Cornering ligh
tfunction The cornering light function improves the
illumination of the road over a wide angle in
the direction you are turning, enabling better
visibility in tight bends, for example. The
cornering light function can only be activated
whe nthe low-beam headlamps are switched
on.
Active:
R if you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signals
or turn the steering wheel
R if you are driving at speeds between
25 mph (40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h)
and turn the steering wheel
Not active: if you are driving at speeds above
25 mph (40 km/h) or switch off the turn
signals or turn the steering wheel to the
straight-ahead position.
The cornering light function may remain lit for
a short time, but is automatically switched off
after no more than three minutes. Adaptive Highbeam Assist
You can use this function to set the
headlamps to change between low bea mand
high beam automatically. The system
recognizes vehicles with thei rlights on, either
approaching fro mthe opposite direction or
traveling in front of your vehicle, and
consequently switches the headlamps from
high beam to low beam. The system automatically adapts the low-
beam headlamp range depending on the
distance to the other vehicle. Once the
system no longer detects any other vehicles,
it reactivates the high-beam headlamps.
The system's optical sensor is located behind
the windshield near the overhead control
panel. X
To activate: activate the Adaptive
Highbeam Assist function using the on-
board computer (Y page 350).
X Turn the light switch to c.
X Press the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :
(Y page 252).
If it is dark and the light sensor activates
the low-beam headlamps, the _
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
If you drive at speeds above approximately
28 mph (45 km/h):
the headlamp range is set automatically
depending on the distance between the
vehicle and other road users.
If you are driving at speeds above
approximately 35 mph (55 km/h) and no
other road users have been detected: 254
Exterior lightingLights and windshield wipers
Setting the air vents
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature). This
could cause burns or frostbite to unprotected
skin in the immediate area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between
unprotected parts of the body and the air
vents. If necessary, use the air distribution
adjustment to direct the air to air vents in the
vehicle interior that are not in the immediate
area of unprotected skin.
In order to ensure the direct flow of fresh air
through the air vents into the vehicle interior,
please observe the following notes:
R keep the air intake grille on the hood free
of blockages, such as ice, snow or leaves
R never cover the air vents or air intake grille
in the vehicle interior.
i For virtually draft-free ventilation, adjust
the sliders of the air vents to the center
position. Setting the center air vents
:
Fixed center air vent
; Center air vent, right
= Center vent thumbwheel, right ?
Center vent thumbwheel, left
A Center air vent, left
X To open/close: turn thumbwheels =
and ?up or down. Setting the side air vents
X
To open/close: turn thumbwheel =up or
down.
i Side window defroster vent :is never
completely shut, even if side air vent ;is
shut. Setting the air vents in the stowage
compartment
When automatic climate control is activated
the stowage compartmen tcan be ventilated,
for instance to cool its contents. The level of
airflow depends on the airflow and air
distribution settings. The temperature of the
air is approximately the same as that of the
air flowing from the center air vents.
! Close the stowage compartmen tair vent
when heating mode is activated and
activate "cooling with air dehumidification"
if the outside temperature is high.
Otherwise, temperature-sensitive items
stored in the stowage compartmen tcould
be damaged. 268
Setting the air ventsClimate control
X
To switc hthe ventilation on/off: push
rocker switch down ;or up :. Setting the glove box air vent
When automatic climate control is activated,
the glove box can be ventilated, for instance
to cool its contents. The level of airflow
depends on the airflow and aird istribution
settings.
! Close the air ven twhen heating the
vehicle.
At high outside temperatures, open the air
vent and activate the "cooling with air
dehumidification" function. Otherwise,
temperature-sensitive items stored in the
glove box could be damaged. X
To open: turn thumbwheel :counter-
clockwise from position 3to position 2.
X To close: turn thumbwheel :clockwise
from position 2to position 3. Setting the rear-compartment air
vents
Setting the center vents in the rear
compartment :
Rear-compartment air vent, left
; Rear-compartment air vent, right
= Rear-compartment air vent thumbwheel,
right
? Rear-compartment air vent thumbwheel,
left
X To open/close: turn thumbwheel =
or ? to the right or left.
i Close the rear-compartment air vents
when heating mode is activated, as no
warm air flows through the rear-
compartmenta ir vents in the basic heating
setting. Setting the air vents
269Climate control Z
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 Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 29).Notes on breaking-in
anew vehicle The first 1,000miles (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
1,000miles (1,500km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g .driving at full
throttle, during this period.
