MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class 2012 W166 Owner's Manual
Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2012, Model line: M-Class, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class 2012 W166Pages: 396, PDF Size: 14.48 MB
Page 131 of 396

norm
aland notasign tha tther eis a
ma lfunctio n. i
The
cooling with aird ehumidification
func tion uses refriger antR134a. This
coolant doesnotcontain
chlorof luorocarbon s,and therefore does
not damage theozon elayer.
Activating/d eactivating X
To activa te:press the¿/Á button.
The indicat orlamp inthe ¿/Á
button lightsup.
X To deactiva te:press the¿/Á
button .
The indicat orlamp inthe ¿/Á
button goesout.Thecooling withair
dehumidification function hasadelayed
switch -offfeature.
Problems withthecooling withair
dehum idificat ionfunction When
youpress the¿/Á button,the
indicat orlamp inthe button flashes three
times orremains off.You cannolonger switch
on the cooling withairdehumidification
func tion.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. Sett
ingclimat econtrol toaut omat ic G
WARN
ING If
you switch offthe cooling function,the
vehicle willnotbecooled whenweather
con ditions arewarm. Thewindows canfogup
more quickly. Window foggingmayimpair
visibility andendanger youand other s.
In automatic mode,thesettemper atureis
maint ained automatic allyatacon stan tlevel.
The system automatic allyregulates the
temper atureofthe dispensed air,the airflow
and theairdistribut ion.
Autom aticmode willachieve optimal
operation ifcooling withairdehumidification is
also activat ed.Ifdesired, coolingwithair
dehumidification canbedeactivat ed.
In the rear compart ment,you can also switch
climate control forthe rear seats toautomatic
mode usingtheà button .
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X Set thedesired temperature.
X To activa te:press theà button .
The indicat orlamp inthe à button lights
up. Autom aticairdistribut ionand airflow
are activ ated. i
Autom
aticclimate control: when
automatic modeisactivat ed,you can
select aclimate modesetting
(Y page 129).
X To switch off:press the_ button .
or
X Press theI orK button .
The indicat orlamp inthe à button goes
out. Adju
sting theclimat emode settings
(AIR FLOW)
This function isonly available withautomatic
climate control.
The climate control settings areespecially
effec tiveathigh temper atures.
You canselect thefollowing climatecontrol
sett ings inautomatic mode:
FOCUS highairflow thatisset slightly
cooler
MED IUM medium airflow,standard setting
DIF FUS Elow airflow thatisset slightly
warmer andwith alower rateof
airflow Opera
tingtheclimate controlsystem
129Climate control Z
Page 132 of 396

X
Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press theà button .
X Press theñ button repeatedly untilthe
desired climatemodeappears inthe
display . Setting
thetemp erature
Climate control Differ
enttemperat urescanbeset forthe
driver's andfront-passenger sides.
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X To increase/reduce: turncontrols:and
B clock wiseorcount erclock wise
(Y page 123).
Only change thetemperat uresettingin
small increm ents.Start at72 ‡(22 †).
3-zone automat icclimate control Automat
icclimate controlzones
You canselect different temperat uresett ings
for the driver's andfront-passenger sidesas
well asfor the rear compart ment.
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X To increase/reduce thetemp eraturein
the front :turn controls:and B clock
wiseorcount erclock wise
(Y page 126).
Only change thetemperat uresettingin
small increm ents.Start at72 ‡(22 †).
X To increase/reduce thetemp eraturein
the rear compar tment using thefront
control panel:presstheá button .
The indicator lampinthe á button goes
out.
X Turn control: clock wiseor
count erclock wise(Ypage 126).
Only change thetemperat uresettingin
small increm ents.Start at72 ‡(22 †).
The temperat uresettingforthe driver's
side isadopted forthe rear compart ment
and thefron t-passenger side.
X To increase/decrease therear
compar tment temp eratureusing the
rear control panel:turncontrolM onthe
rear controlpanel clockwiseor
count erclock wise(Ypage 126).
Only change thetemperat uresettingin
small increm ents.Start at72 ‡(22 †). Setting
theairdistr ibution
Front control unit:
P Directsair through thecent ervent s.
O Directsthe airflow through the
footwell airvent s
S Directsthe airflow through thecent er
and footwell vents.
¯ Directsthe airflow through the
defrost ervent s
b Directsthe airflow through the
defrost erand cent ervent s10
a Directsthe airflow through the
footwell anddefrost ervent s
_ Directsthe airflow through the
defrost er,cent erand footwell air
vent s10
10 For Canada only. 130
Opera
tingtheclimate controlsystemClimate control
Page 133 of 396

Rear
control panel:
M Directsthe airflo wthrou ghthe rear
center andrearsid eairvents.
O Directsthe airflo wthrou ghthe
footw ellai rv ent s i
Using
therear control panel, youcan also
activat eboth airdistribut ionposition s
simultaneously. Inorder todo this, press
both airdistribut ionbutton s.The airisthen
routed through allrear airvent s. i
Regardless
ofthe airdistribut ionsett ing,
airflow isalway sdirect edthrough theside
air vent s.The side airvent scan only be
closed whenthecontrols onthe side air
vent sare turn eddownwards.
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X Front control panel:pressthe_
button repeatedly untilthedesired symbol
appears inthe display.
X Rear control panel:presstheM and/
or O button . Sett
ingthe airflow
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X To increase: presstheK button .
X To redu ce:press theI button . i
You
canuseautomatic climatecontrol to
set the airflow inthe rear compart ment
separately. Switching
theZONE function on/off
X To switch on:press theá button .
The indicat orlamp inthe á button lights
up.
Dual-z oneautomatic climatecontrol: the
temper aturesettingforthe driver's sideis not
adopted forthe fron t-passenger side.
The temper atureofthe fron t-passenger
side isadopted forthe rear compart ment.
Autom aticclimate control: the
temper aturesettingforthe driver's sideis
not adopted forthe fron t-passenger side
and therear compart ment.
When thebutton sor con trols for
temper ature,airflow orair distribut ionare
activat ed,the temper aturesettingforthe
driver's sideisnot adopted forthe other
climate control zones.
X To switch off:press theá button .
The indicat orlamp inthe á button goes
out.
The temper aturesettingforthe driver's
side isadopted forthe fron t-passenger side
and therear compart ment. Defrosting
thewindshield
You canusethis func tion todefrost the
windshield ortodefrost theinside ofthe
windshield andtheside windows. i
You
should onlyselect thedefrost ing
func tion until thewindshield isclear again.
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X To activa te:press the¬ button .
The indicat orlamp inthe ¬ button lights
up.
The climate control system switchestothe
following functions:
R cooling withairdehumidification on11
R high airflow 12
R high temper ature12
R air distribut iontothe windshield and
fron tside windows
R air-r ecirculat ionmode off
11 Only withenginerunn ing.
12 Depe ndingon the outs idetem perat ure. Oper
ating theclima tecontr olsyst em
131Climate control Z
Page 134 of 396

X
To switchof f:pre ssthe ¬ button.
The indicator lamp inthe ¬ button goes
ou t.The previouslysel ecte dsettings come
int oeffec tagain. Thecooling withair
dehumidification functionremains on.Air-
recirculation moderemains deactivated.
or
X Press theà button .
The indicator lampinthe ¬ button goes
out. Airflow andairdistribution aresetto
automatic mode.
or
X Turn controls:orB clock wiseor
count er-clockwise (Ypage 123),
(Y page 123).
or
X Press theK orI button . Switching
maximumcool ingMAX
COOL on/off
The MAX COOL functionisonly availa blein
vehicles forthe USA .
MAX COOL isonly operational whenthe
engine isrunnin g.
When youactivate MAXCOOL, climate
cont rolswitches tothe following functions:
R maximum cooling
R maximum airflow
R air-recirc ulationmodeon
X To activat e:press theÙ button .
The indicator lampinthe button lightsup.
X To deactivat e:press theÙ button
again.
The indicator lampgoesout.Thepreviously
selected settings come intoeffect again. Defrosting
thewindows
Windows foggeduponthe inside X
Act ivate the¿/Á coolingwithair
dehumidification function.
X Act ivate automatic modeÃ.
X Ifthe windows continue tofog up,activate
the defrostin gfunct ion(Ypage 131). i
You
should onlyselect thissettinguntil
the windshield isclear again.
Windows foggeduponthe outside X
Act ivate thewindshield wipers.
X Press the_ button repeatedly untilthe
P orO symbol appears inthe
display . i
You
should onlyselect thissettinguntil
the windshield isclear again. Rear
window defroster
Activating/deactivat ing G
WARNING Any
accumulation ofsnow andiceshould be
removed fromtherear window beforedriving.
Visibility couldotherwise beimpaired,
endangering youand others.
The rear window defroster hasahigh current
draw. Youshould therefor eswitch itoff as
soon asthe window isclear asitonly switches
off automatically afterseveral minutes.
If the battery voltage istoo low, therear
window defroster mayswitch off.
X Turn theSmart Keytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press the¤ button .
The indicator lampinthe ¤ button lights
up orgoes out. 132
Opera
tingtheclimate controlsystemClimate control
Page 135 of 396

