DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front is too small.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner 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. Activat-
ing 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, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring 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 cancelled and the HOLD function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash 200
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë :appears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally 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 pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi- tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the bonnet is opened
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient RACE START
Important safety notes i
Observe the safety notes for the SPORT
handling mode (Y page 74).
Only activate RACE START on dedicated race circuits.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors are closed
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 74).
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z
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 172) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE
RACE START
START cancelled
cancelled message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 173).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
shift paddle (Y page 173).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE
RACE START
START not
not
possible
possible See
SeeOwner's
Owner's Manual
Manualmessage
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
RACE START Release brake to
start start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The RACE
RACESTART
START cancelled
cancelled 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 accel-
eration. The
RACE RACE START
START active
active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi- tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE
RACE START START
not possible See Owner's Manual
not possible See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until a certain distance has been driven. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if you:
R have selected comfort suspension tuning
and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 second s of switching off the engine
You and people in the vicinity of the wheel
arch or the underbody may thus become trap- ped. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of thewheel arch or the underbody when you lock
the vehicle. 202
Driving systemsDriving and parking
!
The vehicle is lowered by about 15 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that it does not make contact with the kerb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
If you unlock the vehicle within 60 seconds of
having switched the engine off, the vehicle is
lowered slightly when Comfort suspension
mode is selected.
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(Y page 233).
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R Normal
R Raised: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 25 mm when compared with the
normal level
R Lowered: the vehicle is lowered by approx-
imately 10 mm when compared with the
normal level
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be set manually.
The "Lowered" vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Comfort mode"
(Y page 204) and then lock the vehicle
within 60 seconds of the engine being
switched off
R if you have selected "Sport mode"
(Y page 204) Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
Setting the raised level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to the raised level.
The Vehicle rising Vehicle rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive at a speed over approximately
120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h
The "Raised level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level. Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z
Suspension setting
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 individual selection, i.e. sport or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
Sport mode The firmer suspension setting in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted "Sport mode".
The AIRMATIC SPORT AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer a more
comfortable driving style. Select Comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway. X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted "Comfort mode".
The AIRMATIC COMFORT
AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG RIDE CONTROL sport suspen-
sion
Important safety notes G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if you:
R 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 trap- ped. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of thewheel arch or the underbody when you lock
the vehicle.
! The vehicle is lowered by about 20 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that it does not make contact with the kerb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches.
The vehicle may be lowered if you press the
suspension tuning selector button or the
AMG button. The vehicle is lowered even if the
vehicle is at a standstill.
! If Sport or Sport + suspension tuning has
been selected, the vehicle's ground clear-
ance decreases. Make sure that no objects
become trapped or that the vehicle has not
been damaged, for example, on the kerb.
i The vehicle level at the rear axle may
change visibly if you park the vehicle and
the outside temperature changes. If the
temperature drops, the vehicle level low-
ers; with an increase in temperature, the
vehicle level rises.
Changing the rear axle level
This function is only available for the CLS 63
AMG 4MATIC and CLS 63 AMG Shooting
Brake.
The vehicle level at the rear axle depends on
the selected suspension mode and the vehi-
cle speed.
The vehicle level at the rear axle changes
while driving depending on which suspension mode is selected:
R Comfort: +10 mm
R Sport + and Sport: -15 mm
When changing from Comfort to Sport or
Sport +, the axle is lowered approximately
25 mm. When changing from Sport or Sport +
to Comfort, the axle is raised approximately 25 mm. The level change also occurs when
stationary.
If you drive faster than 170 km/h, the rear
axle level is set to a middle level. This increa- ses road safety and reduces air resistance. If
you then drive slower than 150 km/h, the
level of the rear axle is again adjusted to cor- respond to the selected suspension mode.
Load compensation
The vehicle can compensate differences in
the vehicle level by raising or lowering the
rear axle. This is the case, for example, when
people get out of the vehicle or when luggage is removed.
A load compensation occurs if:
R a door or the boot lid/tailgate is opened
R the parked vehicle is unlocked
The engine needs to be running for larger level
changes. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con- ditions. 4MATIC 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 the lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary
R accelerate less when driving
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if 206
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking
Example: top view
Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 15 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown. Warning displays Warning display for the front area
:
Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle
; Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle
= Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg- ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The selected transmission position and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter- mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards Rear and front areas
activated
P
No areas activated208
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking
R
if the time has been set incorrectly
R in active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid. It may not
always detect fatigue or lapses in concentra-
tion until too late, or may not detect them at
all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
Warning and display messages in the
multifunction display X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer (Y page 250).
If ATTENTION ASSIST is active, you will be
warned no sooner than 20 minutes after
your journey has begun. You then hear an
intermittent warning tone twice and the
Attention Assist: Take a break!
Attention Assist: Take a break!
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
X If necessary, take a break.
X Press the abutton to confirm the mes-
sage.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break, you will be warned again
after 15 minutes at the earliest. This will only
happen if ATTENTION ASSIST still detects
typical indicators of fatigue or increasing lap-
ses in concentration.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the é symbol appears in the multifunction
display in the assistance graphic display.
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset and starts
assessing your tiredness again when you con- tinue your journey if:
R you switch off the engine
R you take off your seat belt and open the
driver's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or
to take a break Speed Limit Assist
General notes :
Speed Limit Assist camera
Speed Limit Assist shows you detected speed
limits in the multifunction display. Data from
the navigation system is also used for this
purpose. If a traffic sign indicating a speed
limit or the end of a speed limit is detected, it is shown in the multifunction display. If Speed
Limit Assist does not detect any traffic signs, the speed limit from the digital road map is
taken and shown in the display.
Speed Limit Assist detects the traffic signs
with a camera attached behind the top of the
windscreen.
i Speed Limit Assist is not operational in all
countries.
Important safety notes Speed Limit Assist is only an aid and does not
always detect traffic signs specifying the
maximum permissible speed. Traffic signs
always have priority over the Speed Limit
Assist display.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to snow,
rain, fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from the sun or from
oncoming traffic
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicinity
of the camera Driving systems
219Driving and parking Z