MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV 2011 Owners Manual

Jum
p-starting G
WARNING
There is arisk of acid burns when jump-starting avehicle due to the gases which escape from
the battery. Do not lean over the batter ywhile the engin eisbeing jump-started. G
WARNING
Gases escapin gfrom th ebattery during jump-starting may cause minor explosions. Avoid cre-
ating sparks. Keep naked flames away from the battery, and do not smoke.
Comply with safety precautions when handling batteries. You will find these under "Battery" in
the index.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy startin gattempts. Otherwise, non-combuste dfuel may dam-
age the catalytic converter 24
and create arisk of fire.
Do not use arapid-charging device to start the engine.
Make sure the jump leads are not damaged.
Make sure the jump leads are not touching any other metal objects when they are connected
to the battery.
If your vehicle's battery is discharged ,the engin ecan be jump-started from another vehicle
or from asecond batter yusing jum pleads.
Observ ethe followin gpoints:
X The battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle' sbattery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle using asecond batter yorajump-star ting device.
X Only jump-start the vehicl ewhen th eengineisc old an dthe catalytic converter system has
cooled down 25
.
X Do no tstart the engine if the battery is frozen. Let the battery thaw first.
X Jump-starting may only be performed from batterie swithanominal voltage of 12 V.
X Only use jum pleads which have asufficient cross-section and insulated terminal clamps.
X Make sure that the jump leads cannot come into contact with parts, such as the pulley or
the fan. Thes eparts move when the engine is started and while it is running.
X If the battery is fully discharged ,leave the batter ythat is being used to jump-star tconnected
for afew minutes befor eattempting to start. This charges the empty battery alittle.
i Jump leads and further information about jump-startin gcan be obtained from any
Mercedes-Ben zService Centre, for example.
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not touch.
X Secure the vehicle by applying the electric parking brake.
X Shif tthe transmission to position P.
X Tur nthe key to position 0(Y page 139) in the ignition lock and remove it. On vehicles with
KEYL ESS-GO ,make sure the ignition is switched off (Y page 139). All indicator lamps in the
instrumen tcluster must be off.
24 Only vehicles with apetrol engine.
25 Only vehicles with apetrol engine. 348
Jump-startingBreakdown assistance

X
Switch off al lelec trical consumers (e.g. radio ,blow er, etc.).
X Ope nthe bonnet (Y page 318). Position number
Bidentifies the charged battery of the other vehicle or an equivalent jump-
startin gdevice.
X Slide cover :of positiv eterminal ;in the direction of the arrow.
X Connect positiv eterminal ;on your vehicle to positiv eterminal =of donor battery B
using the jum plead, beginning with your own battery.
X Start the engine of the donor vehicle and run it at idling speed.
X Connect negative terminal ?of donor battery Bto eart hpoint Aof your vehicle using
the jum plead, connectin gthe jum plead to donor battery Bfirst.
X Start the engine.
X Allow the engine to run for afew minutes befor edisconnecting the jump lead.
X First, remov ethe jum plead from eart hpoint Aand negative terminal ?,then from positive
terminal ;and positive terminal =,each time disconnecting from the contacts on your
own vehicle first.
X After removing the jump lead, close cover :on positive terminal ;.
X Have the battery checked at aqualified specialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Cent re.T he jump-star ting procedure is not astandard operatin gstate; therefore, have the
battery checked. Towing and tow-starting
Important safet
ynotes
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing. G
WARNING
If you tow the vehicle, you must use arigid
towing bar if: Towing and tow-starting
349Breakdown assis tance
Z

