brakes MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV 2011 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2011, Model line: M-CLASS SUV, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV 2011Pages: 389, PDF Size: 9.22 MB
Page 9 of 389
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) .................................................... 62
Battery (key) Checking .......................................... 74
Important safety notes ....................74
Replacing ......................................... 75
Battery (v ehicle)
Charging ........................................ 347
Connectin g.................................... 346
Disconnecting ................................ 346
Display message ............................ 267
Important safety notes ..................343
Jump starting ................................. 348
Location ......................................... 344
Removing/fittin g........................... 346
Belt
seeS eat belt
Belt force limiters (activation) ...........41
Bel ttensioner
Activation ......................................... 41
Function .......................................... .49
Blind Spo tAssist
Activating/deactiva ting ................. 245
Display message ............................ 274
Notes/function .............................. 208
Traile rtowing ................................. 210
se eA ctive Blind Spo tAssist
BlueTEC
Topping up AdBlue ®
...... ................. 157
BlueTE C(AdBlue ®
) ............................. 374
Bon net
Active bonne t(pedestrian protec-
tion) ............................................... 318
Closing ........................................... 319
Display message ............................ 281
Opening ......................................... 318
Boot
seeT ailgate
Brak eAssist System
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Display message ............................ 259
Note s............................................. 376
Brake lamps
Ada ptive .......................................... .63
Changin gbulbs .............................. 116
Display message ............................ 263Brakes
ABS .................................................. 61
BAS .................................................. 62
BAS PLUS ........................................ 62
Brake fluid (notes )......................... 376
Display message ............................ 254
Driving tip s.................................... 162
Important safety notes ..................162
Warn ingl am p................................. 285
Breakdown
seeF lat tyre
see Towing away
Bulbs
see Changing bulbs C
Callin gupaf ault
se eD isplay messages
Capacities
see Technical data
Car
see Vehicle
Care
Automatic car was h....................... 324
Carpets .......................................... 330
Display ........................................... 328
Exterio rlighting ............................. 327
Gea rors electo rlever .................... 329
High-pressure cle aner ...... .............. 325
Matt paintwork .............................. 326
Nig htVie wA ssist Plus ................... 328
Note s............................................. 324
Pa int. ............................................. 326
Pl ast ic trim .................................... 329
Revers ingc amera .......................... 327
Roo flining ...................................... 330
Seat bel t........................................ 330
Sea tcover ..................................... 329
Sensors ......................................... 327
Steering wh eel............................... 329
Tri mp ieces .................................... 329
Washing by hand ........................... 325
Wheels ........................................... 325
Windows ........................................ 326
Wi perb lades .................................. 327
Wooden trim .................................. 3296
Index
Page 35 of 389
Warnin
gand indicator lamps Fun
ction Page
:
Dipped-bea
mheadlamps 107
;
ESP
® 288
=
Main-beam headlamps 108
?
Electric parkin
gbrake (red) 285
A
Electric parking brake (yel-
low)
285
B
Brakes (yellow) 285
C
Distance warning signal 293
D
Turn signal 108
E
Tyre pressure moni
tor 293
F
SRS
290 Function Page
G
Sea
tbelt 284
H
Diesel engine: preglow 140
I
Coolant 291
J
Rear foglamp 107
K
Engine diagnostics 290
L
Reserv
efuel 291
M
ESP
®
OFF 288
N
ABS 286
O
Brakes (red) 28532
Instrument clusterAt
ag lance
Page 65 of 389
Off-road ABS
An AB
Ssystem specifically suited to off -road
ter rain is activated automatically once th eoff-
road program (Y page 222) is activated.
At speeds below 30 km/h, the front wheels
loc kc yclically durin gbraking .The digging-in
eff ect ac hieved in the process red ucesthe
stopping distanc eonoff-road terrain. This
limits steering capability. BAS (Brak
eAssist)
i Observ ethe "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usua lonce you
releas ethe brake pedal. BA Sisd eactivated. G
WARNING
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with ful lbrake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and th estopping distance may
increase. BAS PLU
S(Brak eAssist System Plus)
BA SP LUS is only availabl eonvehicles with
DI ST RONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
BAS PLUS assists you in braking during haz-
ardous situations at speeds above 30 km/h
and uses the radar sensor syste mtoevaluate
the traffic situation.
With the hel pofthe radar sensor system ,BAS
PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the path of your vehicl
efor an exte nded period of
time.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h ,BAS
PLUS may also detect stationary obstacles,
for example ,stopped or parked vehicles.
Shoul dyou approach an obstacle and BAS
PLU Shas detected arisk of collision, BAS
PLU Scalculates the braking force necessary
to avoid arear-end collision .Should you apply
the brakes forcefully ,BAS PLUS can auto-
matically increase the braking force to alevel
suitabl efor the traffic conditions.
If BA SPLUS demand sparticularly high brak-
ing force, preventative passenger protection
measures (PRE-SAFE ®
)a re activate dsimul-
taneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergenc ybraking situatio nisover.
ABS prevent sthe wheels from locking.
The brakes will wor knormally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R ther eisnol onger any danger of arear-end
collision.
R no obstacl eisdetected in front of your
vehicle.
BAS PLU Sisthen deactivated .Ifyou have
activated DSR (Y page 220), BASPLUS is
likewise deactivated.
Th er adar senso rsystem is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities in the following vehicles:
R vehicles with COMAND Online and naviga-
tion
R vehicles with Audio 20 and Becker ®
MAP
PILOT
Becker ®
MAP PILOT must be connected;
see the separate Audio 20 operating
instructions. 62
Driving safety systemsSafety
Page 66 of 389
The radar sensor system must be switched off
using the on-boar
dcomputer in the vicinit yof
radio telescop efacilities in the following vehi-
cles:
R vehicles without COMAND Online and nav-
igation
R vehicles without Audio 20 and Becker ®
MAP PILOT
R vehicles for Australia
Information about switching off the rad ar sen-
so rs ystem using the on-board computer can
be found in the "On-board computer and dis-
plays “section (Y page 249).
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
rada rsensor system must be switched on and
operational; see "Radar sensor system "inthe
index. G
WARNING
BA SP LUS cannot alway sclearly identify
objects and complex traf fics ituations. BAS
PLU Scannot interven einthese cases.
There is arisk of an accident. Always pay
careful attention to the traf fics ituation and be
ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if ther eis:
R dir tont he sensor soranything els ecover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heav yrain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example in multi-storey car parks
R an arrow vehicle travellin ginfront, e.g .a
motorbike
R av ehicle travellin ginfront on adifferent
line G
WAR
NING
BAS PLUS doe snot react:
R to people or animals
R to oncomin gvehicles
R to crossin gtraffic
R when cornering As
aresult, BAS PLU Smay not interven ein
critical situatio ns.T here is arisk of an acci-
dent .Always pay careful attention to the traf-
fic situation and be ready to brake.
Followin gdamage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensors checked at aqualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applie stocolli-
sion sats low speeds where ther eisnovisible
damage to the fron tofthe vehi cle.
If BA SPLUS is no tavailable du etoam alfunc-
tion in the rada rsensor system ,the brake
system remain savailable wit hfull brake
boostin geffect and BAS. Adaptiv
ebrak elamps
i Adapti vebrak elamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from aspeed of more
than 50 km/ horifb raking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, th ebrake lamp sflas hrapidly.
In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from aspee dofm ore
than 70 km/h to astandsti ll,t he hazard warn-
ing lam psare activated automatically .Ifthe
brakes ar eapplied again, the brak elamps
light up continuously .The hazard warning
lamps switc hoff automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h .You can also switc hoff
th eh azard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button (Y page 109). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes i
See the "Importan tsafety notes" section
(Y page 61).
If ESP ®
detect sthat the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver ,one
or more wheels are braked to stabilis ethe
vehicle. If necessary, the engin eoutput is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired Driving safety systems
63Safety Z
Page 67 of 389
course withi
nphysical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can als ostabilise the vehi-
cle durin gbraking.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashe sinthe instrumen tcluster. G
WAR
NING
If the ÷ warnin glamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivat eESP®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessar ywhen pulling away.
R adapt your drivin gstyle to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into askid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Only operate the vehicl efor am aximum
of ten seconds on abrake dynamometer.
Switch off th eignition.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
ma yoth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Function or performanc etest sm ay only
be performed on a2-axle dynamometer. If
you wis htooperatethe vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult aMercedes-
Benz Servic eCentr ebeforehand. You could
otherwise damage the driv etrain or the
brake system.
i Only us ewheels with the recommended
tyr es izes. Only then will ESP ®
func tion
properly.
4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observ ethe "Importan tsafety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
Traction control is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
viduall yifthey spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slipper ysurfaces, for example if the road surface is slippery on one
side .Ina ddition, mor edrive torqu eistrans-
ferre dtot he wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction con trol remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
.
