MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV 2011 Owners Manual

Driving tips
R
Maintain agreater distanc efrom th evehi-
cle in front than when driv ingw ithou ta
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly .Ifpossible, brake
gentl yatfirst to allow the trailer to run on.
Then, increase the brakin gforc erapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from astandstill refer to sea
level. Whe ndriving in mountainou sareas,
note that th epower outpu tofthe engine,
and consequen tlyt he vehicle' sgradient-
climbing capability ,decrease with increas-
ing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not coun ter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. Folding ou
tthe bal lcoupling G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the pivoting range of the ball coupling. Other-
wise, they could be injured.
Before you can tow atrailer wit hyour vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling.
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Open the tailgate. G
WARNING
Make sur ethat the ball coupling is engaged,
either in its folded-ou torfolded-i nposition.
The indicator lam ponthe release knob is off.
Do not pull the ball coupling release switch
when atrailer is coupled or abicycle rack is
fitted.
X Pull the release knob :until the ball cou-
pling unlocks.
The ball coupling folds out from under the
rear bumper.
The indicator lamp on the release knob
flashes. The trailer socket folds away auto-
matically. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow until it engages in avertical posi-
tion.
The indicator lam ponthe release knob
goes off.
The multifunc tion display shows the
Chec ktrailer hitch lock message
until th eball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective cap from the ball
coupling and store it in asafe place. Coupling up
atrai ler
Impor tant safety notes G
WARNI
NG
Neve rlock, unlock, open or close avehicle
door or tailgat ewhen coupling up or decou- 228
Towing
atrailerDriving and parking

pling
atrailer. Th evehicle level could change
and you could endanger yourself or others.
Never press the ADS button or operate the
leve lcontrol while you are coupling up or
decoupling atrailer.
Steel-spring vehicles X
Make sure that th etransmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake.
X Positio nthe trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Coupl eupthe trailer.
X Establish the electrical con nection
betwee nthe vehicle and the trailer.
X Chec kthat the trailer lighting system is
working.
Vehicles wit hthe AIRMATIC package X
Make sure that th etransmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake.
X Start th eengine.
X Set the vehicl etohighway level
(Y page 189).
X Set the Adaptive Dampin gSystem (ADS )to
AUTO orCOMF(Y page 188).
X Switch off the engine.
X Close the doors and tailgate.
X Position the trailer level behind the vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electrical connection
betwee nthe vehicle and the trailer.
X Chec kthat the trailer lighting system is
working.
i If you hav ecoupled atrailer, th evehicle
will remain at highway level.
The vehicle automatically lowers to high-
way level if you driv efaster than 30 km/h
with atrailer. Th evehicle is not lowered to
high-speed level even if you are travelling
at higher speeds. This also applies when using accessories
that are plugged into the socket of the
trailer tow hitch (e.g. abicycle rack). Decoupling
atrailer
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Do not disconnect atrailer with an engaged
overru nbrake .Otherwise, you rhand could
becom etrapped between th ebumpe rand
drawbar. G
WARNING
As soo nasyou raise the trailer drawbar, the
unladen vehicle rises slightly .The vehicle then
lower stod riving level.
Make sure that nobod yisinthe vicinit yofthe
wheel arch or the underbody. You coul doth-
erwise trap yoursel forothers. G
WARNING
Th ev ehicle is lowered as soo nasyou discon-
nec tthe trailer cable. Make sur ethat nobody
is in the vicinit yofthe wheel arch or the
underbody. You coul dotherwis etrap yourse lf
or othe rs.
As soon as you decoupl ethe trailer ,the unla-
den vehicle rise sslightly. Make sure that you
or others are not injured in the process.
! Do not disconnect atrailer wit han
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damage dbythe rebound-
ing of the overru nbrake.
Steel-spring vehic les X
Ma ke sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engag ethe electric parkin gbrake.
X Secure th etrailer agains trollin gaway.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Towing
atrailer
229Driving andparki ng Z

Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package
X
Make sure tha tthe transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Engage the electric parkin gbrake.
X Start th eengine.
X Clos ethe doors and tailgate.
X Secur ethe trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer.
X Switc hoff th eengine. Folding in the ball coupling
i Fold the ball coupling back in if you are
not using the trailer tow hitch.
X Make sure that the vehicl eisstationary and
the trailer cables are disconnected.
X Place the protective cap on the ball cou-
pling.
X Ope nthe tailgate. X
Pull the release knob :until the ball cou-
plin gunlocks.
The ball coupling folds dow nfrom under the
rea rbumper. The indicator lamp on the
release knob flashes. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow until it engage saudibly behind
the bumper.
The indicator lamp on the release knob
goes out and the messag einthe multifunc-
tion display disappears. Trailer power supply
When it leaves the factory ,your vehicle's
trailer socket is equipped with apermanent
power supply and apower supply that is
switched on via the ignition lock.
The permanen tpower supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 9.
The power supply that is switched on via the
ignition lock is supplied via trailer socket pin
10.
! You can con nect consumers with apower
ratin gofupto2 40Wtot he permanent
power supply and up to 18 0Wto the power
supply that is switched on via the ignition
lock.
You must not charge atrailer battery using
th ep ower supply.
The trailer's permanen tpower supply is
switched off in the even toflow vehicle supply
voltage and after six hour satthe latest.
You can obtai nfurther information about
installing the trailer electrics from aqualified
specialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz
Ser vice Centre. 230
Towing
atrailerDriving and parking

X
To switc hthe conn ected powe rsupply
on or off: turn thekey in the ignition lock
to position 2or 0respectivel y. Bulb failure indi
cator for LE Dlamps
i If LED lamps are fitte dinthe trailer, an
error message ma yappear in the multi-
function display even if there is no fault. The
reason for the error message may be that
the current has fallen below the minimum
of 50 milliamper es(mA).
To ensure reliabl eoperation of the bul bfailure
indicator, each LED chai ninthe trailer lighting
must be guaranteed aminimum current of
50 mA. Trailer with 7-pin connector
Genera linforma tion If your trailer has
a7-pin connector, you can
connect it to the 13-pin socket on the ball
coupling using an adapter or, if necessary, an
adapter cable .Both of these can be obtained
at aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Ben zService Centre.
Fitting the adapter X
Open the socket cover.
X Insert the connector with lug :into
groove ;on the socket and tur nthe con-
nec torc lockwise to the stop. X
Let the cover engage.
X If you are using an adapter cable, secure
the cable to the trailer with cable ties.
! Make sure that there is sufficient cable
play so that the cable cannot become
detached when cornering. Towing
atrailer
231Driving andparki ng Z

Problems wit
htrailer towing Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The released ball cou-
pling cannot be
engaged. X
Visit aqualified specialist workshop. The ball coupling does
not unlock, even
though:
R the vehicle is station-
ary.
R no trailer cable is
connected.
R the release knob to
unlock the ball cou-
pling has been pulled
for more than asec-
ond. The on-boar
dvoltage is insufficient.
X Start the engine.
If the ball coupling still does not unlock:
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. 232
Towin
gatrailerDriving and parking

Usefu
linfor mation ............................ 234
Important safet ynotes .................... 234
Displays and oper ation .................... 234
Menu sand submenus ...................... 238
Displa ymessages ............................. 253
Wa rning and indicator lamp sinthe
instrumen tcluster ............................ 284 233On-boar
dcompu ter and displays

Usefu
linfor mati on
i This Owner's Manual describes all models
and all standard and optional equipment
available to your vehicle at the time of pub-
lication of the Owner's Manual. Country-
specific deviation sare possible .Please
not ethat your vehicle ma ynot be equipped
with all featur es described. This also
applies to safety-releva ntsystems and
functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 24).Important safet
ynotes
You will fin danillustration of th einstrument
cluste rinthe "A taglance "section
(Y page 30). G
WARNING
Only use th eon-bo ardc omputer wh en road
and traffic condition spermit .You would oth-
erwise be distracted and unable to concen-
trate properly on driving, and coul dcause an
accident. G
WARNING
No message swill be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As aresult, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such as
speed, outside temperature, warning and indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system fail-
ures. Drivin gcharacteristic smay be impaired.
Adjust your driving style and vehicle speed
accordingly.
Contact aqualified specialist workshop
immediately. G
WARNING
The on-board computer only records and dis-
plays malfunctions and warnings from certain
systems. For this reason, you should always make sure that your vehicle is safe to use. You
could otherwis
ecause an accident by driving
an unsafe vehicle. G
WARNING
The operating safety of your vehicle could be
impaired if maintenance work is carried out
incorrectly. This could cause you to lose con-
trol of your vehicle and cause an accident.
Moreover, the safety systems may no longer
be able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialis tworkshop. Displays and operation
Coolant tempera
tureg auge
Th ec oolant temperatur egauge is in the
instrument cluster on the right-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolant level, the coolant tem-
perature may rise to 120 †.
At high outside temperatures and when driv-
ing uphill, the coolant temperature may rise
to the end of the scale. Rev counter
The red band in the rev counter indicates the
engine's overrevvin grange.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range.
Doing so will damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the mul-
tifunction display (Y page 236). G
WARNING
At temperatures just above freezing point, the
street may be icy, especially in wooded areas 234
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

