2013 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class ABS

R
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 73)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 75)Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather
conditions and maintain asafe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Please pay special
attention to the note son tires,
recommended minimu mtire tread depths,
etc. (Y page 398).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the
driving safety systems described in this
section work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Importan tsafety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 66). G
WARNING
If ABSi s faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents. Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 318) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 283).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h) upwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even if you only brake gently.
The yellow 0019ABS warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up when the ignition
is switched on. It goes out when the engine is
running.
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking
situation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions, and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Off-road ABS An ABS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R
vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package (Y page 248)
R vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(Y page 248) 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

At speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking .The
digging-in effect achieved in the process
reduces the stopping distance on off-road
terrain. This limits steering capability. BAS (Brake Assist System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If BAS is malfunctioning, the braking distance
in an emergency braking situation is
increased. There is a risk of an accident.
In an emergency braking situation, depress
the brake pedal with full force. ABS prevents
the wheels from locking.
BAS operates in emergency braking
situations. If you depress the brake pedal
quickly, BAS automatically boosts the braking
force, thus shortening the stopping distance.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles
equipped with DISTRONIC PLUS.
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
radar sensor system must be:
R activated (Y page 277)
R operational
With the help of the radar sensor system, BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time.
If the radar sensor system is malfunctioning,
BAS PLUS will not be available. The brake
system is still available with complete brake
boosting effect and BAS. BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in
hazardous situations at speeds greater than
4 mph (7 km/h).
At speeds of up to approximately 40 mph
(70 km/h), BAS PLUS can also detect
stationary objects. Examples of stationary
objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
To prevent a front-end collision, BAS PLUS
calculates the brake force necessary if:
R
you approach an obstacle, and
R BAS PLUS has detected arisk of collision
At as pee dless than 20 mp h(30 km/h) : if
you depress the brake pedal, BASP LUS is
activated. The increase in brake pressure will
be carried out at the last possible moment.
At a speed greater than 20 mph
(30 km/h):ify ou depress the brake pedal
sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises the
brake pressure to a value adapted to the
traffic situation.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are
activated simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual, if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
If you have activated DSR (Y page 246), BAS
PLUS is likewise deactivated. G
WARNING
BAS PLUS cannot always clearly identify
objects and complex traffic situations. BAS
PLUS cannot intervene in these cases. There
is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake. Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

tha
tare in the path of yourv ehicle for an
extended period of time.
Should you approach an obstacle and
Adaptive Brake Assist has detected a risk of
collision, Adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a rear-end
collision. Should you apply the brakes
vigorously, Adaptive Brake Assist will
automatically increase the braking force to a
level suitable for the traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a rear-end
collision.
R no obstacle is detected in fron tofyour
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
If Adaptive Brake Assist requires particularly
high brake pressure, preventive passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are
deployed simultaneously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation. Adaptive
Brake Assist does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due
to a malfunction in the radar sensor system,
the brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages R
a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensor checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. In addition, more drive torque is
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

0002
Battery compartment cover
0003 Mechanical key
X Press mechanical key 0003into the opening
in the SmartKey in the direction of the
arrow until battery compartment cover 0002
opens. Do not hold battery compartment
cover 0002closed while doing so.
X Remove battery compartment cover 0002.001F
Battery
X Repeatedly tap the SmartKey against your
palm until battery 001Ffalls out.
X Inser tthe new battery with the positive
terminal facing upwards. Use a lint-free
cloth to do so.
X Make sure that the surface of the battery is
free from lint, grease and all other forms of
contamination. X
Insert the front tabs of battery
compartment cover 0002into the housing
first and then press to close it.
X Insert mechanical key 0003into the
SmartKey.
X Check the function of all SmartKey buttons
on the vehicle. 82
SmartKeyOpening and closing

If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 401).
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces .Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You
should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezing point. Off-road driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle. G
WARNING
If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle center
of gravity is raised. This could cause the
vehicle to tip over more easily on uphill or
downhill gradients. There is arisk of an
accident.
Selec tthe lowest possible vehicle level.
When driving off-road, sand, mud and water,
possibly mixed with oil, for example, could get into the brakes. This could result in a reduced
braking effect or in total brake failure and also
in increased wear and tear. The braking
characteristics change depending on the
material ingressing the brakes. Cleant
he
brakes after driving off-road. If you detect a
reduced braking effect or grinding noises,
have the brake system checked in a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible.
Adapt your driving style to the different
braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or
systems. Adapt your driving style to suit the
terrain conditions. Drive carefully. Have
damage to the vehicle rectified immediately
at a qualified specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep,
drive backwards in reverse gear.
General notes Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of your vehicle and the gear shift operation
before driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R
Off-road ABS (Y page 66)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 209)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 246)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route.
R For vehicles with the AIRMATIC
package: select a vehicle level that is
suitable for the off-road terrain. To avoid Driving tips
187Driving and parking Z

i
The special off-road ABS setting enables
a precise, brief and repeated locking of the
frontw heels. This causes them to dig into
loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels
easily skid across the ground surface if
completely braked and therefore lose their
ability to steer. Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Cruise
control is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
select shift range 1,2or 3in good time. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
i
Cruise control should not be activated
during off-road driving.
Cruise control lever 0002
To activate or increase speed
0003 To activate or reduce speed
001F To deactivate cruise control
001E To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segments between the stored speed and
the maximum speed light up.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 20mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sport mode
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press the 0002button once.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. You have
selected Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT message appears in the multifunction
display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps 001Fand 0003are off:
X Press button 0002twice.
Indicator lamps 001Fand 0003light up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT + message appears in the multifunction
display.
If indicator lamp 0003lights up:
X Press the 0002button once.
Second indicator lamp 001Flights up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT + message appears in the multifunction
display. Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable.
Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style. Select
comfor
tmode also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of
freeway.
X Press button 0002repeatedly until indicator
lamps 001Fand 0003go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Suspension System COMFORT message appears in the multifunction
display. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. When
maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a
parking space, make sure that there are no
persons, animals or object
sinthe area in
which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction. Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

symbol
0002is shown in green. Lane Keeping
Assist is ready for use.
Standard
If Standard is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
Adaptive
If Adaptive is selected, no warning vibration
occurs if:
R you switch on the turn signals. In this event,
the warnings are suppressed for a certain
period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, e.g.
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when
necessary and in good time if you cross the
lane marking, the system recognizes certain
conditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlieri f:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a
highway.
R the system recognizes soli dlane markings.
The warning vibratio noccurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend. Active Driving Assistance package
General notes The Active Driving Assistance package
consists of DISTRONIC PLUS (Y
page 194),
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 237) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 241).
Active Blind Spo tAssist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor
system to monitor the side areas of your
vehicle which are behind the driver.
Awarning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attentio nto vehicles detected in the
monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible
warning. If a risk of lateral collision is
detected, corrective braking may help you
avoid a collision. To support the course-
correcting brake application, Active Blind
Spot Assist uses the forward-facing radar
sensor system. The free space in the direction
of travel is then evaluated.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
For Active Blind Spot Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must
be:
R activated (Y page 277)
R operational
Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may
fail to detect some vehicles and is no
substitute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles approaching and driving by with a
speed difference of more than
approximately 6.8 mph (11 km/h) Driving systems
237Driving and parking
Z