2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class sensor

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). Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
R Change gear in good time, before the tach-
ometer needle is 00C3of the way to the red
area of the tachometer. R
Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG vehi-
cles:
R Do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Change gear in good time.
R Ideally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
i You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed lim-
its. Driving
Important safety notes
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. 156
DrivingDriving and parking

Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you activate DSR
R you activate off-road program 2 on vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
Cruise Con‐
trol Off
trol Off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially
if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a slower-moving
vehicle in front, your vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle in front.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar
sensor system must be operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 20 mph
(Canada: 30 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h). If a vehicle is driving in front of
you, it operates in the speed range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (Canada:
200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotiveradar system only. Removing, tampering
with, or altering the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter-
ference, and
2. this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved way. 198
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden- tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 40% of the maximum braking force. If this
braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC PLUS
warns you visually and audibly. There is a risk
of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action. !
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow- ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions. DIS- TRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are respon-
sible for the distance to the vehicle in front,
for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect- edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed. Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z

Comfort mode
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you prefer a comfortable driving
style. Select comfort mode also when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of freeway.
X Press button 0043repeatedly until indicator
lamps 0087and 0044go out.
You have selected Comfort mode. The vehi- cle is raised by 10 mm compared with Sport
+ suspension tuning.
The AMG Suspension System COMFORT
AMG Suspension System COMFORT
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park- ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure thatthere are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction. PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R Release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/ h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper. 0043
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 375).
Front sensors Center Approx. 40 in (approx.
100 cm)
Corners Approx. 24 in (approx.
60 cm)
Rear sensors
Center Approx. 48 in (approx.
120 cm)
Corners Approx. 32 in (approx.
80 cm) Minimum distance
Center Approx. 8 in (approx.
20 cm)
Corners Approx. 6 in (approx.
15 cm)
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays Warning display for the front area
0043
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
0044 Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
0087 Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the center air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is in the
roof lamp in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi- cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness 0087
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the engine is running. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately five seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 375).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X See if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location. Active Parking Assist
General notes Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking
aid with ultrasound. It measures the road on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention can assist you during
parking.
You may also use PARKTRONIC (Y page 217).
Important safety notes Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. When maneu-
vering, parking or pulling out of a parking
space, make sure that there are no persons,
animals or objects in the area in which you are maneuvering. When PARKTRONIC is switched off, Active
Parking Assist is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
result in a collision with another road user.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Active Park- ing Assist parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over
obstacles such as curbs slowly and not at a sharp angle. Otherwise, you may damage
the wheels or tires. 220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with Night View Assist Plus
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions The picture quality of
Night View Assist Plus
has deteriorated. The windshield wipers are smearing the windshield.
X Replace the wiper blades (Y page 133). The windshield is smeared after the vehicle has been cleaned in a
car wash.
X Clean the windshield (Y page 375). There is windshield chip damage in the camera's field of vision.
X Replace the windshield. The windshield is fogged up on the inside.
X Defrost the windshield (Y page 150). The windshield is iced up.
X De-ice the windshield (Y page 149). There is dirt on the inside of the windshield.
X Clean the inside of the windshield (Y page 375).Lane Tracking package
General notes The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist (Y page 237) and Lane Keeping
Assist (Y page 239).
Blind Spot Assist General notes
Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the areas on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from a speed of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h) . A warning
display in the exterior mirrors draws your
attention to vehicles detected in the moni-
tored area. If you then switch on the corre-
sponding turn signal to change lanes, you will
also receive an optical and audible collision
warning. Blind Spot Assist uses sensors in the rear bumper for monitoring purposes. Important safety notes G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for
attentive driving.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotiveradar system only. Removing, tampering
with, or altering the device will void any Driving systems
237Driving and parking Z

warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Monitoring range of the sensors
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy
rain, snow or spray
R there are narrow vehicles, e.g. motorcycles
or bicycles
R the road has very wide lanes
R the road has narrow lanes
R you are not driving in the middle of the lane
R there are barriers or similar lane borders
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not indicated. Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up to 10 ft
(3 m) behind your vehicle and directly next to your vehicle, as shown in the diagram.
If the lanes are narrow, vehicles driving in the
lane beyond the lane next to your vehicle may
be indicated, especially if the vehicles are not
driving in the middle of their lane. This may be the case if there are vehicles driving at the
inner edge of their lanes.
Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driv-
ing close to crash barriers or similar solid
lane borders.
R the warning is canceled when driving for an
extended period next to long vehicles, such
as trucks.
The two radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist
are integrated into the sides of the rear
bumper. Make sure that the bumper is free of dirt, ice or slush in the vicinity of the sensors.
The sensors must not be covered, for exam-
ple by cycle racks or overhanging loads. Fol-
lowing a severe impact or in the event of dam- age to the bumpers, have the condition of theradar sensors checked at a qualified special-
ist workshop. Blind Spot Assist may other-
wise not work properly.
Indicator and warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Vehicles in
the monitoring range are then not indicated. 0043
Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
When Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp 0043in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low at speeds of up to 20 mph (30 km/h). At
speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h), the indica-
tor lamp goes out and Blind Spot Assist is
operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the blind spot
monitoring range at speeds above 20 mph
(30 km/h), warning lamp 0043on the corre- 238
Driving systemsDriving and parking