2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class steering

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To switch off: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization General information
ESP
®
trailer stabilization is not available in
AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail- ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h). 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 67).
No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R the lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function. Theft deterrent locking system
Immobilizer
X To activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star- ted when the starter battery is fully charged, the immobilizer may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA) or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada). ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
X
To arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp 0043flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To deactivate using the SmartKey:
unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
or X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
X To deactivate using KEYLESS-GO: unlock
the vehicle with KEYLESS-GO.
or X Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
R a door
R the vehicle with the mechanical key
R the tailgate
R the hood Theft deterrent locking system
77Safety Z

Useful information
............................104
Correct driver's seat position ..........104
Seats .................................................. 105
Steering wheel .................................. 111
Mirrors ............................................... 114
Memory function .............................. 116 103Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. X
Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (Y page 105).
X Make sure that seat 0087is adjusted prop-
erly.
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 106)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag
as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly.
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint. Also make
sure that you have adjusted the head
restraint so that the back of your head is as close to the head restraint as possible. Thiswill be the case if the head restraint is
adjusted correctly (Y page 107).
X Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Y page 111).
X Make sure that steering wheel 0043is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusting the steering wheel manually
(Y page 111)
Adjusting the steering wheel electrically
(Y page 112)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly.
X Observe the safety guidelines for seat belts
(Y page 46). 104
Correct driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

X
Check whether you have fastened seat
belt 0044properly (Y page 48).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your shoul-
der
R be routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors in such a way
that you have a good view of road and traf-
fic conditions (Y page 114).
X Vehicles with a memory function: save
the seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror settings with the memory function
(Y page 116). Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or other vehicle occupants could be trapped andthereby injured. Children in particular could accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem. G
WARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat. G
WARNING
If head restraints are not installed and adjus-
ted correctly, they cannot provide protection
as intended. There is an increased risk of
injury in the head and neck area, e.g. in the
event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level of protection if you have not moved the back-
rest to an almost vertical position. When brak-
ing or in the event of an accident, you could
slide underneath the seat belt and sustain
abdomen or neck injuries, for example. This
poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always ensure that the backrest
is in an almost vertical position and that the
shoulder section of your seat belt is routed
across the center of your shoulder. G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus, Seats
105Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and prop- erly secured in an appropriately sized child
restraint system or booster seat recommen-
ded for the size and weight of the child. For
additional information, see the "Children in
the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is sig- nificantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and/or thechild is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating mate-
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov- ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when
moving the seats back. There is a risk that
the seats and/or the objects could be dam- aged.
i It is not possible to remove the head
restraints from the front seats. The rear-
compartment head restraints, however,
can be removed (Y page 108). For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i Further related subjects:
R Important safety notes on air bags
(Y page 50)
R Cargo compartment enlargement (fold-
ing down the rear bench seat)
(Y page 337)
R Securing children in the vehicle
(Y page 62) Adjusting the seats electrically
0043
Head restraint height
0044 Seat cushion angle
0087 Seat height
0085 Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
0083 Backrest angle
i Vehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE ®
has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better
position if it was previously in an unfavora- ble position.
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 116). Adjusting the head restraints
General notes Pay attention to the important safety notes
(Y
page 105). 106
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Do not rotate the head restraints of the front
and rear seats. Otherwise, you cannot adjust
the height and angle of the head restraints to
the correct position.
Adjusting the head restraints manually Adjusting the head restraint height
X
To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch 0043in the
direction of the arrow and push the head
restraint down to the desired position.
Adjusting the fore/aft position of the
head restraint With this function you can adjust the distance
between the head restraint and the back of
the seat occupant's head.
X To adjust forwards: pull the head restraint
forwards in the direction of the arrow until
it engages. There are several notches.
X To move backwards: press and hold
release button 0043and push the head
restraint backwards.
X When the head restraint is in the desired
position, release the button and make sure
that the head restraint is engaged in posi-
tion.
i Adjust the head restraint so that the back
of your head is as close to the head
restraint as possible.
Adjusting the head restraints electri-
cally X
To adjust the head restraint height: slide
the switch for head restraint adjustment
(Y page 106 )up or down in the direction of
the arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints X
To adjust the side bolsters of the head
restraint: push or pull right and/or left-
hand side bolster 0043into the desired posi-
tion.
X To adjust the fore/aft position of the
head restraint: push or pull the head
restraint in the direction of arrow 0044.
i Adjust the head restraint so that the back
of your head is as close to the head
restraint as possible. Seats
107Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Rear seat head restraints
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
height
X
Once the head restraint is fully lowered,
press release catch 0043.
X To raise: pull the head restraint up to the
desired position.
X To lower: press release catch 0043and push
the head restraint down until it is in the
desired position.
Removing and installing the rear seat
head restraints X
To remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.
X Press release catch 0043and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.
X To re-install: insert the head restraint so
that the notches on the bar are on the left
when viewed in the direction of travel.
X Push the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position. Adjusting the angle of the rear seat
backrests
You can adjust the angle of the backrests in
the second row of seats. There are ten detent
positions to choose from.
X Pull the left or right release lever 0044
upwards in the direction of the arrow until
relevant backrest 0043is fully released.
X Pull backrest 0043forwards in the direction of
the arrow and allow it to engage.
X To ensure that the backrest has engaged,
lean firmly against backrest 0043. Adjusting the multicontour seat
You can set the multicontour seat using
COMAND. See the separate COMAND Oper-
ating Instructions. Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
0043
To raise the backrest contour
0044 To soften the backrest contour 108
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors