2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA ESP

direction during the initial stages of the
impact.
Rif, in the event of a side impact, on the side
opposite the impact the vehicle
decelerates or accelerates rapidly in a
lateral direction.
Rif, in certain situationswhere the vehicle
rolls over, the system determines that it
can provide additional protection.
If the ETDs are deployed, you will hear a bang,
and a small amount of powder may also be
released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicate that there
is a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathing difficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out
of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
You can also open the window to allow fresh
air to enter the vehicle interior. TheSRS
warning lamp lights up.
If the seat belt is also equipped with a seat
belt force limiter and this is triggered, the
force exerted by the seat belt on the vehicle
occupant is reduced.
The seat belt force limiter for the front seats
are synchronized with the front air bags,
which take on a part of the deceleration force.
This results in the force exerted on the
occupant being distributed over a greater
area.
Children in the vehicle
Child restraint systems
Important safety notes
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
position. Thus, we strongly recommend that
children be placed in the rear seats whenever
possible. Regardless of seating position,
children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropriate
infant restraint, toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle's seat belt, the seat
belt and top tether strap, or lower anchors and
top tether strap, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.
Occupants, especially children, should always
sit as upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized infant
restraint, toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
RYour vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to deactivate the front
passenger front air bag in your vehicle
when the system senses the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child or less along
with the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the front passenger seat.
RFor children larger than the typical
12-month-old child, the front passenger
front air bag may or may not be activated.
Always make sure theindicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
RAchild in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
54Children in the vehicle
Safety

Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats usingnormal seat belts.
Position the shoulder belt across the chest
and shoulder, not the face or neck.Abooster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper seat
belt positioning for children over 41 lbs
(18 kg) until they reach a height wherealap/
shoulder belt fits properly without a booster
seat.
When the child restraint is notinuse, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park positionP
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot.
Children may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight.
Protect it with a blanket, for example. If the
child restraint system has been exposed to
direct sunlight, let it cool down before
securing the child in it. Never leave children
unattended in the vehicle.
If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:
RSecure the child with a child or infant seat
restraint system appropriate to the age and
weight of the child.
RMake sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you always
properly secure all infants and children with
a child or infant seat restraint system for the
trip.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in:
Rall 50 states
Rthe U.S. territories
Rthe District of Columbia
Rall 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:
RU.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 225
RCanadian 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
56Children in the vehicle
Safety

in the installation instructions that are
included 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
interior or on the infant or child restraint.
Special seat belt retractor
GWARNING
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
driving.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures that the seat belt will not
slacken once the child restraint system has
been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XAlways comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
XPull the seat belt smoothly fromthe seat
belt retractor.
XEngage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.
Activating the special seat belt retractor:
XPull 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.
XPush down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
XAlways comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.
XPress the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seat
GWARNING
If the front-passenger front air bag is not
deactivated:
Ra child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be
seriously or even fatally injured by the front-
passenger air bag deploying. This is
especially a risk if the child is in the
immediate vicinity of the front-passenger
air bag when it deploys.
Rnever secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint
system. Only secure a rearward-facing
child restraint system on a suitable rear
seat.
Rand you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. When doing
so, ensure that the shoulder belt strap from
the belt outlet on the vehicle is routed
towards the front to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. Set the belt
height adjustment so that the belt strap is
routed towards the front along the bottom.
The front-passenger air bag is not
deactivated:
Ron vehicles without an air bag deactivation
system on the front-passenger seat.
Ron vehicles with an air bag deactivation
system on the front-passenger seat, unless
a child restraint system with transponders
Children in the vehicle57
Safety
Z

for an air bag deactivation system is
installed on the front-passenger seat.
Ron vehicles with an air bag deactivation
system on the front-passenger seat, if the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp is not lit.
To make you aware of this danger, a
corresponding warning sticker has been
affixed to the side of the dashboard and on
both sides of the sun visor on the front-
passenger side.
Information about recommended child
restraint systems is available at any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning notice on the front-passenger sun visor
Warning symbol for a rearward-facing childrestraint system
Do not use a rearward-facing child restraint
systemonaseat that is protected by an air
bag installed in front of it.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
in the rear
GWARNING
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint systems
do not offer sufficient protective effect for
children whose weight is greater than 48 lbs
(22 kg) who are secured using the safety belt
integrated in the child restraint system. In the
event of an accident, a child might not be
restrained correctly. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
If the child weighs more than 48 lbs (22 kg),
only use LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child restraint
systems with which the child is also secured
with the vehicle seat belt. Also secure the
child restraint system with the Top Tether
belt, if available.
When installing a child restraint system, be
sure to observe the manufacturer's
installation instructions and the instructions
for correct use of the child restraint system.
!When installing the LATCH-type (ISOFIX)
child restraint system, make sure that the
seat belt for the center seat does not get
trapped. Otherwise, the seat belt could be
damaged.
XInstall the LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child
restraint system. Comply with the child
restrain system manufacturer's
instructions when installing the LATCH-
type (ISOFIX) child restraint system.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) is a standardized
securing system for specially designed child
restraint systems on the rear seats. Securing
58Children in the vehicle
Safety

Override feature for the rear side
windows
GWARNING
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.
XTo activate/deactivate:press button.
If indicator lampis lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the
driver's door. If indicator lampis off,
operation is possible using the switches in
the rear compartment.
Driving safetysystems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lockBrakingSystem)
(Ypage 61)
RBAS (BrakeAssistSystem) (Ypage 62)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (distance
warning function and adaptive Brake
Assist) (Ypage 62)
RESP®(ElectronicStabilityProgram)
(Ypage 65)
REBD (ElectronicBrake forceDistribution)
(Ypage 69)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 69)
RSTEER CONTROL (Ypage 69)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt yourdriving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems 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 distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Always adapt yourdriving style to
suitthe prevailing road, weather and traffic
conditions and maintainasafe distance from
the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
iThe 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 informationregarding tires,
recommended minimum tire tread depths
etc.inthe "Wheels and tires" section
(Ypage 312).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the
driving safety systems described in this
section work as effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lockBraking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
thatthe wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking.
TheABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section for driving safety systems
(Ypage 61).
Driving safety systems61
Safety
Z

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 COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS detects that thereis a risk of a collision,
you will be warned visually and acoustically.
In critical situations COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS also initiates automatic
braking.
Function
XTo activate/deactivate:activate or
deactivate COLLISION PREVENTION
ASSIST PLUS in the on-board computer
(Ypage 204).
If COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is
deactivated, the
symbol appears in the
assistance graphics display.
If the driver's seat belt is fastened,
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS can
brake automatically withinaspeed range of
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph
(200 km/h).
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSISTPLUS can
also react to stationary obstacles with
automatic 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:
Rdirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
Rsnow or heavy rain
Rinterference by other radarsources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ra narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
Ra vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensor checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle.
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 61).
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
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)
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 61).
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
GWARNING
If ESP®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP®checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z

!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
ignition when the electric parking brake is
being tested on a brake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP®may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
!Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance 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
important that you observe the notes on
ESP®(Ypage 307).
Vehicles with 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with both axles on the ground, it is
important that you observe the notes on
ESP®(Ypage 307).
ESP®is deactivated if theESP®OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up continuously when the engine is running.
If theESP®warning lamp and the
ESP®OFF warning lamp are lit
continuously, ESP®is not available due to a
malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Ypage 244) and displaymessages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Ypage 213).
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General information
If theESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP®is automatically
active.
If ESP®intervenes, theESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP®intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP®under any
circumstances.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing 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
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP®remains in its previously
selected status.Example:if ESP®was
deactivated before the enginewas switched
off, ESP®remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(AMG
vehicles)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section(Ypage 61).
You can select between the following states
of ESP®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and
accidents.
66Driving safetysystems
Safety

Only activate SPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP®, ESP®no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP®in the situations
described in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron designated roads when the vehicle's
own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP®requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle 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®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button.
TheSPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
TheSPORT handling modemessage
appears in the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button.
TheSPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®:press buttonuntil
theESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
TheOFFmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®:briefly press button.
TheESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The
ESP®ONmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT
handling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, theESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
Rtraction control is still activated.
Rengine torque is only restricted to a limited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a
cutting action for better traction on loose
surfaces.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z