2013 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class tailgate

Locking the vehicle (mechanical key)
If the vehicle can no longer be locked with the
SmartKey, use the mechanical key.
X Open the driver's door.
X Close the front-passenger door, the rear
doors and the tailgate.
X Press the locking button (Y page 85).
X Chec kwhether the locking knobs on the
front-passenger door and the rear doors
are still visible. Press down the locking
knobs manually, if necessary (Y page 85).
X Close the driver's door.
X Take the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 80).
X Insert the mechanical key into the lock of
the driver's door as far as it will go. 0005
To lock
X Turn the mechanical key clockwise as far
as it will go to position 0005.
X Turn the mechanical key back and remove
it.
X Make sure that the doors and the tailgate
are locked.
X Insert the mechanical key into the
SmartKey.
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not armed. Cargo compartment
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running,
particularly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust
fumes could enter the passenger
compartment. There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the
tailgate. Never drive with the tailgate open. G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, and do not give them access
to an unlocked vehicle. Achild's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. They could:
R injure themselves on vehicle parts
R be seriously or fatally injured by extreme
heat or cold
R injure themselves or have an accident with
vehicle equipment that may still be in
operation even after the SmartKey has
been removed from the ignition, such as the
seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment or memory function.
If children open a door, they could cause
severe or even fatal injury to other persons; if
they get out of the vehicle, they could injure
themselves when doing so or be seriously or
even fatally injured by any passing traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and a child could be burned on these
parts. Cargo compartment
87Opening and closing Z

G
WARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or cargo
compartment unless they are firmly secured
in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened .Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
(Y page 452).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the cargo
compartment. You could otherwise lock
yourself out.
Vehicles without the EASY-PACK
tailgate: the tailgate can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R unlocked from inside with the emergency
release
For vehicles with the EASY-PACK tailgate
you can:
R close the tailgate manually from outside
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from outside
R open and close the tailgate automatically
from inside
R unlock the tailgate from inside with the
emergency release
R limit the opening angle of the tailgate Opening/closing from outside
Opening X
Press the 000Cbutton on the SmartKey.
X Pull handle 0002.
X Raise the tailgate.
Vehicles with the EASY-PACK tailgate: if
you pull handle 0002and then release it, the
tailgate opens automatically.
Closing G
WARNING
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the cargo
compartmento pening when closing the
tailgate. Be especially careful when small
children are around. X
Pull the tailgate down using recess 0002.
X Allow the tailgate to drop into the lock.
X Lock the vehicle if necessary with
the 000B button on the SmartKey or with
KEYLESS-GO. 88
Cargo compartmentOpening and closing

i
If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
cargo compartment, the tailgate will not
lock. Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped
during automatic closing of the tailgate.
Moreover, people, e.g. children, may be
standing in the closing area or may enter the
closing area during the closing process. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the 0004button on the SmartKey.
R press the remote operating switch on the
driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate.
R pull the handle on the tailgate. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running,
particularly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust
fumes could enter the passenger
compartment. There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the
tailgate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
(Y page 452).
i The tailgate is equipped with an
automatic reversing feature. If an object blocks or restricts the tailgate during the
closing process, the tailgate opens again
automatically.
Opening the tailgate automatically You can open the tailgate automatically with
the SmartKey or the handle in the tailgate.
X
Press and hold the 0004button on the
SmartKey until the tailgate opens.
or
X If the tailgate is unlocked, pull the handle
and let it go again immediately.
Closing the tailgate automatically G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped
during automatic closing of the tailgate.
Moreover, people, e.g. children, may be
standing in the closing area or may enter the
closing area during the closing process. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the 0004button on the SmartKey.
R press the remote operating switch on the
driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate.
R pull the handle on the tailgate. Cargo compartment
89Opening and closing Z

Closing and locking button (example
:vehicle with
EASY-PACK tailgate and KEYLESS-GO)
0002 Closing button
0003 Locking button
X To close: press closing button 0002on the
tailgate.
or
X Press and hold the 0004button on the
SmartKey until the tailgate closes.
Vehicles with the EASY-PACK tailgate and
KEYLESS-GO: you can simultaneously close
and lock the tailgate.
X Press locking button 0003on the tailgate.
If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected outside
the vehicle, the tailgate closes and locks.
All the doors must be shut and the
SmartKey located in the vicinity of the
tailgate.
i The tailgate cannot be opened and closed
with the SmartKey if there is a SmartKey in
the ignition.
If the tailgate touches an objec twhile
closing, the closing procedure is
interrupted and the tailgate reopens.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
cargo compartment, the tailgate will not
lock. Opening/closing automatically from
inside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped
during automatic closing of the tailgate.
Moreover, people, e.g. children, may be
standing in the closing area or may enter the
closing area during the closing process. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the 0004button on the SmartKey.
R press the remote operating switch on the
driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate.
R pull the handle on the tailgate. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running,
particularly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust
fumes could enter the passenger
compartment. There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the
tailgate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
! The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
(Y page 452).
i The tailgate is equipped with an
automatic reversing feature. If an object
blocks or restricts the tailgate during the
closing process, the tailgate opens again
automatically. 90
Cargo compartmentOpening and closing

Opening and closing
You can open and close the tailgate from the
driver's seat when the vehicle is stationary
and unlocked.
X To open: pull remote operating switch 0002
for the tailgate until the tailgate opens.
X To close: turn the SmartKey to position 1
or 2in the ignition lock.
X Press remote operating switch for
tailgate 0002until the tailgate is closed. Limiting the opening angle of the
tailgate
Important safety notes !
Make sure there is sufficien tclearance to
open the tailgate fully when setting the
opening angle. The tailgate could otherwise
be damaged. Ideally, set the opening angle
outside.
Activating You can limit the opening angle of the
tailgate. This is possible in the top half of its
opening range, up to approximately 4in
(10 cm) before the stop.
This could be useful, for example, if there is
insufficien tspace above the tailgate.
X To open the tailgate: pull the handle on
the tailgate.
X To stop the opening procedure at the
desired position: press the closing button (Y
page 89) in the tailgate or pull the handle
on the outside of the tailgate again.
X To store the position: press and hold the
closing button in the tailgate until you hear
a short tone.
The opening angle limiter is activated. The
tailgate will now stop in the stored position
when opening.
Deactivating X
Press and hold the closing button
(Y page 89) in the tailgate until you hear
two short tones. Tailgate emergency release
Important safety notes !
The tailgate swings upwards and to the
rear when opened. Therefore, make sure
that there is sufficient clearance above and
behind the tailgate.
i Tailgate opening dimensions
(Y page 452).
If the tailgate can no longer be opened from
outside the vehicle, use the emergency
release on the inside of the tailgate.
Opening X
Take the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (Y page 80).
X Insert mechanical key 0003into the opening
in paneling 0002. Cargo compartment
91Opening and closing Z

X
Turn mechanical key 000390° clockwise.
X Push mechanical key 0003in the direction of
the arrow and open the tailgate. Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side
window and the door frame as the side
window moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side
window during the opening procedure. If
somebody becomes trapped, release the
switch or pull the switch to close the side
window again. G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
in the closing area could become trapped.
There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
somebody becomes trapped, release the
switch or press the switch to open the side
window again. G
WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they are
left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in
the vehicle.
The side windows are equipped with an
automatic reversing feature. If an object
blocks or restricts a side window during the
closing process, the side window opens again
automatically. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small
fingers
R over the last 4mmofthe closing movement
R during resetting
R when closing the side window again
manually immediately after automatic
reversing
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these
situations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
someone becomes trapped, press the switch
to open the side window again. Opening and closing the side
windows
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take
precedence. 0002
Front left
0003 Front right
001F Rear right
001E Rear left 92
Side windowsOpening and closing

!
Intermittent wiping with rain sensor: due
to optical influences and the windshield
becoming dirty in dry weather conditions,
the windshield wipers may be activated
inadvertently. This could then damage the
windshield wiper blades or scratch the
windshield.
For this reason, you should always switch
off the windshield wipers in dry weather. Combination switch
0005
0008 Windshield wiper off
0006 0001 Intermittent wipe, low (rain sensor
set to low sensitivity)
0007 0002 Intermittent wipe, high (rain sensor
set to high sensitivity)
000C 0018 Continuous wipe, slow
000D 0012 Continuous wipe, fast
001D 0007 Single wipe
0011 0008 To wipe with washer fluid
X Switch on the ignition.
X Turn the combination switch to the
corresponding position.
In the 0001or0002 position, the appropriate
wiping frequency is set automatically
according to the intensity of the rain. In
the 0002 position, the rain sensor is more
sensitive than in the 0001position, causing
the windshield wipers to wipe more
frequently.
If the wiper blades are worn, the windshield
will no longer be wiped properly.T his could
prevent you from observing the traffic
conditions, thereby causing an accident. Replace the wiper blades twice a year, ideally
in spring and fall. Switching the rear window wiper on/
off
Combination switch
0002
0001 Rear window wiper switch
0006 0007 To wipe with washer fluid
0007 ITo switch on intermittent wiping
000C 0To switch off intermittent wiping
000D 000E To wipe with washer fluid
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 157).
X Turn switch 0002on the combination switch
to the corresponding position.
When the rear window wiper is switched on,
the icon appears in the instrumentc luster. Replacing the wiper blades
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the windshield wipers begin to move while
you are changing the wiper blades, you could
be trapped by the wiper arm. There is a risk
of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
ignition before changing the wiper blades.
! Neve ropen the hood/tailgate if a wiper
arm has been folded away from the
windshield/rear window. Windshield wipers
133Lights and windshield wipers Z

damaging the vehicle, make sure there is
always sufficient ground clearance.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 337).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient.
Activate DSR( Ypage 246).
R Always keep the doors, tailgate, windows
and sliding sunroof closed while driving.
R Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the
terrain, the slower your speed should be.
R Drive slowly and at an even speed through
the water. Ensure that a bow wave does not
form as you drive.
R Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Look out for obstacles, such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and furrows.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R When fording, do not stop and do not
switch off the engine.
R On sand, drive quickly to overcome the
rolling resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's
wheels could become stuc kinloose
ground.
R Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion.
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope.
R Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N.
i Do not use the HOLD function when
driving off-road, on steep uphill or downhill
gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces.
The HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle
on such surfaces. Checklist before driving off-road !
If the engine oil warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in motion, stop the
vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible.
Check the engine oil level. The engine oil
warning lamp warning must not be ignored.
Continuing the journey while the symbol is
displayed could lead to engine damage.
X Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the
engine oil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure a correc toil supply in the vehicle.
X DEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
fluid level and, if necessary, refill to the
maximum (13 l) (Y page 177).
X Wheel-changing tool kit: check that the
jac kis working and make sure you have the
lug wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a
loss of tire pressure and damage the tire
bead. Therefore, check your rims before
driving off-road and replace them as
required.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 246).
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
lower the vehicle to a ride height suitable
for the road conditions, e.g. to the
highway/high-speed level. 188
Driving tipsDriving and parking