2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS snow chains

again after thevehicle has been driven a
certain distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When thevehicle is beinglowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between thevehicle body and thewheelsor
underneaththevehicle.There isarisk 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.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if:
Ryou have selected comfort suspension
tuning and
Ryou 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 isarisk 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:
Ryou have selected "Comfort tuning"
Ryou switch off the engine and then
Ryou 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
groundclearance, even withaladen vehicle.
When you drive fast,the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve drivingsafetyand to
reducefuel consumption.
The followingvehicle levels are possible:
Rnormal
Rraised: the vehicle is raised by about
0.80 in (20 mm) when compared with the
normal level
Rlowered: the vehicle is raised by about
0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with the
normal level
iThese 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:
Rat speeds above 70 mph (113km/h)
Rif you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Ypage 190)
Setting thevehicle level
Selectthe "Normal" settingfor normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for drivingwith snow
chainsoronparticularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remainsstored even if you
remove the SmartKey fromthe ignition lock.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
Driving systems189
Driving and parking
Z

Load compensation
The vehicle can compensatedifferences in
thevehicle level by raisingorlowering the
rear axle. This is the case, for example, if
people get out or if luggage is being loaded.
Load compensation takes place if:
Radoor or the trunk lid/tailgate is opened
Rthe parked vehicle is unlocked
For larger level changes, the engine must be
running.
4MATIC (permanent four-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
conditions. 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 your lane.
Ifadrive wheel spins due to insufficientgrip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedalasfar
as necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
!Never tow the vehiclewith one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damageofthis sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remaineitheronthe ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires(M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
4MATIC ensures that allfour wheels are
permanently driven. Together with ESP®,it
improves the traction of yourvehicle
wheneveradrive wheel spins due to
insufficient grip.
PARKTRONIC
Important safetynotes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parkingaid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visually and
audibly the distancebetween your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a
replacementfor your attention to your
immediate surroundings. You are always
responsible for safe maneuvering, parking
and exitingaparkingspace. When
maneuvering, parkingorpulling out of a
parkingspace, make sure that thereare no
persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detectsuch objects
when they are in theimmediatevicinity of
thevehicle. You could damagethe vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objectsthat absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck orapneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to positionD,RorN
Rrelease the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitors the area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Driving systems193
Driving and parking
Z

Parking tips:
ROn narrow roads, drive as close to the
parking space as possible.
RParking spaces that are littered or
overgrown might be identified or measured
incorrectly.
RParking spaces that are partially occupied
by trailer drawbars might not be identified
as such or be measured incorrectly.
RSnowfall or heavy rain may lead toaparking
space being measured inaccurately.
RPay attention to the PARKTRONIC
(Ypage 195) warning messages during the
parking procedure.
RYou can intervene in the steeringprocedure
to correctitatany time. Active Parking
Assist will then be canceled.
RWhen transportingaload which protrudes
from your vehicle, you should not use
Active Parking Assist.
RNever use Active Parking Assist when snow
chains are installed.
RMake sure that the tire pressures are
alwayscorrect. This hasadirectinfluence
on the parking characteristics of the
vehicle.
Use Active Parking Assist for parking spaces:
Rthatare paralleltothe direction of travel
Rthat are on straight roads, not bends
Rthat are on the same levelasthe road,e.g.
not on the pavement
Detectingparking spaces
Objects located above the height range of
Active Parking Assist willnot be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated,e.g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles.
GWARNING
If there are objects above the detection range,
Active Parking Assist may turn prematurely.
You may causeacollision asaresult. There is
arisk of an accident.
If there are objects above the detection range,
stop and deactivate Active Parking Assist.
For further information on the detection
range (Ypage194).
Active Parking Assist does not support you
with parking spaces paralleltothe direction
of travel if:
Rthe parking space is onacurb
Rtheparking spaceappearsblockedtothe
system, for example,byfoliage or grass
pavingblocks
Rthearea that thevehicleneeds to
maneuveristoo small
Rthe parking space is bordered by an
obstacle, such asatree,apost oratrailer
Example: detected parking space
Detected parking space on the left
Parking symbol
$Detected parking space on the right
Active Parking Assist is switched on
automaticallywhen driving forwards. The
system is operational at speeds of up to
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h). While in
operation, the system independently locates
and measures parking spaces on both sides
of the vehicle.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel
Rthat are at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
Rthat are at least 51 in (1.3 m) longer than
your vehicle
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30 km/h), you will see parking symbol as a
Driving systems197
Driving and parking
Z

GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP®,ESP®no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP®in the situations
described in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Activating/deactivating ESP®on AMG
vehicles (Ypage70).
For further information about ESP®,see
(Ypage68).
XStart the engine.
XPress the\norbutton on the
steering wheeltoselect theDriveAssist
menu.
XPress theorbutton to select
ESP.
XPress thebutton.
The current selection is displayed.
XTo activate/deactivate:press the
button again.
ESP®is deactivated if the warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If thewarning lamp and the
warning lamp are lit continuously,ESP®is not
available due toamalfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Ypage269).
Observe the information on display messages
(Ypage238).
Activating/deactivating PRE-SAFE®
Brake
PRE-SAFE®Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
XPress\noron the steering wheel
to select theDriveAssistmenu.
XPress theorbutton to select
PRE-SAFEBrake.
XPress thebutton.
The current selection is displayed.
XTo activate/deactivate:press the
button again.
When PRE-SAFE®Brake is deactivated, the
assistance graphic showsthe
symbol in
the multifunction display.
For more information on PRE-SAFE®Brake,
see (Ypage72).
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST
XPress\noron the steering wheel
to select theDriveAssistmenu.
XPressorto selectAttention
Assist.
XPress thebutton.
The current selection is displayed.
XTo activate/deactivate:press the
button again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the

symbol and OFF appear in the
multifunction display in the assistance
display when the engine is running.
For further information about ATTENTION
ASSIST, see (Ypage203).
Activating/deactivating Blind Spot
Assist
XPress\noron the steering wheel
to select theDriveAssistmenu.
XPress theorbutton to select
Blind Spot Asst.
228Menus and submenus
On-board computer and displays

Only winter tires bearing thesnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking
provide the best possiblegrip in wintry road
conditions.
Only these tires will allowdriving safety
systems such as ABS and ESP®to function
optimally in winter. These tires have been
developedspecificallyfor driving in snow.
Use M+S tires of the same make and tread on
all wheels to maintain safe handling
characteristics.
Alwaysobserve the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tires you have
mounted.
Once the winter tires are mounted:
XCheck the tire pressures (Ypage 341).
XVehiclesfor Canada:restart the tire
pressure loss warning system
(Ypage 342).
XRestart the tire pressure monitor
(Ypage 342).
For more information on driving with the
emergency spare wheel, see (Ypage 367).
Snow chains
GWARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There isarisk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
Rnever install snow chains to the front
wheels
Ralways install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
!On vehicles with AIRMATIC, you must
drive at raised vehicle level if snow chains
have been mounted. The vehicle may
otherwise be damaged.
!On some tire sizes there is not enough
space for snow chains. To avoid damage to
the vehicle or tires, observe the "Wheel and
tire combinations" section under "Tires and
wheels".
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use snow chains
that have been speciallyapproved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,orare of a
corresponding standard of quality.
If you intend to mount snow chains, please
bear the following points in mind:
RSnow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible
wheel-tire combinations (Ypage 362).
ROnly use snow chains when driving on
roads completely covered by snow.
Remove the snow chains as soon as
possiblewhen you come toaroad that is
not snow-covered.
RLocal regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate
regulations if you wish to mount snow
chains.
RDo not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 30 mph (50 km/h).
iYou may wish to deactivate ESP®when
pulling away with snow chains installed
(Ypage 69). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin inacontrolled manner,
achieving an increased driving force
(cutting action).
For more information on driving with the
emergencyspare wheel, see (Ypage 367).
Winter operation337
Wheels and tires
Z

