2012 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class Owner's Manual

Rear
compartment
Setting theairv ent s...................... 135
Setting thetempera ture................ 130
Rear foglamp
Displ aymessa ge............................ 252
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 110
Rear seat
Adjusting ......................................... 98
Rear viewcamera
Cl eani nginstructio ns..................... 322
Function/notes ............................. 190
Rear-vie wmirror
Anti-glar e(manua l)........................ 103
Dippi ng(automa tic)....................... 104
Rear window defros ter
Prob lem(malfunction) ................... 133
Rear window heatin g
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 132
Rear window wiper
Rep lacing thewiper blade ....... ....... 119
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 118
Refue ling
Fuel gauge....................................... 29
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 149
Ref ueling proces s.......................... 150
see Fuel
Remote control
Ga rage door opener ....................... 305
Reportin g
Mal functions relevant tosafe ty....... .25
Res erve (fueltank)
see Fuel
Res erve fuel
Disp laym essage ............................ 257
Warni nglamp ........................ 276,277
see Fuel
Resi dual heat (climate control) ........ 133
Restrain tsyste m
see SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Roadsi deAss istanc e(bre akdow n).... 22
Roll ersunb lind
Panor amaroofwith pow ertilt/
sli ding pane l....... ..............................90
Roof carrie r........................................ 293
Roof lining and carpets (clean ing
guide lines) ......................................... 325Roof
load(maximum) ........................ 390
Route see Routegui dance (navigation)
Route guidan ce(nav igati on)............ 228 S
Safety
Childre nint he vehicle ..................... 54
Chi ldrestrai ntsys tems .................... 54
Occupa ntClass ifica tion System
(OC S)............................................... 44
Overvi ewofoccup antsafe ty
sys tems ........................................... 38
Safety systems
see Driving safetysys tems
Seat belts
Adjusting thedrive r'sand front-
pas senger seatbelt ......................... 52
Adjusting theheight ....... .............. ....52
Belt force limiters ............................ 53
Cl eani ng....... ....... ........................... 324
Corr ectusage.................................. 50
Emergency Tensioning Devices ........53
Faste ning......................................... 51
Importa ntsafe tygui del ines ............. 49
Rel eas ing ......................................... 53
Safety guidel ines ............................. 39
Specia lseat belt retractor ............... 56
Switchi ngbeltadju stment on/off
(on-boa rdcompu ter)...................... 237
Warni nglamp ....... ..................... ..... 269
Warni nglamp (function) ................... 53
Seats
Adjusting (electrical ly). .................... 96
Adjusting the4-way lumba r
sup port ............................................ 99
Adjusting theheadrestrai nt............ 97
Cl eani ngthe cover ......................... 324
Corr ectdrive r'ssea tposi tion ...........94
Fold ingthe rear bench seat
forwa rds/ba ck....... ..................... ...287
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................... 95
Seat heating prob lem.................... 100
Seat ventila tionprob lem................ 100
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 105 In
dex
15

Swi
tching seatheating on/off......... 99
Switchi ngsea tventila tionon/off ..100
Sec uring hooks....... ..................... ...... 288
Sen sors (clean inginstruction s)....... 322
Servi ce
see ASSYST PLUSserviceinterva l
dis pla y
Servi ceinte rval display
Displ aying servi cemessa ges......... 317
Hidi ngservi cemessa ges............... 317
Notes ............................................. 318
Service messages.......................... 317
Servi cemenu (on-bo ardcomputer) .233
Servi ceproducts
Brake fluid..................................... 389
Ca paci ties ...................................... 384
Coo lant (engi ne)............................ 389
DEF speci aladd itive s..................... 387
Engine oil....................................... 388
Fuel ................................................ 385
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 382
Ref rige rant (air-condi tioning
sys tem) .......................................... 389
Was herfluid.......................... .........3 90
Settin gs
Factory (on-boardcompu ter)......... 237
On-boa rdcompu ter....................... 233
Settin gthe airdistribu tion............... 130
Settin gthe airflo w............................ 131
Side impact airbag ............................. 43
Side marker lamp(display
messag e)............................................ 252
