2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class instrument cluster

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.


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.

434 Controls in detailInstrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 30).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:


open a door


switch on the ignition (
page 365)


switch on the exterior lamps
The language setting for the multifunction
display can be changed via COMAND
(
page 83).Adjusting instrument cluster display
illumination
1Knob
Brightening illumination: Turn
knob1 clockwise.

Dimming illumination: Turn knob1
counterclockwise.
Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warning/
indicator lamps, malfunction/warning mes-
sages or the failure of any systems. Driving
characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
i
The instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit am-
bient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also be
adjusted automatically when you switch on the
vehicle’s exterior lamps.

435 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(page 30).
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!
Excessive coolant temperature triggers a
warning in the multifunction display
(
page 657).
The engine should not be operated with the cool-
ant temperature above 248°F (120°C), i.e. in
the red zone of the coolant temperature gauge.
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.
i
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant temperature
may rise close to 248°F (120°C), i.e. close to
the red zone of the temperature gauge.
!
Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds, as
it may result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

436 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature indicator is on
the bottom left-hand side of the instru-
ment cluster (
page 30).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge is on the left-hand side of
the instrument cluster (
page 30). Once
the fuel level has fallen below the reserve
mark, the yellow segment indicator for the
fuel reserve comes on.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

446 Controls in detailDriving systems
DISTRONIC Plus displays in multifunc-
tion display
1Speed of the vehicle ahead
2Set speed
3Distance warning lamp
If DISTRONIC Plus is activated, the
marker2 indicates the set speed.When DISTRONIC Plus detects a vehicle
driving ahead of you, the ring on the speed-
ometer dial comes on between the speed
of the vehicle ahead of you and set
speed2.
If DISTRONIC Plus calculates that there is
a danger of collision:


The distance warning lampl in the
instrument cluster comes on.


An intermittent warning sounds.

Immediately apply the brake to avoid a
collision.
Under no circumstances should the
driver await the intermittent warning
sound before braking. See the follow-
ing warning note.
The intermittent warning sound ceases
and the distance warning lampl
goes out when the necessary distance
to the vehicle ahead is again
established.
i
Canada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device will
void any warranties, and is not permitted. Do not
tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved
way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
i
The vehicle speed displayed on the speed-
ometer can briefly vary from the speed setting
on the DISTRONIC Plus system.

447 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Warning!
G
An intermittent warning sounds and the dis-
tance warning lampl in the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC Plus
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle’s current
speed indicate that DISTRONIC Plus will not
be capable of slowing the vehicle sufficiently
to maintain the preset following distance,
which creates a danger of a collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
that you have not interceded with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially danger-
ous situation. Do not wait for the operation
of the warning signal to intercede with your
own braking. This will result in potentially
dangerous emergency braking which will
not always result in an impact being avoid-
ed.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
Warning!
G
DISTRONIC Plus brakes your vehicle with a
maximum of 13 ft/s
2. This corresponds to
about 40% of the maximum deceleration of
your vehicle.
You must also apply the brakes yourself to
avoid a collision. DISTRONIC Plus brakes
the vehicle in an effort to restore the preset
distance or to maintain the set speed. The
brake pedal is automatically applied as this
happens which results in the brake pedal
moving.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the DISTRONIC Plus
system.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
– your foot could become caught.
Warning!
G
If you do not receive visual or acoustic warn-
ing signals during a critical traffic situation,
DISTRONIC Plus has either not recognized
the collision risk, has been deactivated, or is
malfunctioning.
Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC Plus
is operating, it is ultimately always the driv-
ers responsibility to apply the brakes in or-
der to control the vehicle and avoid a
collision.

451 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Switching on when approaching a
stationary vehicle
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary,
you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus if
your vehicle is also at a standstill.
Tap DISTRONIC Plus lever up1 or
down2 until desired speed is set.
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.
or

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4 to call up speed
last set (
page 455).
DISTRONIC Plus is switched on.Starting off
When the vehicle in front of you starts off:

Remove your foot from the brake
pedal.

Pull DISTRONIC Plus lever briefly in di-
rection of arrow4.
or

Briefly step on the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle starts off and adapts its speed
to the vehicle in front of you.Driving
If no vehicle is driving ahead of you,
DISTRONIC Plus functions like the cruise
control (
page 437).
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving more slowly,
it brakes the vehicle in order to keep the
distance specified by you.
When DISTRONIC Plus detects that the ve-
hicle in front of you is driving faster, the ve-
hicle accelerates up to the set speed.
i
It is helpful to switch on the DISTRONIC Plus
display in the instrument cluster (
page 448)
since you can only switch on DISTRONIC Plus un-
d e r a s p e e d o f 2 0 m p h ( 3 0 k m / h ) w h e n a v e h i c l e
has been detected in front of you.
i
You can adjust the set speed using the
DISTRONIC Plus lever and the target distance
using the distance setting switch on the
DISTRONIC Plus lever (
page 457).
i
If DISTRONIC Plus is switched off,
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (
page 75) will warn of an
impending collision if this function has been
activated with the instrument cluster control
system (
page 298).
Warning!
G
When you step on the brake pedal, you
switch off DISTRONIC Plus except when the
vehicle is at a standstill. DISTRONIC Plus will
no longer brake your vehicle. You are always
responsible for maintaining a distance from
other vehicles, observing road speeds and
braking well in advance.