Vehicle Level Control - Mercedes-Benz 2009 M-Class Operator's Manual

The vehicle is raised approximately 0.28 in
(7 mm).
X
Start the engine.
X
Press ADS switch repeatedly until the
1
desired suspension tuning is reached.
The setting remains stored when you turn off
the engine.

Vehicle level control

Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to increase vehicle safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The vehicle automatically regulates its ride
height based on the set vehicle height and the
current speed:
As your driving speed increases, the vehicle
R
is lowered by increments until it reaches
highspeed level.
Vehicles with ADS: If you are driving with
R
the ADS setting COMF or AUTO, the
vehicle is raised back to highway level as
your driving speed decreases.
Vehicles with ADS: You can select the
R
highspeed level via the ADS setting
SPORT. In ADS SPORT, the vehicle is
lowered directly to highspeed level as your
driving speed increases.
The vehicle begins adjusting to the set vehicle
level as soon as the doors or tailgate are
unlocked or opened or closed with the vehicle
unlocked.
In order to operate the vehicle level control
Y
switch ( page 172), however, the engine
must be running.
G Warning!
Make sure no one is near the wheel housing
or under the vehicle when you lower the
vehicle while it is standing still. Limbs could
become wedged into or under the vehicle.
For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be
lowered with all doors and the tailgate
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door or
the tailgate is opened and will continue
after the door is closed again.
G Warning!
Please be aware that by raising the vehicle
level, the center of gravity also rises.
Therefore, always ensure that the vehicle
level is as low as possible. With higher ride
®
height the ESP may activate earlier in
certain situations.
Controls in detail
Driving systems
Adapt your speed and driving to possible
changed driving behavior of the vehicle
after changing the vehicle level. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed. The ESP
cannot prevent the natural laws of physics
from acting on the vehicle.
! Keep in mind that in rough or uneven
terrain, adjusting the vehicle to a lower
level may cause the vehicle underbody to
come in contact with the ground and result
in damage to the vehicle underbody.
Always make sure the vehicle has sufficient
ground clearance before adjusting it to a
lower level.
! Before jacking up the vehicle with
equipment that lifts one or more of the
wheels completely off of the ground,
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
For information on off-road driving, see "Off-
road driving" ( Y page 275).
®
®
Z
171