384 Practical hintsReplacing wiper bladesWiper blades in vertical position
Removing wiper blades
Turn SmartKey in starter switch to
position1.
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 54).
With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.
Fold the wiper arm forward until it
snaps into place.
Turn the wiper blade at a right angle to
wiper arm (arrow 1).
Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer in the direction of
arrow2.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.
386 Practical hintsFlat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Turn off the engine (
page 59).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* button on the gear se-
lector lever once (
page 59).
Open the driver’s door (this puts the
starter switch in position0, same as
with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch). The driver’s door then
can be closed again.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Warning!
G
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure.
The spare wheel rim is for temporary use
only. Use for over a total of 12 000 miles
(20 000 km) (aggregate of all uses) may
cause wheel rim failure leading to an acci-
dent and possible injuries.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily and replaced with a regular road wheel
as quickly as possible.
Additional information for CL 55 AMG,
CL 65 AMG and vehicles with
Sport Package:
The dimensions of the spare wheel are dif-
ferent from those of the road wheels. As a
result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a mounted spare
wheel. Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted, do
not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
391 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the trunk under
the right hand wheel well cover panel.
1Battery cover
2Locking knob
Rotate and loosen locking knob2 ap-
prox. one-half turn.
Remove battery cover1.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
further information.Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 35) on the gear selector
lever will have no effect
the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP
396 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment. This method is pref-
erable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 87) and the automatic central
locking (
page 162).
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1). Otherwise, the ESP
® will immedi-
ately be engaged and will apply the rear
wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN and the SmartKey
must be in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
397 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drivetrain, however, we
recommend the drive shaft be discon-
nected at the rear axle drive flange for
any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage. Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch posi-
tion 0 for an extended period of time, it can
no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iThe gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP and the SmartKey
will not turn in the starter switch if the
battery is disconnected or discharged.
See information on the battery
(page 391) or on jump starting
(page 394).
iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combina-
tion switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
398 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
1Cover on right side of front bumper
2Cover on right side of rear bumperRemoving cover
Press mark on cover in the direction of
arrow.
Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for the towing eye bolt.
Installing towing eye bolt
Take towing eye bolt and wheel wrench
out of trunk (
page 370).
Screw towing eye bolt clockwise into
its stop and tighten with wheel wrench.
Removing towing eye bolt
Loosen towing eye bolt counterclock-
wise with wheel wrench.
Unscrew towing eye bolt.
Store towing eye bolt and wheel
wrench in trunk.
Installing cover
Fit cover and snap into place.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35) in
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
left front wheel as well as the right rear
wheel are turning at vehicle speeds of
approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(
page 87).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 162).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
429 Technical terms
ESP
®(Electronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem’s threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates en-
gine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
maintenance service, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 309)Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs DVD digital maps for
navigation.
GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
(
page 309)
GVWR
(Gross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 310)
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 310)
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Locking knob
Knob on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the locking knob down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
431 Technical terms
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:
Engine
Clutch/torque converter
Transmission
Transfer case
Drive shaft
Differential
Axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 310)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
comfort operationC.
CL 55 AMG and CL 65 AMG with steer-
ing wheel gearshift control and manual
shift program: in addition toS andC
(see above), you can useM for manual
operation
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 310)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 310)
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, air bags
and child restraint systems. As inde-
pendent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.
Rim
(
page 310)
RON
(Research O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the transmission selector le-
ver from being inadvertently moved out
of positionP without the SmartKey
turned and the brake pedal depressed.