X In appropriate drivin gsituations, activate
the off- road program (Y page 222). G
WARNING
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem)
A4 ETS syste mspecifically suited to off -road
ter rain is activated automatically onc ethe off-
roa ddrive progra m(Ypage 22 2)is activated.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 61).
ESP ®
is activate dautomaticall ywhen the
engin eisstarted.
i Vehicle swith ECO start/stop func tion:
the ECO start/stop func tion switches the
engin eoff automatically when th evehicle
comes to astop. The engine starts auto-
matically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously
selected status .Example: if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated
whe nthe engin eisswitched on again.
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 G
WARNING
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply .ESP ®
will
oth erwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle 64
Drivin
gsafety systemsSafety
Page 145 of 389
X
Take your foot off the brake pedal.
i Onc eyou have taken your foot off the
brake pedal, the vehicle is held for around
one second.
X Pull away.
Hill star tassist will not func tion if:
R you ar epulling away on alevel road or a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brak eisapplied.
R ESP ®
is malfunc tioning. ECO sta
rt/stop function
General notes The ECO start/stop func
tion switches the
engin eoff automatically if th evehicle stops
moving.
The engine star tsautomatically when you pull
away again. The ECO start/stop function
thereby helps you to reduce the fuel con-
sumption and emissions of your vehicle.
The ECO start/stop function is activated each
time the engine is switched on. The system is
operational when ECO symbol ¤is shown
in the multifunc tion display.
If the ECO star t/stop func tion is deactivated
(Y page 143), ECO symbol ¤is not
shown. G
WARNING
If the ECO symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion displa ywhen the engin eisswitched off,
the engine was switched off automatically.
However, all vehicle systems remain active. If
you open the door, unfasten your seat belt or
remove your foot from the brake pedal, the
engine will automatically start .The vehicle
ma ybegin moving. There is arisk of accident.
To prevent the vehicle from accidentally pull-
ing away, do not release the brake pedal until
you want to drive on. Do not leave the vehicle until you have
switched off the ignition and secured the vehi-
cle to prevent it from rolling away.
! Always switch the ignition off and take the
key with you when leaving the vehicle.
Automa tice ngine switch-off The ECO start/stop function switches the
engin
eoff automatically in certain situations.
To do this ,the vehicle must brake to astand-
still and the brakes must remain depressed
with the transmission in position Dor N.
The engine is only switched off if:
R the vehicle is at astandstill.
R the outside temperature is withi nthe range
that is suitable for the system.
R the engin eisatnormal operatin gtemper-
ature.
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
R the batter yissufficiently charged.
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the driver' sdoor is closed and the seat belt
is fastened.
i If you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop func tion is available
again onc ethe ¤ ECO symbol reap-
pear sint he multifunction display.
i The engin ecan be switched off automat-
ically amaximum of three times in succes-
sion. The automatic engine switch-off is
then available again after the ¤ECO
symbol appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i You can still activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary, even if the
engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic
stop phase .When you depress the accel- 142
DrivingDriving and parking
Page 146 of 389
erator pedal, the engin
estart sautomati-
cally and the brakin geffect of th eHOLD
function is deactivated. Depress the accel-
erator pedal carefully ,asthe engin emust
be started first.
Automatic engin estart The engi
neis started automatically if:
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R you release the brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N,w hen the HOL Dfunc-
tion is not active.
R the ECO start/stop function is deactivated
by pressing the ECO button.
R the vehicle start storoll.
R the driver's seat belt is removed or the driv-
er' sd oor is opened.
R you shift the transmission to position R.
R you switc htodrive program M.
R yo us witch to an off-road program.
R the brake system requires this.
R the system detect smoistur eont he wind-
screen when the air-conditionin gsystem is
switched on.
R the battery' scharge status is too low.
R the bonnet is opened.
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range.
i Shif ting the transmissio ntoposition P
does not star tthe engine.
Deactiva ting/activa ting th eECO start/
stop function X
To deactivate: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;and the ¤ECO sym-
bol in the multifunction display go out.
X To activate: press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up and the ¤
ECO symbol is shown in the multifunction
display.
If not all conditions are fulfilled, the ¤
ECO symbol is not shown in the multifunc-
tion display. If this is the case, the ECO
start/stop function is not available.
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of amalfunction. The engine will
then not be switched off automatically when
the vehicle stops.
i The ECO start/stop function is activated
each time the engine is switched on. Driving
143Drivingand parking Z
Page 151 of 389
A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmiss
ionto N
whil edriving. Otherwise, th eauto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No powe ristransmitte dfromt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wyou
to move the vehicl efreely, e.g .to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deacti vated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in dange rof
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you swit choff the engin eusing
the key or the Start/Stop but ton,
the automatic transmission shifts
to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Changin
ggear
The automatic transmission shift stothe indi-
vidual gear sautomatically when it is in trans-
missio nposition D.This automatic gearshift-
ing behaviour is determined by:
R ap ossible limitation of the shift range
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the roa dspeed Driving tips
Accelerator peda lposition Your style of drivin
ginfluences how the auto-
matic transmissio nshift sgear:
R littl ethrot tle: earl yupshifts
R mor ethrot tle: late upshifts
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximu
macceleration.
X Depress the accelerato rpedal beyond the
pressur epoint.
The transmission shift stoalower gear
depending on the engin espeed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Trailer towing X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2 (Y page 150) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, even if cruise control,
DISTRONIC PLU SorSPEEDTRONIC is acti-
vated. Progra
mselector button
General notes The program selector button allow
syou to
choose between differen tdriving character-
istics. 148
Automatic transmissionDri
ving and parking
Page 165 of 389
R
the seat belt is fastened.
R yo ud epress th eaccelerator pedal.
If the transmiss ioni sinp osition R,the boot
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened ,the following
con ditions mus tbefulfilled to automatically
release the electri cparking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R yo uh aves hifted out of transmissio nposi-
tion Por you have previousl ydrive nfaster
than 3km/h.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked durin
gan
emergenc yusingthe electric parking brake.
X While driving ,push handle :of the electric
parking brak e(Ypage 161).
i The vehicle is braked as lon gasyou keep
th eh andle of the elect ricp arking brake
pressed. The longer the elect ricp arking
brak ehandle is depressed, the greater the
brakin gforce.
During braking:
R aw arning tone sounds.
R the Releas eparking brake message
ap pe ars.
R the red !indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster flashes.
When the vehicl ehas been braked to astand-
still ,the electric parkin gbrake is engaged. Parkin
gupthe vehicle
If you le avet he vehicle parked up for longer
than fou rweeks, the batter ymay be damaged
by exhaustive discharge.
X Disconnect the battery ( Ypag e346) or
connect it to atrickl echarger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Ben zService
Centre. If you leave the vehic
leparked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehic lemay sufferd am-
age as aresult of lack of use.
X Visi taq ualifieds pecialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General driving tips
Coasting with the engine switched off G
WAR
NING
Never switch the engine off whil ethe vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assista ncef or the service
brake when the engin eisnot run ning.
You will require considerably more effort to
brake and you could therefore los econtrol of
the vehicle and cause an accident. Engine oil
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter:
If the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur durin gthe automa ticc leaning of the
diesel particle filter. This can lead to engine
damage. Therefore, if you frequently drive
short distances, make sure to drive on
motorways or countr yroads for 20 minutes
at least ever y500 km. Brakes
Important safe tynotes G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
brakin gonas lippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. 162
Drivin
gtipsDriving and parking
Page 166 of 389
G
WARNING
Make sure tha tother road user sare not
endang ered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing
atrailer,
yo um ust select shift range 1,2or 3in good
time.
i This als oapplies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
Never depress the brak epeda lconti nuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by apply ingc onstant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the brakin gdistance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately ,but
drive on for ashort while. This allow sthe air-
flo wtoc ool the brakes mor equickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surface If driving in heavy rain for
aprolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from th ebrake swhen brak-
ing for the first time. This ma yalso occur after
the vehicle has been washed. You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain
agreater distance from the
vehicl einfront.
After driving on awet road or havin gthe vehi-
cle washed, brake firml ywhile paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protectin gthem against corro-
sion.
Limited braking perfo rmance on salt-
treated roads G
WARNING
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause adelay in the
braking effect ,resultin ginas ignifican tlyl on-
ger brakin gdistance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
drivin gons alted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain agreater distance to th evehicle
ahead and driv ewith particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
New brake pads/linin gs G
WARNING
New brak epads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you shoul dcompensate
for the reduced brakin geffect by applying
greate rpressure when braking .This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings hav ebeen replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brak epads/linings Driving tips
163Drivingand parking Z