2014 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class brake

pressure point for a higher speed or down
0023 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 0023for 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.
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/ h),y ou can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display .If
the vehicle in front is no longe rdetected 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 at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates. If you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0002.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

X
If you want to pull away with
DISTRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control leve rtowards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 0023.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your
vehicle. In this way, the distance you have
selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
However, the vehicle is only accelerated up
to the speed you have stored.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle
is accelerated. Acceleration will be
interrupted if changing lanes takes too long
or if the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles. Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a
vehicle occupant or from outside the
vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front.T he specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
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. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is no tsufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
automatically be shifted int oposition 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 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 201).
X To increase: turn control0003in direction
0023.
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. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

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 276) 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 0023light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated 0002
Vehicle in front, if detected
0003 Distance indicator, current distance to
the vehicle in front
0023 Specified minimum distance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
0022 Own vehicle
In the Assistance men uof the on-board
computer, you can select the assistance
display.
X Select the Distance Display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 272).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated 0002
Vehicle in front, if detected
0003 Specified minimu mdistance to the
vehicle in front; adjustable
0023 Own vehicle
0022 DISTRONIC PLUS activated In the Assistance men
uof the on-board
computer, you can select the assistance
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 whe nyou 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 different line
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.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect
vehicles when cornering is limited. Your
vehicle may brake unexpectedly or late. Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

Vehicles traveling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
traveling on a different line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lanes DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the
vehicle cutting in yet. The distance to this
vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the road, because of its narrow width
.The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for
example, the detected vehicle turns a corner
and reveals an obstacle or stationary vehicle,
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights
with crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. Level control (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package)
Important safety notes Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. This results in reduced fuel
consumption and improved handling.202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Lowering the vehicle
If you maintain or reduce your speed, you will
see a message in white in the display while
the vehicle is being lowered, such as the
following: Lowering Max. Speed 12 mph (20 km/h).
The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 2.
If you selec
tanoff-road level whe ndriving at
too high a speed, the Please ReduceSpeed message appears in the multifunction
display.
You can select from the following:
R Off-road level 1atspeeds up to 60 mph
(100 km/h)
R Off-road level 2atspeeds up to 40 mph
(65 km/h)
R Off-road level 3atspeeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you are driving above 50 mph (80 km/ h)or
drive between 40 mph (65 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 2will be canceled.
The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 1.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering .
If you are driving above 70 mph (115 km/h)
or drive between 62 mph (100 km/h) and
70 mph (115 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 1will be canceled.
Depending on the vehicle's speed and the
AD Sm ode selected (Y page 207), the vehicle
is automatically lowered to highway or high-
speed level. You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example:
Lowering .
HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
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.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. 206
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similars ituations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Y page 207).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brak eis released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0001 appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.R
you depress the brake pedal againw ith a
certain amoun tofpressure until 0001
disappears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belti s unfastened.
R the engine is switched off.
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
be automatically shifted into position P. AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC regulates the level of your vehicle.
As well as level control (Y
page 209), your
vehicle can be equipped with ADS (Adaptive
Damping System) (Y page 207) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 208).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 253).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) General notes
ADS adapts the damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving situation.
This depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R the ADS setting
R the vehicle level setting Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z