2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 trunk

115 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Valet locking
1Neutral position
2LockedClose the trunk (page 111).
Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 398).
Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.
Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position2 to lock the trunk.
The trunk remains locked even when the
vehicle is centrally unlocked.
Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.
Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to neutral position1 to unlock the
trunk.
You can now open the trunk
(
page 109).
iIf the vehicle has previously been locked us-
ing the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, the exterior
lamps will flash and the alarm will sound as the
trunk opens.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:

Insert the SmartKey in the starter switch.

Press buttonŒ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*

Pull an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 39).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be in-
side the vehicle.
iTo deny any unauthorized person access to
the trunk, e.g. when you valet park the vehicle,
lock it separately with the mechanical key. Leave
only the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* less its mechanical key with the
vehicle.
iYou can only cancel the separate trunk lock-
ing mode by means of the mechanical key.

116 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km / h) or more.
The locking knobs in the doors move down.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 163).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from inside using the central locking
switch. This can be useful, for example, if
you want to lock the vehicle before starting
to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.
Central locking switch
1Unlocking
2LockingiThe doors are designed to unlock automati-
cally after an accident if the force of the impact
exceeds a preset threshold. The vehicle locks au-
tomatically when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more. You could
therefore lock yourself out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed

is on a test stand
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. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

133 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting in the front
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.1Left front reading lamp on/off
2Rear interior lighting on/off
3Automatic control on/off
4Front interior lighting on/off
5Right front reading lamp on/off
6Interior lighting
7Ambient lighting
8Front reading lamps
Deactivating automatic control
Press switch3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you:

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a door

open the trunk
Activating automatic control
Press switch3.
The interior lighting switches on in
darkness, when you:

unlock the vehicle

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch

open a door

open the trunk
The interior lighting switches off after a
preset time (
page 162).
!An interior lamp switched on manually does
not go out automatically.
Leaving an interior lamp switch in the ON posi-
tion for extended periods of time with the engine
turned off could result in a discharged battery.
iThe interior lighting is factory-set to auto-
matic mode.
iIf a door remains open, the interior lamps
switch off automatically after approximately
5minutes.

135 Controls in detail
Lighting
Rear reading lamps
Press rear reading lamp switch1
or4 to switch on the respective rear
reading lamp.
Press rear reading lamp switch1
or4 again to switch off the respective
rear reading lamp.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding door entry lamps will switch on
in darkness when you open a door and the
automatic control is activated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.Trunk lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk remains open, the trunk light-
ing switches off automatically after ap-
proximately 10 minutes.
iIf you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the head-
lamps, the door entry lamps will remain lit for ap-
proximately 5 minutes.

238 Controls in detail
Loading
Roof rack*
1Trim
Open trim1 at the trim strips in the
roof.
Secure the roof rack according to
manufacturer’s instructions for instal-
lation.
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle
occupants and luggage/cargo should not
exceed the total load limit indicated on the
corresponding placard located on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should
always be kept as low as possible since it
influences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!G
Only use roof racks approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model to
avoid damage to the vehicle.
Follow the manufacturer’s installation
instructions. Otherwise, an improperly at-
tached roof rack system or its load could be-
come detached from the vehicle.
Do not exceed the maximum roof load of
220 lb (100 kg).
Take into consideration that when the roof
rack is loaded, the handling characteristics
are different from those when operating the
vehicles without the roof rack loaded.
!Load the roof rack in such a way that the ve-
hicle cannot be damaged while driving.
Make sure

you can fully raise the tilt/sliding sunroof

you can fully open the trunk

239 Controls in detail
Loading
Ski bag* (Canada only)
Unfolding and loading
Fold rear armrest down (arrow).
1Cover
2Catch
Pull catches2 in direction of arrows.
Open the cover1 downwards in direc-
tion of the arrow.1Hook and loop fastener
Unfasten hook and loop fastener1.
Pull ski bag into passenger compart-
ment and unfold.
Open the front storage compartment in
the rear center console (
page 247).
Remove the cup holder (page 247).
Warning!G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible fastening materials appropri-
ate for the weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the rear-window
shelf.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior, resulting in unconsciousness
and death.


240 Controls in detail
Loading
1Button
Open the trunk.
Press button1.
The flap opens in direction of arrow.
From trunk, slide skis into ski bag.1Strap
Tighten strap1 by pulling at the loose
end (arrow) until the skis in the ski bag
are tightly secured.
Warning!G
The ski bag is designed for up to four pairs
of skis. Do not load the ski bag with other
objects.
Always fasten the ski bag securely. In an ac-
cident, an unfastened ski bag can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants.


241 Controls in detail
Loading
1Cover
With insert or cup holder removed, fold
cover1 upward.1Hook
2Eye
Connect hook1 to eye2 located in
the front storage compartment in the
rear center console.
Tighten strap by pulling at the loose
end (arrow).Unloading and folding
Loosen both straps.
Disconnect hook1 from eye2.
Unload skis.
Close flap in trunk.
Fold and flatten ski bag lengthwise.
Place folded ski bag inside recess of
backrest.
Fasten hook and loop fastener.
Close ski bag compartment cover.