R
the engine is not running.
R there is abrake syst emmalfunction.
R there isam alfunction in the power supply
or the vehicle' selectrical system.
The power assistance for the steering and the
brake forc ebooster do not work when the
engin eisnot running. You will need more
force to steer and brake, you may have to
depress the brake pedal with maximu mforce.
Before towin gaway ,make sure that the steer-
ing can be moved and is not locked.
If you tow or tow-star tanothe rvehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximu mper-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle. G
WARNING
The vehicle is braked when the HOL Dfunction
or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. Therefore,
deactivate HOLD and DISTRONIC PLUS if the
vehicle is to be towed.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
! You may tow the vehicle for amaximum
of 50 km. Atowing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.
For towin gdistances over 50 km, the entire
vehicle must be lifted up and transported.
! Make sure that the electric parkin gbrake
is released. If th eelectric parkin gbrake is
faulty, visit aqualified specialist workshop.
! Only secure the tow rope or towing bar to
the towing eyes. The vehicle may otherwise
be damaged.
! Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
as this could damage the vehicle. If in
doubt, recover the vehicle with acrane.
! When towing, pull awa yslowly and
smoothly. If the trac tivepower is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
! To tow vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use
the key instead of the Star t/Stop button.
Th ea utomatic transmission may otherwise switch to position
Pwhen you open the
driver' sorfront-passenger door which
could damag ethe transmission.
! Vehicles with differential locks: make
sur ethe differential lock sare in automatic
mode. Th edifferential locks must not be
switched on by hand when towing the vehi-
cle. The transmission may otherwise be
damaged.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission dam-
age, have it transported on atransporter or
trailer.
Th ea utomatic transmission must be in posi-
tion Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Before the vehicle is towed, switch off the
automatic locking feature (Y page 249).
You could otherwis ebelockedout when
pushing or towing the vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
(Y page 69) before the vehicle is towed. Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eye Vehicles with
atrailer to whitch: if you intend
to use the vehicle for towing, fold out the ball
coupling and connect the towbar to it
(Y page 228).
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 333).
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear ,under the covers. 350
Towing and tow-startingBreakdow
nassistance

X
To ope nthe cove ratthe front: press the
mark on cover :inw ards in the direction
of the arrow.
X To open the cover at the rear: insert a
flat ,blunt object into the cutout and lever
cover ;out of the bumper.
X Take cover :or; off the opening.
X Screw the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Removin gthe tow inge ye X
Loose nthe towing eye and unscrew it.
X Attach cover :or; to the bumper and
press until it engages.
X Plac ethe towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing th
evehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is importan tthat you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 349). G
WARNING
The power assistanc efor the steering and the
brake force booster do not work when the
engin eisnot running. You will then need much mor
eeffort to brak eand stee rthe vehi-
cle. Adap tyour style of driving accordingly.
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the key from the ignition lock. In order to
ensur ethat the automatic transmission stays
in position Nwhen towing the vehicle, you
must observe the followin gpoints:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationar yand
that the key in the ignition lock is in position
0.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key
instead of the Start/Stop button
(Y pag e139).
X Depres sand hol dthe brake pedal.
X Shif tthe automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parkin gbrake.
X Switch on th ehazard warning lamps
(Y page 109).
X Leave the key in position 2in the ignition
lock.
i When towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usua ltosignal achange of direc-
tion .Int his case ,only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash .When the com-
bination switc hisreset, the hazar dwarning
lamps start flashing again. Transporting the vehicle
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto atrailer or trans-
porter if yo uwish to transport it.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N. Towing and tow-starting
351Breakdownassis tance Z

