2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class ECU

should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol- vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away. This
can lead to corrosion damage and damage to electronic components.
X Clean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with a damp cloth and a cleaning
product that is recommended and
approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Cleaning wiper blades G
WARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades. !
Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windshield could be damaged if
the wiper arm smacks against it suddenly.
X Fold the windshield wiper arms away from
the windshield.
X Carefully clean the wiper blades with a
damp cloth.
X Fold the windshield wiper arms back again
before switching on the ignition.
Cleaning the exterior lighting !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic light lenses.
X Clean the plastic lenses of the exterior
lighting using a wet sponge and a mild
cleaning agent, e.g. Mercedes-Benz car
shampoo or cleaning cloths.
Mirror turn signals !
Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths that are suitable for plastic lenses.
Unsuitable cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths could scratch or damage the plastic lenses of the mirror turn signals.
X Clean the plastic lenses of the mirror turn
signals in the exterior mirror housing using
a wet sponge and mild cleaning agent, e.g.
Mercedes-Benz car shampoo or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the sensors !
If you clean the sensors with a power
washer, make sure that you keep a dis-
tance of at least 11.8 in (30 cm) between Care
375Maintenance and care Z

X
Lift the cargo compartment floor up
(Y page 344).
X Remove "Minispare" emergency spare
wheel (Y page 441). Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with: R MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat prop-
erties) (Y page 383)
Vehicle preparation is not necessary on
vehicles with MOExtended tires.
R a TIREFIT kit (Y page 382)
R an emergency spare wheel (only for certain
countries) (Y page 440)
Information on changing/mounting a wheel
(Y page 423).
X Stop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground, as far away as possible from
traffic.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 182).
X If possible, bring the front wheels into the
straight-ahead position.
X Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
make sure that highway level is selected
(Y page 211).
X Switch off the engine.
X Vehicles without KEYLESS-GO: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: open the
driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the SmartKey having been removed.
X Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock
(Y page 158).
X All occupants must get out of the vehicle.
Make sure that they are not endangered as they do so. X
Make sure that no one is near the danger
area while a wheel is being changed. Any-
one who is not directly assisting in the
wheel change should, for example, stand
behind the barrier.
X Get out of the vehicle. Pay attention to traf-
fic conditions when doing so.
X Close the driver's door.
X Unload heavy luggage.
i Only operate the tire inflation compressor
using a 12 V socket, even if the ignition is
turned off (Y page 349).
An emergency cut-out ensures that the on- board voltage does not drop too low. If the on-board voltage is too low, the power to
the sockets is automatically cut. This
ensures that there is sufficient power to
start the engine. MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
General notes With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tires. The affected
tire must not show any clearly visible damage.
You can recognize MOExtended tires by the
MOExtended marking which appears on the
sidewall of the tire. You will find this marking
next to the tire size designation, the load-
bearing capacity and the speed index
(Y page 417).
MOExtended tires may only be used in con-
junction with an active tire pressure loss
warning system or with an active tire pressure
monitor.
If the pressure loss warning message
appears in the multifunction display:
R Observe the instructions in the display
messages (Y page 312).
R Check the tire for damage.
R If driving on, observe the following notes. Flat tire
383Breakdown assistance

Before handling the battery, touch the vehicle
body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highly flammable gas mixture forms when
charging the battery as well as when jump-
starting.
Always make sure that neither you nor the
battery is electrostatically charged. A build-
up of electrostatic charge can be caused, for
example:
R by wearing clothing made from synthetic
fibers
R due to friction between clothing and seats
R if you push or pull the battery across the
carpet or other synthetic materials
R if you wipe the battery with a cloth G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produ- ces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or
sparks are created, the hydrogen gas can
ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with
water and seek medical attention. H
Environmental note Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separately
and recycled to protect the
environment. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop for more information.
! You should have all work involving the
battery carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. In the exceptional case that it is
necessary for you to disconnect the battery yourself, make sure that:
R you switch off the engine and remove the
SmartKey. On vehicles with KEYLESS-
GO, ensure that the ignition is switched
off. Check that all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster are off. Otherwise, electronic components, such as the
alternator, may be damaged.
R you first remove the negative terminal
clamp and then the positive terminal
clamp. Never swap the terminal clamps.
Otherwise, the vehicle's electronic sys-
tem may be damaged.
R the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehi-
cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle. 388
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance

The battery and the cover of the positive
terminal clamp must be installed securely
during operation.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks. Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apron and face-
guard.
Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clear water. Contact a physi-
cian if necessary.
Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event of
an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
The vehicle battery, like other batteries, can
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In this case, have the battery discon- nected at a qualified specialist workshop. You can also charge the battery with a charger
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop for further infor-
mation.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly
for short trips or if you leave it standing idle
for a lengthy period. Consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop if you wish to leave your
vehicle parked for a long period of time.
i Remove the SmartKey if you park the
vehicle and do not require any electrical
consumers. The vehicle will then use very
little energy, thus conserving battery
power. Charging the battery
G
WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek medical attention. G
WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting. Battery (vehicle)
389Breakdown assistance Z

Do not start the vehicle using a rapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or from a second battery using jumper
cables. Observe the following points:
R The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using a second battery or a jump-starting device.
R Vehicles with a gasoline engine: only jump-start the vehicle when the engine and exhaust
system are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
R Only jump-start from batteries with a 12 V voltage rating.
R Only use jumper cables which have a sufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
R If the battery is fully discharged, leave the battery that is being used to jump-start connected
for a few minutes before attempting to start. This charges the battery slightly.
R Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
Make sure that:
R the jumper cables are not damaged.
R when the jumper cables are connected to the battery, uninsulated sections of the terminal
clamp do not come into contact with other metal sections.
R the jumper cables cannot come into contact with parts which can move when the engine is
running, such as the V-belt pulley or the fan.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition lock and remove it (Y page 157). On vehicles
with KEYLESS-GO, make sure the ignition is switched off (Y page 158). All indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster must be off.
X Switch off all electrical consumers, e.g. rear window defroster, lighting, etc.
X Open the hood. (Example)392
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

!
Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could
be damaged.
! Do not use the trailer tow hitch for recov-
ery or towing. Do not use the towing eye for
recovery. this could damage the vehicle. If
in doubt, have the vehicle recovered using
a crane.
! When towing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. Pull the towed vehicle as straight
as possible and not at an acute angle.
Excessive tractive power could damage the
vehicles.
i When towing, it is preferable to use a rigid
towing bar as opposed to a tow rope. A rigid
towing bar helps to keep the tractive power low.
! When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton. Otherwise, the automatic transmission
may shift to position Pwhen the driver's or
front-passenger door are opened, which
could lead to damage to the transmission.
! Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
! Vehicles with differential locks: make
sure the differential locks are in automatic
mode. When towing, the differential locks
must not be switched on. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
! The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles (50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per- missible gross vehicle weight of your vehi-
cle.
i Information on your vehicle's gross vehi-
cle weight rating can be found on the vehi-
cle identification plate (Y page 446).It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on a transporter or
trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
R cannot release the electric parking brake
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Disarm the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 279).
You could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye Example: towing eye mounting covers
0043 Front cover
0044 Back cover
The brackets for the screw-in towing eyes are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and at the rear, behind the covers. 394
Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance

X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 382).
X To open the cover at the front: press the
mark on cover 0043inwards in the direction
of the arrow.
X To open the cover at the rear: insert a
flat, blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover 0044out of the bumper.
X Take cover 0043or0044 off the opening.
X Screw in and tighten the towing eye clock-
wise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover 0043or0044 to the bumper and
press until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
Only possible for vehicles without
4MATIC.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 124).
X Bring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
X When leaving the vehicle, take the Smart-
Key or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions (Y page 393). Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 393).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
In order to ensure that the automatic trans-
mission stays in position Nwhen towing the
vehicle, you must observe the following
points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in posi-
tion 0.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y page 158).
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 124).
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing the vehicle with the hazard
warning lamps switched on, use the com-
bination switch as usual. In this case, only
the indicator lamps for the direction of
travel flash. After resetting the combina-
tion switch, the hazard warning lamp starts
flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as Towing and tow-starting
395Breakdown assistance Z

axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
As soon as the vehicle has been loaded:
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
X Secure the vehicle. Information on 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans- ported on a transporter or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P. To
shift the automatic transmission to position
N, you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Y page 391).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter
or trailer. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. You could other-
wise damage the automatic transmission. i
You can find information on "Jump-start-
ing" under (Y page 391). Fuses
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper- age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
! For the fuse boxes in the engine compart-
ment and under the rear bench seat, only
use fuses with the suffix "S". Otherwise,
components or systems could be dam-
aged.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo- nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed in the fuse allocation chart.
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Before changing a fuse
Observe the important safety notes
(Y page 396)
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away
(Y page 182).
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it (Y page 157). On396
FusesBreakdown assistance