height MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS 2007 User Guide

130 Controls in detailSeatsInstalling
Insert head restraint1 into openings
on the seat backrest.

Push head restraint1 down until it au-
dibly engages.

Press release button2 and adjust
head restraint1 to the desired posi-
tion (
page 129).
For more information on seats, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 43).
Lumbar support
The curvature of the driver’s seat can be
adjusted to help enhance lower back sup-
port and seating comfort.
The lever for lumbar support adjustment is
located on the right hand side of the
driver’s seat backrest.
1Adjustment lever
Move adjustment lever1 in direction
of arrows until you have reached a
comfortable seating position.
Multicontour seat*
The multicontour seat has an extendable
seat cushion and inflatable air chambers
built into the backrest to provide additional
lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion depth, seat backrest
cushion-height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with switches on the in-
side of each front seat base after the
ignition is switched on (
page 39).
1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest side bolsters
3Backrest center
4Backrest bottom
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134 Controls in detailMemory function*Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head
restraint should also be adjusted for
proper height. See also the section on
air bags (
page 71) for proper seat posi-
tioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stan-
dard 213 and 225 and Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to three different settings for each front
seat.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position on the entry side of the
driver’s seat:


Driver’s seat, head restraint height and
backrest position


Steering wheel position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror position
The following settings are saved for each
stored position on the entry side of the
front passenger seat:


Front passenger seat, head restraint
height and backrest position
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
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166 Controls in detailControl systemThe table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus.
Detailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following
pages.INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
TIME/DATE
LIGHTING
VEHICLE
COMFORT*
(page 167)
(page 169)
(page 171)
(page 174)
(page 177)
Selecting speedometer
display mode
Setting the time (hours)
Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)
Compass adjustment
Activating
easy-entry/exit
feature*
Selecting language
Setting the time (minutes)
Setting locator lighting
Compass calibration
Setting fold-in func-
tion* for exterior rear
view mirrors
Selecting display (digital
speedometer or outside
temperature) for status in-
dicator
Setting the date (month)
Setting night security
illumination
Audio search function
Setting the date (day)
Setting interior lighting
delayed shut-off
Setting automatic
locking
Setting the date (year)
Limiting opening
height of tailgate*
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174 Controls in detailControl systemVehicle submenu
Access the
Vehicle
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Vehicle
submenu
to make general vehicle settings.
The following functions are available:Compass adjustment
This function is not available if your vehicle
is equipped with the COMAND system and
navigation module*.
Determine your location on the basis of the
following zone maps.
Zone map North AmericaZone map South America

Press buttonæ orç to move
the selection marker to the
Vehicle
submenu.
Function
Page
Compass adjustment
174
Compass calibration
175
Audio search function
176
Setting automatic locking
176
Limiting opening height of
tailgate*
177
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177 Controls in detail
Control system
Limiting opening height of tailgate*
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the limiting opening height of the tailgate.
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Opening limiter
Tailgate
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
the limiting opening height of the
tailgate
On or
Off
.Comfort submenu*
Access the
Comfort
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Comfort
submenu
to change the settings for a number of con-
venience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 46).
Function
Page
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*
177
Setting fold-in function* for
exterior rear view mirrors
178
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(page 48).


Press one of the memory position
buttons or the memory buttonM*
(page 135).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
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269 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Air suspension package*
The system consists of two components.
The vehicle level control* regulates the
ride height of the vehicle. The Adaptive
Damping System (ADS)* optimizes your
vehicle’s suspension tuning.

Suspension tuning: Adaptive Damping
System (ADS)* (
page 269)


Vehicle level control* (
page 270)
ML 63 AMG
Adaptive Damping System (ADS)*
The fine tuning of the damping and suspen-
sion is dependent on:

your driving style


road surface conditions


your personal ADS settings


your personal vehicle level settings
The ADS switch is located on the upper
part of the center console.
1ADS switch
2Indicator lamp for SPORT setting
3Indicator lamp for COMF setting
i
The Air suspension package is part of the
standard equipment range. Due to the vehicle’s
sportier suspension tuning, in comparison with
standard vehicles, the level positions in the ADS
settings as well as the speed thresholds for rais-
ing and lowering the vehicle have been modified.
i
From the Highway/High-speed level, the
vehicle is lowered to the ADS Sport level approx.
20 seconds after it is locked.
From the raised level, the vehicle is not lowered
after it is locked.
When the engine is started, the previously se-
lected setting, e.g. ADS COMF, is selected again.
!
Be sure to observe this vehicle’s differing
values for ground clearance and vehicle height in
comparison to standard vehicles. You could oth-
erwise damage the vehicle. The values for


opening the tailgate (
page 119)


driving off-road (
page 333)


the vehicle’s main dimensions can be found
in the “Technical data” section (
page 541)
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270 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following settings are available:

AUTO (for normal driving situations)
Indicator lamps2 and3 are off.