Side marker lamps(changi ng
bulb s)................................................. 117
Side window s
Conve nience closingfeatu re............ 86
Conve nience openingfeatu re.......... 86
Importa ntsafe tyinforma tion........... 85
Openi ng/closi ng.............................. 85
Prob lem(malfunction) ..................... 87
Res etting ......................................... 87
Sli ding sunroo f
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................... 88
Openi ng/closi ng.............................. 89
Prob lem(malfunction) ..................... 91
Res etting ......................................... 89
see Panor amaroofwith pow er
tilt/sl iding pane l SmartKey
Cha nging thebattery ....................... 76
Cha nging theprogr ammi ng............. 74
Che cking thebattery ....................... 76
Conve nience closingfeatu re............ 86
Conve nience opening featu re.......... 86
Displ aymessa ge............................ 267
Door central locking/u nlocking.......72
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................... 72
Loss ................................................. 77
Mecha nicalkey................................ 75
Posi tions (ignition lock)................. 139
Prob lem(malfunction) ..................... 77
Starting theengine ........................ 140
Sno wchai ns
Informati on.................................... 353
Soc kets
Lugg agecompa rtment ................... 298
Poi nts toobse rvebefo reuse ......... 297
Rea rcompartmen t......................... 297
Spare wheel
Notes/da ta.................................... 377
Storage location ............................ 329
see Emergency sparewhe el
Spec ialistwo rkshop ............................ 25
Spee d,controll ing
see Cruisecontrol
Spee dometer
Digita l............................................ 227
In the Instrument cluster................. 29
Segments ...................................... 223
Selecti ngthe unit of
meas urement................................ 233
see Instrument cluster
SRS (Supple mentalRestrain t
Syste m)
Displ aymessa ge............................ 246
Introducti on..................................... 38
Warni nglamp ....... ..................... ..... 275
Warni nglamp (function) ................... 38
Standing lamps
Cha nging bulbs.............................. 116
Displ aymessa ge............................ 252
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 108
Starting (engi ne) ....... .........................140
Station
see Radio
STEE RCONT ROL .................................. 6716
In
dex

Steering
(displaymessage) ..............266
Stee ring wheel
Adjusting (electrical ly). .................. 101
Adjusting (manual ly). ..................... 101
Button overview............................... 31
Buttons (on-board
compu ter)...................................... 223
Cl eani ng....... .............. ....... ............. 324
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 100
Pad dleshifte rs............................... 147
Steering wheelhea ting .................. 101
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 105
Stee ring wheelheatin g
Prob lem(malfunction) ................... 101
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 101
Stee ring wheelpaddle shifters........ 147
Stow agecompartm ents
Cu ph olders ................................... 293
Eyeg lasses compa rtment ............... 285
Gl ove box .......... .. .... .................... ...2 85
Importa ntsafe tyinforma tion......... 284
Parce lnet ...................................... 286
Summer opening
see Conve nience opening featu re
Summer tires..................................... 352
Sun visor............................................ 295
Suppleme ntalRestrain tSyste m
see SRS (Supplemental Restraint
System)
Surround lighting (on-bo ard
co mputer) .......................................... 235
SUV (Sport UtilityVehi cle)....................... 23
Swi tchin gair-rec irculation mode
on/ off................................................. 133
Swi tchin goff the alarm (ATA) ............ 68 T
Tachome
ter.................. ...................... 223
Tailg ate
Displ aymessa ge............................ 266
Emergency unlocking ....................... 84
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................... 81
Limi ting theopeni ngangl e............... 84
Openi ng/closi ng(automa tically
from inside)....... ...............................83 Openi
ng/closi ng(automa tically
from outside)................................... 82
Openi ng/closi ng(from outside)....... 82
Tail lamps
Displ aymessa ge............................ 252
Tank
see Fuel tank
Tank content
Fuel gauge....................................... 29
Techn ical data
Notes ............................................. 380
Tire s/whe els................................. 375
Trai lerLoad s.................................. 391
Vehi cledata ................................... 390
TELE AID
Ca llprio rity.................................... 303
Displ aymessa ge............................ 245
Downlo ading desti nations
(C OMAND) ..................................... 303
Emergency call.............................. 300
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 299
Locati ngastolen veh icle. .............. 304
MB info callbutton ........................ 302
Rem otevehi clelocking .................. 304
Roa dside Assista ncebutton .......... 301
Search &Send ............................... 303
Self-test ......................................... 299
System .......................................... 299
Vehi cleremote unlocking .............. 304
Tele phone
Accepting acall............................. 231
Displ aymessa ge............................ 267
Menu (on-boa rdcompu ter)............ 230
Numb erfrom thephone book........231
Red ialing ........................................ 231
Reje cting/endi ngacall................. 231
Tele scopic rod (EASY -PAC Kload-
sec uring kit)....... ................................292
Temperature Coo lant .......................................... 222
Outsi detempera ture......................223
Setting (climate control) ................ 130
Theft deterren tloc king syste m
Immobi lizer...................................... 68
Through-lo ading................................ 286
TIREF ITkit .......................................... 330 In
dex
17

Tire
pres sure
Ca lling up(on-bo ardcomp uter)..... 359
Che cking manually ........................ 357
Displ aymessa ge............................ 263
Maxi mum ....................................... 356
Notes ............................................. 355
Not reach ed(TIR EFIT) .................... 332
Press ureloss warning .................... 357
Rea ched (TIREFIT) .......................... 332
Reco mmended ...............................353
Tire pressure monitoring system
Function/notes ............................. 359
Res tarting ...................................... 361
Warni nglamp ....... ....... .............. ..... 280
Tires
Aspect ratio(definitio n)................. 373
Averag ewei ght ofthe vehi cle
occup ants(definitio n).................... 371
Bar (definitio n)............................... 371
Cha racteri stics.............................. 371
Che cking ........................................ 351
Definiti onofterms ......................... 371
Direction ofrotatio n...................... 375
Displ aymessa ge............................ 263
Distrib utionofthe vehicle
occupants (definition) .................... 374
DOT, TireIdentifi cationNumber
(TIN) .................. ...... ................ .......3 70
DOT (Depa rtment of
Transp ortation)(de finitio n)............ 371
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
(de finitio n)..................................... 372
GTW (Gross TrailerWei ght)
(de finitio n)..................................... 372
GVW (Gross VehicleWei ght)
(de finitio n)..................................... 372
GVW R(G ross VehicleWei ght
Ra ting) (definitio n)......................... 372
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 350
Increase dvehi cleweight due to
optio nalequ ipme nt(de finitio n)...... 372
Kil opa scal (kPa)(de finitio n)........... 372
Lab eling (ove rview )........................ 367
Load bearing index (definitio n)...... 373
Load index ..................................... 370
Load index (definitio n)................... 372
Maxi mum loaded vehicleweight
(de finitio n)..................................... 372Maxi
mum loadon atire
(de finitio n)..................................... 373
Maxi mum permi ssibletire
press ure(definitio n)....... .............. ..373
Maxi mum tireload......................... 365
Maxi mum tireload(de finitio n)....... 373
Optio nalequ ipme ntwei ght
(de finitio n)..................................... 373
PSI (pounds persquare inch)
(de finitio n)..................................... 373
Rep lacing ....................................... 374
Service life..................................... 351
Side wall(de finitio n)....................... 373
Speed rating(definitio n)................ 372
Storing ........................................... 375
Structure andchara cteristics
(de finitio n)..................................... 371
Temp erature.................................. 367
TIN (Tire Identifi cationNumber)
(de finitio n)..................................... 373
Tire bead(definit ion)...................... 373
Tire press ure(definiti on)................ 373
Tire press ures(recom mended )...... 371
Tire size (data) ............................... 375
Tire size designatio n,loa d-bea ring
capa city, speedrating .................... 368
Tire tread ....................................... 351
Tire tread (definitio n)..................... 373
Total loadlim it(de finitio n)............. 374
