2013 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class display

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

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

press the cruise control lever up
0002or
down 0003to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0002or down 0003the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 or down 0003to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0002or down 0003the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For
example, if you accelerate briefly to
overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0002.
or
X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
. R
you activate DSR.
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise Control Off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g.
stopped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly
identify other road users and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activating while driving
X
Briefly pull the cruise control leve rtowards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 001F.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002to the
pressure point for a higher speed or down
001F for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
or
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 past the pressure point for a higher
speed or down 001Ffor a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
If the vehicle in front has been detected and
is shown in the multifunction display, you can
also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when driving
at speeds below 20 mph (30km/h). If the
vehicle in front is no longer detected and
displayed, for example because it has
changed lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated. You will hear awarning tone if
this is the case. i
If you do no tfully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Passive message appears in the multifunction
display. The set distance to a slower-
moving vehicle in front will then not be
maintained. You will be driving at the speed
you determine by the position of the
accelerato
rpedal.
Activating when driving towards a
stationary vehicle
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 001F.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002to the
pressure point for a higher speed or down
001F for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
or
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 past the pressure point for a higher
speed or down 001Ffor a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
If the vehicle in fron tofyou is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 20 mph (30km/h) if a vehicle in front
has been detected. Therefore, the
DISTRONIC PLUS distance display in the
instrumen tcluster should be activated
(Y page 272).
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 200). Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
R
the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
automatically be shifted into position P.
Setting aspeed Keep in mind tha
titmay take a brie fmoment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
X Press the cruise control lever up 0002for a
higher speed or down 0003for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002or
down 0003to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0002or down 0003the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 or down 0003to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0002or down 0003, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced. i
DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this
function, you can set the minimum distance
that DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y
page 202).
X To increase: turn control0003in direction
001F.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control0003in
direction 0002.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficiently
safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0002.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
Whe nyou deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS Off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer
detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 277) R
you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R you activate DSR
R you activate off-road program 2onvehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package
R the vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
0003in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
segments 0003between speed of the vehicle in
front 0002and stored speed 001Flight up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated
Distance display when DISTRONIC PLU
Sis
deactivated
0002 Vehicle in front, if detected
0003 Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
001F Specified minimum distance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
001E Own vehicle
In the Assistance menu (Y page 272) of the
on-board computer, you can select the
distance display.
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 272).
In the Assistance menu of the on-board
computer, you can also activate or deactivate
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 272). Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated Distance display with DISTRONIC PLUS activated
in the multifunction display
0002
DISTRONIC PLUS activated
0003 Own vehicle
001F Specified minimum distance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
001E Vehicle in front, if detected
In the Assistance menu (Y page 272)of the
on-board computer, you can select the
distance display.
X Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 272).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R
cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend
R vehicles traveling on a differen tline
R other vehicles changing lanes
R narrow vehicles
R obstructions and stationary vehicles
R crossing vehicles
In such situations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS is then deactivated. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load
discrepancies while still parked. However, for
significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
For information aboutd riving off-road, see
(Y page 187).
Basic settings The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting
selected.
Select:
R highway/high-speed level for driving on
normal roads
R off-road level 1for driving on easily
negotiable off-road terrain
R off-road level 2 for driving on normal off-
road terrain
R off-road level 3for freeing the vehicle in
particularly rough terrain at low speeds
only
The individual vehicle levels differ from
highway level as follows:
R highway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm)
R high-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm)
R off-road level 1: + 1.2 in (+30 mm)
R off-road level 2: + 2.3 in (+60 mm)
R off-road level 3: + 3.6 in (+ 90 mm)
Highway/high-speed level !
Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being
lowered. It could otherwise hit the ground,
damaging the underbody. 0002
Selector wheel
0003 To raise the level
001F Indicator lamps
001E To lower the level
X Start the engine.
X Selector wheel 0002 engaged:
briefly press
selector wheel 0002.
Selector wheel 0002extends.
If one or more indicator lamps 001Fare on:
X Turn selector wheel 0002counter-
clockwise 001Euntil all indicator lamps 001F
that are lit start to flash.
The vehicle is lowered to highway level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached,
the indicator lamp stops flashing and goes
out. During the adjustment, the
Lowering message, for example, appears in the
multifunction display.
If you press the
0007or000B button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z