2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS63AMG service

19 Introduction
Vehicle data recording
Vehicle data recording
Information regarding electronic
recording devices
(Including notice pursuant to California Code § 9951)
Please note that your vehicle is equipped with devices that can record vehicle systems data and, if equipped with the Tele Aid system,
may transmit some data in certain accidents.
This information helps, for example, to diagnose vehicle systems after a collision and to continuously improve vehicle safety.
DaimlerChrysler may access the information and share it with others

for safety research or vehicle diagnosis purposes

with the consent of the vehicle owner or lessee

in response to an official request by law enforcement or other government agency

for use in dispute resolution involving DaimlerChrysler, its affiliates or sales/service organization and/or

as otherwise required or permitted by law.
Please check the Tele Aid subscription service agreement for details regarding the information that may be recorded or transmitted
via that system.

54 Getting started
Driving
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This
allows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
For more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 271).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 163).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
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
lever out ofP orN 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.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
!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.
CLS 63 AMG:
At engine temperatures below 68°F (20°C), the
engine’s maximum speed is restricted in order to
protect it from damage. Avoid driving your vehi-
cle at full speed when the engine is cold to pre-
vent premature engine wear and/or diminished
comfort.

71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are deployed:

on the impacted side of the vehicle

in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold

independently of the front air bags
In addition, the window curtain air bags2
are deployed:

in certain vehicle rollovers
The side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are not deployed in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment threshold.
Occupant Classification System
The Occupant Classification System (OCS)
automatically turns the front passenger
front air bag on or off based on the classi-
fied occupant weight category determined
by weight sensor readings from the front
passenger seat.
Occupants must sit properly belted in a po-
sition that is as upright as possible with
their back against the seat backrest and
feet on the floor to be correctly classified.
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by lean-
ing on armrests), the OCS may not be able
to properly approximate the occupant’s
weight category. Furthermore, the occupant weight may ap-
pear to increase or decrease due to
objects hanging on the seat, other passen-
gers pushing on the seat, objects lodged
underneath the seat or stuffed between
seat and middle console or between seat
and door or due to objects applying pres-
sure on the back of the seat. Always make
sure that the seat has clearance in all di-
rections at all times.
Both driver and the front passenger should
always use the 75 indicator
lamp as an indication of whether or not the
front passenger is properly positioned.
iThe system does not deactivate the front
passenger side impact air bag, the window cur-
tain air bag and the Emergency Tensioning De-
vice.
iIf your seat, including your trim cover and
cushion needs to be serviced in any way, take
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Only seat accessories approved by
Mercedes-Benz may be used.

98 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming the alarm system
The indicator lamp located in the central
locking switch in the center console.
1Indicator lamp
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is
armed. The indicator lamp1 begins to
flash after approximately 30 seconds
after arming the alarm system.
Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash once to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or
Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.
With KEYLESS-GO*
Pull an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.
or
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 39).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must
be inside the vehicle.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is ini-
tiated automatically by the Tele Aid system
(
page 256) provided Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and that nec-
essary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times, one of the following elements may not be
properly closed:

a door

the trunk
Close the respective element and lock the vehi-
cle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
after approximately 40 seconds if neither a door
nor the trunk was opened.

139 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* is in
position1. The control system enables you
to:

call up information about your vehicle

change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the multifunction display, and
much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard
display.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(
page 142).
iThe displays for the audio systems (radio,
CD player) will appear in English, regardless of
the language selected.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
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.

149 Controls in detail
Control system
Selecting radio station
Turn on COMAND and select radio.
Refer to separate COMAND operating
instructions.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the currently tuned station in the
multifunction display appears.
1Waveband setting
2Station frequency
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired station is found.Selecting satellite radio station*
(USA only)
The satellite radio is treated as a radio
application.
Select SAT radio with the correspond-
ing softkey in the radio menu.
1SAT mode and preset number
2Setting for station selection using
memory
3Channel name or number
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired channel is found.Operating CD player
Selecting CD track
Turn on COMAND and select CD or
CD changer. Refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the settings for the CD currently
being played appear in the multifunc-
tion display.

iYou can only store new stations using the
corresponding feature on the radio, see separate
operating instructions.
You can also operate the radio in the usual man-
ner.iAdditional optional satellite radio equipment
and a subscription to satellite radio service pro-
vider are required for satellite radio operation.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for details and availability for your vehicle.
For more information, refer to separate
COMAND operating instructions.
iThe COMAND system and the CD changer
can play audio CDs as well as MP3-CDs.
For more information on operating the
CD changer refer to separate COMAND operat-
ing instructions.


253 Controls in detail
Useful features
Telephone*
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit, should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
The external antenna must be approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on the installation of an approved
external antenna. Refer to the radio trans-
mitter operation instructions regarding use
of an external antenna.When the mobile phone is inserted in the
cradle, you can operate the telephone us-
ing the following devices:

mobile phone keypad

COMAND (see separate operating in-
structions)

buttonss andt on the multi-
function steering wheel

Voice Control* (see separate operating
instructions)
See also separate operating manual for in-
structions on how to use the mobile phone.
Warning!G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
mobile telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
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.
1Observe all legal requirements.
iVarious mobile phone cradles can be in-
stalled in the cockpit. These mobile phone cra-
dles can be obtained from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The functions and services available to you while
using the mobile phone depend on your service
provider and the type of mobile phone you are
using.

257 Controls in detail
Useful features
System self-check
Initially, after switching on ignition, mal-
functions are detected and indicated (the
indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than 10 seconds or do not come on). The
message
Malfunction Service Required
appears in the multifunction display.Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly following an accident in which the emer-
gency tensioning devices (ETDs) or
air bags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 258) for
instructions on initiating an emergency call
manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp on the SOS button will
begin to flash. The message

Connecting Call
appears in the multi-
function display. When the connection is
established, the message
Call Connected
appears in the multifunction display. All in-
formation relevant to the emergency, such
as the location of the vehicle (determined
by the GPS satellite location system), vehi-
cle model, identification number and color
are generated.
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular net-
work for communication and the GPS (G
lobal Po-
sitioning S
ystem) satellites for vehicle location. If
either of these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if this oc-
curs, assistance must be summoned by other
means.
iWhen a Tele Aid call has been initiated, the
COMAND System audio is muted and the select-
ed mode (radio, tape or CD) pauses. The optional
cellular phone (if installed) and inserted in cradle
switches off. If you must use this phone, we rec-
ommend that you use it only with the vehicle at a
standstill in a safe location. Remove the phone
from the cradle and place the call. The naviga-
tion* system (if engaged) will continue to run.
The multifunction display in the instrument clus-
ter is available for use, and spoken commands
are only available by pressing the RPT button on
the COMAND System. A pop-up window will ap-
pear in the COMAND System display to indicate
that a Tele Aid call is in progress. After the Tele
Aid call has ended, the optional cellular phone
switches on again. A PIN entry might be neces-
sary.
Warning!G
If the indicator lamps on the SOS button, on
the Roadside Assistance button, and/or on
the Information button remain illuminated
continuously in red and/or the message
Malfunction Service Required is
displayed in the multifunction display after
the system self-check, a malfunction in the
system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as
expected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.