Tracti on......................................... 366
Tracti on(de finitio n)....................... 374
Trea dwear ..................................... 366
TWR (permissi bletrail erdra wba r
nosew eight) (definitio n)................. 374
Uniform TireQualityGrading
Standard s...................................... 366
Uniform TireQualityGrading
Standard s(definit ion).................... 371
Unla denweight (definiti on)............ 372
Wea rindi cato r(definit ion)............. 374
Whee lrim (defin ition).................... 372
see Flat tire
Top Tether ............................................ 58
Towi ng
Importa ntsafe tygui del ines ........... 343
Install ingthe towi ngeye................ 343
Rem oving thetowi ngeye. .............. 344 18
In
dex

Tow
ingat rail er
Activ ePark ing Assist ..................... 189
Cl eani ngthe trail ertow hitch .........322
Cou pling up atrail er...................... 215
Decoup lingatrail er....................... 217
Driving tips.................................... 210
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 210
Install ingthe ballcoup ling............. 214
Ligh tsdis pla ym essage .................. 250
Mou nting dimensions .................... 391
Pow ersup ply................................. 219
Pul ling away with atrail er.............. 141
Rem oving theballcoup ling............ 218
Shift range ..................................... 147
Storing theballcoup ling................ 218
Trai lerloads................................... 391
Towi ngaway
With both axleson the grou nd....... 344
Tow-s tarting
Emergency enginestarting ............ 345
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 343
Trailer couplin g
see Towingatrail er
Trailer loadsanddrawbar
nos eweig hts ...................................... 218
Trailer towing
Active BlindSpotAssist ................. 205
Active LaneKeepingAssist ............ 208
Blind SpotAssist ............................ 200
ESP ®
................................................ 64
PARKT RONIC................................. 185
Permi ssibletrail erloa dsand
dra wba rnoseweights ..................... 218
Transmiss ion
see Automa tictransmis sion
Transporting thevehi cle .................. 345
Traveli nguphill
Brow ofhill....... ..............................166
Driving downhill ............................. 167
Maxi mum gradient-clim bing
capa bility ....................................... 166
Trim pieces(clean inginstruction s).3 24
Trip computer (on-bo ard
co mputer) .......................................... 227
Trip meter
see Trip odom eter Trip
odome ter
Ca lling up ....... ..................... ...........227
Res etting (on-boa rdcompu ter)...... 228
Trunk
see Tailga te
Turn signals
Displ aymessa ge............................ 251
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 111
TWR (TongueWeight Rating)
(defi nition) ......................................... 374
Type identification plate
see Vehi cleidentificati onplate U
Unl
ocking
Emergency unlocking ....................... 80
From insidethe vehi cle(central
unlo cking button) ............................. 79 V
Vanity
mirror(insun visor).............. 295
Vehic le
Corr ectuse ...................................... 25
Data acquisition ............................... 26
Displ aymessa ge............................ 265
Equi pment ....................................... 21
Indivi dualsett ings .......................... 233
Limi tedWarr anty ............................. 26
Load ing.......................................... 362
Locking (inanemerg ency)............... 80
Locking (SmartKe y)....... ................... 73
Lowe ring........................................ 337
Mai ntenance .................................... 22
Parki ngfor along period....... .........157
Pul ling away ................................... 141
Ra ising ........................................... 334
Rep orting problems ......................... 25
Tow ingaway .................................. 343
Transp orting.................................. 345
Unlocking (inanemerg ency)........... 80
Unlocking (SmartKey)...................... 73
Vehi cledata ................................... 390
Vehic lebattery
see Battery (vehicle)
Vehic ledata ....................................... 390
see Techni caldata In
dex
19

Vehi
cle dime nsions........................... 390
Vehic leemerge ncylocking ................ 80
Vehic leiden tification number
see VIN
Vehic leiden tification plate.............. 381
Vehic lelev el(dis play messag e)....... 258
Vehic letool kit.................................. 328
Video (DVD) ..................... ................... 230
VIN ...................................................... 381W
Warning
andindicator lamps
ABS ............................ .................. .. 272
Brakes ........................................... 271
Che ckEngine ................................. 276
