2012 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class steering

Dri
vin gtips
Kickd own Use
kick down formax imum acceler ation .
X Ve hic les forUSA: fullydepr essthe
acc eler ator peda l.
The trans mis sions hifts toalower gear
depending onthe engine speed.
X Vehicles forCanada: depressthe
accelerator pedalbeyond thepressure
point.
The transmission shiftstoalower gear
depending onthe engine speed.
Rocking thevehicle free Rocking
thevehicle freebyshifting backand
forth between transmission positionsDand
R can help tofree avehicle thathasbecome
stuck inmud orsnow. Theengine
management systemofthe vehicle limits
shifting backandforth between transmission
positions Dand Rto amaximum speedof
5 mph (9km/h). Toshift back andforth
between transmission positionsDand R,
move theselector leverupand down beyond
the pressure point.
Working onthe vehicle G
WARNING When
working onthe vehicle, engagethe
electronic parkingbrakeandshift the
automatic transmission intopark position P.
Otherwise thevehicle couldrollaway which
could result inan accident and/orserious
personal injury.
Tra iler towing X
Drive inthe middle ofthe engine speed
range onuphill gradients.
X Depending onthe uphill ordownhill
gradient, shiftdown intoshift range 3or
2(Y page 147), evenifcruise controlor
DIS TRONIC PLUSareswitched on. Steering
wheelpaddleshifters You
canrestrict orderestrict theshift range
by using thesteering wheelpaddle
shifters :and ;(Y page147). i
You
canonly change gearwiththe
steering wheelpaddle shifters whenthe
transmission isin position D. Shift
ranges
Introduction In
transmission positionD,you can usethe
steering wheelpaddle shiftertorestrict or
derestrict theshift range forthe automatic
transmission (Ypage 147).
The shift range selected isshown inthe
multifunction display.The automatic
transmission shiftsonlyasfar asthe selected
gear. Driving
situations =
You
canusetheengine's braking
effect . Automat
ictransmission
147Driving and parking Z

5
To
use thebraking effectofthe
engine ondownhill gradients and
for driving:
R on steep mountain roads
R in mountain ousterrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To
use thebraking effectofthe
engine onextr emely steepdownhill
gradients andonlong downhill
stret ches Restr
icting theshift range X
Pull theleft- hand steerin gwheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shiftsdown
one gear andrestrict sthe shift range tothe
relevant gear. i
If
the engine exceeds themaximum
engine speedwhenshifting down,the
automatic transmission protectsagainst
engine damage bynot shifting down. i
If
the maximum enginespeedforthe shift
range isreached andyoucont inue to
accelerate, theautomatic transmission
shifts up,even ifthe shift range is
restrict ed.This prevents theengine from
overrevving.
Derestricting theshift range X
Pull theright-hand steeringwheelpaddle
shifter.
The shift range isderestrict ed.
Clearing theshift range restriction X
Pull and hold theright-hand steeringwheel
paddle shifteruntilDis shown againinthe
multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shiftsfromthe
current shiftrange directly toD.
or X
Use theDIRECT SELECT lever toshift the
transmission toposition D.
The automatic transmission shiftsfromthe
current shiftrange directly toD.
Selec tingtheideal shiftrange X
Pull theleft-hand steeringwheelpaddle
shifter andhold itin position.
The automatic transmission shiftstothe
gear which allowsoptimum acceleration
and deceleration. Todo this, theautomatic
transmission shiftsdownoneormore
gears. 148
Automat
ictransmissionDriving and parking

Closing
theDEF filler capand fuel filler
fla p X
Plac eDE Ffiller cap;onthe filler neckand
tur nit clo ckwi se.
X To closethe fuel fillerf lap, press itin the
direc tionofarrow :.
X Dr ive ataspeed above10mph (16km/h) .
The Chec
kAddi tive SeeOperator's Manu
al mess
agedisappears after
approx imatelyone minute. i
If
the Chec
kAddi tive See Oper
ator'sManu al mess
agecontinues
to be shown inthe mult ifunc tiondisplay,
you need toadd moreDE F. Par
king Imp
ortant safety notes G
WARN
ING Do
not park thisvehic lein areas where
com bustib lemat erials cancom eint ocon tact
with thehot exhaust system. Donot park the
vehic leon dry grass landorharve stedgrain
fields. Combust iblematerials, suchasgrass ,
hay orleaves couldbeignit edbythe hot
exh aust systemand cause avehic lefire . Unin
tended vehic lemov emen tcan cause
serio usperso nalinjury ordamage tothe
vehic leor the vehic ledrive train. Toreduc e
such risks,always dothe followin gbefor e
tur nin goff the engineand leavin gthe vehic le:
R keep yourright footonthe brak epedal.
R apply theelect ricpark ingbrak e.
R shift theautom atictransm ission intopark
posit ionP.
R slowly release thebrak epedal.
R when parkedon anincline, always turnthe
front wheels towards theroad curb.
R turn theSmartKey inthe ignition lockto
position 0and remove theSmartKey from
the ignition lock,orpress theKEYLES S-GO
Start /Stopbutton.
R take theSmartKey withyouand lock the
vehicle whenleaving. Switching
offthe engine
Import antsafety notes G
WARNING Never
switch offthe engine whilethevehicle
is in motion.
There isno brake boostforthe service brake
if the engine isnot running. Ifthe ignition is
switched off,there isalso nopower
assistance forthe steering.
You willrequire considerably moreeffort to
steer andbrake andyoucould therefore lose
cont rolofthe vehicle andcause anaccident. G
WARNING Keep
inmind thatturning offthe engine alone
only willshift theautomatic transmission into
neutral position Nautomatically .
Always shifttheautomatic transmission into
park position Pbefore turning offthe engine.
Otherwise thevehicle couldrollaway which
could result inan accident and/orserious
personal injury. Park
ing
155Driving and parking Z

road
,wea ther andtraffic conditions permit.In
some jurisdictions, itis forbid denfordrivers
to use mobil ephones whiledrivi ng.
Only opera teCOMAND (Cockpit Manag ement
and Data System) incompli ancewithalllega l
requ irements andwhen theroad ,wea ther and
traffic conditions permit.Youmay otherwi se
not beableto observe thetraffic conditions,
endange ringyourself andothers.
Reme mberthatyourvehicle coversa distanc e
of 44 feet (approximately 14m)asecon d
when itis travelin gat only 30mph
(approximately 50km/ h).
Drive sensibly –save fuel Obse
rvethe followi ngtips tosave fuel:
X The tires shouldalwa ysbe infla tedtothe
recomme ndedtirepres sure.
X Re move unneces saryloads.
X Re move roofcarrierswhe nthey arenot
needed.
X Warm upthe engine atlow engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration orbraking.
X Have allmaintenanc ework carried outas
indicated bythe service intervals inthe
Service Booklet orby the service interval
displa y.
Fuel consumption alsoincreases when
driving incold weather, instop-and- gotraffic
and inmountainous terrain.
Drinking anddriving G
WARNING Drink
ingand driving and/or takingdrugsand
driving arevery dangerous combinations.
Even asmall amount ofalcohol ordrugs can
affect yourreflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibili tyof aserious oreven fatal
accident aregreatly increased whenyoudrink
or take drugs anddrive. Do
not drink ortake drugs anddrive orallow
anyone todrive whohasbeen drinking or
taking drugs.
Pedals G
WARNING Make
sureabsolu telynoobject sare
obstructin gthe pedals' rangeofmovement .
Keep thedriver's footwell clearofall
obstacles. Ifthere areany floormats or
carpets inthe footwell, makesurethatthe
pedals stillhave sufficient clearance.
During sudden drivingorbraking maneuvers,
the object scould getcaught between the
pedals. Youcould thennolonger brakeor
accelerate. Thiscould leadtoaccidents and
injury.
Rolling withtheengine switched off G
WARNING There
isno power assistance forthe steering
and thebrake whentheengine isnot running.
Steerin gand braking requires significantly
more effort andyoucould losecontrolofthe
vehicle andcause anaccident asaresult.
Do not turn offthe engine whilethevehicle is
in motion.
Exhaust check G
WARNING Inhalation
ofexhaust gasishazardous toyour
health. Allexhaust gascont ains carbon
monoxide (CO),andinhaling itcan cause
unconsc iousness andpossible death.
Do not run theengine inconfin edareas (such
as agarage) whicharenot properly ventilated.
If you think thatexhaust gasfumes are
enterin gthe vehicle whiledriving, havethe
cause determined andcorrect ed
immediately. Ifyou must driveunder these
condition s,drive onlywith atleast one
window fullyopen atall times. 158
Driving
tipsDriving and parking

