425 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 equipment
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 automatic central (
page 165)
locking.
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 brake sys-
tem
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 the starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock,
remove SmartKey from starter switch and
reinsert.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering system. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to steer the vehicle. Adapt your driv-
ing accordingly.!
If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever must be in
positionN and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
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 distances up to 30 miles
(50 km) and at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
426 Practical hintsTowing 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.
!
Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt. Nev-
er attach tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to the
vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
i
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2, or
KEYLESS-GO
* start/stop button in position2,
the vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as
well as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 118).
i
To signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, turn SmartKey in
starter switch to position2 and activate the
combination switch for the left or right turn
signal in the usual manner – only the selected
turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
i
The 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 420) or “Jump starting” (
page 423).
For information on manual unlocking of the gear
selector lever, see (
page 398).
428 Practical hintsFusesThe electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and sys-
tems secured by that fuse will stop operat-
ing.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following aids are available to help you
replace fuses:
Fuse chart
The fuse chart is located in the fuse box
in the passenger compartment
(page 429). The fuse chart explains
the fuse allocation and fuse amperag-
es.
Spare fuses
Spare fuses are located in the vehicle
tool kit in the trunk (
page 393).
Fuse extractor
The fuse extractor is located in the ve-
hicle tool kit in the trunk (
page 393).The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:
Main fuse box in passenger compart-
ment (
page 429)
Fuse box in trunk (
page 429)
Before replacing fuses:
Apply the parking brake (
page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to position P (
page 171).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (
page 60).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Open the driver’s door.
Warning!
G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than ap-
proved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.i
A blown fuse must be replaced by an appro-
priate spare fuse (recognizable by its color or the
fuse rating given on the fuse) of the amperage
recommended in the fuse chart.
Any Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to advise
you on this subject.
449 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!
G
Comply with all valid regulations with re-
spect to handling, storing and disposing of
service fluids. Otherwise you could endan-
ger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of chil-
dren.
For health reasons, you should prevent ser-
vice fluids from coming into direct contact
with your skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a phy-
sician immediately.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
CLS 550
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Approved engine oils
Engine with oil filter including
oil cooler
CLS 63 AMG
9.3 US qt (8.8 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
CLS 550
9.7 US qt (9.2 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
CLS 63 AMG
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Rear axle
CLS 550
1.37 US qt (1.3 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
CLS 63 AMG
1.27 US qt (1.2 l)
451 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet (USA
only), or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine oil additivesAir conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
!
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or changing of oil
and oil filter at change intervals longer than
those called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
will result in engine or emission control system
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so could result in engine or emission control sys-
tem damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending
oil additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the system
will occur.
Warning!
G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere. Under extremely strenuous op-
erating conditions, this moisture content
can lead to the formation of bubbles in the
system, thus reducing the system’s efficien-
cy.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.
452 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:
The octane number (posted at the pump)
m u s t b e 9 1 m i n . I t i s a n a v e r a g e o f b o t h t h e
Research Octane Number (RON) and the
Motor Octane Number (MON):
(RON+MON)/2. This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious per-
sonal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors can damage your
health.
!
To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able and low octane fuel is used, follow these
precautions:
Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as pos-
sible.
Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation
Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.
Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.
456 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Windshield washer system and head-lamp cleaning system*
Both the windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system* are supplied from the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approximately 6.9 US qt. (6.5 l).
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze, depending on ambient
temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and water:
1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
water
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gallon [4.0 l] water).
For temperatures below freezing point use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer
solvent/antifreeze:
1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
solvent
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gallon [4.0 l] solvent).
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may ignite
and burn. You can be seriously burned.
458 IndexAutomatic climate control (4-zone) 190
Air recirculation mode 200
Deactivating 195
Rear window defroster 189
Setting the temperature 197
Automatic headlamp mode 129
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 135
Automatic locking when driving 165
Automatic shift program 177
Automatic transmission
Accelerator position 175
Automatic shift program 177
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode) 184
Gear ranges 176
Gear selector lever 171
Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 178
Gear selector lever positions 173
Gear shifting malfunctions 184
Kickdown 175
Kickdown, manual shift program
CLS 63 AMG 183Manual shift program
CLS 63 AMG 181
Program mode selector switch 177
Shifting procedure 172
Starting the engine 51
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* 179
Auxiliary bulbs 404
Messages in display 381
B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 76
Self-test 77
Backrest
Seat 42
Seat, multicontour* 122
Backup lamps see Reverse lamps
Bar 323
BAS 92
Batteries, SmartKey
Checking battery condition 110
Replacing 402
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Checking battery condition 110
Replacing 402Batteries, vehicle 420
Charging 422
Disconnecting 421
Jump starting 423
Messages in display 370, 371
Reconnecting 422
Reinstalling 422
Removing 421
Bead 323
Beverage holder see Cup holders
Bi-Xenon headlamps see
Headlamps 128
Block heater* (Canada only) 328
Brake fluid
Checking 285
Brake lamps
Cleaning lenses 336
Replacing bulbs 406
Brake pads
Message in display 371
Brakes
High-performance brake system
(CLS 63 AMG only) 274
Warning lamp 344
Break-in period 270
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs