEEDTRONIC is acti-
vated. Progra
mselector button
General notes The program selector button allow
syou to
choose between differen tdriving character-
istics. 148
Automatic transmissionDri
ving and parking

If yo
uthen open one of the front doors or
remove the key from the ignition ,the auto-
matic transmission shift stoP.
If yo ushift the automatic transmission to
N before switching off the engine, the auto-
matic transmission remains in Neven when
ad oor is opened.
Using KEYLESS-GO X
Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 139).
The engin estops and all the indicator
lamp sint he instrumen tcluster go out.
i If you use the Start/Stop button to switch
off the engine, the automatic transmission
shifts to Nautomatically. If you then open
one of the front doors, the automatic trans-
missio nshift stoP .
i The engin ecan be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. Electric parking brake
General notes i
The electric parking brake carries out a
function check at regular intervals when
the engine is switched off. Noises that
occur are normal. Engaging/releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle :.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released when the key in the ignition lock
is in position 1or the ignition is switched
on using the Start/Stop button.
To ensure that you don't roll backwards when
pulling away on an uphill slope, engage the
electric parking brake (Y page 141).
Engaging automatically Your vehicle's electric parking brake is auto-
matically applied if DISTRONIC PLUS or the
HOLD function bring the vehicle to
astand-
still ,ora re engaged to kee pthe vehicle sta-
tionary. In addition, at least one of the follow-
ing condition smust be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off.
R the driver' sdoor is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the vehicle is stationar yfor alengthy
period.
The red !indicator lam pint he instrument
cluster lights up.
i The electric parkin gbrake is not automat-
icall yengaged if the engine is switched off
by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake of your vehicl
eis
release dautomatically when all of the follow-
ing conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R. Parking
161Drivingand park ing Z

G
WARNING
Make sure tha tother road user sare not
endang ered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing
atrailer,
yo um ust select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time.
i This als oapplies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
Never depress the brak epeda lconti nuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by apply ingc onstant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the brakin gdistance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately ,but
drive on for ashort while. This allow sthe air-
flo wtoc ool the brakes mor equickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surface If driving in heavy rain for
aprolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from th ebrake swhen brak-
ing for the first time. This ma yalso occur after
the vehicle has been washed. You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain
agreater distance from the
vehicl einfront.
After driving on awet road or havin gthe vehi-
cle washed, brake firml ywhile paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protectin gthem against corro-
sion.
Limited braking perfo rmance on salt-
treated roads G
WARNING
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause adelay in the
braking effect ,resultin ginas ignifican tlyl on-
ger brakin gdistance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
drivin gons alted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain agreater distance to th evehicle
ahead and driv ewith particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
New brake pads/linin gs G
WARNING
New brak epads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you shoul dcompensate
for the reduced brakin geffect by applying
greate rpressure when braking .This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings hav ebeen replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brak epads/linings Driving tips
163Drivingand parking Z

not accelerate. Thi
sisbasedonthe current
map data in the navigation system. Example: roundabout
The current speed is maint
ained:
R approximatel y10second sbefore the
roundabout/T junction and for approx-
imatel y1.5 second swhend riving on the
roundabout
R approximatel y12second sbefore reaching
am otorwa yexita nd approximatel y4sec-
onds after the motorwa yexit
Afterwards ,the vehicle accelerates bac kto
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by apassenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the elec-
tric parkin gbrake and mus tnot be used for
parking.
The DI STRONIC PLUS brakin geffect is can-
celle dand the vehicl ecan start movin gif:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruis econtrol lever.
R you accelera te.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the batter yorthe fuses ar etam-
pered with.
R the batter yisdisconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactiva teDISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle agains trolling away.
If DI STRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tisstopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After atime, the electric parkin gbrake
secure sthe vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specifie dminimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to astandstill
at as ufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front .The specifie dminimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
The electric parkin gbrake secure sthe vehicle
automatically if DI STRONIC PLUS is activated
and:
R the driver's doo risopen and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off ,unles sitisa uto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
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
be automatically shifted into position P. Driving systems
179Drivingand 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