2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class Tailgate

Automatic locking feature
X
To disarm: press and hold button 0043for
about five seconds until a tone sounds.
X To arm: press and hold button 0044for about
five seconds until a tone sounds.
i If you press one of the two buttons and do
not hear a tone, the relevant setting has
already been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are
turning.
You could therefore be locked out if:
R the vehicle is being pushed.
R the vehicle is being towed.
R the vehicle is on a roller dynamometer.
You can also switch the automatic locking
function on and off using the on-board com-
puter (Y page 279). Power closing
Power closing pulls the doors and trunk lid
into their locks automatically even if they are only partly closed.
X To power close a door: push the door into
the lock up to the first detent position.
Power closing will pull the door fully closed.
X To power close the tailgate: lightly press
the tailgate downwards.
Power closing will pull the tailgate fully
closed. Unlocking the driver's door (mechan-
ical key)
If the vehicle can no longer be unlocked with
the SmartKey, use the mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door, the anti-theft alarm
system will be triggered (Y page 77).
X Take the mechanical key out of the Smart-
Key (Y page 82).
X Insert the mechanical key into the lock of
the driver's door as far as it will go. X
Turn the mechanical key counter-clockwise
to position 0047.
The door is unlocked.
X Turn the mechanical key back and remove
it.
X Insert the mechanical key into the Smart-
Key. 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 87).
X Check whether the locking knobs on the
front-passenger door and the rear doors
are still visible. Press down the locking
knobs by hand, if necessary.
X Close the driver's door. 88
DoorsOpening and closing

X
Take the mechanical key out of the Smart-
Key (Y page 82).
X Insert the mechanical key into the lock of
the driver's door as far as it will go. X
Turn the mechanical key clockwise as far as
it will go to position 0047.
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 Smart-
Key.
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
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly 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 tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
G
WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! 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 456).
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the cargo compartment. Observe the load- ing guidelines (Y page 334).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the cargo com- partment. 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 Cargo compartment
89Opening and closing Z

Tailgate reversing feature
On vehicles with tailgate remote closing fea-
ture, the tailgate is equipped with automatic
obstacle recognition with a reversing feature. If a solid object blocks or restricts the tailgate
when automatically opening or closing, this
procedure is stopped. If the tailgate is stop-
ped during the closing procedure, it will open
again automatically. The automatic obstacle
recognition with reversing function is only an aid. It is not a substitute for your attentive-
ness when opening and closing the tailgate. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 1/3 in (8 mm) of the closing
movement
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R press the 0054button on the SmartKey, or
R press the remote operating switch on the
driver’s door, or
R press the closing or locking button on the
tailgate, or
R pull the handle on the tailgate Opening and closing manually from
outside
Opening X
Press the 0036button on the SmartKey.
X Pull handle 0043.
X Raise the tailgate.
Vehicles with the EASY-PACK tailgate: if
you pull handle 0043and then release it, the
tailgate opens automatically.
Closing X
Pull the tailgate down using recess 0043.
X Allow the tailgate to drop into the lock.
X Lock the vehicle if necessary with the 0037
button on the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-
GO.
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
cargo compartment, the tailgate will not
lock. 90
Cargo compartmentOpening and closing

Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, 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 0054button 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, particu-
larly 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 tail-
gate. 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 456).
i Notes on the reversing feature for the tail-
gate (Y page 90). Opening the tailgate automatically You can open the tailgate automatically with
the SmartKey or the handle in the tailgate.
X Press and hold the 0054button 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 dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, 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 0054button 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. Closing and locking button (example: vehicle with
EASY-PACK tailgate and KEYLESS-GO) Cargo compartment
91Opening and closing Z

X
To close: press closing button 0043on the
tailgate.
or X Press and hold the 0054button 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 0044on 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 Smart-
Key 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 object while clos-
ing, 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 dur-
ing automatic closing of the tailgate. More-
over, 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 0054button 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, particu-
larly 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 tail-
gate. 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 456).
i Notes on the reversing feature for the tail-
gate (Y page 90).
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 0043
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 tail-
gate 0043until the tailgate is closed. 92
Cargo compartmentOpening and closing

Limiting the opening angle of the tail-
gate
Important safety notes !
Make sure there is sufficient clearance to
open the tailgate fully when setting the
opening angle. The tailgate could otherwise be damaged. Ideally, set the opening angleoutside.
Activating You can limit the opening angle of the tail-
gate. This is possible in the top half of its
opening range, up to approximately 4 in
(10 cm) before the stop.
Th is could be useful, for example, if there is
insufficient space 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 91) 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 positionwhen opening.
Deactivating X
Press and hold the closing button
(Y page 91) 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 456).
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 Smart-
Key (Y page 82).
X Insert mechanical key 0044into the opening
in paneling 0043.
X Turn mechanical key 004490° clockwise.
X Push mechanical key 0044in the direction of
the arrow and open the tailgate.
X Insert the mechanical key into the Smart-
Key.
i When you lock the vehicle (Y
page 88),
the cargo compartment is also locked. Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win- dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or pull the switch to close the side window again. Side windows
93Opening and closing Z

!
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
0047
003F Windshield wiper off
0048 0062 Intermittent wipe, low (rain sensor
set to low sensitivity)
0049 0063 Intermittent wipe, high (rain sensor
set to high sensitivity)
004A 00AA Continuous wipe, slow
004B 00A9 Continuous wipe, fast
0084 00D3 Single wipe
006B 00D4 To wipe with washer fluid
X Switch on the ignition.
X Turn the combination switch to the corre-
sponding position.
In the 0062or0063 position, the appropriate
wiping frequency is set automatically accord- ing to the intensity of the rain. In the 0063
position, the rain sensor is more sensitive
than in the 0062position, causing the wind-
shield wipers to wipe more frequently.
If the wiper blades are worn, the windshield
will no longer be wiped properly. This could
prevent you from observing the traffic condi-
tions. Switching the rear window wiper on/
off Combination switch
0043
00C5 Rear window wiper switch
0048 008E To wipe with washer fluid
0049 ITo switch on intermittent wiping
004A 0To switch off intermittent wiping
004B 00E2 To wipe with washer fluid
X Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 157).
X Turn switch 0043on the combination switch
to the corresponding position.
When the rear window wiper is switched on,
the icon appears in the instrument cluster. 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.
! Never open the hood/tailgate if a wiper
arm has been folded away from the wind-
shield/rear window.
Never fold a windshield wiper arm without a
wiper blade back onto the windshield/rear window. Windshield wipers
133Lights and windshield wipers Z

Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter- rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied 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 program 1 and 2 (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 251)
R LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
(Y page 253)
R Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (Y page 252)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 68)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 73)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Y page 211)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 250)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route.
R For vehicles with the AIRMATIC pack-
age: select a vehicle level that is suitable
for the off-road terrain. To avoid damaging
the vehicle, make sure there is always suf-
ficient ground clearance. R
Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 339).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 250).
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 ter-
rain, 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 roll-
ing resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's
wheels could become stuck in loose
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 driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients 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 vehi-
cle in a safe place as soon as possible. 192
Driving
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