2013 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class Owner's Manual

Setting the rear-compartment air
vents
Setting the center vents in the rear
compartment
:
Rear-compartment air vent thumbwheel
; Rear-compartment air vent, right
= Rear control panel, only with automatic
climate control 2
? Rear-compartment air vent, left
X To open/close: turn thumbwheel : up or
down.
2 Only for Canada. Setting the air vents
135Climate control Z

136

Useful information ............................
138
Breaking-in notes .............................. 138
Driving ............................................... 138
Automatic transmission ................... 146
Refueling ............................................ 154
Parking ............................................... 157
Driving tips ........................................ 159
Driving systems ................................ 165 137Driving and parking

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible.
Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Read the information on qualified
specialist workshops: ( Y page 24).Breaking-in notes
Important safety notes
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after
several hundred kilometers of driving.
Compensate

for this by applying greater force
to the brake pedal. The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
The
more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying
vehicle and engine speeds for the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full
throttle, during this period.
R Change gear in good time, before the
tachometer needle is Ô of the way to the
red area of the tachometer.
R Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R If possible, do not depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance
(kickdown).
R Only select shift ranges 3, 2 or 1 when
driving slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain. After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and
accelerate the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
R
Do not drive faster than

85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1000 miles
(1500 km).
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4500 rpm briefly.
R Change gear in good time.
i You should also observe these notes on
running in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed
limits. AMG vehicles with rear axle locking
differential
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle. To improve the
protection

of the differential on the rear axle,
change the oil after a break-in distance of
2,000 miles (3,000 km). This oil change
extends the service life of the differential.
Have the oil change carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the
pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle
is jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient

clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats. 138
Driving
Driving and parking

G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with
limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released
when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident. Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡ (+20 †), the
maximum engine speed is restricted in
order to protect the engine. To protect the
engine and maintain smooth engine operation, avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold. SmartKey positions
SmartKey g
To remove the SmartKey
(shift the transmission to position P)
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
i The SmartKey can be turned in the
ignition lock even if it is not the correct
SmartKey

for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General notes
R
Do

not keep the KEYLESS-GO key together
with:
- electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another key
- metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal film
R Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key in metal
objects, e.g. metal cases.
This can affect the functionality of
KEYLESS-GO.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
a SmartKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-
GO start function and a detachable Start/
Stop button. Driving
139
Driving and parking Z

The Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in
the vehicle.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different
SmartKey positions in the ignition lock. This
is only the case if you are not depressing the
brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts
immediately.
The Start/Stop button can be removed from
the ignition lock. Then, you can insert the
SmartKey into the ignition lock.
i You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you
leave the vehicle. You should, however,
always take the SmartKey with you when
leaving the vehicle. As long as the
SmartKey is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the
Start/Stop button and
R electrically powered equipment can be
operated.
Key positions with KEYLESS-GO As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator

lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. If an indicator lamp does not go out after
starting the engine or lights up while driving,
see ( Y page 257). X
Insert Start/Stop button : into ignition
lock ;.
i When you insert Start/Stop button :
into ignition lock ;, the system needs
approximately

2 seconds' recognition time.
You can then use Start/Stop button :.
Activating power supply
X Position 0:
if Start/Stop button : has not
yet been pressed, this corresponds to the
SmartKey being removed from the ignition.
X Position 1: press Start/Stop button :.
The power supply is switched on. You can
now activate the windshield wipers, for
example.
i If
you then open the driver's door when in
this position, the power supply is
deactivated.
Switching on the ignition
X Position 2 (ignition): press Start/Stop
button : twice.
The ignition is switched on.
i The ignition is switched off when:
R the driver's door is opened and
R you press Start/Stop button : once
when in this position. Start/Stop button
=
USA only
? Canada only140
Driving
Driving and parking

Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these
exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces
without sufficient ventilation.
! Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
General notes i
The catalytic converter is preheated for
up to 30 seconds after a cold start. The
sound

of the engine may change during this
time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey i
To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/
Stop button out of the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position 3 (Y page 139) and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine G
WARNING
As long as the SmartKey is in your vehicle, the
vehicle
can be started. Therefore, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle, as they
could otherwise accidentally start the engine.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle. A
child's

unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the SmartKey into the ignition lock. The
Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the ignition lock and the SmartKey must be
in the vehicle. This mode for starting the
engine operates independently of the ECO
start/stop automatic engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button ( Y page 139)
once.
The engine starts. Pulling away
Automatic transmission G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or
R,

the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position D or R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
! If a warning tone sounds and the
Release Park. Brake message appears
in the multifunction display, the parking
brake is still applied. Release the parking
brake.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position D or R.
X Release the parking brake ( Y page 158).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal. Driving
141
Driving and parking Z

i
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position P to the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then is
the parking lock released. If you do not
depress the brake pedal, you can move the
DIRECT SELECT lever but the parking lock
remains engaged.
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic
locking feature (Y page 222).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill start assist G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no
longer brake your vehicle and it could roll
away.

There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient.
It holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot
from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal
and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
The

vehicle is then held for about a second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function if:
R you are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N. R
the parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. ECO start/stop function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically.

The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
Every

time you switch on the engine using the
SmartKey or the Start/Stop button, the ECO
start/stop function is activated.
AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive program C.
The system is operational when ECO symbol
¤ is shown in green in the multifunction
display.
AMG vehicles: the AMG menu in the
multifunction display additionally shows the
Stop/Start active message.
If conditions for automatic engine switch-off
have not been fulfilled ( Y page 143), the
¤ symbol will be shown in yellow.
AMG vehicles: the AMG menu in the
multifunction display additionally shows the
Stop/Start inactive message.
If the ECO start/stop function has been
manually deactivated ( Y page 143) or a142
Driving
Driving and parking