2012 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE parking brake

i
This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to prevent the
vehicle from gaining speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevent sthe
brakes from overheatin gand wearing too
quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distanc eand could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as afootrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressin gthe brake pedal constantly
results in excessiv eand premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to aheavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for ashort while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for
along time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be adelayedr eac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain agreater distanc efrom the
vehicle in front.
After driving on awet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten- tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads,
alayer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in asignificantly
longer braking distance.
R Brake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginnin gand end of ajourney.
R Maintain agreater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
New brake pads/linings New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspon dtoanequivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This is dependent on:
R
speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as temper-
ature and humidity Driving tips
163Driving and parking Z

The wear of individual componentsoft
he
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage lifetime that will be valid under all
circumstances. An aggressive driving style
will lead to high wear. You can obtain further
information about this from your Mercedes-
Benz Servic eCentre.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometres of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Do not forget this, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this run-in period.
Excessively heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake system warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and notea ny brake status messages
in the multifunction display .For high-per-
formanc edriving in particular, it is important
to maintain and have the brake system
checked regularly. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to
acertain depth
on the road surface, there is adanger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds.
R the tyres have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts and
brake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam- age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission.
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permissible still water depth
is 25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace. Winter driving
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect ,the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases
such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is arisk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open
aw indow on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at aqualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 330).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 330). 164
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Slippery road surfaces
G
WARNING
If you shift down on aslippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect,t he drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on aslippery road surface.
If the vehicle threaten stoskid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Move the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 331). Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic condition sthat do not allow you to
drive at aconstant speed (e.g. heavy traffic
or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
General notes Cruise control maintains
aconstant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select shift range
1, 2or 3in good time. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
preventst he brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for aprolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed Driving systems
165Driving and parking Z

A
To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
When you activat ecruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segment sbetween the stored speed and
the maximum speed light up.
Activation conditions To activat
ecruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the parking brake must be released.
R you must be driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the cruise control function must be selec-
ted (Y page 166).
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected. If it is not,p
ress the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can accept the curren
tspeed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerat ethe vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise contro llever
up : or down ;.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise contro lisactivated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise contro lmay be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise contro lmaintains the
store dspee dond ownhill gradients by
automaticall yapplyin gthe brakes.
Storing th ecurren tspee dand calling up
the last 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 driving situation .You can other-
wise endanger yourself or other sbyuninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking. 166
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The firs ttime cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
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.
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: press the cruise contro llever briefly up
:or down ;beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/ hincrements.
i Cruise contro lisnot deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise contro ladjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise contro llever for-
wards =.
or
X Brake
or
X Briefly press the cruise contro llever in the
direction of arrow ;.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp :in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parkin gbrake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivat eESP®
.
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
aw arning tone. You will see the Cruise Driving systems
167Driving and parking Z

control off message in the multifunction
displayf or approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid. G
WARNING
SPEEDTRONIC is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.
SPEEDTRONIC brakes automaticallysot hat
you do not exceed the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select shift range
1, 2or 3in good time. By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
You can set avariableorp ermanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 170) i
The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variableS PEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variableS PEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variableSPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC G
WARNING
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variableS PEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to aspeed above 168
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions. If DISTRONIC does not
recognise or no longer recognise sthe vehicle
in front, do not activate DISTRONIC or, if it is
already active, deactivate it. This is especially
the case:
R before corners
R on filter lanes
R when changing to alane with faster moving
traffic
R in comple xdriving situations or where lanes
are diverted ,e.g. at roadworks on amotor-
way
DISTRONIC PLUS otherwise maintains the
current spee dset by you or accelerates up to
the set speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take account of
weather conditions. Deactivate, or do not
activate, DISTRONIC PLUS:
R if the road sare slippery ,snow-covered or
icy. The wheels could lose their grip when
braking or accelerating. The vehicl ecould
start to skid.
R if the sensors are dirty or there is poor vis-
ibility ,e.g. due to snow, rain or fog. Dis-
tance control may be impaired.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Otherwise, you may fail to recognise dangers
in time, caus eanaccident and injure yourself
and others. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes yourv ehicle up to a
maximum of 4m/s2
depending on its speed.
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking power. You
must also apply the brakes yourself if this
braking power is not sufficient.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detect sarisk of collision
with avehicle in front, an intermittent warning
tones ounds. In addition, the ·distance
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up. Brak etoavoidacollision. General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tanc
etot he vehicle detected in front. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
On long and steep downhill gradients, you
must select shift range 1,2or 3in good time.
By doing so, you will make use of the braking
effec tofthe engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detectsas lower-moving
vehicle in front,y our vehicle is braked in order
to maintain the preset distance to the vehicle
in front.
The radar sensor system is switched off auto-
matically in the vicinity of radio telescope
facilities (Y page 368).
If you want DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you,
the radar sensor system must be activated
(Y page 225) and operational.
If there is no vehicle in front,D ISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between
30 km/h and 200 km/h. If avehicle is driving
in fron tofyou, DISTRONIC operates in the
speed range between 0km/h and
200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS on road swith
steep gradients. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z

Cruise control lever
:
To store th ecurren tspeed or ahigher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To stor ethe curren tspeed and call up the
last stored speed
A To stor ethe curren tspeed or alower
speed
B To switc hbetween DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
With the cruise contro llever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in acar wash or
by towing). Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS
,the following
condition smust be fulfilled:
R the engin emust be running. It may tak eup
to two minutes of drivin gbefore DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R the parkin gbrake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the bonnet must be closed.
R the driver' sdoor must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and the rear
doors must be closed.
R the vehicle must not be skidding.
Activating while driving X
Briefly pull the cruise contro llever towards
you ;,orp ress it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Keep the cruise contro llever pressed
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When drivin gatspeeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehi-
cle in fron thas been detected and is shown
in th emultifunction display. If th evehicle in 172
Driving systemsDriving and parking