R Change gearing ood time, before the
tachometer needle is Ôof 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 3,2or 1when
driving slowly, e.g. in mountainous terrain.
R If possible, for the first 1,000miles
(1,500km), drive in drive program E(in
AMG vehicles in drive program C).
After 1,000 miles (1,500km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle up to full speed. Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
R
do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R change gear in good time.
i You should also observe these breaking-
in notes if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
i Always observe the respective speed
limits. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals' range of movement.
Keep the driver's footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury. G
WARNING
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in
order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle
control. Your vehicle's ABS will not prevent
this type of loss of control. G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of parking position Por
neutral position Nif the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You 272
DrivingDriving and parking
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something .Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foo tis firmly on the brake pedal.
! 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.
! CL 63 AMG: at low engine oil
temperatures below 68 ‡(+20 †), the
maximu mengine speed is restricted in
order to protect the engine .To protec tthe
engine and maintain smooth engine
operation, avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold. Key positions
SmartKey g
To remove the SmartKey
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 information
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
aS
martKey featuring an integrated KEYLESS-
GO function and a detachable Start/Stop
button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted into
the ignitio nlock 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. However, you should
always take the SmartKey with you when
leaving the vehicle. The vehicle can be
started with the Start/Stop button and the
electrical equipment can be operated while
the SmartKey is in the vehicle. :
Start/Stop button
; Ignition lock Driving
273Driving and parking Z
:
Transmission position
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which
transmission positions you can change
using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
! If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select
transmission position Dand drive program
E (drive program Con AMG vehicles) or S.
Do not restrict the shift range. Transmission positions
B
Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position Punless the vehicle is
stationary. The parking lock should
not be used as a brake when
parking. In addition to engaging the
parking lock, you must always
apply the electric parking brake to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are
malfunctioning, the transmission
may be locked in position P.
Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. The transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position Nif the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Automatic transmission
281Driving and parking Z
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 283).
AMG vehicles: only change from automatic
drive program Cor Sto manual drive program
M whe nthe vehicle is stationary.
X Press program selector button :
repeatedly until the letter for the desired
gearshift program appears in the
multifunction display.
i When the engine is started, the automatic
transmission always switches to automatic
drive program E(drive program Cin AMG
vehicles). Steering wheel paddle shifters
:
Left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
; Right-hand steering wheel paddle shifter
You can restrict or derestrict the shift range
by using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
You can change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters in the manual
drive program. Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) is characterized by the following: R
the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program Sis characterized by the
following:
R sporty engine settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points Shift ranges
Introduction When the automatic transmission is in
position
D, it is possible to restrict or
derestrict the shift range (Y page 283).
The shift range selected is shown in the
multifunction display. The automatic
transmission shifts only as far as the selected
gear. Shift range
=
You can use the engine's braking
effect. Automatic transmission
283Driving and parking Z
5
To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Restricting the shift range
X
Pull the left-hand steerin gwheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts down
one gear and restricts the shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the
automatic transmission protects against
engine damage by not shifting down.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to
accelerate, the automatic transmission
shifts up in order to prevent the engine
from overrevving, even if the shift range is
restricted.
Derestricting the shift range X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The shift range is derestricted.
Clearing the shift range restriction X
Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter until Dis shown again in the
multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.Selecting the ideal shift range X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in position.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
gear which allows optimum acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more
gears. Manual drive program
Switching on the manual drive program The manual drive program is only available for
AMG vehicles.
Manual drive program
Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected
using the program selector button. In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D.The gear
currently selected and engaged is shown in
the multifunction display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 282) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting !
In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up
automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is
reached. When the engine limiting speed is
reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent
the engine from overrevving. Always make
sure that the engine speed does not reach
the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 283).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. 284
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking