2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS55AMG steering

236 Controls in detailDriving systemsDriving with Distronic
This section describes a number of driving
situations where special precaution is
required on the part of the driver. Be pre-
pared to brake in such situations. This will
deactivate the Distronic system.The most likely cause for a malfunctioning
system is a dirty sensor (located behind
the hood grille), especially at times of snow
and ice or heavy rain. In such a case,
Distronic will switch off, and the message
Distronic
Currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualappears in the multifunction display.
For cleaning and care of the Distronic sen-
sor, see “Cleaning the Distronic system
sensor” (
page 346).
Warning!
G
Distronic works to maintain the speed se-
lected by the driver unless a moving obsta-
cle proceeding directly ahead of it in the
same travel direction is detected (e.g. fol-
lowing another vehicle ahead of you at a dis-
tance set by Distronic). This means that:

Your vehicle can pass another vehicle
after you change lanes.


While in a sharp turn or if the vehicle in
front is in a sharp turn, Distronic could
lose sight of a vehicle traveling in front
of it, then your vehicle could accelerate
to the previously selected speed.
Distronic regulates only the distance be-
tween your vehicle and those directly ahead
of it, but does not register stationary objects
in the road, e.g.:

a stopped vehicle in a traffic jam


a disabled vehicle


an oncoming vehicle
The driver must always be on the alert,
observe all traffic and intercede as required
by steering or braking the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Distronic should not be used in snowy or icy
road conditions.
iIf the message Distronic
Currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualdisappears during driving and the last
speed stored flashes for approximately
5 seconds, the dirt (e.g. slush) has dis-
solved; Distronic works again.

261 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls
using thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 172).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System) if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the ¡button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

262 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the COMAND System or on the multi-
function steering wheel. To raise, turn the
rotary volume control on COMAND System
clockwise or press buttonæ on the
multifunction steering wheel. To lower,
turn the rotary volume control on
COMAND System control counterclock-
wise or press buttonç on the multi-
function steering wheel.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.iThe SOS button is located in the over-
head control panel (
page 264).
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest cover
(
page 252).
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

266 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance Man-
ual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately
10 seconds during the system
self-check after switching on the igni-
tion (together with the SOS button and
the Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 263) if
the indicator lamp does not come on in
red or stays on longer than
approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• is flashing
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network was not available). The
message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be
terminated using thet button on
the multifunction steering wheel or the
END Button on the COMAND System.

268 Controls in detailUseful features
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are
active, an Emergency call is still possible.
In this case, the Emergency call will take
priority and override all other active calls. Information calls can be terminated
using thet button on the multi-
function steering wheel or the END But-
ton on the COMAND System.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
malfunction or the service is not
currently active, and may not initiate a
call. Visit your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center and have the
system checked or contact the Re-
sponse Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in
the USA) or 1-888-923-8367 (in Cana-
da) as soon as possible.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Emergency calls can only be termi-
nated by a Response Center or
Customer Assistance Center represen-
tative, whereas Roadside Assistance
and Information calls can also be termi-
nated by pressing buttont on the
multifunction steering wheel or using
the END button on the COMAND Sys-
tem.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash
or the system does not reset, contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or
Customer Service at 1-800-387-0100
in Canada.

280 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake
system operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 354) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 363) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and
depress the pedal much further to obtain
the expected braking effect. If necessary,
apply full pressure to the brake pedal.
Brakes may only be applied to the front
wheels. Stopping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be transported with
all wheels off the ground using flatbed or ap-
propriate wheel lift/dolly equipment. A tow
bar must be used if circumstances do not
permit the use of the recommended towing
methods and the vehicle requires towing
with all four wheels on the ground. Towing
the vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground is only permissible for distances up
to 30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 437). For more information, see
“Electro-hydraulic brake system”
(page 89).
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
vehicle.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.

285 Operation
Driving instructions
CLS 500
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“V”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of up to 149 mph (240 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
CLS 500 (Sport Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of up to 186 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
CLS 55 AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of up to 186 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).CLS 55 AMG (Performance Package*)
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of up to 186 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
186 mph (300 km/h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
iFor information on speed rating for
winter tires, see “Winter driving”
(page 336).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 324).
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 337).

295 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the multi-
function display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
The standard display (
page 147) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press buttonk or j, on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
following message is seen in the multi-
function display:One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the multifunc-
tion display:


Engine oil level ok


Add 1.0 Qt.to reach max. oil level
(Canada:
1.0 Liter
)


Add 1.5 Qts.
to reach max. oil level
to reach
max. oil level
(Canada:
1.5 Liters
)


Add 2.0 Qts.
to reach max. oil level
to reach
max. oil level
(Canada:
2.0 Liters
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 296).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 461) and
(
page 464).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button* is not in position2, the following
message will appear:
Switch on ignition
to check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
If you see the message:
Observe waiting period
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.