2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV maintenance

Index
........................ ............................... 4 Introduction
......................................... 22 At
ag lance ........................................... 27 Safety
................................................... 39 Opening and closing
...........................71 Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
....91 Light
sand windscreen wipers .........105 Clima
tecontrol ................................. 119 Driving and pa
rking .......................... 137 On-boa
rdcomputer and displays ....233 Stowing and fea
tures....................... 295 Maintenance and care
......................317 Breakdown assistance
.....................331 Wheels and ty
res.............................. 355 Technical da
ta................................... 369 Contents
3

Protection of th
eenvironment Notes
H
Environmental note
Daimler's declared polic yisone of integrated
environmental protection.
The objectives are for the natural resources
which form the basis of our existence on this
plane ttobeu sed sparingl yand in amanner
which takes the requirements of both nature
and humanity into account.
You too can help to protect the environment
by operating your vehicle in an environmen-
tally responsible manner.
Fuel consumption and the rate of engine,
transmission, brake and tyre wear depend on
the following factors:
R operating conditions of your vehicle
R your personal driving style
You can influence both factors. You should
bear the following in mind:
Operating conditions:
R avoid short trips as these increase fuel con-
sumption.
R make sure that the tyre pressures are
always correct.
R do not carr yany unnecessary weight.
R keep an eye on the vehicle's fuel consump-
tion.
R remove roof racks once you no longer need
them.
R ar egularly serviced vehicle will contribute
to environmental protec tion. You should
therefor eadhere to the service inter vals.
R always have maintenance work carried out
at aq ualified specialist workshop ,e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Personal driving style:
R do not depress the accelerator pedal when
starti ngthe engine.
R do not warm up the engine with the vehicle
stationary. R
drive carefully and maintain asafe distance
from the vehicle in front.
R avoid frequent, sudden acceleration.
R change gear in good time and use each gear
only up to Ôof its maximum engine speed.
R switch off the engine in stationary traffic. Returning end-of-life vehicles
Mercedes-Benz will take back your
Mercedes-Benz to dispose of it in an environ-
mentally responsible manner, in accordance
with the European Union (EU) End of Life
Vehicles Directive.
The End of Life Vehicles Directive applies to
vehicles with agros svehicle weight of up to
3. 5t ,ina ccordance with national regulations.
For several years ,Mercedes-Benz has been
meeting all the legal requirements for a
design which allows for recycling and reuse.
There is anetwor kofreturnpoint sand dis-
assembly plants which can recycle your vehi-
cle in an environmentally responsible man-
ner. The options for recycling vehicles and
parts are constantly being develope dand
improved .This means that your Mercedes-
Ben zwill also continue to meet even the
increased recycling quotas in the futur ein
good time. You can obtai nfurther information
from your national Mercedes-Benz homepage
or your national hotline number. Vehicle equipment
This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment of
your vehicle available at the time of publica-
tion of the Owner's Manual. Country-specific
differences are possible. Pleas enote that
your vehicle ma ynot be equipped with all fea-
tures described. This also applies to safety-
relevant system sand functions .The equip-
men tiny our vehicle ma ytherefore differ from
that shown in the descriptions and illustra-
tions. All the system sfound in your vehicle 22
Introduction

