MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV 2011 Owners Manual

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).Engine compartment
Bonnet
Active bonnet (pedestrian protection) Operating principle
i The active bonnet is only available in cer-
tai nc ountries.
The active bonnet can reduce the risk of injury
to pedestrians in certain accident situations.
Raising the active bonnet increases the clear-
anc etoh ard components, such as the engine.
If the active bonnet has been triggered, it is
raised in the area of the bonnet hinges by
abou t100 mm. Th eactive bonnet is trigg ered
by pyrotechnics.
! Once triggered, an active bonnet must be
reset at aqualified specialist workshop,
e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService Centre. The
active bonnet function will then be availa-
ble again. The additional pedestrian pro-
tection provided by the active bonnet will
then be restored.
For the driv etot he workshop, reset the trig-
gere dactive bonnet yourself. After being
reset, the active bonnet rest sinthe area of
the bonnet hinges on the seals, and the bon-
net hinges do not engage. For this reason, we
recommend that you do not exceed amaxi-
mum top spee dof130 km/h on the wa ytothe workshop
.Ifthe active bonnet has been
triggered, pedestrian protection ma ybelimi-
ted.
Resetting G
WARNING
There is arisk of injur yifthe bonnet is open,
even if the engin eisnot running.
Som eengine compone ntsc an become very
hot.
To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those
component sdescribed in the Owner's Manual
and observ ethe relevant safety notes. X
With your hand fla tnear the bonnet hinges
(arrows), push down active bonnet :until
it rests on the seals. G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody can becom etrapped
as you close th ebonnet.
Opening th ebonnet G
WARNING
Do not pull the release lever while the vehicle
is in motion. If you do so, the bonnet may open
up and block your view. G
WARNING
There is arisk of injur yifthe bonnet is open,
even if the engin eisnot running.
Som eengine compone ntsc an become very
hot. 318
Eng
inecompartmentMaintenance and care

To avoi
dthe risk of burns, only touc hthose
component sdescribed in the Owner's Manual
and observ ethe relevant safety notes. G
WARNING
The radiator fa nbetween the radiator and the
engine can star tautomatically, even if the key
has been removed from the ignition lock. For
this reason, you must not reach into the fan
rotation area. You could otherwis ebeinjured.
Vehicles with apetrol engine: The elec-
tronic ignition system uses high voltage. For
this reason ,you must never touc hignition
system component s(ignition coil, ignition
cables, spark plug connectors or test socket)
while:
R the engine is running
R the engine is being started
R the ignition is switched on and the engine
is being cranked by hand
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
Vehicles with adiesel engine: The elec-
tronic injection control uses high voltage. For
this reason ,you must never touc hinjection
system components while:
R the engi neis running
R the engin eisbeing started
R the ignition is switched on
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
X Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. G
WAR
NING
The winds creen wipers and wiper linkage
could be set in motion.
When the bonnet is open, you or others could
be injured by the wiper linkage.
Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off .Remov ethe key or make sure
that no ignition position has been selected
with KEYLESS-GO. All indi cator lamps must be
off in the instrumen tpanel. X
Pull release lever :on the bonnet.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
not folded away from the windscreen. Oth-
er wise ,you could damage the windscreen
wipers or the bonnet. X
Reach into the gap, pull bonnet catc hhan-
dle ;up and lift the bonnet.
If yo uliftt he bonnet by approximat ely
40 cm, the bonne tisopeneda nd held open
automaticall ybythe gas-f illeds trut.
Closin gthe bonnet G
WARNING
Make sure tha tnobody can becom etrapped
as you close th ebonnet. Engine compa
rtment
319Maintena nceand care Z

X
Lower th ebonnet and let it fal lfrom a
heig ht of approx imately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with alittle more force. Radiator
i Vehicles with diesel engine: do not
cover the radiator .Don ot use thermal
mats, insec tprotectio ncover sora nything
similar. Doing so can cause the Onboard
Diagnosti csSystem to display inaccurate
values .Some of these values ar elegally
required and must be cor rect. Engine oil
Notes on the oil level Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sume samaximum of 0.8 loil per 100 0km.
Th eo il consumption may be higher than this
when the vehicle is new or if you frequently
drive at high engin espeeds.
Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick Example: vehicles with
apetro lengine Example: vehicle
swithadiesel engine
X Park the vehicle on alevel surface.
To chec kthe oil level with the engin eat
normal operating temperature, switch the
engine off and wait for approximately five
minutes.
X Pull oil dipstick :out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wip eoff oi ldipstick :.
X Slowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark =and
MAX mark ;,the oil level is correc t.
X If th eoil level has dropped to MIN mark
= or below it, top up with
0.5 to 1.0 litres of engine oil.
Adding engine oil G
WARNING
If engine oil comes into contact with hot
engine parts, it may ignite and you could burn
yourself .Donot spill any engin eoil on hot
engine parts. H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to spill
any. If oil enters the soil or waterways, it is
harmful to the environment.
! Do not add too much oil. If the oil level is
above the "max" mar konthe dipstick ,too
much oil has been added. This can lead to
damage to the engin eorthe catalytic con-
verter .Have excess oil siphoned off. 320
Eng
inecompartmentMaintenance and care

Examp
le:e ngine oi lcap
X Turn cap :anti-clockwise and remove it.
X Top up the engine oil.
If the oi llev el is at or belo wthe MIN mark
on the dipstick ,top up with
0. 5to1 .0 litres of engine oil.
X Replace cap :on the fille rneck and turn
clockwise.
Make sure that the cap locks into place
securely.
X Check the oil level agai nwith the oil dip-
stick (Y page 320).
Further information on engine oil
(Y page 375). Checking and adding other service
products
Checking the coolant level Only check the coolant level when the vehicle
is on alevel surface and the engine has cooled
down.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 139) in
the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button twic e(Ypage 139).
X Check the coolant temperatur egauge in
the multifunction displ ay.G
WARNING
Th ec ooling system is pressurised. Therefore,
only unscrew the cap once the engin ehas
cooled down. The coolant temperature gauge must display less than 70
†.Otherwi se,you
could be scalded if ho tcoolant escapes. X
Slowl yturn cap :half aturna nti-clock-
wis eand allo wexcess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap :further anti-clockwis eand
remove it.
If the coolant is at the level of markerbar
= in the filler nec kwhen cold ,ther eis
enough coolan tincoolant expansion
tank ;.
If the coolant leve lisapproximately 1.5 cm
above marker bar =in the filler nec kwhen
warm, ther eisenoughcoolant in coolant
expansion tank ;.
X If necessary ,top up with coolant that has
been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Ben z.
X Replace cap :and turn it clockwise as far
as it will go.
For further information on coolant, see
(Y page 377).
Windscreen washer system and head-
lamp cleanin gsystem Th
ew asher fluid reservoir is used for both the
windscreen washe rsystem and the headlamp
cleaning system.
i Components and service products must
be matched. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use products teste dand approved
by Mercedes-Be nz.T hey ar elisted in this
Mercedes-Ben zOwner's Manual in the
appropriat esection. Engine compartment
321Maintenance andcare Z

You can identify service products approved
by Mercedes-Ben
zbythe followin ginscrip-
tions on the container:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g .MB-Freigabe 371.0)
R MB-Approval (e.g .MB-Approval 371.0)
Other labels and recommendation sthat
make reference to quality level or aspeci-
fication accordin gtoanMBSheet no. (e.g.
MB 371.0) ar enot necessarily approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
You can obtain further information from
any Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre. G
WARNING
Windscreen washer fluid is highly flammable.
Fire, naked flames and smoki ngare prohibi-
ted when handling washer fluid concentrate.
! Only use washe rfluid concentrate which
is suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuit-
able washer fluid concentrate could dam-
age the plastic lamp lenses of the head-
lamps.
! Do not use distilled or de-ionised water in
the washer fluid reservoir. Otherwise, the
level sensor may be damaged.
i Add windscreen washer concentrate, e.g.
MB SummerFit, to the washer fluid all year
round. Example: washer fluid reservoir
X Mix the windscreen washer fluid in acon-
tainer beforehand.
X At tem peratures above freezing: fill the
washer fluid reservoir with amix of water and windscreen washer concentrate (e.g.
MB SummerFit).
X At temperatures below freezing: fill the
washer fluid reservoir with amix of water
and windsc reen washer concentrate (e.g.
MB WinterFit). Adapt the mixing ratio to the
outside temperatures.
X To open: pull cap:upwards by the tab.
X Top up with the premixed washer fluid.
X To close: press cap :ontothe filler neck
until it engages. Maintenance
ASSYST PLUS service interval display
Service messages Informa
tion on the type of service and service
intervals (see separat eServic eBooklet).
You can obtain further information fr om a
Mercedes-Ben zServic eCentre.
The ASSYS TPLUS service interva ldisplay
inform syou when the nex tservice is due.
The multifunction display shows aservice
message for afew seconds, e.g.:
Next servic eAdue in .. days Service
Adue Service
Aoverdue by ... days Th
eletter indicates which servic eisdue.A stands for
aminor servic eand B for
am ajor
service. Anumber or another letter may be
displayed after the letter. This figure indicates
any necessary additional maintenanc ework
to be performed.
If you repor tthis displayed information to a
qualified specialist workshop, for example a
Mercedes-Ben zService Cent re,they can
infor myou of the cost sthe service will incur.
The AS SYST PLUS service interval display
doe snot tak einto account any periods of
time during which the battery is disconnec-
ted. 322
MaintenanceMaintenance and care

Maintainin
gthe time-dependen tservice
schedule:
X Not edown the service due date displayed
in the multifunc tion display befor ediscon-
necting the battery.
or
X Subtract the battery disconnection periods
from the servic edate shown on the displ ay
after reconnecting the battery.
i The ASSYST PLUS service interval displ ay
does not show any information on the
engine oil level .Observ ethe notes on the
engin eoil level (Y page 320).
Hiding aservice message X
Pres sthe % ora button on th esteer-
ing wheel.
Displaying service messages X
Switch th eignitio non.
X Press =or; on the steering wheel
to select the Serv. menu.
X Press 9or: to select the ASSYST PLUS submenu and press
ato confirm.
The service du edatea ppears in the multi-
function display.
Points to remember Resettin
gthe ASSYS TPLUS service inter-
val display
Aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes -Ben zS ervice Cent re,w ill reset the
ASSYST PLU Sservic einterval display after
the service work has bee ncarried out.
You can obtain further information ,e.g.
regarding servic ework,from aMercedes-
Benz Ser vice Centre or directly from
Mercedes-Benz.
! If the ASSYST PLUS servic einterval dis-
play has bee ninadvertently reset, this set-
ting can be corrected at aMercedes-Benz
Ser vice Centre. Have servic
ework carried out as described
in the Ser vice Boo klet. This may otherwise
lead to inc reased wear and damage to the
major assemblies or the vehicle.
Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes -Ben zS ervice network
is also available in other coun tries. The
Service Hotline's curren ttelephone numbers
for use when you are abroa dare to be found
in th e"Mercedes-Ben zService24h" section
of the Ser vice Boo klet. AdBlue
®
service indicator
i For BlueTE Cvehicles only.
The BlueTE Cexhaus tgas aftertreatment
must be operated with the reducing agent
AdBlue ®
in order for it to function correctly.
Under normal operating conditions, afull tank
of AdBlue ®
should last until the nex tservice
due date.
Depending on how and where the vehicle is
used, there may be an inc rease in the
AdBlue ®
consumption, resulting in the next
servic edue date being brought forward.
Certain display messages sho wthat
AdBlue ®
must be topped up, e.g.
Refill AdBlue at worksh opSee Owner’s Manual
Refill AdBlue at worksho
pNostart in .. km
Aw
arning signal also sounds.
You can no longer star tthe engin ewhen the
AdBlue ®
supply has been used up
(Y page 268).
Top up AdBlue ®
(Y page 157).
Before taking atripw ithy our vehicle outside
Europe, have th eAdBlue ®
suppl ychec kedat
aq ualified specialist workshop. If necessary,
have the AdBlue ®
topped up. Before using
your vehicle for an extended period in coun-
tries outside Europe, con tact aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Obser vethe note sonAdBlue®
(Y page 374). Maintenance
323Maintenanceand care Z

You can obtain fur
ther information about
BlueTE Cexhaus tgas aftertreatmen tand
AdBlue ®
from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre. Care
Note
sonc are
Regular care of your vehicle is aconditio nfor
retaining th equalit yint he long term.
Us ec arep roducts and cleani ngagent srec-
ommended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
! For cleanin gyour vehicle ,donot useany
of the following:
R dry ,rough or hard cloths
R abrasive cleanin gagents
R solvents
R cleanin gagents con taining solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
film swith hard objects, e.g. aring or ice
scraper .You coul dotherwis escratch or
damag ethe surfaces and protective film. H
Environmenta
lnote
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
! Do not park up the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particular ly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Whee lcleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for afew minutes after clean-
ing. Brakin gheats the brak ediscs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up. Care of the exterior
Automatic car wash G
WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. This could cause an accident. For
this reason, following acar wash, drive with
particular care until the brakes are dry.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! In car washe swithatowing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission
is in transmission position N,otherwis ethe
vehicle could be damaged.
R Vehicles with akey:
do not remove the key from the ignition
lock. Do not open the driver' sdoor or
front-passenger door when the engin eis
switched off .Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automaticall yand locks the wheels .You
can prevent this by shifting the auto-
matic transmission to Nbeforehand.
R Vehicles with KEYLE SS-GO:
do not ope nthe driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engin eis
switched off .Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P
automaticall yand locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automati ctransmission stays in position N:
X Make sure th evehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 139) in
the ignition lock.
Use the key instead of the Start/Stop but-
ton on vehicles with KEYLE SS-GO.
X Depres sand hol dthe brake pedal.
X Shif tthe automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal. 324
CareMaintenance and care

X
Release the electric parking brake.
X Switc hoff the ig nition and leav ethe key in
th ei gnition lock.
! Mak esuret hat:
R the side windows and slidin gsunroo fare
close dcompl etely.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed).
R the windscreen wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0.
The vehic lecoul dotherwise be damaged.
After using an automatic car wash, wip eoff
wa xfrom th ewindscreen and the wiper
blades. This wil lprevent smears and red uce
wiping noises cause dbyresidue on the wind-
screen.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at speciall
yequipped washing bays.
Observe the lega lrequirements for each indi-
vidual country.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehic lein direct sunlight.
X Use asoft sponge to clean.
X Use amild cleaning agent, such as acar
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hos edown the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently.
X Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with achamois.
X Do not let the cleanin gagent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of roa dsalt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible. High-pressure cleanin
gequipment G
WARNING
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles (dirt grinders) to clean your
vehicle, in particular the tyres. You could oth-
erwis edamage the tyres and cause an acci-
dent.
! Always maintain adistance of at least
30 cm between the vehicle and the high-
pressure cleaner nozzle. Information about
the correct distance is available from the
equipment manufacturer.
Move the high-pressure cleaner nozzle
around when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tyres
R door gaps, roof gaps, joint setc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim elements
R ventilatio nslots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
Cleanin gthe whee ls !
Do not use acidic whee lcleaning products
to remov ebrake dust .This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
! Do not par kupthe vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleanin git, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosio nofthe brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for afew minutes after clean-
ing. Brakin gheats the brak ediscs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked up. Care
325Maintenance andcare Z

Cleaning th
epaintwork Scra
tches, corrosiv edeposits ,area saffected
by corrosion and damage ca used by inade-
quate care canno talways be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit aqualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz
Servic eCentre.
X Remov eimpurities immediately, where
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing to ohard.
X Soak insect remain swith insec tremover
and rinse off the treated area safterwards.
X Soa kbird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brak efluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbin ggently
with acloths oaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X Use tar rem overtor emove tar stains.
X Use silicone rem overtor emove wax.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or simila ritems
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Car eand treatment of matt paintwo rkIf
your vehicle has aclear mat tfinish, observe
the followin ginstructions in order to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
care.
These notes also appl ytolight alloy wheels
with aclear mat tfinish.
! Neve rpolish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork
shiny. !
The following ma ycause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
R Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable mate-
rials.
R Frequent use of car washes.
R Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or pol-
ishing products, or glos spreserver, e.g.
wax .These product sare onl ysuitable for
high-glos ssurfaces. Thei ruse on vehicles
wit hm att finish leads to considerable sur-
face damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs performed
at aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre.
! Do not use wash programs with ahot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using asoft sponge, car shampoo
and plent yofwater.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning
the windscreen or the wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Start/Stop
button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injure you.
X Clean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with adamp cloth and acleaning
agent that is recom mended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vent stoc lean the inside of the windows. 326
CareMaintenance and care

Do not touch the insides of the windows
with hard objects
,e.g.ani ce scraper or
ring .There is otherwise arisk of damaging
the windows.
! Clean the water drainage channels of the
windscreen and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from drainin gaway .This
can lead to corrosion damage and damage
to electronic components.
Cleaning th ewiper blades G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock befor ecleaning
the windscreen or the wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Star t/Stop
butto nrepeatedly unti lall indicator lamps in
the instrumen tcluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injur eyou.
! Do not pull on the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
! Do not clean wiper blades too often and
do not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphit ecoatin gcould be damaged. This
coul dcause wiper noise.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen.
X Clea nthe wiper blades carefully usin ga
damp cloth.
X Fold the windscreen wipers back again
befor eswitching on the ignition.
! Hold the wiper arm securely when folding
back. The windscreen could be damaged if
the wiper arm hits against it suddenly.
Cleanin gthe exterio rlighting X
Clean the plastic lenses of the exterior
lighting using awet sponge and amild
cleaning agent, e.g. Mercedes-Ben zcar
shampoo or cleanin gcloths. !
Only use cleanin gagents or cleaning
cloth sthat ar esuitable for plastic lenses.
Unsuitable cleanin gagents or cleaning
cloth scoul dscratch or damag ethe plastic
lenses of th eexteri or lighting.
Clea ningthe sensors X
Clean sensors :of th edriving systems
with water, car shampoo and asoftc loth.
! If you clean the sensor swithahigh-pres-
sure cleaner, mak esure that you keep a
distanc eofatl east 30 cm between the
vehicle and the high-pressure cleaner noz-
zle. Information about the correc tdistance
is available from the equipment manufac-
turer.
Cleaning th ereversing camera Care
327Maintenance andcare Z