tow MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class 2014 W166 Owner's Guide

In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R
dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radars ources
R strong radar reflections, for example, in
parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a
vehicle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may
unexpectedly accelerate the vehicle to the
stored speed.
This speed may:
R be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
R be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
R be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0002
To activate or increase speed
0003 To activate or reduce speed
0023 To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
0022 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
0020 To set the specified minimum distance Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
In order to activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the
following conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
R off-road program 2 must be deactivated
(vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package).
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the vehicle must not skid.
Activating X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 0023.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0002to the 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

pressure point for a higher speed or down
0023 for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
or
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
up 0002 past the pressure point for a higher
speed or down 0023for a lower speed.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up or down, the last speed stored
is increased or reduced.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When driving at speeds below 20 mph
(30 km/ h),y ou can only activate DISTRONIC
PLUS if the vehicle in front has been detected
and is shown in the multifunction display .If
the vehicle in front is no longe rdetected and
displayed, for example because it has
changed lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated. You will hear awarning tone if
this is the case.
i If you do no tfully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS Passive message appears in the multifunction
display. The set distance to a slower-
moving vehicle in front will then not be
maintained. You will be driving at the speed
you determine by the position of the
accelerato rpedal.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates. If you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0002.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

X
If you want to pull away with
DISTRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control leve rtowards
you 0003or press it up 0002or down 0023.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
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
to the 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
distance 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 distance 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
vehicle occupant or from outside the
vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment, 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
distance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front.T he 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
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 0002.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
Whe nyou deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS Off message
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
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated 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
detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you switch off the radar sensor system
(Y page 276) 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 2onvehicles
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
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
0003in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front,
segments 0003between speed of the vehicle in
front 0002and stored speed 0023light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

!
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similars ituations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Y page 207).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brak eis 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 0001 appears in the multifunction
display.
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
automatically 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 againw ith a
certain amoun tofpressure until 0001
disappears 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 belti s unfastened.
R the engine is switched off.
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 209), your
vehicle can be equipped with ADS (Adaptive
Damping System) (Y page 207) and ACTIVE
CURVE SYSTEM (Y page 208).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 253).
ADS (Adaptive Damping System) General notes
ADS adapts the damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving situation.
This depends on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R the ADS setting
R the vehicle level setting Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z

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

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

Once you have exited the parking space
completely, the steering wheel is moved to
the straight-ahead position. You hear a tone
and the
Park Assist Switched Off message appears in the multifunction
display. You will then have to steer and merge
into traffic on your own. PARKTRONIC is still
available. You can take over the steering,
before the vehicle has exited the parking
space completely. This is useful, for example
when you recognize that it is already possible
to pull out of the parking space.
Canceling Active Parking Assist
X
Stop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. The Park Assist Canceled message appears in the multifunction
display.
or
X Press the PARKTRONIC button on the
center console (Y page 215).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
The Park Assist Canceled message
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is canceled
automatically if:
R the electric parking brake is engaged
R transmission position Pis selected
R parking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
R you are driving faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h)
R a wheel spins, ESP ®
intervenes or fails. The
000F warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
Aw arning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the Park Assist Canceled message.
If Active Parking Assist is canceled, you must
steer again yourself. Towing
atrailer For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the
minimum length for parking spaces is slightly
increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connectio
nis established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available.
PARKTRONIC is deactivated for the rear area. Rear view camera
General notes Rear view camera
0002is in the handle on the
tailgate.
Rear view camera 0002is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It shows the area behind
your vehicle with guide lines in the COMAND
display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
i The text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of rear
view camera messages in the COMAND
display.
Important safety notes The rear view camera is only an aid. It is not
a replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering and220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

parking. When maneuvering or parking, make
sure that there are no persons, animals or
objects in the area in which you are
maneuvering.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera will not function, or will function
in a limited manner:
R the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this event, have the camera position and
setting checked at a qualified specialist
workshop
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera X
To activate: make sure that the SmartKey
is in position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the function "show rear
view camera display" is selected in
COMAND.
X Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicle is shown in the
COMAND display with guide lines. X
To change the function mode for
vehicles with trailer tow hitch: using the
COMAND controller, select symbol 0002for
the "Reverse parking" function or
symbol 0003for "Coupling up a trailer" (see
the separate COMAND operating
instructions).
The symbol of the selected function is
highlighted.
To deactivate: the rear view camera is
deactivated if you:
R shift the transmission to position P
R drive 33 ft (10 m) forwards
R shift the transmission from Rto another
position after 15 seconds
R drive forwards at a speed of over 5mph
(10 km/h)
Displays in the COMAND display The rear view camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles, show them incorrectly or
not at all. The rear view camera does not show
objects in the following positions:
R
very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the
bottom-most guideline. Driving systems
221Driving and parking Z

0002
Red guide line at a distanc eof
approximately 10 in (0.25 m) from the
rear of the vehicle
0003 White guide line without turning the
steering wheel
0023 End of parking space
X Bac kup carefully until you have reached
the final position.
Red guide line 0002is then at end of parking
space 0023.The vehicle is almost parallel in
the parking space.
"Coupling up a trailer" function !
The following distance specifications
refer to trailer tow hitches with ball
coupling that have been approved for this
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz. Distances may
differ if you use other ball couplings. In this
case, take into account that actual
distances will not match the following
distance specifications. Otherwise you
could damage the trailer and vehicle. 0002
Vehicle center point on the yellow guide
line at a distance of approximately 3ft
(1.0 m) from the rear of the vehicle
0003 Trailer drawbar
0023 Ball coupling
This function is only available on vehicles with
a trailer tow hitch.
X Set the height of trailer drawbar 0003so that
it is slightly higher than ball coupling 0023.
X Position the vehicle centrally in fron tof
trailer drawbar 0003. 0002
Ball coupling
0003 Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10 in (0.25 m)from the ball
coupling
0023 Trailer drawbar marker assistant
0022 Trailer drawbar
0020 Symbol for the "Coupling up a trailer"
function 224
Driving systemsDriving and parking