2012 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE warning

front is no longe
rdetected and displayed,
DISTRONIC PLUS switche soff and you will
hear atone.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS suspended message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distanc etoaslower-moving
vehicle in fron twill the nnot be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Activating when driving toward sasta-
tionary vehicle
X Briefl ypullt he cruis econtro llev er towards
you ;,orp ress it up :or down =.
DISTRONI CPLUSiss elected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if avehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance displayint he instrument cluster
should be activated (Y page 219).
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 176).
Pulling away and driving G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourselfa nd others. The
driver remains fully responsibl efor the vehi-
cle's distance from othe rvehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time. X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;,orp ress it up :or down =.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron thas slowe ddown ,itb rakes yourv ehi-
cle. In this way, the distanc eyou have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tisdriving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored.
Changing lanes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If you change to the overtaking lane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to avehicle in front.
R you switch on the respective turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect adanger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis- Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

tanc
ebetween your vehicl eand the vehicl ein
front become stoo small.
i Whe nchanging lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles.
Vehicles with COMAND Online
i The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic situa-
tions. This is the case if, while following a
vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around aroundabout
R approach aT-junction
R turn off at amotorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system. Example: roundabout
The current speed is maintained:
R
approximately ten seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and for approx-
imately 1.5seconds when driving on the
roundabout
R approximately twelve seconds before
reaching amotorway exit and approx-
imately four seconds after the motorway
exit Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated.
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by apassenger
or from outside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply,e .g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment,t he battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave the vehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detectst hat the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to astandstill
at as ufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking

When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
R as ystem fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed or down ;for alower speed.
X Keep the cruise contro llever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise contro llever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1km/ hincrements.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
tro llever up :or down ;beyond the
pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/ hincrements. i
DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up astored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and drivin gsituation .You can other-
wise endanger yourself or other sbyuninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking. X
Briefly pull the cruise contro llever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the curren tspeed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value. Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

R
you pull th ecruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and th efront-
passenger doo rorone of the rea rdoors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear awarning tone. You will see the DIS‐TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains description
sofcertain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detec
tvehicles
travelling on adifferent line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle cuttin
gin. The distanc etothis vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width
.The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Obstructions and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turn sacorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away ,especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvrin gonsteep slopes
R when waiting in traffic The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effec tiscancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
X Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

Deactivating th
eHOLDf unction G
WARNING
Never get out of th evehicle when th eHOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function mus tnever be operated
or deactivated by apassenger or from outside
th ev ehicle.
The HOLD function doe snot replac ethe park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effec tofthe HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the batter yorthe fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the batter yisdisconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerat eand the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activat eDISTRONIC PLUS.
When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened. R
as ystem fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. RACE START
Important safety notes G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to alimited degree if the vehicle start stoskid
or aw heel start stospin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from astanding start .The precondition for
this is asuitable high-grip road surface.
Activation conditions You can activat
eRACE START if:
R the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operatin gtemperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 66).
R the steerin gwheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.180
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activating RACE START
X
Depress th ebrak epedal wit hyour left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 151) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steerin gwheel shift
paddle (Y page 152).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steerin gwheel
shift paddle (Y page 152).
The RACE START available Depress accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE START not
possible See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The RACE START cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches aspeed of approximately 50 km/h. Drive program
S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE START
not possible See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until acertain distance has been driven. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you have selected "Comfort tuning", the
vehicle will be lowered if you lock it within
60 seconds of the engine being switched off.
Make sure, therefore, that nobody is in the
vicinit yofthe wheel housing or under the
vehicle when you lock the vehicle. Otherwise,
limbs could become trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered by about 15 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the kerb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with aladen vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z

The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about
25 mm when compared with the normal
level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered" vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Comfort tuning"
(Y page 182) and then lock the vehicle
within 60 seconds of the engine being
switched off
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 182)
Setting the vehicle level G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinit yofthe
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level X
Start the engine. If indicator lamp
;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive at aspeed over approximately
120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h.
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the norma llevel
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection ,i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking