Useful information
............................158
Running-in notes ............................... 158
Driving ............................................... 158
Automatic transmission ...................167
Refuelling ........................................... 177
Parking ............................................... 180
Driving tips ........................................ 182
Driving systems ................................ 186
Towing a trailer ................................. 232 157Driving and parking
Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 26). Running-in notes
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety systems,
the sensors adjust automatically while a cer-
tain distance is being driven after the vehicle has been delivered or after repairs. Full sys-
tem effectiveness is not reached until the end
of this teach-in procedure.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either
new or have been replaced only achieve opti- mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Compensate for the
reduced braking effect by applying greater
force to the brake pedal. The first 1500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient care
from the very start, you will be rewarded with excellent performance for the remainder of
the engine's life.
R Drive at varying road speeds and engine
speeds for the first 1500 km.
R Avoid overstraining the vehicle during this
period, e.g. driving at full throttle.
R Change gear in good time, before the rev
counter needle is Ôof the way to the red
area of the rev counter. R
Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
After 1500 km, you may gradually accelerate
the vehicle to full road and engine speeds.
Additional running-in notes for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive at speeds above 140 km/ hfor
the first 1500 km.
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4500 rpm briefly.
i You should also observe these notes on
running-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced. AMG vehicles with self-locking rear
axle differential
Your vehicle is equipped with a self-locking
differential on the rear axle. Change the oil
after a running-in period of 3000 km to
improve protection of the rear axle differen-
tial. This oil change prolongs the service life of
the differential. Have the oil change carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell may restrict
the clearance around the pedals or block a
depressed pedal. This jeopardises the oper-
ating and road safety of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Stow all objects securely in the vehicle so that
they do not get into the driver's footwell.
Always fit the floormats securely and as pre-
scribed in order to ensure that there is always sufficient room for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place several floor-mats on top of one another. 158
DrivingDriving and parking
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 171)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 171)
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
AMG vehicles When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec- ted drive program. The double-clutch functionreduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Towing a trailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Manual drive program: depending on the
uphill or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
(Y page 174) in which the engine will run in the middle of the engine speed range. This
also applies if cruise control, DISTRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Program selector button
General notes All vehicles (except CLS 350, AMG vehicles and
vehicles with the AMG Sports package)
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play. Vehicles with the AMG Sports package
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired drive
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play. Automatic transmission
171Driving and parking Z
Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
This section provides descriptions of and solutions to safety-relevant problems. Descriptions
of and solutions to further problems can be found in the Digital Owner's Manual. Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
There is a risk of fire or explosion. X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock immediately and
remove it (Y page 159).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rial can come into contact with hot vehicle
components. In particular, do not park on dry grassland or harvested grain fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while 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. G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the key must be removed from the ignition lock
R the front wheels must be turned towards
the kerb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents 180
ParkingDriving and parking
In addition to driving style, the consumption is
affected by many other factors, such as:
R load
R tyre pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R the use of electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style takes the following three categories into consideration:
R Acceleration
Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
- the bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- the bar empties: sporty acceleration
R Constant
Constant (assessment of driving behav-
iour at all times):
- the bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- the bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R Coasting
Coasting (assessment of all deceleration
processes):
- the bar fills up: anticipatory driving, keep-
ing your distance and early release of the
accelerator. The vehicle can coast with-
out use of the brakes
- the bar empties: frequent braking
i An economical driving style involves driv-
ing at a moderate engine speed.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
Acceleration andConstant Constant:
R observe the gearshift recommendation
R drive the vehicle in drive program E
i On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the motorway, only the bar for Constant
Constant
will change.
i The ECO display summarises the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey
to its completion. Therefore, there are
dynamic changes in the bars at the start of a journey. During a prolonged driving time,
these changes are smaller. For more
dynamic changes, perform a manual reset.
Further information on the ECO display
(Y page 244). Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Do not depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never
cause the brakes to rub by constantly apply-
ing light pressure to the pedal. This results in
excessive and premature wear to the brake
pads.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of this when driving a laden vehicle and
when towing a trailer.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could Driving tips
183Driving and parking
Z
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. Always adapt your driving style
and drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around the
freezing point.
Further information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 367).
For more information on driving with summer tyres, see (Y page 366).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 366). Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a low gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer (CLS Shoot-
ing Brake only). 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 con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci- dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is
only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for staying in thelane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when 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
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: press the cruise control lever briefly up
:or down ;beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards =.
or
X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow ;.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp :in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you depress the parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐ Cruise con‐188
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever is lit. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selec-
ted.
Storing the current speed X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
The segments in the multifunction display
light up from the start of the scale up to the
stored speed.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw hile
the engine is running. Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
Setting a speed X
To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :past the pressure point for
a higher speed or down ;for a lower
speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking