2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class engine

410 Controls in detailDriving and parking
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 539).
Turn signalsCombination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in the
direction of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 30).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out of position P or N if the engine speed
is higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP or R only when the vehicle is stopped
in order to avoid damaging the transmission.
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the en-
gine. This is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty
CL 63 AMG and CL 65 AMG only:
At engine temperatures below 68°F (20° C), the
maximum speed is restricted in order to protect
the engine. Avoid driving the vehicle at full speed
while the engine is cold in order to prevent pre-
mature engine wear as well as diminished com-
fort.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake wear
and drivetrain wear which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


411 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location as
soon as possible and turn off the en-
gine. Allow engine and coolant to cool
off.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 559).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Move away from vehicle.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.
i
To signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three times.
i
Excessive coolant temperatures trigger a
warning message in the multifunction display
(
page 622).

412 Controls in detailDriving and parkingParking
Electronic parking brakeWarning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering systems. In this case, it is impor-
tant to keep in mind that a considerably
higher degree of effort is necessary to brake
and steer the vehicle.
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.


Engage electronic parking brake.


Shift the automatic transmission to park
position P.


Slowly release brake pedal.


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


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 366).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
electronic parking brake and/or shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

413 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
1Handle for electronic parking brake
Manually releasing electronic parking
brake
Pull handle1.
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
You cannot release the electronic parking
brake until the ignition is switched on.Automatically releasing electronic
parking brake
Your vehicle’s electronic parking brake is
automatically released when:


The engine is running.


Transmission is in drive position D or
reverse gearR.


The hood is closed.


You have fastened your seat belt.


You step on the accelerator pedal.
If reverse gear R is engaged, the trunk
must be closed.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the automat-
ic transmission not fully engaged in park
positionPis dangerous. Also, when parked
on an incline, park positionP alone may not
prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always engage the electronic parking brake
in addition to shifting to park positionP
(page 406).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
i
If you have not fastened your seat belt, the
following conditions must be met in order for the
electronic parking brake to be automatically re-
leased:


The driver’s door is closed.


You must move the gear selector out of park
positionP or drive faster than 2 mph
(3 km/h).

414 Controls in detailDriving and parkingManually engaging electronic parking
brake
Press handle1.
The red indicator lamp 0 (USA only)
or ! (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster comes on.Automatically engaging electronic park-
ing brake*
Your vehicle’s electronic parking brake is
automatically engaged when DISTRONIC
Plus* (
page 443) brings your vehicle to a
standstill and at least one of the following
conditions is met:


The engine is switched off.


The driver’s door is opened and the
seat belt is not inserted in the belt
buckle.


The hood is released.


The trunk lid is open while reverse
gearR is engaged.


The vehicle is parked for an extended
period of time.
The red indicator lamp 0in the instru-
ment cluster comes on.Emergency braking with electronic
parking brake
In an emergency situation, you can also
brake your vehicle while driving by using
the electronic parking brake.

While driving, press handle for elec-
tronic parking brake (
page 412).
During the braking procedure, the red indi-
cator lamp 0 (USA only) or !
(Canada only) flashes in the instrument
cluster, the message “Please Release Park-
ing Brake” appears on the multifunction
display and you will hear a warning tone.
Once the vehicle comes to a complete stop
the electronic parking brake will engage.
i
You can also engage the electronic parking
brake when the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch.
i
In addition to the electronic parking brake,
park position P can be automatically engaged.
i
Your vehicle will be braked for as long as you
press and hold the switch for the electronic park-
ing brake. The longer you keep the electronic
parking brake pressed, the more strongly your
vehicle will be braked. This method occurs on all
4 wheels, not just the rear wheels.

415 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Turning off the engine 
Shift the automatic transmission to
park positionP (
page 421).
Turning off with SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 365) and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button (
page 366) to turn off the en-
gine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 365).
i
If the engine cannot be turned off as de-
scribed, see “Emergency engine shut-down”
(
page 717).Warning!
G
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. With the en-
gine not running, there is no power assis-
tance for the brake and steering systems. In
this case, it is important to keep in mind that
a considerably higher degree of effort is nec-
essary to brake and steer the vehicle.
!
Observe instructions


when taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor type car wash
(page 598)


when towing the vehicle (
page 710)
!
If you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey and


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open a door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
i
In an emergency you can turn off the engine
while driving by pressing and holding the
KEYLESS-GO start/ stop button for
approximately 3 seconds.
!
If you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and open the
driver’s or passenger door, the transmission will
shift to park positionP automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.


416 Controls in detailDriving and parkingIf you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and can-
not turn it off as described above:
Remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button from the starter switch.

Insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
into the starter switch.
The engine turns off. The starter switch
is in position 0 (
page 365).
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(page 389).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
i
If you drive through an automatic conveyor
type car wash, you can switch on the ignition
with the KEYLESS-GO button and engage neutral
positionN or insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch.
!
Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim pan-
el. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.


418 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Shifting from P to N
Moving the gear selector lever up or down
shifts the automatic transmission out of
park positionP:
With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Move gear selector lever up or down to
resistance point to select neutral
positionN.Shifting from N to R or from N to D

With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Move gear selector lever up past the
resistance point to select reverse
gearR.
or

Move gear selector down past the
resistance point to select drive
positionD.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator pedal
to drive off when it is safe to do so.
i
The current transmission park positionP, re-
verse gear R, neutral positionN or drive
positionD appears in the multifunction display
(
page 421).Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the automatic trans-
mission out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
i
The gear selector lever returns to its original
position.
i
The gear selector lever returns to its original
position.
i
When driving off, the electronic parking
brake is released automatically (
page 412).