when adjustingthetirepressure
(Ypage 338).
iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviatefromthe values in
the illustration.
Checking the tire pressures
Important safety notes
Observe the notes on tire pressure
(Ypage 338).
Information on air pressure for the tires on
your vehicle can be found:
Ron the vehicle's Tire and Loading
Information placard on the B-pillar
(Ypage 345)
Ron the tire pressure label on the fuel filler
flap (Ypage 165)
Rin the "Tire pressure" section
Runder "Tire pressure" (Ypage 338)
Checking tire pressures manually
To determine and set the correct tire
pressure, proceed as follows:
XRemove the valve cap of the tire that is to
be checked.
XPress the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve.
XRead the tire pressure and compare it with
the recommended value on the Tire and
Loading Information placard (Ypage 338).
XIf the tire pressure is too low, increase it to
the recommended value.
XIf the tire pressure is too high, release air
by pressing down the metal pin in the valve.
Use the tip ofapen, for example. Then,
check the tire pressure again using the tire
pressure gauge.
XScrew the valve cap onto the valve.
XRepeatthese steps for the other tires.
Tire pressureloss warning system
(Canada only)
General notes
While the vehicle is in motion, the tire
pressure loss warning system monitors the
set tire pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enables the system to detect
significant pressure loss inatire. If the speed
of rotation ofawheel changes asaresult of
aloss of pressure,acorresponding warning
message will appearinthe multifunction
display.
You can recognizethe tire pressure loss
warning by theRun Flat Indicator
Active Press 'OK' to Restartmessage
which appears in theServ.menu of the
multifunction display. Further information on
the message displaycan be found under
"Restarting the tire pressure loss warning
system" section (Ypage 342).
Important safety notes
The tire pressure warning system does not
warn you of an incorrectly set tire pressure.
Observe the notes on the recommended tire
pressure (Ypage 338).
The tire pressure loss warning does not
replace the need to regularly check the tire
pressure. An even loss of pressure on several
tires at the same time cannot be detected by
the tire pressure loss warning system.
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn
you ofasudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the
tire is penetrated byaforeign object.Inthe
event ofasudden loss of pressure, bring the
vehicle toahalt by braking carefully. Avoid
abrupt steering maneuvers.
The function of the tire pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
Rsnow chains are mounted on your vehicle's
tires.
Rroad conditionsare wintry.
Ryou are driving on sand or gravel.
Check341
Wheels and tires
Z

Tires
CLS550
Summertires
R18
TiresAlloywheels
FA: 255/40 R18 99YXLMOExtended2
RA: 285/35 R18 97YMOExtended2, 3
FA: 8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.36 in (34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.89 in (48 mm)
R19
TiresAlloy wheels
FA: 255/35 R19 96YXL
RA: 285/30 R19 98YXL3
FA: 8.5Jx19H2
Wheeloffset: 1.36 in (34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx19H2
Wheeloffset: 1.89 in (48 mm)
All-weather tires
R18
TiresAlloy wheels
FA: 255/40 R18 99HXLM+S
RA: 285/35 R18 97HM+S3
FA: 8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.36 in (34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.89 in (48 mm)
Winter tires
R18
TiresAlloy wheels
BA: 255/40 R18 99VXLM+SBA: 8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.36 in (34.5 mm)
BA: 255/40 R18 99 V
M+SMOExtended2BA: 8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset: 1.36 in (34.5 mm)
2MOExtended tires (tires featuring run-flatcharacteristics) only in combination with an active tire pressureloss warning system or tire pressure monitor.3Use of snow chains is not permitted. Observe the notes under "Snow chains".
364Wheel and tire combinations
Wheels and tires

CLS 550 4MATIC
Summer tires
R18
TiresAlloy wheels
FA:255/40R18 99YXLMOExtended2
RA: 285/35 R18 97YMOExtended2, 3
FA:8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.36in(34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.89in(48 mm)
R19
TiresAlloy wheels
FA:255/35R19 96YXL
RA: 285/30 R19 98YXL3
FA:8.5Jx19H2
Wheeloffset:1.36in(34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx19H2
Wheeloffset:1.89in(48 mm)
All-weather tires
R18
TiresAlloy wheels
FA:255/40R18 99HXLM+S
RA: 285/35 R18 97HM+S3
FA:8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.36in(34.5 mm)
RA: 9.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.89in(48 mm)
Winter tires
R18
TiresAlloy wheels
BA:255/40R18 99VXLM+SBA:8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.36in(34.5 mm)
BA:255/40R18 99 V
M+SMOExtended2BA:8.5Jx18H2
Wheeloffset:1.36in(34.5 mm)
2MOExtended tires (tires featuringrun-flat characteristics) only in combinationwith an active tire pressureloss warningsystemortire pressure monitor.3Use of snow chainsisnot permitted. Observe the notes under "Snowchains".
Wheel and tirecombinations365
Wheels and tires
Z