traction control MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class 2015 W166 Owner's Manual

Distance warning function
Activating/deactivating ................ .275
Function/notes ................................ 70
Warning lamp ................................. 330
DISTRONIC PLUS
Activating ....................................... 200
Activation conditions ..................... 200
Cruise control lever ....................... 200
Deactivating ................................... 204
Display message ............................ 309
Displays in the multifunction dis-
play ................................................ 205
Driving tips ................................... .205
Function/notes ............................ .198
Important safety notes .................. 199
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 203
Warning lamp ................................. 330
Doors
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 279
Automatic locking (switch) .............. .88
Central locking/unlocking
(SmartKey) ...................................... .80
Control panel .................................. .42
Display message ............................ 316
Emergency locking ........................... 88
Emergency unlocking ....................... 88
Important safety note s.................... 86
Opening (from inside) ...................... 87
Overview .......................................... 86
Power closing feature ...................... 88
Downhill speed regulation
see DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
Drinking and driving ......................... 186
Drive program Automatic ...................................... 173
Display (DIRECT SELECT lever) ...... 168
Manual ........................................... 173
Manual (AMG vehicles) .................. 174
Manual (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) ................ 174
Off-road program (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package) .......... 251
SETUP (on-board computer) .......... 281
see On-road programs Driver's door
see Doors
Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 371
Symmetrical low beam .................. 120
Driving in mountainous terrain
Approach/departure angle ............ 194
Driving lamps
see Daytime running lamps
Driving off-road
see Off-road driving
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 68
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 75
Adaptive Brake Assist ...................... 71
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 68
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 69
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST .... 70
Distance warning function ............... 70
EBD (electronic brake force distri- bution) ............................................. 75
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 72
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 72
Important safety information ........... 67
Overview .......................................... 67
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................. 75
STEER CONTROL ............................. 77
Driving systems
360°camera .................................. 229
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 241
Active Curve System ...................... 212
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 241
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 244
Active Parking Assist ..................... 220
ADS ............................................... 212
AIRMATIC package ........................ 211
AMG adaptive sport suspension
system ........................................... 215
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 233
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 237
Cruise control ................................ 195
Display message ............................ 304
DISTRONIC PLUS ........................... 198 Index
9

Should you approach an obstacle and Adap-
tive Brake Assist has detected a risk of colli-
sion, Adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a rear-end
collision. Should you apply the brakes vigo-
rously, Adaptive Brake Assist will automati-
cally increase the braking force to a level suit- able for the traffic conditions.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE ®
:if adaptive Brake
Assist requires particularly high brake pres-
sure, preventive passenger protection meas-
ures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are deployed simultane-
ously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation. Adaptive
Brake Assist does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike R
a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R new vehicles or after the COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
iced
Observe the notes in the section on break- ing-in (Y page 156).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 67).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi- vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road program (Y page 251).72
Driving safety systemsSafety

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To switch off: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
(vehicles with Off-Road
Engineering package) An ESP
®
system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (Y page 251).
Off-road ESP ®
intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv-
ing traction.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization General information
ESP
®
trailer stabilization is not available in
AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail- ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilisation is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h). 74
Driving safety systemsSafety

