2013 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS tow

Active Parking Assist is switched on automat-
ically when driving forwards. The system is
operational at speeds of up to approximately
35 km/h. While in operation, the system inde-
pendently locates and measures parking
spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
R that are parallel or at right angles to the
direction of travel
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
and are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
and at least 1.0 m longer than your vehicle
R that are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 1.0 m wider than your
vehicle
i In the case of parking spaces that are at
right angles to the direction of travel,
please ensure that the parking space is
long enough to accommodate your vehicle.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
will see parking symbol ; as a status indi-
cator in the instrument cluster. When a park-
ing space has been detected, an arrow
towards the right or the left also appears.
Active Parking Assist only displays parking
spaces on the front-passenger side as stand-
ard. Parking spaces on the driver's side are
displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the
driver's side, this must remain switched on
until you acknowledge the use of Active Park-
ing Assist by pressing the a button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at
right angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are approx-
imately 15 m away from it.ParkingGWARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by inter-
vening actively in the steering. There is a risk
of accident if you do not apply the brakes
yourself.
Always apply the brakes yourself when park-
ing and manoeuvring.
XStop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the
instrument cluster.XVehicles with manual transmission: shift to
reverse gear.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
into position R.
The Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.XTo cancel the procedure: press the
% button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
XTo park using Active Parking Assist:
press the a button on the multifunction
steering wheel.
The Park Assist active Accelerate
and brake Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.XRelease the multifunction steering wheel.XReverse the vehicle, being ready to brake
at all times. Do not exceed a maximum
speed of approximately 10 km/h when
reversing. Otherwise, Active Parking Assist
will be cancelled.
i In tight parking spaces, you will achieve
the best parking results by backing up as
far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
XStop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.188Driving systemsDriving and parking
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A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer again yourself.
Towing a trailer
For vehicles with a trailer tow hitch, the min-
imum required length for parking spaces is
slightly increased.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle,
you should not use Active Parking Assist.
Once the electrical connection is established
between your vehicle and the trailer, Active
Parking Assist is no longer available. PARK-
TRONIC is deactivated for the rear area.
Reversing camera
General notes
Reversing camera : is in the boot lid handle.
The reversing camera is an optical parking
and manoeuvring aid. It uses guide lines to
show the area behind your vehicle in the
Audio/COMAND display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
The reversing camera is protected from rain-
drops and dust by means of a flap. When the
reversing camera is activated, this flap opens.
Only once the manoeuvring process has been
completed and the reversing camera has
switched off does the flap close again. For
technical reasons, the flap may remain open
briefly after the reversing camera has been
deactivated. If you switch off the engine, the
flap will also close.
i The text of messages shown in the
COMAND display depends on the language
setting. The following are examples of
reversing camera messages in the
COMAND display.
Observe the notes on cleaning
( Y page 291).
Important safety notes
The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not
a substitute for your attention to the imme-
diate surroundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R if the tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent light or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In
this case, have the camera position and
setting checked at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera
XTo activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2 in the ignition lock.XMake sure that the "Activation by R gear"
setting is active in the audio system/Driving systems191Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com

COMAND Online; see the separate audio
system/COMAND Online operating
instructions.XEngage reverse gear.
Guide lines are used to show the area
behind the vehicle in the Audio/COMAND
display.
Function mode display for vehicles with COMAND
Online and a trailer tow hitch
XTo change the function mode in vehi-
cles with COMAND Online and trailer
tow hitch: using the COMAND controller,
select symbol : for the "Reverse parking"
function; see the separate COMAND Online
operating instructions.
or
XSelect symbol ; for the coupling up a
trailer function (see the separate COMAND
Online operating instructions).
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
To deactivate: the reversing camera is deac-
tivated if you:
R select transmission position P (vehicles
with automatic transmission)
R drive forward ten metres
R shift the transmission from R to another
position after 15 seconds (vehicles with
automatic transmission)
R shift out of reverse gear after 15 seconds
(vehicles with manual transmission)
R drive forwards at a speed of over
10 km/h
Displays in the Audio/COMAND display
The reversing camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles, show them incorrectly or
not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the
reversing camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
R the rear section of an HGV
R a slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bot-
tom-most guideline.
Lanes
:White guide line without turning the steer-
ing wheel, vehicle width including the
exterior mirrors (static);Yellow lane marking the course the tyres
will take at the current steering wheel
angle, vehicle width including the outer
edge of the wheel (dynamic)=Red guide line for the vehicle width includ-
ing the exterior mirrors, for current steer-
ing wheel angle (dynamic)?Bumper192Driving systemsDriving and parking
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Turning the steering wheel
:Red lane indicating the route the vehicle
will take with the steering wheel in its cur-
rent position;Parking space markingXWhile the vehicle is at a standstill, turn the
steering wheel in the direction of the park-
ing space until the red lane reaches parking
space marking ;.XKeep the steering wheel in that position
and reverse carefully.
Reversing with the steering wheel turned
:Red lane indicating the route the vehicle
will take with the steering wheel in its cur-
rent positionXStop the vehicle when it is almost exactly
in front of the parking space.
The white lane should be as close to parallel
with the parking space marking as possi-
ble.
Driving to the final position
:White lane indicating the route the vehicle
will take with the steering wheel in its cur-
rent position;Parking space markingXTurn the steering wheel to the centre posi-
tion while the vehicle is stationary.:Red guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 0.25 m from the rear of the vehicle;White lane indicating the route the vehicle
will take with the steering wheel straight=End of parking spaceXReverse carefully until you have reached
the end position.
Red guide line : is then at end of parking
space =. The vehicle is almost parallel in
the parking space.
"Coupling up a trailer" function
This function is only available on vehicles with
a trailer tow hitch and COMAND Online.
194Driving systemsDriving and parking
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Rthe traffic signs are poorly illuminated
R there are ambiguous traffic signs, for
instance near roadworks or on multi-lane
roads
Information in the multifunction display
Briefly showing detected traffic signs in
the multifunction display
XActivate the Speed Limit Assist warning
function using the on-board computer
( Y page 218).
A traffic sign indicating a speed limit or the
end of a speed limit appears in the multi-
function display for around five seconds as
soon as it is detected. Any other informa-
tion in the multifunction display is hidden
for this period.:Speed Limit Assist is available and
switched on;Traffic sign indicating a speed limit or the
end of a speed limit (example)=Own vehicle
Permanently showing detected traffic
signs in the multifunction display
XDisplay the assistance graphic using the
on-board computer ( Y page 217).
A traffic sign indicating a speed limit or the
end of a speed limit ; appears in the mul-
tifunction display as soon as it is detected.Traffic sign indicating a speed limit ; is
generally displayed until:
R a traffic sign indicating the end of the
speed limit is detected.
R you make a turn.
R you leave or enter a town.
R the road type changes (e.g. motorway,
country road).
R you have travelled a certain minimum
distance without the traffic sign being
repeated or detected again.
i You can also activate Speed Limit Assist
using COMAND Online. The maximum per-
missible speed is shown in the COMAND
display; see the COMAND Online operating
instructions.
Lane Tracking package
General notes
The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist ( Y page 197) and Lane Keeping
Assist ( Y page 199).
Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Blind Spot Assist uses a radar sensor system
to monitor the areas on both sides of your
vehicle. It supports you from speeds of
30 km/h. A warning display in the exterior
mirrors draws your attention to vehicles
detected in the monitored area. If you then
switch on the corresponding turn signal to
change lane, you will also receive an optical
and audible collision warning. For this pur-
pose, Blind Spot Assist uses sensors in the
rear bumper.
Driving systems197Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com

Indicator and warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 30 km/h. Vehicles in the mon-
itoring range are then not indicated.:Yellow indicator lamp/red warning lamp
If Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp : in the exterior mirrors lights up yel-
low up to a speed of 30 km/h. At speeds
above 30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out
and Blind Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp : on the corre-
sponding side lights up in red. This warning
always occurs when a vehicle enters the blind
spot monitoring range from behind or from
the side. When you overtake a vehicle, the
warning only occurs if the difference in speed
is less than 12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automatically according to
the ambient light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp : flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones.
Activating Blind Spot AssistXMake sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
( Y page 219).XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps : in the exterior mirrors
light up red for approximately
1.5 seconds and then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
If you attach a trailer, make sure that you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamp lights up yel-
low in the exterior mirrors and the Blind
Spot Assist currently unavailable
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, deactivate Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2 in the ignition lock
R the engine is not running
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established
Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of a camera at
the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
warns you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
Driving systems199Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com