The equipment conform
stothe relevant
equipment -specific EMC specification sin
accordanc ewith the following European
standards:
R EN 550 13
R EN 55020
Therefore, adherence to the relevant specifi-
cations for electromagnetic compatibility is
guarantee dfor this device.
As aresult, interferenc ecaused by your
equipment to other electrical/electronic
equipment and interferenc etoyour equip-
men tcaused by other electrical/electronic
equipment can be largely prevented. On-board diagnostic interface
G
WARNING
If you connect equipment to the on-board
diagnostic interface, it can affect the opera-
tion of the vehicle systems. This can impair
the operating safety of your vehicle while driv-
ing. There is arisk of accident.
Do not connect any equipment to the on-
board diagnostic interface. G
WARNING
Loose equipment or equipment cables which
are connected to the on-board diagnostic
interface may infringe on the space around
the pedals. The equipment or the cables could
get between the pedals in the event of sudden
braking or acceleration .You may then no lon-
ger be able to brake, operate the clutch or
accelerate as intended. There is arisk of acci-
dent.
Do not attach any equipment or cables in the
driver footwell.
Connecting equipment to the on-board diag-
nostic interface can lead to emissions moni-
torin ginformation being reset. Thi smay lead
to the vehicle failing to meet the require-
ment satthe nex temissions con trol test or
main inspec tion. If the engin
eisswitched off and equipment
on the on-board diagnostic interface is used,
the starter battery may discharge.
The on-board diagnostic interface is intended
for the connection of diagnostic equipment at
aq ualified specialist workshop. Qualified specialist workshop
Aq ualified specialist workshop has the nec-
essary specialist knowledge, tools and quali-
fication stocorrectlyc arry out the work
required on your vehicle. This is especially the
cas efor work releva ntto safety.
Observ ethe information in th eServic eBook-
let.
Alway shave th efollowin gwork carried out at
aq ualified specialist workshop:
R work relevan ttosafety
R servic eand maintenance work
R repair work
R alterations, installation work and modifica-
tions
R work on ele ctroniccomponen ts
Mercedes-Ben zrecom mends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Vehicle registration
Mercedes-Benz may ask its Service Centres
to carry out technical inspectio nson certain
ve hicles to improv etheir quality or safety.
If you did not purchase your vehicle from an
authorised specialist dealer and your vehicle
has never been inspected at aMercedes-
Ben zService Cent re,itisp ossible that your
vehicle is not registered in your nam ewith
Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Ben zcan only
infor myou about vehicle chec ksif it has your
registration data.
It is advisable to register your vehicle with a
Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre. 24
Introduction

Usefu
linfor mati on
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviation sare possible .Please
not ethat your vehicle ma ynot be equipped
with all featur es described. This also
applies to safety-releva ntsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 24).Important safet
ynotes
You will fin danillustration of th einstrument
cluste rinthe "A taglance "section
(Y page 30). G
WARNING
Only use th eon-bo ardc omputer wh en road
and traffic condition spermit .You would oth-
erwise be distracted and unable to concen-
trate properly on driving, and coul dcause an
accident. G
WARNING
No message swill be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As aresult, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such as
speed, outside temperature, warning and indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system fail-
ures. Drivin gcharacteristic smay be impaired.
Adjust your driving style and vehicle speed
accordingly.
Contact aqualified specialist workshop
immediately. G
WARNING
The on-board computer only records and dis-
plays malfunctions and warnings from certain
systems. For this reason, you should always make sure that your vehicle is safe to use. You
could otherwis
ecause an accident by driving
an unsafe vehicle. G
WARNING
The operating safety of your vehicle could be
impaired if maintenance work is carried out
incorrectly. This could cause you to lose con-
trol of your vehicle and cause an accident.
Moreover, the safety systems may no longer
be able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialis tworkshop. Displays and operation
Coolant tempera
tureg auge
Th ec oolant temperatur egauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevvin grange.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the mul-
tifunction display (Y page 236). G
WARNING
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
street may be icy, especially in wooded areas 234
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

Usefu
linfor mation ............................ 318
Engine compartment ........................318
Maintenance ...................................... 322
Care .................................................... 324 317Maint
enance andcare

Usefu
linfor mati on
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviation sare possible .Please
not ethat your vehicle ma ynot be equipped
with all featur es described. This also
applies to safety-releva ntsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 24).Engine compartment
Bonnet
Active bonnet (pedestrian protection) Operating principle
i The active bonnet is only available in cer-
tai nc ountries.
The active bonnet can reduce the risk of injury
to pedestrians in certain accident situations.
Raising the active bonnet increases the clear-
anc etoh ard components, such as the engine.
If the active bonnet has been triggered, it is
raised in the area of the bonnet hinges by
abou t100 mm. Th eactive bonnet is trigg ered
by pyrotechnics.
! Once triggered, an active bonnet must be
reset at aqualified specialist workshop,
e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService Centre. The
active bonnet function will then be availa-
ble again. The additional pedestrian pro-
tection provided by the active bonnet will
then be restored.
For the driv etot he workshop, reset the trig-
gere dactive bonnet yourself. After being
reset, the active bonnet rest sinthe area of
the bonnet hinges on the seals, and the bon-
net hinges do not engage. For this reason, we
recommend that you do not exceed amaxi-
mum top spee dof130 km/h on the wa ytothe workshop
.Ifthe active bonnet has been
triggered, pedestrian protection ma ybelimi-
ted.
Resetting G
WARNING
There is arisk of injur yifthe bonnet is open,
even if the engin eisnot running.
Som eengine compone ntsc an become very
hot.
To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those
component sdescribed in the Owner's Manual
and observ ethe relevant safety notes. X
With your hand fla tnear the bonnet hinges
(arrows), push down active bonnet :until
it rests on the seals. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can becom etrapped
as you close th ebonnet.
Opening th ebonnet G
WARNING
Do not pull the release lever while the vehicle
is in motion. If you do so, the bonnet may open
up and block your view. G
WARNING
There is arisk of injur yifthe bonnet is open,
even if the engin eisnot running.
Som eengine compone ntsc an become very
hot. 318
Eng
inecompartmentMaintenance and care