Problems
withtherear window
defroster The
rear window defroster hasdeactivated
itself prematurely orcannot beactivated.
X Switch offany consumers thatarenot
required, e.g.reading lampsorinterior
lighting.
When thebattery issufficiently charged,
the rear window defroster isactivated
again automatically. Activating/deactivating
air-
recirculation mode
You candeactivate theflow offresh airif
unpleasant odorsareenterin gthe vehicle
from outside. Theairalready insidethe
vehicle willthen berecirculated.
The operation ofair-recirculation modeisthe
same forallcont rolpanels. G
WARNING Fogged
windows impairvisibility,
endangering youand others. Ifthe windows
begin tofog onthe inside, switching offthe
air recirculation modeimmediately should
clear interior window fogging. Ifinterior
window foggingpersists, makesuretheair
condition ingisactivated, orpress the¬
button.
X Turn theSmartK eytoposition 2in the
ignition lock.
X To activate: pressthed button.
The indicator lampinthe d button lights
up. i
In
the event ofhigh pollu tionlevels 13
or at
high outside temperatures, air-
recirculation modeisautomatically
activated. Whenair-recirculation modeis
activated automatically ,the indicator lamp
in the d button isnot lit.
Outside airisadded afterabout 30
minutes. X
To switch off:press thed button.
The indicator lampinthe d button goes
out. i Air-r
ecirculation modedeactivates
automatically :
R after approximately fiveminutes if
outside temperatures areless than about
41 ‡(5 †)
R after approximately fiveminutes if
cooling withairdehumidi ficationis
deactivated
R after approximately 30minutes ifoutside
temperatures areover about
41 ‡(5 †)
R ifyou press the¿/Á buttonand
switch oncooling withair
dehumidi fication Activating/deactivating
theresidual
heat function
The residual heatfunct ionisonly availa blein
Canada
It is possible tomake useofthe residual heat
of the engine tocont inue heating the
stationary vehicleforupto30 minutes after
the engine hasbeen switched off.The heating
time depends onthe temperature thathas
been set. i
The
blower willrun atalow speed
regardless ofthe airflow setting. i
If
you activate theresidual heatfunct ion
at high temperatures, onlythevent ilation
will beactivated. Theblower runsat
medium speed.
X Turn theSmartK eytoposition 0in the
ignition lockorremove it.
X To activate: presstheÌ/Á button.
The indicator lampinthe Ì/Á
button lightsup.
13 Automatic climatecontrolonly. Operat
ingthe climate controlsystem
133Climate control Z
Page 136 of 396

X
To dea ctivate :pre ssthe Ì/Á
bu tton.
The indicator lamp inthe Ì/Á
bu tton goesou t. i Re
sidu alhea tisdeactivated
automaticall y:
R after about30 minutes
R when theignition isswitched on
R ifthe battery voltage drops
R ifthe coolant temperature istoo low Setting
theairvents Importa
ntsafety notes G
WARNING When
operating theclimate control,the air
that enters thepassenger compartment
through theairvents canbevery hotorvery
cold (depending onthe settemperature). This
could cause burnsorfrostbite tounprotected
skin inthe immediate areaofthe airvents.
Always keepsufficient distancebetween
unprotected partsofthe body andtheair
vents. Ifnecessary, usetheairdistribution
adjustment todirect theairtoair vents inthe
vehicle interior thatarenot inthe immediate
area ofunprotected skin.
In order toensure thedirect flowoffresh air
through theairvents intothevehicle interior,
please observe thefollowi ngnotes:
R keep theairinlet grille onthe hood andin
the engine compartment onthe front -
passenger sidefreeofblockages, suchas
ice, snow orleaves.
R never covertheairvents orair intake grills
in the vehicle interior. i
For
virtually draft-free ventilation, adjust
the sliders ofthe airvents tothe cent er
position. Setting
thecenter airvents :
Center airvent, left
; Center airvent, right
= Center ventthumbwheel, right
? Center ventthumbwheel, left
X To open/c lose:turnthumbwheels =
and ?tothe right orleft. Setting
theside airvents X
To open/c lose:turn thumbwheel =upor
down. Setting
theglove boxairvent
When automatic climatecontrolisactivated,
the glove boxcanbecooled, forinstance to
cool itscont ents. Thelevel ofairflow depends
on the airflow andairdistribution settings.
At high outside temperatures, opentheair
vent andactivate the"cooling withair
dehumid ification" function. 134
Setting
theairventsClimate control
Page 137 of 396

!
Close theairvent ifyou donot wish to
cool theglove boxoryou have notswitched
on cooling withairdehumid ification.
Moisture-sensitive itemsstored inthe
glove boxcould otherwise bedamage d. :
Airvent thumbwheel
; Airvent
X To open: turnthumbwheel :counter-
clockwise.
X To clos e:turn thumbwheel :clockwise. Setting
therear- compart mentair
vents
Setting thecenter ventsinthe rear
compart ment Example:
centerventsinthe rear compartment
with rearcontr olpanel
: Rear-compartment airvent thumbwheel
; Rear-compartment airvent, right
= Rear controlpanel
? Rear-compartment airvent, left X
To open/c lose:turn thumbwheel :upor
down.
Setting therear- compart mentsideair
vents These
rear-compartment sideairvents are
only available ifyour vehicle has3-zone
automatic climatecontrol. :
B-pillar airvent
; Thumbwhe elfor B-pillar airvent
X To open/c lose:turn thumbwheel ;tothe
left orright. Setting
theairvents
135Climate control Z
Page 138 of 396

136
Page 139 of 396

Useful
information........ .......... .......... 138
Br eaking-in notes.............................. 138
Driving ............................................... 138
Autom atictransm ission ................... 144
Refueling .................. .......................... 149
Par king .................. ............................. 155
Driving tips........................................ 157
Driving systems................................ 167
Off-r oaddriving system s.................. 208
Tr ailer towing .................................... 210 137Driving and parking
Page 140 of 396

Useful
information
i This
Operat or'sManual describesall
models andallstan dard andoption al
equipment ofyour vehicle available atthe
time ofpublication ofthe Operat or's
Manual. Country-specificdiffer encesare
possible. Pleasenotethat your vehicle may
not beequipped withallfeature s
descr ibed. Thisalso applies tosafet y-
related systemsand func tions. i
Please
readtheinfor mation onqualified
specialist workshops(Ypage 25). Br
eaking-in notes The
first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more youlook after theengin ewhen itis
new, themore satisfiedyou willbewith its
perfor mancein the future.
R Driv eat varying vehiclespeeds andengin e
speeds forthe first 1000miles (1500km)
for this reason .
R Avo idovers trainingthe vehicle duringthis
period, e.g.drivin gat full throttle.
R Change gearingood time, atthe latest
when thetach omet erneedle is⅔o fthe
way tothe red area inthe tachomet er
displa y.
R Do not manually shifttoalower gearto
brake thevehicle.
R Only select shiftranges 3,2or 1when
driving slowly,e.g. inmountainous terrain.
Aft er1000 miles(1500 km),you can increase
the engine speedgraduall yand bring the
vehicle uptofull speed. i
You
should alsoobserve thesenoteson
runnin gin ifthe engine orparts ofthe drive
train onyour vehicle havebeen replaced. i
Always
observe therespect ivespeed
restr iction s. Driving
Import
antsafety notes G
WARNIN
G Make
sureabsolutely noobject sare
obstruct ingthe pedals' rangeofmovemen t.
Keep thedriver's footwell clearofall
obstacles. Ifthere areany floormats or
carpets inthe footwell, makesurethepedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden drivingorbraking maneuvers
the object scould getcaught between the
pedals. Youcould thennolonger brakeor
accelerate. Thiscould leadtoaccident sand
injury. G
WARNIN
G On
slippery roadsurfaces, neverdownshift in
order toobtain braking action.Thiscould
result indrive wheel slipand reduced vehicle
cont rol.Your vehicle's ABSwillnotprevent
this type ofloss ofcont rol. G
WARNIN
G It
is dangerous toshift theautomatic
transm issionoutofparking position Por
neutral position Nifthe engine speedis
higher thanidlespeed. Ifyour footisnot firmly
on the brake pedal, thevehicle could
accelerate quicklyforward orinreverse. You
could losecontrolofthe vehicle andhit
someone orsomethin g.Only shiftintogear
when theengine isidling normally andwhen
your right footisfirmly onthe brake pedal.
! Warm upthe engine quickly. Donot use
the engine's fullperformanc euntil ithas
reached operating temperature.
Only shifttheautomatic transmission to
the desired driveposition whenthevehicle
is station ary.
Where possible, avoidspinnin gthe drive
wheels whenpulling awayonslippery
roads. Youcould otherwise damagethe
drive train. 138
DrivingDriving and parking