Coo lant .......................................... 277
Distance warning ........................... 279
DISTRONI CPLUS ........................... 279
ESP ®
.............................................. 273
ESP ®
OFF .......................................274
Fuel tank ............................... 276,277
Overvi ew.......................................... 30
PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF
indi cator lamp .................................. 44
Res erve fuel....... ....... ............. 276,277
Seat belt........................................ 269
SRS ............................ .................... 275
Tire press uremonitor .................... 280
Warranty ............................................ 381
Washer fluid
Displ aymessa ge............................ 267
see Winds hieldwa sher system
Whee lbol ttight ening torque ........... 337
Whee lcho ck...................................... 334
Whee ls
Cha nging awheel .......................... 333
Che cking ........................................ 351
Cl eani ng....... ....... ..................... ...... 320
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 350
Interchangi ng/changing................ 374
Mou nting awheel .......................... 336
Rem oving awheel .......................... 336
Storing ........................................... 375
Tig htening torque....... .................... 337
Whee lsize/ tires ize ....................... 375Windo
wcurtain airbag
Displ aymessa ge............................ 246
Opera tion............ ...... .......................4 4
Windo ws
Cl eani ng...... ...... ............................. 321
see Side windows
Windshi eld
Defrosting ...................................... 131
Infrared reflective .......................... 309
Winds hieldwasher system.............. 315
Notes ............................................. 390
Winds hieldwiper s
Problem (malfunction) ................... 120
Rea rwindow wiper........................ 118
Rep lacing thewiper blades ............ 119
Switchi ngon/off ........................... 118
Winte rdriving
Imp orta ntsafety note s.................. 352
Slip pery road surfaces................... 162
Snow chains.................................. 353
Winte roperatio n
Ra dia tor cover ............................... 313
Winte rtires
M+S tires....................................... 352
Wiper blades
Cl eani ng....... ..................... ............. 321
Importa ntsafe tynotes .................. 119
Rep lacing (rearwindow) ................ 119
Rep lacing (windshi eld)................... 119
Woo dentrim (clean ing
ins truction s)...................................... 32420
In
dex

Product
informat ion Mercedes-B
enzrecommen dsthat youuse
genuine Mercedes-B enzparts, conversion
parts andaccessories thathave been
approved forthe type ofvehicle.
Mercedes-B enztests genuine partsaswell as
conv ersion partsandaccessories whichhave
been specifically approvedforyour vehicle for
their reliabi lity,safety andsuitabili ty.Despite
ongoing marketresearch, Mercedes-B enzis
unable toassess otherparts. Therefore,
Mercedes-B enzaccepts noresponsibility for
the use ofsuch parts inMercedes-B enz
vehicles, evenifthey have been
independent lyor officially approved. Theuse
of non- approved partscould affect your
vehicle's operating safety.Mercedes-B enz
therefore recommen dsthat youusegenuine
Mercedes-B enzparts, conversion partsand
accessories thathave been approved forthe
type ofvehicle. Genuine Mercedes-B enz
parts, approved conversion partsand
accessories areavaila blefrom anyauthorized
Mercedes-B enzCenter. Here,youwillreceive
advice aboutpermissible technical
modifications, andtheparts willbe
professionally installed. Operat
or'sManual Notes
onthe Operat or'sManual
This Operator's Manualcontains agreat deal
of helpful information .Weurge youtoread it
carefully andfamiliarize yourselfwiththe
vehicle beforedriving.
For your ownsafety andlonger servicelife of
the vehicle, weurge youtofollow the
inst ruct ions andwarnings contained inthis
Operator 'sManual. Ignoringthem could
result indamage tothe vehicle orperson al
inj ury toyou orother s.Vehicle damage
caused byfailure tofollow instruct ions isnot
cover edbythe Mercedes- BenzLimited
Warran ty. Veh
icle equipm ent
This Operat or'sManual describes allmodels
and allstandard andoptional equipmen tof
your vehicleavail able atthet ime of
publicat ionofthe Operat or'sManual.
Count ry-specif icdiff eren cesarepossible .
Please notethat your vehic lemay notbe
equipped withallfeat ures described. This
also applies tosafet y-related systems and
func tions.The equipmen tiny our vehicle may
therefor ediffer fromthatshown inthe
description sand illustrations. Allthe systems
found inyour vehicle arelisted inthe original
purchase agreement ofyour vehicle. Should
you have anyquestions concerning
equipment andoperation, pleaseconsult an
authorized Mercedes-B enzCenter.
The Operating Instruction sand the
Maintenan ceBooklet areimportant
document sand should bekept inthe vehicle. Service
andvehicle operation Service
andliterat ure
Your vehicle iscovered undertheterms ofthe
warranties printedinthe Servic eand
Warranty Information booklet. Your
authorized Mercedes-B enzCenter will
exchan georrepair anydefectiv eparts
originally installedinthe vehicle in
accordanc ewith theterms ofthe following
warranties:
R New Vehicle Limited Warranty
R Emission SystemsWarranty
R Emission Performan ceWarranty
R Cali fornia, Connect icut,Maine,
Massachusetts, NewYork, Pennsylvania,
Rhode IslandandVermont Emission
Control System Warranty 1
R Stat eWarranty Enforcem entLaws (Lemon
Laws)
1 Valid onlyforvehicles withagasoline engine. Introdu
ction
21

Infor
mation for cust omersin
Cali fornia
Un der Califo rnia law you may beentitled toa
rep lace men tofyour vehicle orarefund ofthe
purchase priceorlease price, ifafter a
reasonable numberofrepair attempt s
Mercedes-B enzUSA ,LLC and/or its
authorized repairorservice facilities failtofix
one ormore substant ialdefects or
malfunct ionsinthe vehicle thatarecovered
by its express warranty. Duringtheperiod of
18 mont hsfrom original delivery ofthe
vehicle orthe accumulation of18 000 miles
(approximately 29000 km)onthe odometer
of the vehicle, whichever occursfirst,a
reasonable numberofrepair attempt sis
presumed foraretail buyer orlessee ifone or
more ofthe following occurs:
(1) thesame substant ialdefect or
malfunct ionresults inacondit ionthat is
likely tocause deathorserious bodily
injury ifthe vehicle isdriven, thatdefect
or malfunct ionhas been subject torepair
two ormore times, andyouhave directly
not ified Mercedes-B enzUSA ,LLC in
writing ofthe need foritsrepair.
(2) thesame substant ialdefect or
malfunct ionofaless serious naturethan
category (1)has been subject torepair
four ormore times andyouhave directly
not ified Mercedes-B enzinwriting ofthe
need foritsrepair.
(3) thevehicle isout ofservice byreason of
repair ofthe same ordifferent substantial
defects ormalfunct ionsforacumulative
tot alof more than30calendar days.
Please sendyourwritten notice to:
Mercedes-B enzUSA ,LLC
Customer AssistanceCenter
One Mercedes Drive
Mont vale, NJ0764 5-0350 Maintenance
The Servic eand Warranty Bookletdescribes
all the necessary maintenancework which
should bedone atregular intervals.
Always havetheServic eand Warranty
Booklet withyouwhen youbring thevehicle
to an authorized Mercedes-B enzCenter. The
service advisor willrecord everyservice for
you inthe Servic eand Warranty Booklet. Roadsid
eAssistance
The Mercedes-B enzRoadside Assistance
Program offerstechnicalhelp inthe event of
a breakdown. Callsto the toll-fr eeRoadside
Assist anceHotline areanswered byour
agents 24hours aday, 365days ayear.
1-800-FOR-MER Cedes(1-800-367-6372)
(USA)
1-800-387-0100 (Canada)
For additional information,refer tothe
Mercedes-B enzRoadside Assistance
Program brochure (USA)orthe "Road side
Assist ance" section inthe Servic eand
Warranty booklet(Canada) .You will find both
in your vehicle literature portfolio.
In accordanc ewith standard program
guideli nes,Roadside Assistanceprovides
vehicle service uptoareasonable distance
from thenext paved road.Wewill make every
effort toassist inabreakdown situation.
However, theaccessibility ofyour vehicle will
be determin edbyour authorized Mercedes-
Benz Servic etechn icianorthe tow service
provider onacase-by-case basis.
Additional chargesmaybeapplicabl efor a
breakdown locationdetermin ednot tobe a
reasonably accessibleroadsidelocationas
determin edbyour authorized technicianand
tow service provider. 22
Introdu
ction