2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class Clearance

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

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

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

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

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

R
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that:
- the tire ruts are not too deep.
- the sand is sufficiently firm.
- the ground clearance of the vehicle is
sufficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose gravel:
R Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
select a raised vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible.
Driving over obstacles !
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should
always keep a safe distance from the vehi- cle when doing so in order to avoid injury as
a result of unexpected vehicle movements. After driving off-road or over obstacles,
check the vehicle for possible damage,
especially to the underbody and the com-
ponents of the chassis. Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obsta-
cles:
R Select the LOW RANGE (Y page 253) off-
road gear.
R Raise the vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive very slowly.
R Drive straight over the center of obstacles. Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
R Observe the rules on off-road driving.
R Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines
or gradients, but instead follow the direct
line of fall. The maximum gradient-climbing capability of your vehicle is 100%, which
corresponds to an approach/departure
angle of 45°. Note that the climbing ability
of your vehicle depends on the terrain con- ditions. 194
Driving tipsDriving and parking