MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class 2014 W166 Owner's Manual

Level control
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle .There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle
or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel
arches when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The
vehicle could rollover more easily, for
example on a bend. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as
possible and adjust your driving style. G
WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving
characteristics can be significantly impaired.
You could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk
of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time.
Make sure there is always sufficient ground clearance. You will otherwise damage the
vehicle.
! When you raise the vehicle in such a way
that not all wheels have contact with the
ground, remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock.
R Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
R In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should
always wear your seat belts.
General notes
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 187).
Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the current operating and
driving situation. This results in reduced fuel
consumption and improved handling.
If you select ADS comfort mode
(Y page 207), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level as the speed increases. As the
vehicle speed decreases, the vehicle is raised
back up to highway level.
If you select ADS sport mode (Y page 207),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level depending on the
basic setting (Y page 210).
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle
to adjust to the new level as quickly as
possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the
vehicle level is lower; with an increase in
temperature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load
discrepancies while still parked. However, for Driving systems
209Driving and parking Z

significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons,
the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
Basic settings (excluding AMG vehicles)
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting
selected. Select raised level for off-road
driving or highway/high-speed level for
normal roads.
The individual vehicle levels differ from
highway level as follows:
R
highway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm)
R high-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm)
R raised level: +2.3 in (+60 mm)
Basic settings for AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the AMG adaptive sport
suspension setting selected. Select the
raised level for off-road driving or highway/
high-speed level for normal roads.
The raised level corresponds to a vehicle
position raised by 50 mm compared with
highway level in comfort mode.
Raised level Only select raised level if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel
consumption may increase and handling may
be affected.
X Start the engine. If indicator lamp
0003is not lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003flashes. The vehicle rises
to raised level. During the adjustment, the
Raising message, for example, appears in the
multifunction display.
If you press the
0007or000B button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached raised level,
indicator lamp 0003remains lit. The Raising message disappears from the multifunction
display.
If you try to select raised level at a speed
above 40 mph (64 km/h), the
Drive More Slowly message appears in the multifunction
display.
Highway/high-speed level
! Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being
lowered. It could otherwise hit the ground,
damaging the underbody. 210
Driving systemsDriving and parking

0002
Level control button
0003 Level control indicator lamp
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0003is lit:
X Press button 0002.
Indicator lamp 0003flashes. The vehicle is
adjusting to highway/high-speed level. During the adjustment, the
Loweringmessage, for example, appears in the
multifunction display.
If you press the 0007or000B button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once highway level has been reached,
indicator lamp 0003goes out. The Lowering message disappears from the multifunction
display. The vehicle automatically adjusts to highway
level when you:
R
drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
R drive between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds
Depending on the ADS mode selected
(Y page 207), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level at high speeds. AMG adaptive sport suspension
system
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
betwee nthe vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle
or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel
arches when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered if:
R you have selected the Comfort or Sport
suspension tuning and
R lock the vehicle after switching off the
engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
! The vehicle is lowered by approximately
10 mm if:
R you have selected the Sport or Comfort
suspension tuning and
R you switch off the engine and then
R lock the vehicle Driving systems
211Driving and parking Z

When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the curb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Vehicle level Level control adapts the vehicle level
automatically to the curren toperating and
driving situation .Level control ensures the
best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
This improves driving safety and fuel
consumption.
The AIRMATIC package and ACTIVE CURVE
SYSTEM are always components of AMG
adaptive suspension system (Y page 207).
Due to the sportier suspension settings
compared to standard vehicles, the levels and
speed thresholds for sinking and raising the
vehicle are different.
In Comfort and Sport driving modes, after
locking the vehicle it lowers to the Sport+
level. When locking the vehicle at the raised
level, the vehicle does not lower.
The settings will remain stored after you
switch off the engine. When starting the
engine, the selected setting, e.g. AMG
adaptive suspension system Comfort, is
restored.
i The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside
temperature changes. If the temperature
drops, the vehicle level lowers; with an
increase in temperature, the vehicle level
rises.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort. The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection of Sport, Sport +
or Comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sport mode The firmer suspension tunin
ginSport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button 0002once.
Indicator lamp 0003lights up. You have
selected Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode
preferably when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps 0023and 0003are off:
X Press button 0002twice.
Indicator lamps 0023and 0003light up. You
have selected Sport +mode. The vehicle is
lowered by 10 mm.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display. 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If indicator lamp
0003lights up:
X Press button 0002once.
Second indicator lamp 0023lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode. The vehicle is
lowered by 10 mm.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
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 comfor tmode also when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of freeway.
X Press button 0002repeatedly until indicator
lamps 0023and 0003go out.
You have selected Comfort mode. The
vehicle is raised by 10 mm compared with
Sport +suspension tuning.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT message appears in the multifunction
display. 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
replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exiting a parking space. When
maneuvering, 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 parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does no tdetec tsuch objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damag
ethe 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 (18km/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. 0002
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example) Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into
consideration that are:
R below the detection range, e.g. people,
animals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g.
overhanging loads, truck overhangs or
loading ramps. Side view
Top view
The sensors mus
tbe free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function
correctly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 374).
Front sensors Center Approx
.40in (approx.
100cm) Corners Approx. 24in (approx.
60cm) Rea
rsensors Center Approx
.48in (approx.
120cm) Corners Approx. 32in (approx.
80cm)
Minimum distance
Center Approx. 8in (approx. 20cm)
Corners Approx. 6in (approx. 15cm)
If there is an obstacle withi
nthis range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a
warning tone sounds. If the distance falls
below the minimum, the distance may no
longer be shown.
Warning displays Warning display for the front area
0002
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
0003 Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
0023 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
vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red
segments. PARKTRONIC is operational if 214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

yellow segments showing operational
readiness 0023ligh tup.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling
backwards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, dependin gonthe
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for
approximately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two
seconds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC 0002
Indicator lamp
0003 Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp 0002lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated. i
PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2
in the ignition lock.
Towing atrailer !
Fold in the ball coupling if the trailer tow
hitch is not required .PARKTRONIC
measures the minimu mdetection range to
an obstacle from the bumper, not the ball
coupling.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area
when you establish an electrical connection
between your vehicle and a trailer. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displays are lit.
You also hear a warning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is
deactivated after
approximately 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
deactivated after
approximately five
seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 374).
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.
Aparking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering interventio ncan assis tyou during
parking.
You may also use PARKTRONIC
(Y page 213).
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
maneuvering, parking or pulling out of a
parking space, make sure that there are no persons, animals or object
sinthe 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
Parking 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. 216
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Active Parking Assist may possibly indicate
parking spaces which are not suitable for
parking, for example:
R where parking or stopping is prohibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R On narrow roads, drive as close to the
parking space as possible.
R Parking spaces tha tare littered or
overgrow nmight be identified or measured
incorrectly.
R Parking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
R Snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately.
R Pay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Y page 214 )warning messages during the
parking procedure.
R At any time, you can intervene in the
steering procedure to correct it. Active
Parking Assist will then be canceled.
R When transporting a load which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should no tuse
Active Parking Assist.
R Never use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed.
R Make sure that the tire pressures are
always correct.T his hasadirec tinfluence
on the parking characteristics of the
vehicle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
R tha tare parallel to the direction of travel
R that are on straight roads, not bends
R that are on the same level as the road, e.g.
not on the pavement
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking procedure is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range,
Active Parking Assist may turn prematurely.
You may cause a collision as a result. There is
a risk of an accident.
If there are objects above the detection range,
stop and deactivate Active Parking Assist.
For further information on the detection
range (Y page 214).
Active Parking Assist does not support you
with parking spaces parallel to the direction
of travel if:
R the parking space is on acurb
R the system reads the parking space as
being blocked, for example by foliage or
grass paving blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
maneuver into
R the parking space is bordered by an
obstacle, e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer 0002
Detected parking space on the left
0003 Parking symbol
0023 Detected parking space on the right
Active Parking Assist is switched on
automatically when driving forwards .The
system is operational at speeds of up to
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h). While in
operation, the system independently locates
and measures parking spaces on both sides
of the vehicle. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R
tha tare parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 51 in (1.3 m) longer than
yourv ehicle
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30 km/h), you will see parking symbol as a
status indicator in the instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right or the left also
appears. By default, Active Parking Assist
only displays parking spaces on the front-
passenger side. Parking spaces on the
driver's side are displayed as soon as the turn
signal on the driver's side is activated. When
parking on the driver's side, this must remain
switched on until you acknowledge the use of
Active Parking Assist by pressing the 000B
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
Ap arking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by
intervening actively in the steering. If you do
not brake there is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself when
maneuvering and parking.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Shift the transmission to position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No: 0007
message appears in the multifunction
display. X
To cancel the procedure: press the
0007 button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
X To park using Active Parking Assist:
press the 000Bbuttonont he multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
X Let go of the multifunction steering wheel.
X Back up the vehicle, being ready to brake
at all times. When backing up, drive at a
speed below approximately 6mph
(10 km/h). Otherwise Active Parking Assist
will be canceled.
i In tight parking spaces, you will achieve
the best parking results by backing up as
far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Maneuvering may be required in tight
parking spaces.
The Park Assist Active Select D Observe Surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Shift the transmission to position Dwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
i You will achieve the best results by
waiting for the steering procedure to
complete before pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
X Stop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before. 218
Driving systemsDriving and parking