2013 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS automatic transmission

! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
! Only secure the tow cable or tow bar to
the towing eyes or, if available, to the trailer
tow hitch. You could otherwise damage the
vehicle.
! Observe the following points when towing
with a tow rope:
R Secure the tow rope on the same side on
both vehicles.
R Make sure that the tow rope is not longer
than legally permitted. Mark the tow rope
in the middle, e.g. with a white cloth
(30 x 30 cm). This will make other road
users aware that a vehicle is being
towed.
R Only secure the tow cable to the towing
eyes or, if available, to the trailer tow
hitch.
R Observe the brake lamps of the towing
vehicle while driving. Always maintain a
distance a distance so that the tow rope
does not sag.
R Do not use steel cables or chains to tow
your vehicle. You could otherwise dam-
age the vehicle.
! Do not use the towing eyes for recovery
purposes as this could damage the vehicle.
If in doubt, recover the vehicle with a crane.
! Pull away smoothly when towing away or
tow-starting a vehicle. If the tractive power
is too high, the vehicles could be damaged.
! You may tow the vehicle for a maximum
of 50 km. A towing speed of 50 km/h must
not be exceeded.For towing distances over 50 km, the front
axle or the entire vehicle must be raised
and transported.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be tow-started. The transmission
may otherwise be damaged.
Observe the legal requirements for the rele-
vant countries when towing and tow-starting.
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
when towing a vehicle, the transmission must
be in position N.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the key in the ignition lock to
position 2
R vehicles with automatic transmission:
cannot shift the transmission to position N
i Deactivate the automatic locking feature
( Y page 223). You could otherwise be
locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Deactivate tow-away protection
( Y page 71) before the vehicle is towed.Towing and tow-starting309Breakdown assistanceZProCarManuals.com

Fitting/removing the towing eye
Fitting the towing eyeXRemove the towing eye from the stowage
space.
The towing eye is located with the vehicle
tool kit under the boot floor ( Y page 273).
Vehicles with a TIREFIT kit: the towing eye
is located under the tyre inflation compres-
sor.XPress the mark on cover : inwards in the
direction of the arrow.XRemove cover : from the opening.XScrew the towing eye in clockwise to the
stop and tighten it.
Vehicles with a trailer tow hitch do not have
a bracket for the screw-in towing eye at the
back. If you intend to use the vehicle for tow-
ing, fold out the ball coupling ( Y page 203)
and secure the towbar to it.
Removing the towing eye
XLoosen the towing eye and unscrew it.XPosition the top of cover : in the bumper
and press it in at the bottom until it
engages.XPlace the towing eye in the stowage well
under the boot floor ( Y page 273).XVehicles with a TIREFIT kit: replace the tyre
inflation compressor.
Towing the vehicle with the front axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the front axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could other-
wise damage the brake system.
XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XWhen the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.XVehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.
or
XVehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the electric parking brake.XDeactivate automatic locking
( Y page 223).XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 110).XTurn the key in the ignition lock to position
0 and leave the key in the ignition lock.
When towing your vehicle with the front axle
raised, it is important that you observe the
safety instructions ( Y page 308).
Towing the vehicle with both axles on
the ground
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing with the hazard warning lamps
switched on, use the combination switch as
usual. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. When you reset
310Towing and tow-startingBreakdown assistance
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the combination switch, the hazard warn-
ing lamps start flashing again.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position P when you open the driver's or
front-passenger door or when you remove the
key from the ignition lock. In order to ensure
that the automatic transmission stays in posi-
tion N when towing the vehicle, you must
observe the following points:XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XShift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XDepress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.
Vehicles with manual or automatic trans-
mission:
XLeave the key in position 2 in the ignition
lock.XRelease the brake pedal.XRelease the electric parking brake.XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 110).
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
( Y page 308).
Transporting the vehicle
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged.
XVehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and shift to
neutral.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
turn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.XMove the transmission to position N.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the electric parking brake.XVehicles with manual transmission:
depress the clutch pedal fully and engage
first or reverse gear.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position P.XTurn the key to position 0 in the ignition
lock and remove it.XSecure the vehicle.
The towing eyes or trailer tow hitch can be
used to pull the vehicle onto a trailer or trans-
porter if you wish to transport it.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
! Do not tow-start vehicles with automatic
transmission. You could otherwise damage
the automatic transmission.
Before tow-starting the following conditions
must be fulfilled:
R the battery is connected.
R the engine has cooled down.
R the exhaust system has cooled down.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y page 110).XFit the towing eye ( Y page 310).XSecure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.XDepress and hold the brake pedal.XTurn the key to position 2 in the ignition
lock.Towing and tow-starting311Breakdown assistanceZProCarManuals.com

Interchanging the front and rear wheels of
differing dimensions can render the general
operating permit invalid.
Always pay attention to the instructions and
safety notes when changing a wheel
( Y page 324).
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ, depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. Front tyres
typically wear more on the shoulders and the
rear tyres in the centre.
On vehicles that have the same size front and
rear wheels, you can interchange the wheels
every 5,000 to 10,000 km depending on the
degree of tyre wear. Ensure the direction of
rotation is maintained.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a wheel
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system or the tyre pressure monitor.
Direction of rotation
Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation.
Storing wheels
Store wheels that are not being used in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place. Protect the
tyres against oil, grease, petrol and diesel.
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet of circular-jet nozzles (dirt grind-
ers) can cause damage not visible from the
outside to tyres or chassis components. Com-
ponents damaged in this way can unexpect-
edly fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use high-pressure cleaners with circu-
lar-jet nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have dam-
aged tyres or chassis components replaced
immediately.
Fitting a wheel
Preparing the vehicle
XStop the vehicle on solid, non-slippery and
level ground.XApply the electric parking brake manually
( Y page 163).XBring the front wheels into the straight-
ahead position.XVehicles with manual transmission:
fully depress the clutch pedal and engage
first or reverse gear.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
move the DIRECT SELECT lever to P.XSwitch off the engine.XRemove the key from the ignition lock.XIf a trailer is coupled to the vehicle, uncou-
ple it.XIf included in the vehicle equipment,
remove the tyre-change tool kit from the
vehicle.XSecure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away.
i Apart from certain country-specific varia-
tions, vehicles are not equipped with a tyre-
change tool kit. For information on which
tools are required to perform a wheel
change on your vehicle, consult a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Necessary wheel-changing tools can
include, for example:
R Jack
R Wheel chock
R Wheel wrench
Changing a wheel325Wheels and tyresZProCarManuals.com

Trailer loads
Vehicles with manual transmission
Missing values were not available at the time of going to print.
Permissible trailer load,
braked 13Permissible
trailer load,
braked 14Permissible
trailer load, unbrakedMaximum drawbar nose-
weight 15Permissible
rear axle
load when towing a trailerCLA 180CLA 200
Vehicles with automatic transmission
Missing values were not available at the time of going to print.
Permissible trailer load,
braked 13Permissible
trailer load,
braked 14Permissible
trailer load, unbrakedMaximum drawbar nose-
weight 15Permissible
rear axle
load when towing a trailerCLA 180CLA 200CLA 250CLA 220 CDI13 At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 8% from a standstill.
14 At a minimum gradient-climbing capability of 12% from a standstill.
15 The drawbar noseweight is not included in the trailer load.Trailer tow hitch345Technical dataZProCarManuals.com