2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 suspension

58 Getting startedParking and lockingYou have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.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.Warning!
G
If you have selected the Comfort suspension
tuning (
page 238), the vehicle lowers
slightly when it is locked. You should there-
fore make sure that no one is standing near
the wheel arches or lying underneath the ve-
hicle when it is being locked. Otherwise,
personal injury could result.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start/stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.!If you have selected the Comfort sus-
pension tuning Comfort suspension
tuning (
page 238), the vehicle lowers
slightly when you lock it within approx-
imately 60 seconds after switching off
the engine. When parking, make sure
that your vehicle cannot come into con-
tact with other objects, such as a curb,
while lowering. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.

238 Controls in detailDriving systemsNarrow vehicles
Because of their narrow profile, the vehi-
cles traveling near the outer edges of the
lane have not yet been detected by
Distronic. There will be insufficient dis-
tance to the vehicles ahead.
Airmatic DC (Dual Control)
Airmatic automatically selects the opti-
mum suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. The Airmatic consists of two
components:

Adaptive Damping System (ADS)


Vehicle level control
The ADS automatically selects the opti-
mum damping for the respective driving
conditions. At the same time the suspen-
sion is set to either Sport 1, Sport 2 or
Comfort.
Suspension tuning
The suspension tuning is set according to:


Your driving style


Road surface conditions


Your choice of suspension style,
Sport 1, Sport 2 or Comfort, which you
select using the damping button.The following suspension styles are avail-
able:


Comfort
Both indicator lamps2 are off.


Sport 1
One indicator lamp2 is on.


Sport 2
Both indicator lamps2 are on.
1Damping button
2Indicator lamps

239 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Start the engine (
page 49).

Press the damping button1 until the
desired suspension style is set.Vehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to


increase vehicle safety


reduce fuel consumption
The following vehicle chassis ride heights
can be selected:


Normal


Raised
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:


At a speed exceeding approximately
68 mph (110 km / h) with normal level
set or exceeding 75 mph (120 km / h)
with raised level set, the ride height is
reduced automatically. The table on
the next page provides an overview of
the vehicle levels.


With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the normal level.
Select the raised level only when required
by current driving conditions. Otherwise


handling may be impaired


fuel consumption may increase
!If you have selected the Comfort sus-
pension tuning (
page 238), the vehi-
cle lowers slightly when you lock it
within approximately 60 seconds after
switching off the engine. When parking,
make sure that your vehicle cannot
come into contact with other objects,
such as a curb, while lowering. Your ve-
hicle could otherwise be damaged.
iThe selected suspension style is stored
in memory, even after the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.
iThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.

240 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe following vehicle level settings can be
selected when the vehicle is stationary and
the engine is running:Vehicle level
when stationary
Indicator lamp
(page 241)
Suspension
tuning
Use for
Ride height increase
over normal
Automatic lowering
Normal
Lamp off
Comfort
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.4 in (10 mm)
Normal
Lamp off
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on normal
roads
None
Max. approx. 0.6 in (15 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Comfort
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.2 in (30 mm)
Raised
Lamp on
Sport 1 or 2
For driving on rough
roads or with snow
chains
Approx. 0.8 in (20 mm)
Max. approx. 1.4 in (35 mm)

301 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for information on tested and recommend-
ed rims and tires for summer and winter
operation. They can also offer advice con-
cerning tire service and purchase.
Important guidelines

Only use sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can
cause tire inflation pressure loss and
damage to the tire beads.


If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
inflation pressure and correct as re-
quired.


Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are
mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension compo-
nents can be damaged


The correct operating clearance of the
wheels and the tires are no longer guar-
anteed
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use Genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can re-
sult in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on re-
treads. Mercedes-Benz can therefore not
assure the operating safety of the vehicle
when such tires are used.

437 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle 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.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.!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 (if
equipped) and the automatic central
locking
!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).
!To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drive train, 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.

439 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Front of vehicle
1Cover on right side of front bumper
To remove cover:
Press mark on cover in direction of ar-
row.

Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
!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 in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (if
equipped) (
page 95).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (page 122).
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.
iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the SmartKey will not
turn in the starter switch if the battery
is disconnected or discharged. For
more information see “Battery”
(page 431) or “Jump starting”
(page 435).
Manual unlocking of the transmission
selector lever (
page 404).


471 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 332)
ADS
(Adaptive D
amping S
ystem)
Automatically adapts the optimum sus-
pension damping to prevailing driving
conditions.
Air pressure
(
page 332)Airmatic DC
(A
irmatic D
ual C
ontrol)
Automatically selects the optimum
suspension tuning and ride height for
your vehicle. Airmatic consists of two
components:


Adaptive Damping System


Vehicle level control
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
Aspect ratio
(
page 332)BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front air bag when such
a seat is properly installed (the
57indicator lamp in the
center console comes on and remains
illuminated).
BabySmartTM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front air bag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed. See
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.