2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA change time

Rthe vehicle pulling away moregently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
Rthe 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 programSis characterized by the
following:
Rsporty engine settings
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points
Manual drive program
Introduction
In manual drive programM, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
paddle shifters. For this, the transmission
must be in positionD. The gear currently
selected and engaged is shown in the
multifunction display.
Manual drive programMdiffers from drive
programsE(drive programCon AMG
vehicles) andSwith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
GearDriving situations
You can use the engine's braking
effect
\nYou can use the braking effect of
the engine on downhill gradients
and for driving:
Ron steep mountain roads
Rin mountainous terrain
Rin arduous conditions
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 146) repeatedly untilMappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive programMremains active
until drive programE(drive programCon
AMG vehicles) orSis selected.
Activating temporarily
XPull the right or left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 147).
Mis shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive programMis temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
iWhen manual drive programMis
activated via the steering wheel paddle
shifters, the temporarily active manual
drive programMwill be deactivated
automatically after a limited time, if the
driving situation permits. The automatic
transmission switches to the previously
activated drive programE(drive program
Con AMG vehicles) orS.When driving on
downhill gradients, the temporarily active
manual drive programMwill only be
deactivated if the accelerator pedal is
depressed while the vehicle is rolling
downhill.
148Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not taken into
considerationby the ECO display.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
RAcceleration(evaluation of all
acceleration processes):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessmentofdriving behavior
at all times):
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes):
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping yourdistance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
iAn economical driving style specially
requires driving at moderate engine
speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
AccelerationandConstant:
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive in drive programE.
iOn long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the highway, only the bar forConstant
will change.
iThe ECO display summaries the driving
characteristics fromthe start of the journey
to its completion. For this reason, the bars
change dynamically at the beginning of the
journey. On longer journeys, there are
fewer changes. For more dynamic changes,
carry out a manual reset.
Further information on the ECO display
(Ypage 198).
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you
to take advantage of the engine's braking
effect.For this, you need to have selected
manual drive programM.This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road
surface. This could cause damage to the
drive train. This type of damage is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benzwarranty.
iBriefly depressing the acceleratorpedal
on downhill gradients while the manual
drive programMis temporarily activated:
the automatic transmission may switch to
the last active automatic drive programE
orS.The automatic transmission may shift
to a higher gear. This can reduce the
engine's braking effect.
158Driving tips
Driving and parking

If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to positionN.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces.Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You
should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezing point.
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Ypage 315).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you.Itbrakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gearin
good time. For this, you will need to have
selected manual drive program
M(Ypage 148). By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine, This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Cruise
control is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
To activate or increase speed
To activate or reduce speed
"To deactivate cruise control
!To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
162Driving systems
Driving and parking

Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards".
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Rthe vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmissionto positionN
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see theCruise
Control Offmessage in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
Vehicles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is
especially important if the vehicle is laden. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot
prevent a collision without your intervention.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iThis device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use
in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g.
stopped or parked vehicles
Roncoming and crossingtraffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
164Driving systems
Driving and parking

GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly
identify other road users and complextraffic
situations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes yourvehicle with up
to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly.There is
a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
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 radar sources
Rstrong radar reflections, for example, in
parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a
vehicle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may
unexpectedly accelerate the vehicle to the
stored speed.
This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z

XBriefly pull the cruise control lever
(Ypage 166) towards you!.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously storedvalue.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling awayand driving
iThe vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving
on a differentline fromanothervehicle. The
vehicle then brakes automatically. There is
a risk of an accident. Be ready to brake at
all times.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
XIf you want to pull away with
DISTRONIC PLUS:remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
XBriefly pull cruise control (Ypage 166)lever
towards you!.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your
vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fronthas slowed down, it brakes your
vehicle.Inthis way, the distance you have
selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style when you have selected theSorM
driving program (Ypage 146). Acceleration
behind the vehicle in frontorto the set speed
is then noticeably more dynamic. If you have
selected theEdriving program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
Ryou are driving faster than 43.5 mph
(70 km/h)
RDISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, yourvehicle
is accelerated. Acceleration will be
interrupted if changing lanes takes too long
or if the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in frontbecomes too small.
iWhen changing lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand drive
vehicles and the right lane on right-hand
drive vehicles.
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a
vehicle occupantorfrom outside the
vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Driving systems167
Driving and parking
Z