When Standard is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
When Adaptive is selected, no warning vibra-
tion occurs if:
R you have switched on the turn signals. In
this case, the warnings are suppressed for
a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such as
ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
Towing a trailer
Notes on towing a trailer
Important safety notes
GWARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave
your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There
is a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.GWARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle/trailer
combination if it begins to swerve. The vehi-
cle/trailer combination could even overturn.
There is a risk of an accident.
On no account should you attempt to
straighten out the vehicle/trailer combina-
tion by increasing speed. Decrease your
speed and do not countersteer. Brake if nec-
essary.
GWARNING
If you exceed the permissible noseweight
while carrying a load, the carrier system could
detach from the vehicle and fall on the road.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always maintain the permissible noseweight
when carrying loads.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If you exceed the maximum permissible nose-
weight of the trailer drawbar on the ball cou-
pling, the following may become damaged:
R your vehicle
R the trailer
R the ball coupling
R trailer tow hitch
The vehicle/trailer combination could
become unstable.
If the noseweight used is lower than the min-
imum permissible noseweight, the vehicle/
trailer combination could also become unsta-
ble.
Towing a trailer201Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com

To avoid hazardous situations:
R make sure to check the noseweight before
each journey.
R use a drawbar noseweight as close as pos-
sible to the maximum noseweight.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
noseweight.
R do not use a noseweight lower than the
minimum permissible trailer drawbar nose-
weight.
You can use carrier systems, e.g. bicycle
racks or load-bearing implements, on the ball
coupling. The maximum noseweight of
75 kg applies when using carrier systems on
the ball coupling.
When reversing the vehicle towards the
trailer, make sure there is nobody between
the trailer and the vehicle.
Couple and uncouple the trailer carefully. If
you do not couple the trailer to the towing
vehicle correctly, the trailer could become
detached.
Make sure that the following values are not
exceeded:
R the permissible trailer drawbar noseweight
R the permissible trailer load
R the permissible rear axle load of the towing
vehicle
R the maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight of both the towing vehicle and the
trailer
The applicable permissible values, which
must not be exceeded, can be found:
R in your vehicle documents
R on the identification plates of the trailer tow
hitch and the trailer
R on the vehicle identification plate
If the values differ, the lowest value applies.
You will find the values approved by the man-
ufacturer on the vehicle identification plates
and those for the towing vehicle in the "Tech-
nical data" section.When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
to when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
R is heavier
R is restricted in its acceleration and gradi-
ent-climbing capability
R has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R has a larger turning circle
This can impair the vehicle's handling char-
acteristics. Adapt your style of driving accord-
ingly. Maintain a safe distance. Drive care-
fully.
When towing a trailer, always adjust your
speed to the current road and weather con-
ditions. Do not exceed the maximum permis-
sible speed for your vehicle/trailer combina-
tion.
General notes
! Use a drawbar noseweight as close as
possible to the maximum permissible nose-
weight. Do not use a noseweight of less
than 50 kg, otherwise the trailer may come
loose.
Note that the payload and the rear axle load
are reduced by the actual payload.
XWhen towing a trailer, set the tyre pressure
on the rear axle of the towing vehicle for a
maximum load; see the tyre pressure table
in the fuel filler flap ( Y page 319).
You will find fitting dimensions and loads in
the "Technical data" section ( Y page 344).
The actual noseweight may not though be
higher than the value which is given:
R on the type plate of the trailer tow hitch and
R on the type plate of the trailer
The lowest weight applies.
Please note that when towing a trailer, PARK-
TRONIC ( Y page 182) and Blind Spot Assist
202Towing a trailerDriving and parking
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