Treadwear
...................................... 199
Treadwear indicators .............198, 208
Vehicle maximum load on ..............208
Wear pattern .................................. 200
Winter tires ............................ 208, 291
Tire speed rating .......................203, 207
Top tether see Children in the vehicle
Total load limit ................................... 207
Towing
Towing eye bolt .............................. 282
Vehicle ........................................... 281
Towing eye bolt ................................. 282
Traction ...................................... 199, 207
Transmission see Automatic transmission
Transmission fluid level .................... 180
Transmission gear selector lever see Gear selector lever
Transmission positions ....................103
Traveling abroad ............................... 213
Tread (tires) ....................................... 207
Tread depth (tires) ....................198, 208
Treadwear .......................................... 199
Treadwear indicators (tires) .... 198, 208
Trip computer menu .........................124
Trip odometer, resetting ................... 110
Trunk
Closing ............................................. 72
Fuse box ........................................ 285
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 241
Opening ........................................... 72
Opening/closing system .................. 73
Tie-down hooks .............................. 157
Trunk lid emergency release ............ 74
Unlocking manually .......................262
Valet locking .................................... 75
Turning off the engine ......................101
Turn signals ......................................... 89
Cleaning lenses ............................. 219
Indicator lamps ................................ 28
Messages in the multifunction
display ........................................... 250
Replacing bulbs ............................. 267 U
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards .................................. 199, 208
Units Selecting speedometer display
mode ............................................. 120
Unleaded gasoline, premium ........... 299
Unlocking the vehicle
KEYLESS-GO
.................................... 67
Manually ........................................ 261
SmartKey ......................................... 66
Upholstery, cleaning .........................221
Useful features .................................. 160 V
Valet locking ........................................ 75
Vehicle
Battery ........................................... 278
Care ............................................... 215
Control system .............................. 110
Identification Number (VIN) ........... 288
Locking/unlocking
........................... 66
Lowering (wheel change) ...............276
Modifications and alterations,
Operating safety .............................. 21
Towing ........................................... 281
Unlocking/locking manually .......... 261
Vehicle dimensions
see Vehicle specification
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) ................................................... 288
Vehicle jack see Jack
Vehicle level control
see AIRMATIC DC (Dual Control)
Vehicle lighting .................................... 86
Vehicle loading
Instructions .................................... 154
Load limit ....................................... 194
Roof rack ....................................... 155
Ski bag ........................................... 155
Terminology ................................... 205
Vehicle maximum load on the tire ... 208
Vehicle specification
CLS 550 ......................................... 290
CLS 63 AMG .................................. 290 Index
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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 available
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
Information 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. Operating your vehicle outside the
USA or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in foreign
countries, please be aware that:
R Service
facilities or replacement parts may
not be readily available.
R Unleaded gasoline for vehicles with
catalytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts.
R Gasoline may have a considerably lower
octane rating, and improper fuel can cause
engine damage.
Certain Mercedes-Benz models are available
for delivery in Europe under our European
Delivery Program. For details, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or write to:
In the USA:
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
98 Vanderhoof Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4G 4C9 Operating safety
G
Warning!
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause
them to cease functioning. Because the
vehicle’s electronic components are
interconnected, any modifications made may
produce an undesired effect on other
systems. Electronic malfunctions could
seriously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
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 never
turn off the engine while driving. G
Warning!
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody or
tires/wheels may cause serious damage and
impair the operating safety of your vehicle.
Such blows can be caused, for example, by
running over an obstacle, road debris or a
pothole. If you feel a sudden significant
vibration or ride disturbance, or you suspect
that damage to your vehicle as occurred:
R turn on your hazard warning flashers
R slow down carefully
R 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 vehicle
appears unsafe, have it towed to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or other
qualified maintenance or repair facility for
further inspection or repairs. Introduction
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Instrument cluster
Function Page
:
# Left turn signal
indicator lamp
;
d ESP
®
warning lamp 255
=
Speedometer
?
Multifunction display 111
A
· Distance warning
lamp
2 256
B
! Right turn signal
indicator lamp
C
Coolant temperature
indicator
109
? Coolant temperature
warning lamp
257
D
Tachometer with:
+ Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS)
indicator lamp
254 Function Page
! Antilock Brake
System (ABS) indicator
lamp
252
7 Seat belt telltale
253
K High-beam headlamp
indicator lamp
89
L Low-beam headlamp
indicator lamp
87
E
Main odometer with:
Transmission position
indicator
103
Program mode 105
F
Clock with:
$ Brake warning lamp,
USA only
252
J Brake warning lamp,
Canada only
252
= Engine malfunction
indicator lamp, USA only
257
2
Vehicles without Distronic: Warning lamp without function. It illuminates when the ignition is on. It should
go out when the engine is running. 28
Instrument clusterAt a glance
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Function Page
; Engine malfunction
indicator lamp, Canada only
257
h Combination low tire
pressure/TPMS
malfunction telltale, USA
only
188,
259 h Low tire pressure
telltale, Canada only
190,
259 G
Fuel display with:
6 Fuel tank reserve
warning lamp
256
H
Reset button for:
Resetting trip odometer 110
Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination
109 Multifunction steering wheel
Function Page
:
Multifunction display 111
;
Press button 6:
to answer a call 125
to dial
3 125
to redial
3 125
Press button ~:
to end a call 125
to reject an incoming call 125
Press button
W or X: to select submenus in the
Settings menu
119
to set values
to operate the RACETIMER
4 114
to set the volume
=
Press button V or U
to select next/previous
menu 110
3
Function only available in telephone menu.
4 AMG vehicles only. Multifunction steering wheel
29At a glance
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Vehicle equipment
i This Operator’s Manual describes all
features, standard or optional, potentially
available for your vehicle at the time of
purchase. Please be aware that your
vehicle might not be equipped with all
features described in this manual. Occupant safety
Introduction
In this section you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are:
R Seat belts
R Child restraints
R Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren
(LATCH) also known as ISOFIX
Additional
protection potential is provided by:
R Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with
- Air bags
- Air bag control unit (with crash sensors)
- Emergency Tensioning Device (ETD) for
seat belts
- Seat belt force limiter
R NECK-PRO active front head restraints
R Preventive occupant safety (PRE-SAFE
®
)
R Air bag system components with
-Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp
- Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
Although the systems are independent, their
protective
functions work in conjunction with
each other. G
Warning!
Modifications to or work improperly
conducted on restraint system components
or their wiring, as well as tampering with
interconnected electronic systems, can lead
to
the restraint systems no longer functioning
as intended.
Air bags or Emergency Tensioning Devices
(ETDs), for example, could deploy
inadvertently or fail to deploy in accidents
although the deceleration threshold for air
bag deployment is exceeded. Therefore,
never modify the restraint systems. Do not
tamper with electronic components or their
software.
i See “Children in the vehicle”
(Y page 52) for information on
R infants and children traveling with you in
the vehicle
R restraint systems for infants and children SRS indicator lamp
The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of system malfunctions.
The SRS indicator lamp + in the
instrument cluster comes on when the
ignition is switched on. It goes out no later
than
a few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness when the SRS indicator lamp
+ is not lit while the engine is running. 36
Occupant safety
Safety and security
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G
Warning!
The SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction when the SRS indicator lamp
+
R does not come on at all
R fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started
R comes on after the engine was started or
while driving
For
your safety, we strongly recommend that
you contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately to have the system
checked. Otherwise the SRS may not be
activated when needed in an accident, which
could result in serious or fatal injury. The SRS
might also deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in injury
as well.
In addition, improper work on the SRS creates
a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended air bag deployment. Work
on the SRS must therefore only be performed
by qualified technicians. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
USA only: Call our Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details. Air bags
G
Warning!
Air bags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain
R frontal impacts (front air bags and driver’s
side knee bag)
R side impacts (side impact air bags and
window curtain air bags)
R rollovers (window curtain air bags) However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
Deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither harmful
to
your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some
temporary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get fresh
air by opening a window or door. G
Warning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front air
bags
inflate, it is very important for the driver
and front passenger to always be in a properly
seated position and to wear their respective
seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the seat backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and make sure it is
properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R Sit with the seat belt properly fastened in a
position that is as upright as possible with
your back against the seat backrest.
R Move the driver’s seat as far back as
possible, still permitting proper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver’s chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) or more.
You should be able to accomplish this by Occupant safety
37
Safety and security
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weight category determined by weight sensor
readings from the front passenger seat.
The system does not deactivate
R
the front passenger side impact air bag
R the window curtain air bag
R the Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs)
To
be classified correctly, the front passenger
must sit
R with the seat belt properly fastened
R in a position that is as upright as possible
with the back against the seat backrest
R with the feet on the floor
If the occupant’s weight is transferred to
another object in the vehicle (e.g. by leaning
on armrests), the OCS may not be able to
properly approximate the occupant’s weight
category.
Furthermore, the occupant weight may
appear to increase or decrease due to the
following:
R objects hanging on the seat
R objects lodged underneath the seat
R objects stuffed between the seat and
middle console
R objects stuffed between the seat and door
R other passengers pushing on the seat
R objects applying pressure to the back of
the seat
Always make sure the seat has clearance
in all directions at all times.
If your seat, including the 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.
Both the driver and the front passenger
should always use the 04
indicator lamp as an indication of whether or
not the front passenger is properly
positioned. G
Warning!
If the 04 indicator lamp
illuminates when an adult or someone larger
than a small individual is in the front
passenger seat, have the front passenger
reposition himself or herself in the seat until
the 04 indicator lamp goes out,
or
check whether objects are caught under or
around the seat.
In the event of a collision, the air bag control
unit will not allow front passenger front air bag
deployment when the OCS has classified the
front passenger seat occupant as weighting
as much as or less than a typical 12-month-
old child in a standard child restraint or if the
front passenger seat is classified as being
empty.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being up to or less than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a standard child
restraint, the 04 indicator lamp
will illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat is classified as being empty,
the 04 indicator lamp will
illuminate when the engine is started and
remain illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as
being heavier than the weight of a typical
12-month-old child seated in a standard child
restraint or as being a small individual (such
as a young teenager or a small adult), the
04 indicator lamp will illuminate
for approximately 6 seconds when the engine
is started and then, depending on occupant
weight sensor readings from the seat, remain
illuminated or go out. With the
04 indicator lamp illuminated,
the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. With the 04 42
Occupant safety
Safety and security
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indicator lamp out, the front passenger front
air bag is activated.
When the OCS senses that the front
passenger seat occupant is classified as an
adult or someone larger than a small
individual,
the 04 indicator lamp
will illuminate for approximately 6 seconds
when the engine is started and then go out,
indicating that the front passenger front air
bag is activated.
If the 04 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 04 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the front passenger front air bag
is activated and will be deployed
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
R independently of the side impact air bags
If the front passenger front air bag is
deployed, the rate of inflation will be
influenced by
R the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit
R the front passenger’s weight category as
identified by the OCS
For more information on air bag display
messages in the multifunction display, see
(Y page 230). G
Warning!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children
be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child. The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt, the seat
belt
and top tether strap, or lower anchors and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
R Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front passenger seat.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 04
indicator lamp is illuminated, indicating
that the front passenger front air bag is
deactivated. Should the 04
indicator lamp not illuminate or go out while
the restraint is installed, please check
installation. Periodically check the Occupant safety
43
Safety and security
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