2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class maintenance

Contents
Introduction....................................... 13
Product information ............................. 13
Operator’s Manual ............................... 14
Service and warranty information .. 14
Important notice for California retail
buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 15
Maintenance .................................. 16
Roadside Assistance ...................... 16
Change of address or ownership.... 16
Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada............................... 17
Where to find it .................................... 18
Symbols ............................................... 19
Operating safety .................................. 20
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 20
Problems with your vehicle .................. 21
Reporting safety defects...................... 22
Reporting safety defects ................ 22
Vehicle data recording......................... 23
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 23
At a glance.......................................... 25
Exterior view ......................................... 26
Cockpit ................................................. 28
Instrument cluster ................................ 30
Control systems ................................... 32
Storage compartments ......................... 34
Center console ..................................... 36
Overhead control panel ........................ 37
Driver’s door control panel ................... 38Safety and Security............................ 39
Occupant safety ................................... 40
Air bags........................................... 42
Occupant Classification System ..... 48
Seat belts........................................ 53
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®).................................... 56
Children in the vehicle .................... 57
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 63Panic alarm .......................................... 64
Activating........................................ 64
Deactivating.................................... 64
Driving safety systems ......................... 65
ABS ................................................. 65
Adaptive Brake ............................... 66
Adaptive Brake Lights (CL 600 and
CL 65 AMG, USA only) .................... 67
BAS ................................................. 67
BAS Plus* ....................................... 68
EBP ................................................. 70
ESP
®............................................... 70
PRE-SAFE
® Brake* (vehicles with
DISTRONIC Plus* only) ................... 75
Anti-theft systems ................................ 79
Immobilizer ..................................... 79
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 79
Canceling the alarm ........................ 80

ContentsAt the gas station............................... 550
Refueling ...................................... 550
Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................ 552
Engine compartment.......................... 553
Hood ............................................ 553
Engine oil...................................... 554
Transmission fluid level ................ 558
Active Body Control (ABC)
fluid level ...................................... 558
Coolant level ................................ 559
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 560
Tires and wheels ................................ 561
Important guidelines .................... 561
Tire care and maintenance ........... 562
Direction of rotation ..................... 564
Loading the vehicle ...................... 564
Recommended tire
inflation pressure ......................... 569
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 571
Tire labeling .................................. 577
Load identification........................ 581
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 581Maximum tire load ....................... 582
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 583
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 583
Tire ply material ........................... 585
Tire and loading terminology ........ 585
Rotating tires ............................... 589
Winter driving .................................... 590
Winter tires .................................. 590
Snow chains ................................. 591
Maintenance ...................................... 592
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 592
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 593
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 594
Vehicle care ....................................... 595
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 595
Practical hints................................. 607
What to do if …? ................................ 608
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 608
Air bag off indicator lamp............. 620
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display.................... 622
Where will I find ...? ........................... 681
First aid kit ................................... 681
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, Minispare wheel .... 681
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 684
Unlocking the vehicle................... 684
Locking the vehicle ...................... 685
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 686
Replacing bulbs ................................. 688
Bulbs ............................................ 689
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 691
Replacing bulbs for the
rear lamps .................................... 693
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 694
Placing wiper arms in
vertical position ........................... 694
Removing wiper blades ................ 695
Installing wiper blades ................. 695

14 IntroductionOperator’s ManualThis Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to
demonstrate the proper procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures. The Oper-
ator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be
kept with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Vehicle Limited Warranty


Emission System Warranty


Emission Performance Warranty


California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)


State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)

16 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for service.
The service advisor will record each ser-
vice in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance Pro-
gram brochure (in the USA) or the Road-
side Assistance section of the Service &
Warranty Information booklet (in Canada)
in your vehicle literature portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.
This will assist us in contacting you in a
timely manner should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty In-
formation Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.

18 IntroductionWhere to find itThis Operator’s Manual is designed to pro-
vide comprehensive support information
for you, the vehicle operator. Each section
has its own reference color.At a glance
Here you will find an overview of your vehi-
cle’s interior and exterior main features.Safety and Security
Here you will find descriptions of the safety
and security features of your vehicle.Control systems
Here you will find detailed information
about the operation of the COMAND sys-
tem, instrument cluster control system
and Voice Control.
Controls in detail
Here you will find detailed information
about the equipment installed in your vehi-
cle. This section also describes technical
innovations.Operation
Here you will find all the information you
need for the proper operation of your vehi-
cle.Practical hints
This section provides fast assistance for
dealing with problems you may encounter.
Technical data
All important technical data for your vehi-
cle can be found in this section.Indexes
The table of contents and the index are de-
signed to help you find information quickly
and easily.
The following publications are part of your
vehicle documentation:

this Operator’s Manual


the Maintenance Booklet
Separate operating instructions will be
provided as required depending on the
equipment options installed in your vehi-
cle.

20 IntroductionOperating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual


the “Technical data” section in this
manual


traffic rules and regulations


motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!
G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems. Electronic malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!
G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires/wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the ve-
hicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair fa-
cility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!
G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself. Re-
moval of any of these labels may cause you
and others to be unaware of certain risks
which may result in an accident and/or per-
sonal injury.

112 Control systemsCOMAND audio CD/audio DVD/MP3Safety precautions
Notes about MP3 mode
Permissible media for MP3 files

CD-R and CD-RW


DVD-R and DVD-RW


PCMCIA card (
page 117)
Permissible file systems


ISO9660/Joliet for CDs


UDF for DVDs


FAT16 or FAT32 for PCMCIA cards with
storage medium
Warning!
G
COMAND is classified as a Class 1 laser
product. You must not open the casing.
There is a risk of exposure to invisible laser
radiation if you open the casing, or if the
casing is faulty or damaged.
COMAND does not contain any parts that
you are able to maintain yourself. For safety
reasons, all maintenance work must be car-
ried out by qualified technicians.
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.
Warning!
G
Only carry out the following when the vehi-
cle is stationary:

Inserting a disc


Ejecting a disc
There is a risk of accident by being distract-
ed from road and traffic conditions if you
load a CD/DVD while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.

128 Control systemsCOMAND video DVDAutomatic picture fade-out
If a video DVD is playing when the vehicle
is shifted from park positionP into neutral
position N, drive positionD or reverse
gearR the picture is faded out automati-
cally and the following message appears in
the display: “In order not to distract driver,
picture is faded out while the vehicle is in
motion”.
When the vehicle is shifted back into park
positionP, the picture comes on again.
Notes about video DVD operation
COMAND can playback commercially
available, prerecorded video DVDs that
bear the following label. You will usually
find the label on the DVD booklet, the inlay,
or the DVD itself.
Some DVDs may not comply with the
NTSC or PAL TV playback standards.
Sound, picture and other playback prob-
lems may occur when you play such DVDs. COMAND can playback video DVDs meet-
ing the following requirements:


Correct regional code


NTSC or PAL TV standard
The appropriate information is usually giv-
en either on the DVD or the DVD box. The
factory setting of COMAND is regional
code 1. The setting can be changed at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. This
will allow you to playback video DVDs with
other regional codes, as long as they com-
ply with the NTSC or PAL TV standard.
Warning!
G
COMAND is classified as a Class 1 laser
product. You must not open the casing.
There is a risk of exposure to invisible laser
radiation if you open the casing, or if the
casing is faulty or damaged.
COMAND does not contain any parts that
you are able to maintain yourself. For safety
reasons, all maintenance work must be car-
ried out by qualified technicians.
i
Video DVDs differ from recordable DVD-R
and DVD-RW discs.
i
There may be playback problems when play-
ing copied DVDs.
There is a large variety of discs, disc-writing soft-
ware and writers available. This variety means
that there is no guarantee that the system will be
able to play discs that you have written/copied
yourself.