or on bridges. If you do not adapt your driving
style to the conditions, the vehicle coul dskid.
For this reason, adapt your driving style and
speed to the weather conditions.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
playe dafter ashort delay. Speedometer wit
hsegments
The segment sinthe speedometer indicate
whic hspeed range is available.
Cruise control (Y page 170) activated:
The segment slight up from the stored speed
to the maximum speed.
Variable SPEEDTRONI C(Ypage 172) activa-
ted:
The segment slight up from the start of the
scale to the selected limit speed.
DISTRONIC PLU S(Ypage 174) activated:
One or two segment sinthe set speed range
light up.
DI ST RONIC PLUS detects avehicle in front:
The segment sbetween the speed of the vehi-
cle in front and the stored speed light up. Opera
ting th eon-board computer
Overview The on-board computer is activated as soon
as you tur nthe key to position 1in the ignition
lock.
You can con trol the multifunc tion display and
the settings in the on-boar dcomputer using
the button sonthe multifunc tion steering
wheel. :
Multifunc tion display
; Switches on LINGUATRONIC ;see the sep-
arate operating instructions
= Right control panel
? Leftcontrol panel
A Bac kbutton
Left control panel =
; R
Call supt he men uand menu bar 9
:
Pres
sbriefly:
R Scrolls throug hlists
R Select sasubmenu or function
R In the Audio menu: selects a
stored station, an audio track or
av ideo scene
R In the Tel (telephone) menu:
switches to the phone book and
selects aname or telephone
number Displays and operation
235On-boardcomputer and displays Z

9
:
Press and hold:
R
In the Audio menu: select
sthe
previous/next station or selects
an audio track or avideo scene
using rapid scrolling
R In the Tel (telephone) menu:
starts rapid scrolling through the
phone book a R
Confirms selection/display mes-
sage
R In the Tel (telephone) menu:
switches to the telephone book
and starts dialling the selected
number
R In the Audio menu: stops the
station search func tion at the
desire dstation Right control panel
~ R
Rejects or ends acall
R Exit stelephone book/redial
memory 6 R
Makes or accepts acall
R Switches to the redial memory W
X R
Adjusts the volume 8 R
Mute Back button
%
Press briefly:
R
Back
R Switches off LINGUATRONIC
R Hides display message sorcalls
up the last Trip menu function
used
R Exit sthe telephone book/redial
memory %
Press and hold:
R
Calls up the standar ddisplay in
the Trip menu
Multifunction display
Values and settings as well as display mes-
sages are shown in the multifunction display. :
Time
; Outside temperature or speed
(Ypage 246)
= Description field
? Menu bar
A Driv eprogram
B Transmission position
X To sho wmenu bar ?:press the =
or ; button on the steering wheel. 236
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

For further information on disp
laying the
transmission position, see (Y page 146).
The following messages can appea rinthe
multifunction display:
Xj Y Active Parking Assist
(Y page 194)
¯ Cruise control (Y page 170)
LIM SPEEDTRONIC (Y
page 172)
fDSR DSR (Y
page 220)
Ç Off-road programme
(Ypage 222)
LOW RANGE LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 223)
è Rear window wiper
(Ypage 117)
_ Adaptive Highbea mAssist
(Y page 110)
À ATTENTION ASSIST
(Y page 202)
¤ ECOs tart/stop function
(Y page 142)
Ä Speed Limit Assist
(Ypage 203)
à Lane Keeping Assist
(Y page 210) or Active Lane
Keeping Assist (Y page 215)
HOLD HOLD function (Y
page 187)
Ä PRE-SAFE®
Brake (Y page 66)
120km/h! Maximum permissible speed
exceeded (only for certain coun-
tries) Displays and operation
237On-boardcomputerand disp lays Z