2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class warning

When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
Modifications to electronic components, their software as well as wiring can impair their
function and/or the function of other net-
worked components. In particular, systems
relevant to safety could also be affected. As a
result, these may no longer function as inten-
ded and/or jeopardize the operating safety of
the vehicle. There is an increased risk of an
accident and injury.
Never tamper with the wiring as well as elec-
tronic components or their software. You
should have all work to electrical and elec-
tronic equipment carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
If you make any changes to the vehicle elec-
tronics, the general operating permit is ren-
dered invalid.
! There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
R the vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
curb or an unpaved road
R you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
curb or a hole in the road
R a heavy object strikes the undercarriage
or parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
carriage, chassis parts, wheels or tires
could be damaged without the damage
being visible. Components damaged in this way can unexpectedly fail or, in the case of
an accident, no longer withstand the strain
they are designed to.
If the underbody paneling is damaged,
combustible materials such as leaves,
grass or twigs can gather between the
underbody and the underbody paneling. If
these materials come in contact with hot parts of the exhaust system, they can catch
fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
visit a qualified specialist workshop. Declarations of conformity
Vehicle components which receive
and/or transmit radio waves USA:
"The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Oper-
ation is subject to the following two condi-
tions: 1) These devices may not cause harm-
ful interference, and 2) These devices must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired oper-
ation. Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for com-
pliance could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment."
Canada: "The wireless devices of this vehicle
comply with Industry Canada license-exempt
RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) These devices
may not cause interference, and (2) These
devices must accept any interference, includ- ing interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device." Diagnostics connection
The diagnostics connection is only intended
for the connection of diagnostic equipment at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If you connect equipment to the diagnostics
connection in the vehicle, it may affect the
operation of the vehicle systems. As a result, 28
Introduction

the operating safety of the vehicle could be
affected. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not connect any equipment to a diagnos-
tics connection in the vehicle. G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
! If the engine is switched off and equip-
ment on the diagnostics connection is
used, the starter battery may discharge.
Connecting equipment to the diagnostics
connection can lead to emissions monitoring information being reset, for example. This
may lead to the vehicle failing to meet the
requirements of the next emissions test dur-
ing the main inspection. Qualified specialist workshop
An authorized Mercedes-Benz Center is a
qualified specialist workshop. It has the nec-
essary specialist knowledge, tools and quali-
fications to correctly carry out the work
required on your vehicle. This is especially the case for work relevant to safety.
Observe the notes in the Maintenance Book-
let.
Always have the following work carried out at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center:
R work relevant to safety
R service and maintenance work
R repair work R
alterations, installation work and modifica-
tions
R work on electronic components Correct use
If you remove any warning stickers, you or
others could fail to recognize certain dangers.
Leave warning stickers in position.
Observe the following information when driv- ing your vehicle:
R the safety notes in this manual
R the Technical Data section in this manual
R traffic rules and regulations
R laws and safety standards pertaining to
motor vehicles Problems with your vehicle
If you should experience a problem with your
vehicle, particularly one that you believe may affect its safe operation, we urge you to con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately to have the problem diagnosed
and rectified. If the problem is not resolved to
your satisfaction, please discuss the problem
again with a Mercedes-Benz Center or con-
tact us at one of the following addresses.
In the USA
Customer Assistance Center
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada
Customer Relations Department
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9 Reporting safety defects
USA only: Introduction
29 Z

crashes and injuries occur. NOTE: EDR data is
recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial
crash situation occurs; no data is recorded by the EDR under normal driving conditions andno personal data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, can
combine the EDR data with the type of per-
sonal identification data routinely acquired
during a crash investigation.
Access to the vehicle and/or the EDR is nee-
ded to read data that is recorded by an EDR,
and special equipment is required. In addition
to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties
that have the special equipment, such as law enforcement, can read the information by
accessing the vehicle or the EDR.
EDR data may be used in civil and criminal
matters as a tool in accident reconstruction,
accident claims, and vehicle safety. Since the Crash Data Retrieval CDR tool that is used to
extract data from the EDR is commercially
available, Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
("MBUSA") expressly disclaims any and all lia- bility arising from the extraction of this infor-
mation by unauthorized Mercedes-Benz per-
sonnel.
MBUSA will not share EDR data with others
without the consent of the vehicle owners or,
if the vehicle is leased, without the consent of the lessee. Exceptions to this representation
include responses to subpoenas by law
enforcement; by federal, state or local gov-
ernment; in connection with or arising out of
litigation involving MBUSA or its subsidiaries
and affiliates; or, as required by law.
Warning: The EDR is a component of the Sup-
plemental Restraint System ("SRS") Module.
Tampering with, altering, modifying or remov- ing the EDR component may result in a mal-
function of the SRS Module and other sys-
tems.
State laws or regulations regarding EDRs that
conflict with federal regulation are pre-emp-
ted. This means that in the event of such con- flict, the federal regulation governs. As of February 2013, 13 states have enacted laws
relating to EDRs. Information on copyright
General information
Information on license for free and open-
source software used in your vehicle and its
electronic components is available on the fol-
lowing website:
http://www.mercedes-benz.com/
opensource Introduction
31 Z

Cockpit
Function Page
0043
Steering wheel paddle
shifters
172
0044
Combination switch 123
0087
Instrument cluster 35
0085
Horn
0083
DIRECT SELECT lever 168
0084
PARKTRONIC warning dis-
play
217
006B
Overhead control panel 41
006C
Climate control systems 138
006D
Ignition lock 157
Start/Stop button 158 Function Page
006E
Adjusts the steering wheel
manually
111
006F
Adjusts the steering wheel
electrically
111
Steering wheel heating 112
0070
Cruise control lever 196
0071
Opens the hood 366
0072
Diagnostics connection 28
0073
Electric parking brake 184
0074
Light switch 120
0075
Night View Assist Plus 23534
CockpitAt a glance

Warning and indicator lamps
Function Page
0043
0058
Low-beam head-
lamps 121
0044
0060
Parking lamps 122
0087
00E5
ESP® 323
0085
0057
High-beam head-
lamps 124
0083
Electric parking brake (red) 326
0049
(USA only) 0024
(Canada only) 0084
0024
Electric parking brake
(yellow) 326
006B
00BA
Distance warning 330
006C
003E003D
Turn signals 123
006D
0077
Tire pressure monitor 331 Function Page
006E
0075
Restraint system 44
006F
00E9
Seat belt 318
0070
0028
Diesel engine: pre-
glow 160
0071
00AC
Coolant 328
0072
005E
Rear fog lamp 122
0073
00B9
Check Engine 327
0074
00B6
Reserve fuel 327
0075
00BB
ESP®
OFF 323
0076
0025
ABS 321
0077
Brakes 320
0027
(USA only) 004D
(Canada only) 36
Instrument clusterAt a glance

Center console
Center console, upper section
Function Page
0043
COMAND; see the separate
operating instructions 0044
0072
Seat heating 109
0087
008E
Seat ventilation 110
0085
008F
PARKTRONIC 217
0083
00A7
ECO start/stop func-
tion 162 Function Page
0084
002F
Hazard warning
lamps 124
006B
00730074PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp 45
006C
00BB
ESP® 7338
Center consoleAt a glance

See “Children in the vehicle” for information
on children traveling with you as well as vehi-
cle restraint systems (Y page 61).Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Modifications to the restraint system may
cause it to no longer work as intended. The
restraint system may then not perform its
intended protective function and may fail in an accident or trigger unexpectedly, for example.
This poses an increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Never modify parts of the restraint system.
Never tamper with the wiring, the electronic
components or their software.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to
accommodate a person with disabilities, con- tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
details. USA only: for further information con- tact our Customer Assistance Center at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1‑800‑ 367‑6372). Restraint system warning lamp
The functions of the restraint system are
checked after the ignition is switched on and
at regular intervals while the engine is run-
ning. Therefore, malfunctions can be detec-
ted in good time.
The 0075 restraint system warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when the igni- tion is switched on. It goes out no later than afew seconds after the engine is started. The
components of the restraint system are in
operational readiness.
A malfunction has occurred if the 0075
restraint system warning lamp:
R does not light up after the ignition is
switched on
R does not go out after a few seconds with
the engine running
R lights up again while the engine is running G
WARNING
If restraint system is malfunctioning, restraint system components may be triggered unin-
tentionally or might not be triggered at all in
the event of an accident with a high rate of
vehicle deceleration. This can affect the Emer- gency Tensioning Device or air bag, for exam-
ple. This poses an increased risk of injury or
even fatal injury.
Have the restraint system checked and
repaired in a qualified specialist workshop as
soon as possible. PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
0043
is part of the Occupant Classification System (OCS).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator lamp
informs you about the status of the front-
passenger front air bag.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp:
R is lit : the front-passenger front air bag is
deactivated. They will then not be deployed
in the event of an accident.
R does not light up: the front-passenger
front air bag is enabled. If, in the event of an
accident, all deployment criteria are met,
the front-passenger front air bag is
deployed. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

Depending on the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front air
bag must either be disabled or enabled; see
the following points. You must make sure of
this both before and during a journey.
R Children in a child restraint system:
whether the front-passenger front air bag is
enabled or deactivated depends on the
installed child restraint system, and the age
and size of the child. Therefore, be sure to
observe the notes on the "Occupant clas-
sification system (OCS)" (Y page 53) and
on "Children in the vehicle" (Y page 61).
There you will also find instructions on
backwards- and forwards-facing child
restraint systems on the front-passenger
seat.
R All other persons: depending on the clas-
sification of the person in the front-
passenger seat, the front-passenger front
air bag is enabled or deactivated
(Y page 53). Be sure to observe the notes
on "Seat belts“ (Y page 46) and "Air bags"
(Y page 50). There you can also find infor-
mation on the correct seat position. Seat belts
Introduction A correctly fastened seat belt is the most
effective means of restraining the movement
of vehicle occupants in the event of an acci-
dent or overturn. This reduces the risk of
vehicle occupants coming into contact with
parts of the vehicle interior or being thrown
from the vehicle. Furthermore, the seat belt
helps to keep the vehicle occupants in the
best position in relation to the air bag.
The seat belt system consists of:
R Seat belts
R Emergency Tensioning Devices for the
front seat belts and the outer seat belts in
the rear compartment
R Belt force limiters If the seat belt is pulled quickly or suddenly
from the belt sash guide, the inertia reel
locks. The belt strap cannot be pulled out fur-
ther.
Emergency Tensioning Devices tighten the
seat belts in an accident, pulling them close
against the occupant's body. They do not,
however, pull vehicle occupants back
towards the backrest.
Emergency Tensioning Devices do not cor-
rect an incorrect seat position or incorrectly
worn seat belts.
When activated, the belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belt on the vehi-
cle occupants.
The belt force limiters for the front seats are
synchronized with the front air bags, which
absorb part of the deceleration force. This
makes it possible to reduce the forces to
which vehicle occupants are subjected during an accident.
! If the front-passenger seat is unoccupied,
do not insert the belt tongue into the buckle of the front-passenger seat. This may oth-
erwise lead to the triggering of the Emer-
gency Tensioning Device in the event of anaccident, which will then need to be
replaced.
Important safety notes The use of seat belts and child restraint sys-
tems is required by law in:
R all 50 states
R the U.S. territories
R the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Even where this is not required by law, all
vehicle occupants should correctly fasten
their seat belts before starting the journey. G
WARNING
If the seat belt is incorrectly fastened, it can-
not protect as intended. Furthermore, an
incorrectly fastened seat belt can cause addi- tional injury, for example, in an accident, dur- 46
Occupant safetySafety