2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class change wheel

431 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Program mode selector switchM Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty drivingThe selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
page 427).
Activating manual shift program

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the “M” for
manual program modeM appears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually with
drive positionD selected. You can upshift
or downshift through the gears in succes-
sion.Upshifting

Briefly pull right shift paddle2
(page 429).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
For information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift program”
(
page 427) and “Steering wheel gearshift con-
trol” (page 428).
i
The manual program modeM will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with the
manual program modeM selected, the transmis-
sion will go to the automatic program mode
(CorS) when the engine is restarted.
!
In the manual program modeM, the trans-
mission will not upshift, even if the engine has
reached its overrevving range. Shift up to the
next gear before the engine has reached its over-
revving range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red marking on
the tachometer (
page 30). Otherwise the en-
gine could be damaged which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


437 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control (
page 437) and
DISTRONIC Plus*(page 443), with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.


ABC (
page 461) adjusts the vehicle
suspension characteristics automati-
cally and control the vehicle level.


Parktronic* (
page 463), Park Assist*
(
page 467) and Advanced Parking
Guidance* (
page 471), which serve
as a parking assistant.


Rear View Camera* (
page 477) are
electronic and visual parking aids.


Night View Assist* (
page 481) illumi-
nates the road with infrared light in
addition to the normal headlamps.


Blind Spot Assist* (
page 485) de-
tects and warns you about vehicles in
your blind spot.For information on the ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, BAS Plus*, EBP, ESP
® and
PRE-SAFE
® Brake*, see “Driving safety
systems” (page 65).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of the cruise control is recom-
mended for driving at a constant speed for
extended periods of time.
You can set or resume the cruise control at
any speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
Warning!
G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it
advisable to travel at a constant speed.

The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on winding roads or in heavy traf-
fic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.


The use of the cruise control can be dan-
gerous on slippery roads. Rapid changes
in tire traction can result in wheel spin
and loss of control.


Deactivate the cruise control when
driving in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

444 Controls in detailDriving systemsWarning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus adaptive cruise control is
no substitute for active driving involvement.
It does not react to pedestrians or stationary
objects, nor does it recognize or predict the
curvature and lane layout or the movement
of vehicles ahead. DISTRONIC Plus can only
apply a maximum of 40% of the vehicle’s
braking power.
DISTRONIC Plus may not detect narrow ve-
hicles possibly driving in front of you, such
as motorcycles and vehicles driving in an
offset formation.
It is the driver’s responsibility at all times to
be attentive to road, weather and traffic con-
ditions and to provide the steering, braking
and other driving inputs necessary to retain
control of the vehicle.
High-frequency sources such as toll sta-
tions, speed measuring systems etc. can
cause the DISTRONIC Plus system to tem-
porarily cease functioning.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus requires familiarity with its
operational characteristics. We strongly rec-
ommend that you review the following infor-
mation carefully before operating the
system.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take street and traf-
fic conditions into account. Only use
DISTRONIC Plus if the road, weather and
traffic conditions make it advisable to travel
at a steady speed.Warning!
G
Use of DISTRONIC Plus can be dangerous
on slippery roads. Rapid changes in tire trac-
tion can result in wheel spin and loss of con-
trol.
DISTRONIC Plus does not act upon adverse
sight distance conditions. Do not use
DISTRONIC Plus during conditions of fog
and heavy rain, snow or sleet.Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus cannot take weather condi-
tions into account. Switch off
DISTRONIC Plus or do not turn it on if:

roads are slippery or covered with snow
or ice. The wheels could lose traction
while braking or accelerating, and the
vehicle could skid.


the sensor is dirty or visibility is
diminished due to snow, rain or fog. The
distance control could be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even while DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
Otherwise, you may not be able to recognize
dangerous situations until it is too late and
could cause an accident resulting in person-
al or fatal injury to you or others.

475 Controls in detail
Driving systems

Bring the vehicle to a standstill as long
as the desired parking space is dis-
played by the blue parking space sym-
bol in the instrument cluster.

Shift the automatic transmission to
positionR.
The message “Check Surroundings
Press 'OK' to Confirm” appears in the
multifunction display.

Press# on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel to confirm.
The display in the instrument cluster
changes to the Advanced Parking Guid-
ance.
1Green lane
2White bracket indicates the stopping
position

Where necessary, depending on the
distance to the parking space, back up
in a straight line a short distance.
This is indicated by a green lane1.

Back up until you hear an audible warn-
ing, then stop.
The stopping position has been
reached, indicated by a white
bracket2.
3Red lane indicates the current steering
wheel position
4Yellow lane indicates the required
steering wheel position

When the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel until the red lane3
matches up with the yellow lane4.
Warning!
G
Advanced Parking Guidance is only an aid
and may not detect all obstacles. At corners
or near smooth surfaces, Advanced Parking
Guidance may not detect an object correct-
ly. Advanced Parking Guidance does not re-
lieve you of the responsibility to pay
attention. You are always responsible for
safety and must continue to pay attention to
your immediate surroundings when parking
and maneuvering. Otherwise, you could en-
danger yourself and others.


482 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe camera is at the top of the windshield.
1Night View Assist camera
Switching on or off
You can only switch on the Night View As-
sist if

the SmartKey in the starter switch is
set to position2


it is dark


the light switch is set to * or B
or if the daytime driving lamps are
switched on


the automatic transmission is not in re-
verse gearR1Night View Assist on or off

Press button1 up or down.
The Night View Assist image appears
on the multifunction display.Image on multifunction display
When you switch on Night View Assist, the
image for the speed gauge changes on the
multifunction display. The speed gauge is
shown as a bar on the lower edge of the
multifunction display. The line for main
menus is no longer available. If you would
like to change a setting using the steering
wheel buttons, you must first switch off
Night View Assist.
1Night View Assist image
2Speedometer display
i
The infrared headlamps only come on above
a speed of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
Therefore, when you are at a standstill, you do
not have a complete view and cannot check the
function of the Night View Assist.

571 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire inflation pressure changes by approxi-
mately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of
air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire inflation pressure
where the temperature is different from
the outside temperature.Checking tire inflation pressure
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month.
Check and adjust the tire inflation
pressure when the tires are cold. The tires
can be considered cold if the vehicle has
been parked for at least 3 hours or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
If you check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are warm (the vehicle has
been driven for several miles or sitting less
than 3 hours), the reading will be
approximately 4 psi (0.3 bar) higher than
the cold reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold tire in-
flation pressure. Otherwise, the tire will be
underinflated.Checking tire inflation pressure
manually
Follow the steps below to achieve correct
tire inflation pressure:

Remove the cap from the valve on one
tire.

Firmly press a tire gauge onto the
valve.

Read tire inflation pressure on tire
gauge and check against the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B-pillar
(page 564) or, if available, the tire in-
flation pressure label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap. If necessary, add air
to achieve the recommended tire infla-
tion pressure.
Warning!
G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly, adverse-
ly affect handling and fuel economy, and are
more likely to fail from being overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride com-
fort, wear unevenly, increase stopping dis-
tance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road de-
bris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.
Overloading the tires can also result in han-
dling or steering problems, or brake failure.


576 OperationTires and wheels
Press#.
The message
“Tire Pressure Monitor
Reactivated”
appears in the multifunction display.
After a few minutes driving, the current
tire inflation pressure values are ac-
cepted as reference values and then
monitored.
If you wish to cancel activation:

PressL.
or

Press$ to exit menu screen.Potential problems associated with
underinflated and overinflated tires
Underinflated tires
Underinflated tires can:


cause excessive and uneven tire wear


adversely affect fuel economy


lead to tire failure from being
overheated


adversely affect handling
characteristicsOverinflated tires
Overinflated tires can:


adversely affect handling
characteristics


cause uneven tire wear


be more prone to damage from road
hazards


adversely affect ride comfort


increase stopping distance
i
When the wheel positions are changed on
the vehicle, it is possible that the air pressure is
temporarily displayed for the wrong position.
This will be corrected after driving for several
minutes, and the air pressure will be shown for
the correct position.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being
overheated.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.


589 Operation
Tires and wheels
Rotating tires
Tire rotation can be performed on vehicles
with tires of the same dimension all
around. If your vehicle is equipped with
tires of the same dimension all around,
tires can be rotated, observing a
front-to-rear rotation pattern that will
maintain the intended rotation (spinning)
direction of the tire (
page 564).
In some cases, such as when your vehicle
is equipped with mixed-size tires (different
tire dimension front vs. rear), tire rotation
is not possible.If applicable to your vehicle’s tire configu-
ration, tires can be rotated according to
the tire manufacturer’s recommended in-
tervals in the tire manufacturer’s warranty
pamphlet located in your vehicle literature
portfolio. If none is available, tires should
be rotated every 3 000 to 6 000 miles
(5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if neces-
sary, according to the degree of tire wear.
The same rotation (spinning) direction
must be maintained (
page 564).
Rotate tires before the characteristic tire
wear pattern becomes visible (shoulder
wear on front tires and tread center wear
on rear tires).
Thoroughly clean the mounting face of
wheels and brake disks, i.e. the inner side
of the wheels/tires, during each rotation.
Check for and ensure proper tire inflation
pressure.For information on wheel change, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 696).
Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if the tires
are of the same dimension.
If your vehicle is equipped with mixed-size
tires (different tire dimensions front vs.
rear), tire rotation is not possible.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
110 lb-ft (150 Nm).
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle’s rims.