2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class ESP

R
the District of Columbia
R all Canadian provinces
Infants and children must always be seated in an appropriate infant or child restraint system
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. The infant or child restraint system
must be properly secured in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
All infant or child restraint systems must meet
the following standards:
R U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand-
ards 213 and 225
R Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
213 and 210.2
Confirmation that the child restraint system
corresponds to the standards can be found
on an instruction label on the child restraint
system. This confirmation can also be found
in the installation instructions that are inclu-
ded with the child restraint system.
Always read and follow the manufacturer's
instructions when using an infant or child
restraint system or booster seat.
Observe the warning labels in the vehicle inte-
rior or on the infant or child restraint.
Special seat belt retractor G
WARNING
If you release the seat belt when driving, the
special seat belt retractor is deactivated.
The released seat belt cannot be engaged
again while driving, because the inertia reel
pulls in the seat belt a small distance. The
child restraint system is no longer properly
secured. There is an increased risk of serious injury or even fatal injury.
Always keep the seat belt of the activated
special seat belt retractor engaged when driv- ing.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt retrac-
tor ensures that the seat belt will not slacken once the child restraint system has been
secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Pull the seat belt smoothly from the seat
belt retractor.
X Engage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the seat belt out fully and let the seat
belt retractor retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is activated.
X Push down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/deactivat-
ing the special seat belt retractor:
X Always comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
X Press the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is deactiva-
ted.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat G
WARNING
If the front-passenger front air bag is not
deactivated:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously or even fatally injured by the front-
passenger air bag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity of the front-passenger air bag when
it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys- Children in the vehicle
59Safety
Z

vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
X To activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow 0043.
X Make sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.
X To deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow 0044.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows G
WARNING
When children ride on the vehicle's rear seats, activate the override switch. Otherwise, the
children could be injured, e.g. by trapping
themselves in the rear side window. X
To activate/deactivate: press button0043.
If indicator lamp 0044is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv- er's door. If indicator lamp 0044is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 63)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 64) R
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (distance
warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist) (Y page 64)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Y page 64)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 67)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Y page 71)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 71)
R STEER CONTROL (Y page 71) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety sys-
tems can neither reduce the risk of accident
nor override the laws of physics. Driving
safety systems are merely aids designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the dis- tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speedand for braking in good time. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road,
weather and traffic conditions and maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Drive
carefully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tires and
the road surface. Pay particular attention to the information regarding tires, recommen-
ded minimum tire tread depths etc. in the
"Wheels and tires" section (Y page 314).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake. Driving safety systems
63Safety Z

R
there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS General information
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
only available on vehicles with DISTRONIC.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
extends the functionality of COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST with an automatic braking
function. COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS can help you to minimize the risk of a
front-end collision with a vehicle ahead or
reduce the effects of such a collision. If COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS detects
that there is a risk of a collision, you will be
warned visually and acoustically. In critical
situations COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS also initiates automatic braking.
Function X To activate/deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS in the on-board computer
(Y page 206).
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
activated, the 00C7symbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
If the driver's seat belt is fastened, COLLI-
SION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can brake automatically within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
also react to stationary obstacles with auto-
matic braking within a speed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 19 mph
(30 km/h).
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R new vehicles or after a service on the COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (Y page 140).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi- cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle. ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to Driving safety systems
67Safety Z

keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the electric parking brake is
being tested on a brake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system. !
Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is impor-
tant that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 309).
Vehicles with 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with both axles on the ground, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP ®
(Y page 309).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 00BBESP®
OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up continuously when the engine is running.
If the 00E5 ESP®
warning lamp and the 00BB
ESP ®
OFF warning lamp are lit continuously,
ESP ®
is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 247) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 214).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the
00E5 ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 00E5ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati- 68
Driving safety systemsSafety

cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
X To deactivate:(Y page 205).
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. X
To activate:(Y page 205).
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 63).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident. Driving safety systems
69Safety
Z

Only deactivate ESP
®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering char-
acteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button 0043.
The 0074 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button 0043until
the 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The 00E5 OFF OFFmessage appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button 0043.
The 00BB ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 00E5
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated.
R engine torque is only restricted to a limited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 00E5ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail- ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization is active above
speeds of about 40 mph (65 km/h). ESP
®
trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 63). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Havethe brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 245) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 216). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 176) and
hill start assist (Y page 142). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 162). STEER CONTROL
General information STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering Driving safety systems
71Safety Z

wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilization.
This steering assistance is provided in partic-
ular if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes No steering support is provided from STEER
CONTROL, if:
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R the lighting is faulty.
Power steering will, however, continue to
function. Theft deterrent locking system
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey. X To activate: remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. The
engine can be started by anyone with a valid
SmartKey that is left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star- ted when the starter battery is fully
charged, the immobilizer may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada). ATA (anti-theft alarm system)
X
To arm: lock the vehicle with the Smart-
Key.
Indicator lamp 0043flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
X To disarm: unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey.
or
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open:
R the vehicle with the mechanical key
R a door
R the trunk lid
R the hood
X To stop the alarm: insert the SmartKey
into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off.
or
X Press the 0036or0037 button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that triggered it, for
example. 72
Theft deterrent locking systemSafety