Winter
driving
Gene ralnote s G
WARNING If
the vehicl ebecome strappe din snow,
ensure thatsnow iskept away from the
exhau stpip eand from aroundthe vehicl eas
long asthe engine isrunning. Otherwise,
poi sonou scarbo nmonoxide (CO)mayenter
the vehicle, resulting inloss ofconsc iousness
and even death.
To assure sufficient freshairvent ilation, open
a window slightlyonthe side ofthe vehicle
not facing thewind.
At the onset ofwinter, haveyourvehicle
winterproof edataquali fiedspecialist
workshop, e.g.atan authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. i
Vehicles
withadiesel engine: donot
cover theradiator, e.g.with aprotec tive
cover. Themeasuring functionofthe
Onboard Diagnosis Systemmayotherwise
provide inaccurate values.Someofthese
values arerequired bylaw and must
therefor ealwa ysbe accurate.
Driving withsumm ertires Observe
thenotesinthe "Winter operation"
section (Ypage 352).
Slippery roadsurfa ces G
WARNING The
outside temperature indicatorisnot
designed toserve asan ice-warnin gdevice
and istherefor eunsuitable forthat purpose.
Indicated temperatures justabove the
freezin gpoint donot guarantee thattheroad
surface isfree ofice. The road maystillbeicy,
especially inwooded areasoron bridges. G
WARNING On
slippery roadsurfaces, neverdownshift in
order toobtain braking action.Thiscould result
indrive wheel slipand reduced vehicle
cont rol.Your vehicle's ABSwillnotprevent
this type ofloss ofcont rol.
Drive particularly carefullyonslippery road
surfaces. Avoidsudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Donot use thecruise
cont rolorDIS TRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threaten sto skid orcann otbe
stopped whenmoving atlow speed:
X Shift thetrans mission toposition N. i
For
more informat ionondriving with
snow chains, see(Ypage 353). G
WARNING Make
surethatyoudonot endanger other
road users whenyouapply thebrakes. Off-r
oaddriving
Import antsafety notes G
WARNING Grains
ofsand, particles ofdirt and other
abrasive materials canenter thebrake
system. Thiscanlead toexcessive wearand
unpredictable brakingefficienc y.
Aft erthe brakes havebeen exposed todirty
condit ions,havethem check edand cleaned
at aquali fiedspecialist workshop, e.g.an
authorized Mercedes-B enzCenter.
Otherwise, thereisarisk that braking power
may beinsufficient inthe event ofan
emergenc y,or that thebraking effectmaybe
unpredictable. G
WARNING Do
not load items onthe basic carrier bars.It
may cause instability duringsomemaneuvers
which couldresult inan accident .
Drive slowly inunkn ownterrain. Thiswill
make iteasier torecogn izeunexpect ed
obstacles andavoid damage tothe vehicle.
To help avoid thevehicle rollingover,never
turn itaround onsteep inclines. Ifthe vehicle 162
Driving
tipsDriving and parking

For
safety reasons, thevehi clecan only be
low ered with alldoo rsand thetailga teclos ed.
Low ering isinterru ptedifadoo rorthe tailgate
is opened andwillcont inue after thedoor is
closed again.
! When driving onextrem elyrough terrain,
select ahigh vehicle levelingood time.
Make surethatthere isalwa yssufficient
ground clearance toprevent damage tothe
vehicle.
! Remove thekey from theignition before
raising oneormore wheels withthe
appropria teequipment.
For information aboutdriving off-road, see
(Y page 162).
Basic settings
The exten ttowhich thevehicle israised or
lowered depends onthe basic setting
selected. Selectraisedlevelforoff-road
driving orhighway /high-speed levelfor
normal roads.
The individual vehiclelevelsdifferfrom
highway levelasfollows:
R +/- 0in (+/- 0mm) atthe highway level
R –0.6 in(–15 mm)atthe high-speed level
R +2. 3in (+ 60 mm) atthe raised level
Raised level
Only select raised levelwhen thisis
appropriate forthe road condit ions.
Otherwise, fuelconsumpt ionmay increase
and handling maybeaffect ed. X
Start theengine. If
indicator lamp;isnot lit:
X Press button :.
Indicat orlamp ;flashes. Thevehicle rises
to raised level.
While theadjustmen tistaking place,a
message appearsinthe multifunction
displa y,e.g.: If
you press the% ora button onthe
multifunction steeringwheel,themessage
will disapp ear.
Once thevehicle hasreached raisedlevel,
indicator lamp;remains lit.The Vehicle
Rising message
disappearsfrom the
multifunction display.
If you attempt toselect theraised levelata
speed ofover 40mph (64km/h), the Drive
More
Slowly message
appearsinthe
multifunction display.
Highway/high-speed level
! Make surethatthere isenough ground
clearance whenthevehicle isbeing
lowered. Itcould otherwise hitthe ground,
damagi ngthe underbody . X
Start theengine. 182
Driving
systemsDriving and parking

If
indicator lamp;islit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp;flash es.The vehicle is
adjus tingtohighw ay/high-spee dlevel .
Whil ethe adjus tment istaking place, a
messag eapp ears inthe multifu nction
disp lay,e.g.: If
you press the% ora button onthe
multifu nctionsteering wheel,the messag e
wil ldisa ppea r.
Once highw aylevel hasbeen reached ,
indicator lamp;goes out.The Lowering
messag
edisa ppea rsfrom themultifu nction
disp lay.
The vehicle automaticallyselects highway
level ifyou aredriving ataspeed above
50 mph (80km/h) orifyou drive for
app roximately 20seconds between40m ph
(64 km/ h)and 50mph (80km/ h).Depen ding
on the ADSm ode selected (Ypage 180), the
vehicle islowered tohigh-speed levelat
higher speeds. PARKTRON
IC
Import antsafety notes G
WARNIN
G The
PARKTRONIC isasupplemental system.
It is not inten dedto,nor does itreplace, the
need forextr eme care. Theresponsibility
during parking andother criticalmaneuvers
alway sremains withthedriver. G
WARNIN
G Make
surenopersons oranimals areinor
near thearea inwhich youareparking/ maneuvering.
Otherwise,theycould be
injured.
PARKTRONIC isan electron icparking aidwith
ultrasonic sensors.Itindicates visuallyand
audib lythe distance between yourvehicle
and anobject .
PARKTRONIC isactivated automatically when
you:
R switch onthe ignition
R shift thetrans mission toposition D,Ror N
R release theelectric parking brake
PARKTRONIC isdeactivated atspeeds above
11 mph (18km/ h).It is reactivat edatlower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitorsthe area around your
vehicle usingsixsensors inthe front bumper
and four sensors inthe rear bumper. :
Sensor sin the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Range ofthe sensors General
notes
The sensors mustbefree ofdirt, iceand
slush; otherwise theymaynotfunct ion
correc tly.Clean thesensors regularly ,takin g
care nottoscratc hor damage them
(Y page 322). Driving
systems
183Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING Objects
locatedabovethe heig htrange of
Active Parking Assistwillnot bedetected
when theparki ngspace ismeasu red.These
are not taken intoaccount whentheparki ng
proced ureiscalcu lated,e.g. overha nging
loa ds, tail sections orloa ding ramps ofgood s
vehicl es.Insome circumsta nces,Active
Parking Assistmaytherefore guide you into
the parki ngspace tooearly.This may leadto
a colli sion. Forthis reaso n,you shou ldavoi d
usi ng Active Parking Assistinsuch situations. G
WARNING The
front ofthe vehicl ewil lveer outinthe
dire ction ofthe oncoming trafficduringthe
parki ngopera tion.Insome cases, thevehicl e
wil lals otake youonto sections ofthe
oncoming laneduringthe parki ngproced ure.
You arerespo nsiblefor safety atall times and
must payattention toany road users
app roachi ngorpass ing.Stop thevehicl eif
necessa ryor cancel theActive Parking Assist
parki ngproced ure. G
WARNING Make
surenoperso nsoranima lsare inor
near thearea inwhi chyou areparki ng/
maneu vering. Otherwi se,they couldbe
injured .
Use Active Parking Assistforparki ngspa ces:
R that arepara llelto the direction oftravel
R that areonstraig htroad s,not bends
R that areonthe same levelas the road ,e.g.
not onthe pave ment
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads,drive pastthe parking
space asclose aspossible.
R parking spacesthatarelittered, overgrown
or partially occupied bytrailer drawba rs
might beidentified incorrectlyornot atall.
R snowfall orheavy rainmay lead toaparking
space beingmeasured inaccurately. R
pay attent iontothe PARKTRONIC
(Y page 184)warning messages duringthe
parking procedure.
R you can interven ein the steering procedure
to correct itat any time. Active Parking
Assist willthen becanceled.
R when transport ingaload which protrudes
from yourvehicle, youshould notuse
Act ive Parking Assist.
R never useActiveParking Assistwhensnow
chains oran emergency sparewheel are
mounted.
R make surethatthetire pressures are
alwa yscorrect .This has adirec tinflu ence
on the parking characteri stics ofthe
veh icle.
R the wayyo ur veh icleis po sitio ned inthe
pa rking spaceafter parking isde pende nt
on vario us factors .These include the
position andshape ofthe vehicles parked
in front andbehind itand thecondition sof
the location. Insome cases, Active Parking
Assist mayguide youtoofarinto aparking
space, ornot farenough intoit.Insome
cases, itmay alsolead youacross oronto
the curb. Ifnecessary, youshould abortthe
parking procedure withActive Parking
Assist.
R you can also engage forward gear
prematurely. Thevehicle redirects and
does notdrive asfar into theparking space.
Should thegear change occurtoosoon to
achieve asensible parkingposition, the
parking procedure willbeaborted.
! Ifunavoidabl e,you should driveover
obstacles suchascurbs slowly andnotat
a sharp angle. Otherwise, youmay damage
the wheels ortires.
Detecting aparking space Active
ParkingAssist isswi tched on
au tomatica llywhe ndriving forwards.The
system isopera tional atspee dsofup to
app roximatel y22 mph (35km/h). Whilein
opera tion,thesystem independently locates Drivi
ngsystems
187Driving and parking Z