2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE traction control

Engine ............................................ 270
General information ....................... 261
Hiding (on-board computer) ........... 261
Key ................................................ 285
Lights ............................................. 267
Safety systems .............................. 262
Tyres .............................................. 280
Vehicle ........................................... 282
Distance recorder
see Trip meter
Distance warning signal (warning
lamp) .................................................. 297
DISTRONIC PLUS
Activating ....................................... 193
Activation conditions ..................... 193
Deactivating ................................... 198
Display message ............................ 277
Displays in the multifunction dis-
play ................................................ 197
Function/note s............................. 191
Important safety notes .................. 192
Selecting ........................................ 193
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 197
Warning lamp ................................. 297
Door
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 255
Automatic locking (switch) ............... 90
Central locking/unlocking (key) ...... 83
Control panel ................................... 40
Display message ............................ 283
Emergency locking ........................... 90
Emergency unlocking ....................... 90
Important safety notes .................... 88
Opening (from the inside) ................ 89
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 173
Display ........................................... 168
Display (DIRECT SELECT lever) ...... 169
Manual ........................................... 174
Manual (AMG vehicles) .................. 175
Manual (vehicles with Sports
package AMG) ............................... 175
Drive program selector ..................... 172
Driver's door
see Door Driving abroad
Mercedes-Benz Service ................. 333
Symmetrical dipped beam ............. 122
Driving on flooded roads .................. 185
Driving safety system
BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) ............................................... 71
EBD (electronic brake force distri-bution) ............................................. 76
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) ....... 70
ADAPTIVE BRAK E............................. 76
Adaptive brake lights ....................... 72
BAS (Brake Assist System) .............. 70
ESP® (Electronic Stability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 72
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 72
Important safety guidelines ............. 70
Overview .......................................... 69
PRE-SAFE® Brake ............................ 76
Driving systems
Active Blind Spot Assist ................. 227
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 227
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............ 229
Active Parking Assist ..................... 210
AIRMATIC ...................................... 202
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports sus-
pension .......................................... 204
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................ 218
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 223
Cruise control ................................ 186
Display message ............................ 274
Distronic Plus ................................ 191
HOLD function ............................... 200
Lane Keeping Assist ...................... 225
Lane package ................................ 223
Night View Assist Plus ................... 220
PARKTRONIC ................................. 207
RACE START (AMG vehicles) .......... 201
Reversing camera .......................... 214
Speed Limit Assist ......................... 219
SPEEDTRONIC ............................... 189
Driving tips
AMG ceramic brakes ..................... 184
Aquaplaning ................................... 185
Automatic transmission ................. 171 Index
9

Function
To avoid a collision, BAS PLUS calculates the
brake force necessary if:
R you approach an obstacle and
R BAS PLUS has detected a risk of collision
When driving at a speed under 30 km/h : if
you depress the brake pedal, BAS PLUS is
activated. Braking assistance from BAS PLUS is carried out at the last possible moment.
When driving at a speed above 30 km/h : if
you depress the brake pedal sharply, BAS
PLUS automatically increases the brake pres- sure to a degree suited to the traffic situation.
BAS PLUS provides braking assistance in haz- ardous situations at speeds above 7 km/h.
At speeds of up to approximately 70 km/h,
BAS PLUS can also detect stationary objects.
Examples of stationary objects are stopped or parked vehicles.
i If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger pro-
tection measures (PRE-SAFE ®
) are activa-
ted simultaneously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes func-
tion as usual, if:
R you release the brake pedal
R there is no longer a risk of collision
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle Adaptive brake lamps
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
The adaptive brake lights warn following traf- fic in an emergency braking situation:
R by flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly. In
this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn- ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h. You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button (Y page 126). ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
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 stabilise 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 stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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 trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. 72
Driving safety systemsSafety

It may be best to deactivate ESP
®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X To deactivate: (Ypage 250).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To activate: (Ypage 250).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following sta-
tuses of ESP:
R ESP ®
is activated
R SPORT handling mode is activated
R ESP ®
is deactivated G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer- ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®74
Driving safety systemsSafety

X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message appears
in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M handling mode warning lamp in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP ®
ON
ON message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree
R traction control is still activated
R engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle. If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to spin
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R traction control is still activated
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available; nor is it
activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP ®
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available; it
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
assistance from ESP ®
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, ESP
®
assists you in this situation. ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limit-
ing the engine output until the vehicle/trailer combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above
speeds of about 65 km/h. Driving safety systems
75Safety 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

For DISTRONIC PLUS to assist you, the radar
sensor system must be operational.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control in the speed range between 30 km/h and 200 km/h. If a vehicle is driving in front ofyou, it operates in the speed range between
0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
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 sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden- tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate 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. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 40% of the maximum braking force. 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 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
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. 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 lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
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
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 in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Check
Check
tyre(s) tyre(s) The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped significantly.
The wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
Underinflated tyres pose the following risks:
R the tyres may burst, especially as the load and vehicle speed
increase
R the tyres may wear excessively and/or unevenly, which may
greatly impair tyre traction
R the driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may
be greatly impaired
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 180).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 347).
X Check the tyre pressure (Y page 370).
X If necessary, correct the tyre pressure. Warning Warning
tyre defect tyre defect The tyre pressure in one or more tyres has dropped suddenly. The
wheel position is displayed in the multifunction display.
G WARNING
If you drive with a flat tyre, there is a risk of the following hazards:
R a flat tyre affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle
R you could lose control of the vehicle
R continued driving with a flat tyre will cause excessive heat build-
up and possibly a fire
There is a risk of an accident.
X Stop the vehicle without making any sudden steering or braking
manoeuvres. Pay attention to the traffic conditions as you do so.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 180).
X Check the tyres and, if necessary, follow the instructions for a
flat tyre (Y page 347). Display
messages
281On-board computer and displays Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. ESP
®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when
pulling away.
X Accelerate more gently while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 73).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. ESP
®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions, see: (Y page 73).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. M
AMG vehicles only:
The yellow SPORT han-
dling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running. SPORT handling mode is activated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Only switch to SPORT handling mode in accordance with the
conditions written in the "Activating/deactivating SPORT han-
dling mode" section (Y page 74).292
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays