2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA Owners Manual

Useful information............................136
Notes on breaking-inanew vehicle 136
Driving...............................................136
Automatic transmission...................142
Refueling............................................151
Parking...............................................153
Driving tips........................................156
Driving systems................................162
135
Driving and parking

Useful information
iThis 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.
iRead the information on qualified
specialist workshops: (Ypage 25).
Notes on breaking-inanew vehicle
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 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying
vehicle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g.driving at full
throttle, during this period.
RChange gearingood time, before the
tachometer needle is
of the way to the
red area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RIf possible, do not depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance
(kickdown).
RIdeally, for the first 1000 miles(1500 km),
drive in programE.
After 1,000 miles (1,500 km), you can
increase the engine speed gradually and bring
the vehicle to full speed.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG
vehicles:
RDo not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/h) for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
ROnly allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
RChange gearingood time.
iYou should also observe these notes on
breaking-in if the engine or parts of the
drive train on your vehicle have been
replaced.
iAlways observe the respective speed
limits.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrictthe
pedal travel or obstructadepressed 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
sufficientclearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hindercorrect usage
of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
136Driving
Driving and parking

GWARNING
If you switch off the ignitionwhile 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.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose 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:avoid full-load operation
and engine speeds greater than 5000rpm
when the engine is cold. This helps to
protect the engine and avoids
uncomfortable driving.
Key positions
\rTo remove the SmartKey
(shift the transmission to positionP)
Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
To start the engine
iThe 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.
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
Driving137
Driving and parking
Z

the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
!Do not depress the accelerator pedal
when starting the engine.
iDuring a cold start, the engine runs at
higherspeeds to enable the catalytic
converter to reach its operating
temperature. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Automatic transmission
XShift the transmission to positionP.
Transmission position displayPis shown in
the multifunction display.
iWhen the transmission is in positionN,
you can also start the engine with the brake
pedal depressed.
Starting procedure
XTurn the SmartKey to position3in the
ignition lock (Ypage 137)and release it as
soonas the engine is running.
Pulling away
Automatic transmission
iIt is only possible to shift the transmission
from positionPto the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal.Only then can
the parking lock be deactivated.Ifyou do
not depress the brake pedal, the DIRECT
SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
iIf the transmission oil temperature is
below4‡(20†), you can only shift from
positionPwhen the engine is running.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShiftthe transmission to positionDorR.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XCarefully depress the accelerator pedal.
The electric parking brake (Ypage 154) is
automatically released.
The red indicator lamp in the
instrumentcluster goes out.
iThe vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors fromthe inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic
locking feature (Ypage 208).
iUpshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Hill startassist
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.
GWARNING
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.
XRemove your foot from the brake pedal.
The vehicle is then held for about a second.
XPull away.
Hill start assist is not active if:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on
a downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in positionN.
138Driving
Driving and parking

Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
Furtherinformation on holding the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients (Ypage 145).
ECO start/stopfunction
Introduction
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is
stopped undercertain conditions.
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.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine is switchedoff 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
ECO start/stop display
If the\rsymbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display, the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off
automatically if the vehicle stops moving.
The stop/start function is automatically
activated each time you start the engine with
the SmartKey.
If the ECO start/stop function has been
manually deactivated (Ypage 140) or a
malfunction has caused the system to be
deactivated, the\rsymbol is not
displayed.
AMG vehicles:the ECO start/stop function
is only available in drive programC.
Automatic engine switch-off
General notes
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the\rsymbol is displayed in green in
the multifunction display, if:
Rthe indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green.
Rthe outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system.
Rthe engine is at normal operating
temperature.
Rthe set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
Rthe battery is sufficiently charged.
Rthe system detects that the windshield is
not fogged up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
Rthe hood is closed.
Rthe driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off are fulfilled, the\rsymbol is
shown in yellow.
iAll of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine has been stopped
automatically.
iThe engine can be switched off
automatically a maximum of four times
(first stop and three subsequent stops) in
succession. The\rsymbol is shown in
yellow in the multifunction display after the
engine has been started automatically for
the fourth time. When the\rsymbol is
shown in green in the multifunction display,
Driving139
Driving and parking
Z

automatic engine switch-off is again
possible.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill inDor
N, the ECO start/stop function switches off
the engine automatically.
iThe HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off
automatically. It is then not necessary to
continue applying the brakes during the
automatic stop phase.When you depress
the accelerator pedal, the engine starts
automatically and the braking effect of the
HOLD function is deactivated.
Automatic engine start
General notes
The engine starts automatically if:
Ryou switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
Ryou engage reverse gearR.
Rthe vehicle starts to roll.
Rthe brake system requires this.
Rthe temperature in the vehicle interior
deviates from the set range.
Rthe system detects moisture on the
windshield when the air-conditioning
system is switched on.
Rthe condition of charge of the battery is too
low.
Rthe driver's seat belt is removed or the
driver's door is opened.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if you:
Rrelease the brake pedal when HOLD is not
activated and the transmission is in
positionDorN.
Rdepress the accelerator pedal.
Rmove the transmission out of positionP.
iShifting the transmission to positionP
does not start the engine.
iIf you shift the transmission fromRtoD,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the\rsymbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function
ECO button
XTo switch off:press button.
Indicator lampand the\rsymbol in
the multifunction display go out.
XTo switch on:press button.
Indicator lamplights up.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Ypage 139) are fulfilled, the
\rsymbol is shown in green in the
multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Ypage 139) are fulfilled, the
\rsymbol is shown in yellow in the
multifunction display. If this is the case, the
ECO start/stop function is not available.
iIf indicator lampis off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated
manually or as the result of a malfunction.
The engine will then not be switched off
automatically when the vehicle stops.
140Driving
Driving and parking

Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
Solutions
The engine does not
start.
The HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
XDeactivate the HOLD function (Ypage 172) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Ypage 164).
XTry to start the engine again.
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.
RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
XTurn the SmartKey back to position0in the ignition lock before
attempting to start the engine again.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 137). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.
The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak
or discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 303).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two
minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Driving141
Driving and parking
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
Solutions
The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring.
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it.
The coolant
temperature display is
showing more than
248 ‡ (120 †). The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound.
The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 283). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission positionDor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission positionDorR,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral positionNwhen you switch off the
engine. The vehicle may roll away.There is a
risk of an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking positionP. Prevent the parked
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake.
DIRECTSELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
All vehicles (exceptAMG vehicles):the
DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
For information on the selector lever in AMG
vehicles (Ypage 144).
Park position with parking lock
Reverse gear
Neutral
Drive
iThe DIRECT SELECT leveralways returns
to its original position. The current
transmission positionP,R,NorDappears
142Automatic transmission
Driving and parking