2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS63AMG key

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19At a glance.......................................... 21
Exterior view ......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 28
Center console ..................................... 29
Upper part ...................................... 29
Lower part ...................................... 30
Overhead control panel ........................ 31
Storage compartments ......................... 32
Door control panel................................ 34Getting started................................... 35
Unlocking ............................................. 36
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 36
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*......... 37
Starter switch positions .................. 38
Adjusting .............................................. 41
Seats .............................................. 41
Steering wheel ................................ 44
Mirrors ............................................ 47
Driving .................................................. 48
Fastening the seat belts ................. 48
Starting the engine ......................... 51
Parking brake ................................. 53
Driving off ....................................... 53
Switching on headlamps ................. 55
Turn signals .................................... 55
Windshield wipers ........................... 56
Problems while driving.................... 58
Parking and locking .............................. 59
Parking brake ................................. 59
Switching off headlamps................. 60
Turning off engine ........................... 60
Releasing seat belts........................ 61
Locking ........................................... 61

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 63
Occupant safety................................... 64
Air bags .......................................... 66
Occupant Classification System ..... 71
Seat belts ....................................... 76
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®) ................................... 80
Active head restraints .................... 81
Children in the vehicle .................... 82
Blocking of
rear door window operation ........... 87
Panic alarm .......................................... 88
Activating ....................................... 88
Deactivating ................................... 88
Driving safety systems ......................... 89
ABS ................................................ 89
BAS ................................................ 90
Adaptive Brake ............................... 91
EBP................................................. 92
ESP
®............................................... 92
Anti-theft systems................................ 97
Immobilizer..................................... 97
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 97
Controls in detail............................... 99
Locking and unlocking ....................... 100
SmartKey ..................................... 100
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 103
Checking batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 108
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 108
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 108
Opening the trunk ........................ 109
Closing the trunk.......................... 111
Trunk emergency release ............. 114
Valet locking ................................ 115
Automatic central locking ............ 116
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 116
Seats ................................................ 118
Front seat active head restraints . 118
Rear seat head restraints ............. 118
Lumbar support............................ 119
Multicontour seat* ....................... 120
Seat heating* ............................... 121
Seat ventilation* .......................... 122Memory function ............................... 123
Storing positions into memory ..... 124
Recalling positions from memory. 124
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 125
Lighting ............................................. 126
Exterior lamp switch .................... 126
Combination switch ..................... 130
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps* (CLS 550 with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps only).......... 130
Hazard warning flasher ................ 132
Interior lighting in the front .......... 133
Interior lighting in the rear ........... 134
Door entry lamps ......................... 135
Trunk lamp ................................... 135
Instrument cluster ............................. 136
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 136
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 137
Resetting trip odometer ............... 137
Tachometer.................................. 138
Outside temperature indicator ..... 138
Control system .................................. 139
Multifunction display.................... 139
Multifunction steering wheel........ 140

Contents
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 320
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 321
Tire ply material ........................... 323
Tire and loading terminology ........ 323
Rotating tires ............................... 326
Winter driving .................................... 328
Winter tires .................................. 328
Block heater* (Canada only) ........ 329
Snow chains................................. 329
Maintenance ...................................... 330
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 330
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator........................... 331
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 332
Vehicle care ....................................... 333
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 333
Practical hints.................................. 343
What to do if … ................................... 344
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 344
Lamp in center console................. 356
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 358
Where will I find...? ............................. 393
First aid kit .................................... 393
Spare wheel .................................. 393
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 395
Luggage box ................................. 397
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 398
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 398
Locking the vehicle ....................... 399
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 400
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 400
Resetting activated head restraints .... 401
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 402
Replacing bulbs .................................. 404
Bulbs ............................................. 404
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 407
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 409
Replacing wiper blades....................... 410
Wiper blades ................................. 410Flat tire............................................... 412
Preparing the vehicle .................... 412
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 412
MOExtended system* ................... 419
Battery ............................................... 420
Disconnecting the battery ............ 421
Removing the battery ................... 421
Charging and reinstalling the
battery .......................................... 422
Reconnecting the battery ............. 422
Jump starting...................................... 423
Towing the vehicle.............................. 425
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 426
Fuses.................................................. 428
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 429
Fuse box in trunk .......................... 429

30 At a glance
Center console
Lower partItemPage
1Ashtray248
2KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button39
3Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission51,
171
4Parking assist (Parktronic
system)* deactivation
switch234
5Adaptive Damping System
(ADS) switch230
ItemPage
6Vehicle level control button231
7Thumbwheel for setting dis-
tance in Distronic*226
8Distance warning function*
on/off switch226
9Program mode selector
switch for automatic trans-
mission175

36 Getting started
The “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section will provide you with further
information. The corresponding page refer-
ences are located at the end of each seg-
ment.
Unlocking
Unlocking with the SmartKey
SmartKey with remote control
1‹Lock button
2ŠOpening button for trunk
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic buttonPress unlock buttonŒ on the
SmartKey.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Get in the vehicle and insert the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s un-
supervised access to a vehicle could result
in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

37 Getting started
Unlocking
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 100).
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
With the KEYLESS-GO function, you can
lock and unlock the vehicle without using
the remote control buttons on the
SmartKey and start the engine without in-
serting the SmartKey in the starter switch. Pull an outside door handle.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Get in the vehicle.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 103).
iOpening a door causes the window on that
door to open slightly. They will return to the up
position when the door is closed.
!The side windows will not open or close if
the battery is discharged or the windows are cov-
ered with ice. As a result, you may no longer be
able to properly close the door. Do not attempt
to force the door shut. Doing so may damage the
door or the side window. Correct the condition
that prevents the windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO 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.
iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO must be outside the vehicle, no fur-
ther than approximately 3 feet (1 meter) away
from the door.
iOpening a door causes the window on that
door to open slightly. They will return to the up
position when the door is closed.
!The side windows will not open or close if
the battery is discharged or the windows are cov-
ered with ice. As a result, you may no longer be
able to properly close the door. Do not attempt
to force the door shut. Doing so may damage the
door or the side window. Correct the condition
that prevents the windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.

38 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positions SmartKey
Starter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, see “Lamps in
instrument cluster” (page 344).
3Starting position
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.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps (except high beam
headlamp indicator lamp and turn signal indica-
tor lamps unless activated) in the instrument
cluster come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if activated)
should go out when the engine is running. This in-
dicates that the respective systems are opera-
tional.

39 Getting started
Unlocking
For information on starting the engine with
the SmartKey, see “SmartKey”
(
page 100).SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
I f t h e S m a r t K e y w i t h K E Y L E S S - G O i s i n s i d e
the vehicle, pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector le-
ver corresponds to turning the SmartKey
to the various starter switch positions.
If you firmly depress the brake pedal dur-
ing pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button, the engine starts automatically.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
1USA only
2Canada only
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.
Do not depress the brake pedal.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
position P.
iIf the SmartKey is left in starter switch posi-
tion 0 for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the switch. In this case, the
steering is locked. To unlock, remove SmartKey
from the starter switch and reinsert.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be sufficient-
ly charged.

Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(
page 420).

Get a jump start (page 423).
To prevent accelerated vehicle battery discharge
or a completely discharged vehicle battery, al-
ways remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch when the engine is not in operation.
iThe function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.