2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class ECU

Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
X If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll- ing away.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
i The electric parking brake performs a
function test at regular intervals while the
engine is switched off. The sounds that can
be heard while this is occurring are normal. Applying/releasing manually X
To engage: push handle 0043.
When the electric parking brake is
engaged, the 0049(USA only) or 0024
(Canada only) red indicator lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
i The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
X To release: pull handle0043.
The red 0049(USA only) or 0024(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus- ter goes out.
i The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R if the SmartKey is in position 1in the
ignition lock (Y page 157) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button.
To ensure that you do not roll backwards
when pulling away on an uphill slope, engage
the electric parking brake (Y page 161).
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is applied auto-
matically:
R if DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill or
R if the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary 184
ParkingDriving and parking

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
tipsDriving an d parking

If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is
maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated up tothe speed you have stored.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 40 mph
(60 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
i When changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with. R
the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
automatically be shifted into position P.202
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
DISTRONIC PLUS PLUSOff
Offmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in front is no longer detec-
ted
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front- passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R you activate DSR
R you activate off-road program 2 on vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package
R the vehicle has skidded
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐
DIS‐
TRONIC TRONIC PLUS
PLUSOff
Offmessage in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments 0044in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front, segments 0044between speed of the vehicle in
front 0043and stored speed 0087light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. 204
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

Lowering the vehicle
If you maintain or reduce your speed, you will
see a message in white in the display while
the vehicle is being lowered, such as the fol-
lowing: Lowering Max. Speed 12 mph Lowering Max. Speed 12 mph
(20 km/h)
(20 km/h).
The vehicle is lowered to off-road level 2.
If you select an off-road level when driving at
too high a speed, the Drive More Slowly
Drive More Slowly
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play .
You can select from the following:
R Off-road level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(100 km/h)
R Off-road level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(65 km/h)
R Off-road level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/ h)
If you are driving above 50 mph (80 km/h) or
drive between 40 mph (65 km/h) and 50 mph
(80 km/h) for longer than 20 seconds, off-
road level 2 will be canceled. The vehicle is
lowered to off-road level 1.
You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example: Lowering Lowering.
If you are driving above 70 mph (115 km/h) or drive between 62 mph (100 km/h) and
70 mph (115 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds, off-road level 1 will be canceled.
Depending on the vehicle's speed and the
ADS mode selected (Y page 212), the vehicle
is automatically lowered to highway or high-
speed level. You will see a message in the multifunction
display, for example:
Lowering
Lowering. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
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.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. 210
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
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
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Y page 211).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until 0043appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until 0043disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P. AIRMATIC package
General notes AIRMATIC regulates the level of your vehicle.
As well as level control (Y page 213), your
vehicle can be equipped with ADS (Adaptive
Damping System) (Y page 212) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 212).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 257). Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

R
uphill or downhill gradient in percentage
R on-road/off-road program selected
R condition of the differential lock for the
transfer case
R the LOW RANGE off-road gear is selected
R condition of the LOW RANGE off-road
gear
R the on-road trailer program is selected Towing a trailer
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Installing an unsuitable ball coupling may
result in overloading of the trailer tow hitch
and the rear axle. This applies especially if the ball coupling in question is longer or angled
differently. This could seriously impair the
driving characteristics and the trailer can
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
You should only ever install a ball coupling
that has the permissible dimensions and that
is designed to meet your trailer-towing
requirements. Do not modify the ball coupling
or the trailer tow hitch.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle under "Tech- nical data" (Y page 460). G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the
corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter. G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time. G
WARNING
When the vehicle/trailer combination begins
to lurch, you could lose control of it. The vehi- cle/trailer combination could even rollover.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten up the vehicle/trailer combination
by increasing the speed. Reduce vehicle
speed and do not countersteer. Apply the
brake as necessary.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
Please observe the manufacturer's operating instructions for the trailer coupling if a
detachable trailer coupling is used.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found:
R in the vehicle documents
R on the identification plates for the trailer
tow hitch and the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies. 256
Towing a trailerDriving and pa
rking

i
This also applies if you have activated
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so that less braking will be required to main-
tain the speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly. If you
need additional braking, depress the brake
pedal repeatedly rather than continuously.
Driving tips If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary.
R Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine
and, consequently, the vehicle's gradient-
climbing capability, decreases with
increasing altitude. Installing the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly installed
and secured, it can come loose during the
journey and endanger other road users. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as
described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed correctly or not secured with the bolt provided and the corresponding spring cotter, the trailer may
come loose. There is a risk of an accident.
Always install and secure the ball coupling as described. Before every journey, ensure that
the ball coupling is secured with the bolt and
the corresponding spring cotter. G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not installed and secured
correctly the trailer may come loose. There is
a risk of an accident.
Install and secure the ball coupling as descri-
bed in the ball coupling installation instruc-
tions. Make sure that the ball coupling is
installed and secured correctly before every
journey. Cover cap
X Pull protective cap 0043in the direction of the
arrow, out of the ball coupling recess.
X Place protective cap 0043in the ball coupling
recess. 258
Towing a trailerDriving and parking