SPORT (for sporty driving)
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
With the ADS SPORT setting, the vehi-
cle is lowered approximately 0.6 in
(15 mm).
ML 63 AMG:
The vehicle is lowered approximately
0.3 in (8 mm).


COMF (for comfort driving)
Indicator lamp3 comes on.
ML 63 AMG:
The vehicle is raised approximately
0.28 in (7 mm).

Start the engine (
page 39).

Press ADS switch1 repeatedly until
the desired suspension tuning is
reached.
Vehicle level control*
The vehicle level control automatically
regulates the ride height to

reduce fuel consumption


improve driving stability by lowering
the center of gravity
The vehicle automatically regulates its ride
height based on the set vehicle height and
the current speed:


As your driving speed increases, the ve-
hicle is lowered by increments until it
reaches high-speed level.


If you are driving with the ADS setting
COMF or AUTO, the vehicle is raised
back to highway level as your driving
speed decreases.


You can select the high-speed level via
the ADS setting SPORT. In ADS Sport,
the vehicle is lowered directly to
high-speed level as your driving speed
increases.The parked vehicle begins adjusting to the
set vehicle level as soon the doors and tail-
gate are


unlocked
or


opened or closed with the vehicle
unlocked
In order to operate the vehicle level control
switch (
page 271), however, the engine
must be running.
i
The setting is stored when you turn off the
engine.
Warning!
G
Make sure that no one is near the wheel
housing or under the vehicle when you lower
the vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs
could become wedged into or under the ve-
hicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue after
the door is closed again.
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271 Controls in detail
Driving systems
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 333).Setting the vehicle level
The switch is located on the lower part of
the center console.
1Vehicle level switch
2Indicator lamp
Warning!
G
Please be aware that by raising the vehicle
level, the center of gravity also rises. There-
fore, always ensure that the vehicle level is
as low as possible. With higher ride height
the ESP
® may activate earlier in certain
situations.
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle after
changing the vehicle level. The ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed. The ESP
® cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
!
Keep in mind that in rough or uneven ter-
rain, adjusting the vehicle to a lower level may
cause the vehicle underbody to come in contact
with the ground and result in damage to the vehi-
cle underbody. Always make sure the vehicle has
sufficient ground clearance before adjusting it to
a lower level.
!
Before jacking up the vehicle with equip-
ment that lifts one or more of the wheels com-
pletely off of the ground, remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
!
Please also note the information in the
section on towing (
page 518).
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272 Controls in detailDriving systemsBasic settings (all models, except
ML 63 AMG)
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected using the vehicle level
switch in the center console:The following is the approximate change in
ride height for each of the level settings:Basic settings (ML 63 AMG only)
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected using the vehicle level
switch in the center console:
How much the vehicle is lowered or raised
depends on the ADS setting selected. At
the raised level, the vehicle is 2.9 in
(73 mm) higher than at the Highway level
with ADS AUTO.Level
Driving situation
Raised
For off-road driving or driv-
ing in rough terrain. The in-
dicator lamp is on.
Highway
For driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
The indicator lamp is off.
i
The third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.
Level
Ride height
Raised
+ 3.1 in (80 mm)
Highway
+/- 0 in (0 mm)
High-speed
- 0.6 in (-15 mm)
i
Depending on the ADS setting
(
page 269), the vehicle will be lowered to the
high-speed level when traveling at higher
speeds. At speeds below 40 mph (64 km/h) at
the latest, it will be returned to the highway level.
i
The high-speed level is not available if tow-
ing a trailer. For more information on towing a
trailer, see “Trailer towing” (
page 342).
Level
Driving situation
Raised
For off-road driving or driv-
ing in rough terrain. The in-
dicator lamp is on.
Highway
For driving on paved roads
in fair or better condition.
The indicator lamp is off.
i
The third available level is the high-speed
level that is set automatically.
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275 Controls in detail
Driving systems
The Parktronic system is an electronic
parking aid and designed to assist the
driver during parking maneuvers. It visually
and audibly indicates the relative distance
between the vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically
activated when you

switch on the ignition or start the
engine
and


release the parking brake
and


set the automatic transmission to
positionD,R, orN
The Parktronic system deactivates at
vehicle speeds exceeding approximately
11 mph (18 km/h). At lower vehicle
speeds the Parktronic system turns on
again.The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you set the automatic transmission
to positionP or depress the parking brake
pedal.
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumperRange of the sensors
To function properly, the sensors must be
free of dirt, ice, snow and slush. Clean the
sensors regularly, being careful not to
scratch or damaging the sensors, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic* system sensors”
(
page 408).
!
During parking maneuvers, pay special
attention to objects located above or below the
height of the sensors (e.g. planters or trailer
hitches). The Parktronic system will not detect
such objects at close range and damage to your
vehicle or the object may result.
Ultrasonic signals from outside sources (e.g.
working jackhammers, car wash or the air brakes
of trucks) may impair the operation of the
Parktronic system.
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