i
Cruise control should not be activated
when driving off-road.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 To activate or reduce speed
0087 To deactivate cruise control
0085 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R off-road program 2 must be deactivated
(vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining a speed
X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up 0043
or down 0044.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
You can accept the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes. 196
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damage the drive train or the brake system.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
and
4ETS, it improves the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel spins due to insuffi-
cient grip.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 191).
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) Important safety notes
DSR assists you when driving downhill. It
keeps the speed of travel at the speed set on
the on-board computer. The steeper the
downhill gradient, the greater the DSR brak-
ing effect on the vehicle. When driving on flat stretches of road or on an uphill gradient, the
DSR braking effect is minimal or nonexistent.
DSR controls the set speed when it is active
and the automatic transmission is in the D,R
or Nposition. By accelerating or braking, you
can always drive at a higher or a lower speed
than that set on the on-board computer.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 191).
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. DSR cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic condi-
tions. DSR is only an aid. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
You are always responsible for keeping con-
trol of the vehicle and for assessing whether
the downhill gradient can be managed. DSR
may not always be able to keep to the set
speed, depending on road surface and tire
conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions and when necessary,
apply the brakes manually. G
WARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ- ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
Activating DSR G
WARNING
If you drive faster than the set speed and acti-
vate DSR, the vehicle will decelerate on down- hill gradients. If you do not know the set
speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpect-edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Decelerate the vehicle to the set speed before
activating DSR. If you do not know what the
stored set speed is, store the desired set
speed again. Example: vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
0043 DSR button
0044 DSR indicator lamp
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up.
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h). 250
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Off-road program 1
X
Selector wheel 0043
0043engaged: briefly press
selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To select: turn selector wheel 0043until indi-
cator lamp 0044comes on.
Off-road indicator 0087appears in the multi-
function display.
Off-road level 1 is set to +1.2 in (+30 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
Off-road program 1 switches to the AUTO
program if you drive faster than 70 mph
(110 km/h).
Select off-road program 1 for gentle off-road
terrain, e.g. for gravel or sand surfaces or
tracks. The engine's torque is restricted to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can spin.
The spinning wheels produce a cutting effect
for better traction.
You can only activate off-road program 1
when driving at speeds of 60 mph (100 km/h)
or below. The Drive Program OFFROAD 1
Drive Program OFFROAD 1
Max. Max. 60
60mph (
mph (100 100km/h)
km/h) message appears
in the multifunction display. Off-road program 2
X
Selector wheel 0043
0043engaged: briefly press
selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To select: turn selector wheel 0043until indi-
cator lamp 0044comes on.
Off-road indicator 0087appears in the multi-
function display.
R Off-road level 1 is set to +2.4 in (+60 mm)
above the vehicle's "highway" level.
R DSR is switched on.
R The differential lock is closed.
Off-road program 2 automatically switches to off-road program 1 if you drive faster than
30 mph (45 km/h).
Select off-road program 2 for rough terrain,
e.g. for steep and/or rough terrain or drivingon rocky terrain.
i Your vehicle has an automatically activa-
ted differential lock for the transfer case. It controls the balance between the front and
rear axles. 252
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The differential lock improves the vehicle's
traction. 4ETS (Y page 73) controls the bal-
ance between both wheels on an axle.
You can only activate off-road program 2
when driving at speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h)
or below.
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package) Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you select the LOW RANGE off-road gear on a slippery road surface, the wheels could lose traction:
R if you remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal when driving
R if off road ABS intervenes when braking
If the wheels lose traction. the vehicle can no
longer be steered. There is an increased dan-
ger of skidding and accidents.
Never select the LOW RANGE off-road gear
when driving on slippery road surfaces. G
WARNING
If you do not wait for the transfer case gear
change process to complete, the transfer
case could remain in the neutral position. The power transmission to the driven wheels is
then interrupted. There is a danger of the
vehicle rolling away unintentionally. There is a
risk of an accident.
Wait until the transfer case shift process is
completed.
Do not turn off the engine while changing gear
and do not shift the automatic transmission
to another position. General notes 0043
LOW RANGE off-road gear button
0044 LOW RANGE off-road gear indicator lamp HIGH RANGE
Position for all normal on-
road driving conditions
LOW RANGE
Off-road position for driv-
ing off-road and fording
The transmission ratio
between the engine and
wheels is only approx-
imately one third of that in
the HIGH RANGE road
position. Drive torque is
thus proportionately
higher.
Do not use LOW RANGE:
R on slippery road surfa-
ces, e.g. in the case of
slush
R on snow or ice-covered
roads
R if you have mounted
snow chains to your
vehicle The LOW RANGE off-road gear assists you in
driving off-road and when fording. When LOW
RANGE is engaged, the engine’s performance
characteristics and the gearshifting charac-
teristics of the automatic transmission are
adapted for this purpose.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 191). You will find information about
driving safety systems in conjunction with Driving systems
253Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
0050
0050Solutions 00E5
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X When pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 73), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
. 00BB
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is switched off, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 73), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. 00E500BB
The yellow ESP
®
and
ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps are lit while the
engine is running. ESP
®
, BAS, BAS PLUS, PRE-SAFE ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake, COLLISION
PREVENTION ASSIST, the HOLD function, hill start assist and
ESP ®
trailer stabilization are not available due to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus
increase.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 324
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tires do not get deformed by the curb or
other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over
curbs, speed humps or similar elevations, try to do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tires, particularly the sidewalls,
may be damaged. Regular checking of wheels and tires
G
WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
Regularly check the wheels and tires of your
vehicle for damage at least once a month, as well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can cause a loss of
tire pressure. Pay particular attention to dam-
age such as:
R cuts in the tires
R punctures
R tears in the tires
R bulges on tires
R deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of the tire (Y page 401). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
mount anything onto the valve other than the standard valve cap or other valve caps
approved by Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle.
Do not use any other valve caps or systems,
e.g. tire pressure monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire pressure as necessary (Y page 404).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 440). The service life of tires depends on the fol-
lowing factors amongst other things:
R Driving style
R Tire pressure
R Distance covered Important safety notes on the tire
tread
G
WARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk of hydroplaning increases, in particular where speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
R Summer tires: 00CEin (3 mm)
R M+S tires: 00CFin (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached. Bar indicator
0043for tread wear is integrated
into the tire tread.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire
tread. They are visible once the tread depth is Operation
401Wheels and tires Z

approximately
00CDin(1.6 mm). If th is is the
case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced. Selecting, mounting and replacing
tires
R Only mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
Exception: it is permissible to install a dif-
ferent type or make in the event of a flat
tire. Observe the "MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics" section
(Y page 383).
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto
the wheels.
R Break in new tires at moderate speeds for
the first 60 miles (100 km). They only reach
their full performance after this distance.
R Do not drive with tires which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces
the traction on wet roads (hydroplaning).
R Replace the tires after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear.
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel (Y page 440). MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties)
With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat
characteristics), you can continue to drive
your vehicle even if there is a total loss of
pressure in one or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be used in con-
junction with an active tire pressure loss
warning system or with an active tire pressure
monitor and on wheels specifically tested by
Mercedes-Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with
a flat tire (Y page 383).
i Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires
are not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the
factory. It is therefore recommended that
you additionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you mount tires that do not
feature run-flat properties, e.g. winter tires.
A TIREFIT kit can be obtained from a quali- fied specialist workshop. Winter operation
General notes
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 423). Driving with summer tires
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and braking power. Change the tires on your vehi-cle to M+S tires. Using summer tires at very
cold temperatures could cause cracks to
form, thereby damaging the tires perma-
nently. Mercedes-Benz cannot accept
responsibility for this type of damage. G
WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately. M+S tires
G
WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than
00CF in (4 mm) are not suitable for use in winter
and do not provide sufficient traction. There is
a risk of an accident.
M+S tires with a tread depth of less than 00CFin
(4 mm) must be replaced immediately.
At temperatures below 45 ‡(+7 †), use win-
ter tires or all-season tires. Both types of tire are identified by the M+S marking. 402
Winter operationWheels and tires