message appears in the multifunction
display.
iYou will achieve the best results by
waiting for the steering procedure to
complete before pulling away.
XDrive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
XStop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
ThePark Assist Active Select R
ObserveSurroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
Further transmission shifts may be
necessary.
As soon as the parking procedure is
complete, thePark Assist Finished
message appears and a warning tone sounds.
Active Parking Assist no longer supports you
with steering interventions. When Active
Parking Assist is finished, you must steer
again yourself. PARKTRONIC is still available.
XManeuver if necessary.
XAlways observe the warning messages
displayed by PARKTRONIC (Ypage 176).
Parking tips:
RThe way yourvehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parkingis dependent
on various factors. These include the
position and shape of the vehicles parked
in front and behind it and the conditions of
the location. It may be the case that Active
Parking Assist guides you too far into a
parking space, or not far enough into it. In
some cases, it may also lead you across or
onto the curb. If necessary, you should
cancel the parking procedure with Active
Parking Assist.
RYou can also engage forward gear
prematurely.The vehicle redirects and
does not drive as far into the parking space.
Should a gear be changed too early, the
parking procedure will be canceled. A
sensible parking position can no longer be
achieved from this position.
Exitingaparking space
In order that Active Parking Assist can
support you whenyou exit the parking space:
Rthe border of the parking space must be
high enough.Acurb is too small, for
example.
Rthe border of the parking space must not
be too wide, as the position of the vehicle
must not exceed an angle of 45° to the
starting position as it is maneuvering into
the parking space.
Ra maneuvering distance of at least 3.3 ft
(1.0m) must be available.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle parallel to the direction of travel using
Active Parking Assist.
XStart the engine.
XSwitch on the turn signal in the direction
you are pulling away.
XShiftthe transmission to positionDorR.
TheStart Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
message appears in the multifunction
display.
XTo cancel the procedure:press the
button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
XTo exitaparking space using Active
Parking Assist:press thebutton on
the multifunctionsteering wheel.
ThePark Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
XLet go of the multifunctionsteering wheel.
XReverse the vehicle or drive forwards, being
ready to brake at all times. Do not exceed
a maximum speed of approximately
6 mph (10 km/h) when exiting a parking
space.Otherwise Active Parking Assist will
be canceled.
XStop when PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Driving systems181
Driving an d parking
Z

Driving to the final position
White lane at current steering wheel angle
Parking space marking
XTurn the steering wheel to the center
positionwhile the vehicle is stationary.
Red guide line at a distance of
approximately 10 in (0.25 m) from the
rear of the vehicle
White lane with steering wheel straight
"End of parking space
XBack up carefully until you have reached
the final position.
Red guide lineis then at end of parking
space".The vehicle is almost parallel in
the parking space.
ATTENTION ASSIST
General notes
ATTENTION ASSIST helps you during long,
monotonous journeys, such as on highways.
It is active in the range between 50 mph
(80 km/h) and 112 mph (180 km/h).
If ATTENTION ASSIST detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration on the part of the driver, it
suggests you take a break.
Important safety notes
ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the
driver. It might not always recognize fatigue
or increasing inattentiveness in time or fail to
recognize them at all. The system is not a
substitute for a well-rested and attentive
driver.
ATTENTION ASSIST assesses your level of
fatigue or lapses in concentration by taking
the following criteria into account:
Ryour personal driving style, e.g. steering
characteristics
Rjourney details, e.g. time of day and length
of journey
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the
surface is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates of
acceleration
Rif you are predominantly driving slower
than 50 mph (80 km/h) or faster than
112 mph (180 km/h)
Rif you are currently using COMAND or
making a telephone call with it
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display
XActivate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Ypage 204).
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after
your journey has begun. You then hear an
186Driving systems
Driving and parking