As soon as th
evehicle is loaded:
X Preven tthe vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parkin gbrake.
X Shift th eautomatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Turn the key in the ignition lock to position
0 and remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X Secure the vehicle.
! Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could be damaged. Notes for 4MATIC vehicles
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it trans-
ported on atransporter or trailer.
In the even tofdamage to the ele ctrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in position P.To
shif tthe automatic transmission to position
N,y ou must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-startin g(Ypage 348).
Hav ethe vehicle transported on atransporter
or trailer. Recovering
avehicle that ha sbecome
stuck
! When recovering atrapped vehicle ,donot
je rk the vehicle or pull it at an angle. If the
tractive powe rist oo high, th evehicles
could be damaged.
If th edrive wheels ge ttrapped on loose or
muddy ground, recover th evehicle with the
utmost care, especially so if the vehicle is
laden. Never attempt to recover
avehicle with a
trailer atta ched.
Pull out the vehicle backwards, if possible,
using the tracks it made when it became
stuck. Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-star ted. The tra nsmission
ma yotherwise be damaged. Electrical fuses
Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
Only use fuses that have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which have the
correct fuse ratin gfor the system scon-
cer ned. Do not attempt to repair or bridge
faulty fuses. Usin gfuses which have not been
approved or attempting to repair or bridge
faulty fuses could cause the fuse to be over-
loaded and result in afire. Have the cause
traced and rectified at aqualified specialist
workshop.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If afuse blows, all the compo-
nen tson the ci rcuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognise by
the colour and fuse rating. The fuse ratings
are listed in the fuse allocation chart.
If the newly inser tedf use also blows ,have the
cause traced and rectified at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz
Servic eCentre.
! Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles and which
have the cor rect fuse rating for the system
concerned. For the fuse boxes in the engine
compartment and unde rthe rea rbench 352
Electrical fusesBreak
down assistance

seat
,only use fuses with the suffix "S".
Components or systems could otherwise
be damaged. Before changin
gafuse
X Park th evehicle and apply the electric park-
ing brake.
X Switch off all electrical consumers.
X Remov ethe key from the ignition lock.
The fuses ar elocated in variou sfuse boxes:
R fuse box on the front-passenger side of the
dashboard
R fuse box in the engine compartment on the
right-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
R fuse box under the rear bench seat
The fuse allocation chart is located in the fuse
box (Y page 353 )under the rear bench seat. Dashboard fuse box
! Do not use apointed objec tsuch as a
screwdriver to open the cover in the dash-
board. You could damage the dashboard or
the cover. X
To open: pull cover :outwards in the
direction of the arrow and remove it.
X To close: clip in cover :on the front of
the dashboard.
X Fold cover :inwards until it engages. Fuse box in the engin
ecompar tment
X Open the bonnet (Y page 318). X
Remove any existing moisture from the
fuse box using adry cloth.
X To open: open clamps ;.
X Fol dc over :upwards in the direction of
the arrow and remove it.
! Make sure that no moistur ecan enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
X To close: check whethe rthe seal is lying
correc tlyinc over:.
X Insert cover :at the side of the fuse box
int ot he retainer.
X Fold down cover :and close clamps ;.
! The cover must be fitted properly. Mois-
tur eord irt could otherwise impair the oper-
ation of the fuses.
X Close the bonnet (Y page 319). Fuse box under the rear benc
hseat
X Fold the right-hand rear bench seat
forwar d. Electrical fuses
353Breakdownassistance Z

X
To open: lift and fol doutcarpet :in the
direction of the arrow. X
Releas eclamps ;by pressing them in the
direction of the arrow.
X Fol dc over =up in the direction of the
arrow and remov eit.
i The fus ealloc ation chart is locate dunder
cover =.
! Make sure tha tnomoisturecan enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
X To close: insert cover =at the side of the
fuse box into the retainer.
X Fold down cover =until clamps ;engage
audibly.
X Fold the right-hand rear bench seat back. . 354
Electrical fusesBreakdown assistance

Usefu
linfor mation ............................ 356
Important safet ynotes .................... 356
Operation ........................................... 356
Winter oper ation ............................... 357
Ty re pressure .................................... 359
Changing awheel ............................. 363
Wheel and ty recombinations ..........364 355Wheels and
tyres

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 G
WARNING
Tyres, wheels or accessories whic hhaven ot
been approved by Mercedes- Benz foryour
vehicle or are not used as they should be, can
impair driving safety. As aresult, you could
cause an accident .Befor epurchasing and
using them, enquire about their suitability,
legal stipulations and factory recommenda-
tions at aMercedes-Benz Ser vice Centre.
Modificatio nwork on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted, nor is the use of
spacer plate sorbrake dust shields. This inva-
lidates th eGeneral Operatin gPermit for the
vehicle.
i Further information about tyres and
wheels can be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Ser vice Centre. Oper
ation Notes on driving
R While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteris-
tics ,e.g. pulling to one side. This may indi-
cate that the wheels or tyres are damaged.
If you suspect that atyre is defective,
reduce your speed immediately. Stop the vehicle as soo
naspossible to chec kthe
wheels and tyres for damage. Hidden tyre
damage could also be causing the unusual
handling characteristics. If you fin dno
signs of damage, hav ethe wheels and tyres
examined at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Cent re.
R When parkin gyour vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar eleva-
tions, tr ytodosos lowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, the tyres, particularly the
sidewalls, can get damaged. Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tyres
R Regularly chec kthe wheels and tyres of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts, punctu-
res, tears, bulges on tyres and deformation,
crack sorseverecorrosion on wheels), at
least ever y14d ays, as well as after driving
off-road or on rough roads. Damaged
wheels can cause aloss of tyr epressure.
R Regu larly check th etyre tread depth and
the conditio nofthe tread across the whole
widt hofthe tyr e(Ypage 357). If neces-
sary, tur nthe front wheels to full lock in
orde rtoi nspect the inner sid eofthe tyre
surface.
R All wheels must hav eavalve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
fit anything onto the valve (such as tyre
pressure monitorin gsystems) othe rthan
the standar dvalve cap or other valve caps
approved by Mercedes-Ben zfor your vehi-
cle.
R Regularly chec kthe pressur eofall the tyres
including the emergenc yspare wheel or the
spare wheel, particularly prior to long trips,
and correc tthe pressur easnecessary
(Y page 359). 356
OperationWheels and tyres

Tyre tread
G
WARNING
Bea rinm ind that:
R tyre gri pdecrease srapidly on wetroads
when the tread depth is less than 3mm.
Thus ,you should repl acet yres that have
insufficient tread.
R winter tyres sho uld bereplaced when the
trea ddepth is 4mmorl ess as they no lon-
ger provide adequat egrip.
R thet rea donat yre may not wear evenly.
Thus ,you should regularly chec kthe tread
depth and the condition of the tread across
the entire widt hofall tyres. If necessary,
turn the fron twheels to full lock in order to
inspec tthe tyr etrea dm ore easily.
Otherwise, you coul dlose control of the vehi-
cle and cause an accident due to the reduced
grip of the tyres on the road. Note
sons electing, fitting and replac-
ing tyres
R Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R After fittin gnew tyres, run them in at mod-
erat espeeds for the first 10 0km, as they
onl yreach their ful lperformanc eafter this
distance.
R Do not drive wit htyres which have too little
tread depth ,asthis significantly reduces
the traction on wet roads (aquaplaning).
R Replace the tyres after six year satthe lat-
est, regardless of wear .This also applies to
the emergency spar ewheel/spar ewheel. MOExtended ty
res( tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) allo wyou to continue drivin gthe vehicle even when one or mor
etyres los eall
air pressure.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in con-
junction with the tyre pressure loss warning
system or with the tyre pressure monitor and
on wheels specifically tested by Mercedes-
Benz.
i Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with aTIREFIT kit at th efactory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with the TIREFIT
kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-
flat properties, e.g. winter tyres. ATIREFIT
kit can be obtaine dfrom aMercedes-Benz
Ser vice Centre.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tyres in
the event of aflat tyre can be found in the
"Breakdown assistance" section
(Y page 342). Winter operation
Points to remember
At the onset of winter ,have your vehicle win-
terproofed at aqualified specialist workshop,
e.g. at aMercedes-Ben zService Cent re.
Observe the notes in the "Changin gawheel"
section (Y page 363). Drivin
gwith summer ty res
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres
los ee lasticit yand therefore traction and
braking power; chang ethe tyres on your vehi-
cle to M+S tyres .Using summer tyres at very
cold temperatures could cause tears to form,
thereby damagin gthe tyres permanently.
Mercedes-Ben zcannot accept responsibility
for this type of damage. Winter operation
357Wheels andtyres Z