X
Lower th ebonnet and let it fal lfrom a
heig ht of approx imately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with alittle more force. Radiator
i Vehicles with diesel engine: do not
cover the radiator .Don ot use thermal
mats, insec tprotectio ncover sora nything
similar. Doing so can cause the Onboard
Diagnosti csSystem to display inaccurate
values .Some of these values ar elegally
required and must be cor rect. Engine oil
Notes on the oil level Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sume samaximum of 0.8 loil per 100 0km.
Th eo il consumption may be higher than this
when the vehicle is new or if you frequently
drive at high engin espeeds.
Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick Example: vehicles with
apetro lengine Example: vehicle
swithadiesel engine
X Park the vehicle on alevel surface.
To chec kthe oil level with the engin eat
normal operating temperature, switch the
engine off and wait for approximately five
minutes.
X Pull oil dipstick :out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wip eoff oi ldipstick :.
X Slowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark =and
MAX mark ;,the oil level is correc t.
X If th eoil level has dropped to MIN mark
= or below it, top up with
0.5 to 1.0 litres of engine oil.
Adding engine oil G
WARNING
If engine oil comes into contact with hot
engine parts, it may ignite and you could burn
yourself .Donot spill any engin eoil on hot
engine parts. H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to spill
any. If oil enters the soil or waterways, it is
harmful to the environment.
! Do not add too much oil. If the oil level is
above the "max" mar konthe dipstick ,too
much oil has been added. This can lead to
damage to the engin eorthe catalytic con-
verter .Have excess oil siphoned off. 320
Eng
inecompartmentMaintenance and care

Examp
le:e ngine oi lcap
X Turn cap :anti-clockwise and remove it.
X Top up the engine oil.
If the oi llev el is at or belo wthe MIN mark
on the dipstick ,top up with
0. 5to1 .0 litres of engine oil.
X Replace cap :on the fille rneck and turn
clockwise.
Make sure that the cap locks into place
securely.
X Check the oil level agai nwith the oil dip-
stick (Y page 320).
Further information on engine oil
(Y page 375). Checking and adding other service
products
Checking the coolant level Only check the coolant level when the vehicle
is on alevel surface and the engine has cooled
down.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 139) in
the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button twic e(Ypage 139).
X Check the coolant temperatur egauge in
the multifunction displ ay.G
WARNING
Th ec ooling system is pressurised. Therefore,
only unscrew the cap once the engin ehas
cooled down. The coolant temperature gauge must display less than 70
†.Otherwi se,you
could be scalded if ho tcoolant escapes. X
Slowl yturn cap :half aturna nti-clock-
wis eand allo wexcess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap :further anti-clockwis eand
remove it.
If the coolant is at the level of markerbar
= in the filler nec kwhen cold ,ther eis
enough coolan tincoolant expansion
tank ;.
If the coolant leve lisapproximately 1.5 cm
above marker bar =in the filler nec kwhen
warm, ther eisenoughcoolant in coolant
expansion tank ;.
X If necessary ,top up with coolant that has
been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Ben z.
X Replace cap :and turn it clockwise as far
as it will go.
For further information on coolant, see
(Y page 377).
Windscreen washer system and head-
lamp cleanin gsystem Th
ew asher fluid reservoir is used for both the
windscreen washe rsystem and the headlamp
cleaning system.
i Components and service products must
be matched. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use products teste dand approved
by Mercedes-Be nz.T hey ar elisted in this
Mercedes-Ben zOwner's Manual in the
appropriat esection. Engine compartment
321Maintenance andcare Z