2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class Owner's Manual

Setting
aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up 001Afor a
highe rspeed or down 0010for alower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1mph
increment s(1km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise contro llever up 001Aor
down 0010to the pressure point.
Ever ytime the cruise contro llever is
pressed up 001Aor down 0010,the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5mph
increment s(10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise contro llever
up 001A or down 0010to the pressure point.
Ever ytime the cruise contro llever is
pressed up 001Aor down 0010,the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
i If you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this
function ,you can set the minimum distance
that DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependen tonvehicle speed. You can
see this distanc einthe multifunction display
(Y page 184).
i Make sure that you maintain asufficient
distanc etothe vehicle in fron tand comply with the minimu
mdistanc easrequire dby
law. Adjust the distanc etothe vehicle in
front if necessary. You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varyin gthe tim espan
between one and two seconds .With this
function ,you can set the minimum distance
that DISTRONIC PLUS keep stothe vehicle in
front ,dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distanc einthe multifunction display
(Y page 184).
X To increase: turnc ontrol 0010in direction
0024.
DISTRONIC PLUS the nmaintains agreater
distanc ebetween your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turnc ontrol 0010in
direction 001A.
DISTRONI CPLUSthen maintains ashorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
speedometer Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
0010in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detect savehicle in front,
segments 0010between speed of the vehicle in
front 001Aand stored speed 0024light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the
multifunction display General notes
In the assistanc
egraphics display menu
(Y page 227)oft he on-board computer, you
can select the assistanc egraphics display.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated 001A
Vehicle in front, if detected
0010 Distance indicator, curren tdistanc eto
the vehicle in front
0024 Specified minimum distanc etothe
vehicle in front; adjustable
0021 Own vehicle
X Select the DistanceDisplay function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 227). Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated
001A
Vehicle in front, if detected
0010 Specified minimum distanc etothe
vehicle in front; adjustable
0024 Own vehicle
0021 DISTRONIC PLUS active (tex tonly
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activat eDISTRONIC PLUS.
X Select the DistanceDisplay function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 227).
i You will see the stored speed for about
five seconds when you activate DISTRONIC
PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS 184
Driving systemsDriving and parking

There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
forwards 001A.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS Off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
R you engage the parking brake
R you are driving slower than 15 mph
(25 km/h) and there is no vehicle in front,
or if the vehicle in frontisnol onger
detected
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R the vehicle has skidded
R you activat eActive Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear awarning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off message in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend
R Vehicles traveling on adifferent line R
Other vehicles changin glanes
R Narrow vehicles
R Obstructions and stationary vehicles
R Crossing vehicles
In such situations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS is then deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect
vehicles when cornering is limited. Your
vehicle may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles traveling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detec
tvehicles
traveling on adifferent line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short. Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

Other vehicles changing lanes
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the
vehicle cutting in yet. The distanc etothis
vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in fron tonthe edge of the road,
because of its narrow width. The distance to
the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for
obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detected vehicle turns
acorner
and reveals an obstacle or stationary vehicle,
DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights
with crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R
when pulling away,e speciallyonsteep
slopes
R when maneuvering on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When leaving th evehicle, it can still rol laway
despit ebein gbraked by th eHOLD function if:
R there is amalfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal,e .g. byavehicle occupant.
R the electrical system in the engine
compartment,t he battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected
There is arisk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automaticallyinc ertain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similars ituations:
R when towin gthe vehicle
R in the car wash
Activation conditions You can activat
ethe HOL Dfunction if:
R the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
R the parking brak eisreleased
R the hood is closed
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Activating th
eHOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brak epedal.
X Quickly depres sthe brak epedal further
until 0007001A appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOL Dfunction is activated. You can
release the brak epedal.
i If depressing the brak epedal the first
tim edoes not activat ethe HOL Dfunction,
wait briefly and the ntry again.
Deactivatin gthe HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
R
you accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake peda lagain with a
certain amount of pressure until 0007
disappears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
When the HOLD function is activated ,the
transmission is shifted automatically to
position Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat beltisu nfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is
automaticallys witched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
R the hood is opened.
R as ystem malfunction occurs.
R the power supplyisn ot sufficient. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z

RAC
ESTART
Important safety notes i
Observe the safety notes for the SPORT
handling mod e(Ypage 70).
RAC ESTART is intended solely for activation
on dedicated race circuits.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from astandin gstart .The precondition for
this is asuitable high-grip road surface.
i RACE START is only available in AMG
vehicles.
Conditions for activation You can activat
eRACE START if:
R the doors are closed.
R the engine is runnin gand it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
176 ‡(80 †). This is the case when the
engine oil temperature in the multifunction
display stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
(Y page 70)
R the steerin gwheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 159) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is canceled. The
START Canceled message appears in the
multifunction display. X
To cancel: pull the left steerin gwheel
paddle shifter (Y page 160).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steerin gwheel
paddle shifter (Y page 160).
The RACE START Available Depress gas pedal message appears in the
multifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is canceled. The RACE START Not Possible See Operator's Manual
message appears in the multifunction
display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to start message appears in the
multifunction display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is
canceled. The RACE START Canceled message appears in the multifunction
display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum
acceleration.
The RACE START Active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches aspeed of approximately 30 mph
(Canada: 50 km/h) .Drive program S+is
activated. SPORT handling mode remains
activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation
conditions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Possible See Operator's
Manual message appears in the multifunction
display.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within
as hort period of time, it is only available 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

again after th
evehicle has been driven a
certain distance. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When th evehicle is bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between th evehicle body and th ewheel sor
underneat hthe vehicle .There is arisk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle
or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel
arches when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if:
R you have selected comfort suspension
tuning and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds of switching off the engine
You and people in the vicinity of the wheel
arch or the underbody may thus become
trapped. There is arisk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody when you lock
the vehicle.
! The vehicle is lowered by about 15 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and then
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the curb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
If you lock the vehicle within 60 seconds of
switching the engine off, it lowers slightly to
the selected Comfort suspension mode. Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically
.All-round level control ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
groun dclearance, even with aladen vehicle.
When you drive fast ,the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve drivin gsafet yand to
reduc efuel consumption.
The followin gvehicle levels are possible:
R normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about
0.80 in (20 mm) when compared with the
normal level
R lowered: the vehicle is raised by about
0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with the
normal level
i These changes in level are so slight that
you are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set
automatically:
R at speeds above 70 mph (11 3km/ h)
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 190)
Setting th evehicle level
Selec tthe "Normal" settin gfor normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for drivin gwith snow
chain soronp articularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remain sstored even if you
remove the SmartKey fro mthe ignition lock.
Setting raised level X
Start the engine. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

If indicator lamp
0010is not lit:
X Press the 001Abutton.
Indicator lamp 0010lights up. The vehicle
heightisa djusted to raised level.
The Vehicle Rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
R drive at aspeed over approximately
75 mph (120 km/h)
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised level" remains active when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0010is lit:
X Press the 001Abutton.
Indicator lamp 0010goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individuals election, i.e. sports or
comfort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. Sports tuning The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing
asporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button 001A.
Indicator lamp 0010lights up. Sports
suspension tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable.
Therefore, select this mode if you favor a
more comfortable driving style. Select
comfort mode also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of
freeway.
X Press button 001A.
Indicator lamp 0024lights up. Comfort tuning
is selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG adaptive sport suspension
system
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking