2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS warning

Jump-starting
For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point, consisting of a
positive terminal and an earth point, in the engine compartment.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There isarisk of injury.
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and
seek medical attention.
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from the battery. There isarisk
of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting. Do not lean overabattery.
GWARNING
During the charging process,abattery produces hydrogen gas. Ifashort circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There isarisk of an explosion.
RMake sure that the positive terminal ofaconnected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts.
RNever place metal objects or tools onabattery.
RIt is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnectingabattery.
RWhen jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected.
RIt is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables.
RNever connect or disconnectthe battery terminals while the engine is running.
GWARNING
Adischarged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezingpoint.When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There isarisk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy startingattempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter could be
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
Do not start the vehicle usingarapid charging device. If your vehicle's battery is discharged,
the engine can be jump-started from another vehicle or fromasecond battery using jumper
cables. Observe the following points:
RThe battery is not accessible in all vehicles. If the other vehicle's battery is not accessible,
jump-start the vehicle usingasecond battery orajump-starting device.
RYou may only jump-start thevehiclewhen theengineand exhaust system are cold.
RDo notstart theengineifthebattery is frozen.Let thebattery thaw first.
326Jump-starting
Breakdown assistance

XFirst, remove the jumper cablesfrom earth pointand negative terminal!,then from
positiveclampand positiveterminal$.Begineachtime at the contacts on your own
vehicle first.
XClose coverof positiveclampafterremoving the jumper cables.
XHave the battery checkedataqualified specialist workshop.
iJump-startingisnot considered to beanormal operatingcondition.
iJumper cables and further information regardingjump-starting can be obtained at any
qualified specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Importantsafetynotes
GWARNING
Functionsrelevant to safety are restricted or
no longer available if:
Rthe engineisnot running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthereisamalfunction in the voltage supply
or the vehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is being towed, much more
forcemay be necessary to steer or brake.
There isarisk of an accident.
In such cases, useatow bar. Beforetowing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWARNING
If the weight of the vehicle to be towed or tow-
started is greater than the permissible gross
weight of your vehicle:
Rthe towingeye could detach itself
Rthe vehicle/trailer combination could
rollover.
There isarisk of an accident.
When towingortow-starting another vehicle,
its weight should not be greater than the
permissible gross weight of your vehicle.
Information on your vehicle's gross vehicle
weight ratingcan be found on the vehicle
identification plate (Ypage 372).
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
preventdamage to thevehicle,deactivate
DISTRONICPLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise,the vehicle could
be damaged.
!Do not use the towing eye for recovery,
this could damage the vehicle.Ifindoubt,
recover the vehicle withacrane.
!When towing, pullawayslowly and
smoothly.Ifthe tractive power is too high,
the vehicles could be damaged.
!Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
This could damage the vehicle.
!When towing vehicles with KEYLESS-GO,
use the key instead of the Start/Stop
button. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission may shift to positionPwhen
the driver's or front-passenger door are
opened, which could lead to damage to the
transmission.
!The vehicle can be towedamaximum of
30 miles (50km). The towing speed of
30 mph (50 km/h) must not be exceeded.
If the vehicle has to be towed more than
30 miles(50km), the entire vehicle must be
raised and transported.
328Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, have it transported onatransporter
or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in
positionNwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise,you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position2in
the ignition lock
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to
positionN
iDeactivate the automatic locking feature
(Ypage 83). You could otherwisebelocked
out when pushing or towing the vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There
isarisk of burns when removing the rear
cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe.Take particular
carewhen removingtherear cover.
Example:towing eye covers
Towing eye covers (AMG vehicles)
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, behind the covers.
XRemove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Ypage 320).
XPull coverout of the bumper in the
direction of the arrow by inserting your
fingers into the recess.
XPress the mark on coverinwards in the
direction of the arrow.
Towing and tow-starting329
Breakdown assistance
Z

XTake coveroff the opening.
XScrew in and tighten the towing eye
clockwise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XPosition the top of coverin the bumper
and press it in at the bottom until it
engages.
XAttach coverto the bumper and press
until it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
!The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP®could
otherwise damage the brake system.
Only possible for vehicles without
4MATIC.
XSwitchonthe hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 120).
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
XWhen leaving the vehicle, take the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO key with you.
When towing your vehicle with the rear axle
raised, it is importantthat you observe the
safety instructions (Ypage 328).
Towingavehicle with both axles on
theground
It is importantthat you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Ypage 328).
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to positionPwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order
to ensure that the automatic transmission
stays in positionNwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in
position0.
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the
ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the
SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop button
(Ypage 147).
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to
positionN.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the parking brake.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 120).
XLeave the SmartKey in position2in the
ignition lock.
iWhen towing with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination
switch as usualtosignalachange of
direction. In this case, only the indicator
lamps for the direction of travel flash. After
resetting the combination switch, the
hazard warning lamp starts flashing again.
Transporting the vehicle
!Only lash the vehicle down by the wheels
or wheel rims, not by parts of the vehicle
such as axle or steering components.
Otherwise, the vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
ontoatrailer or transporter for transporting
purposes.
330Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the
ignition lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to
positionN.
As soon as the vehicle is loaded:
XPrevent the vehicle from rolling away by
applying the parking brake.
XShift the automatic transmission to
positionP.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the
ignition lock and remove the SmartKey
from the ignition lock.
XSecure the vehicle.
Notes on 4MATIC vehicles
!Vehicles with 4MATICmust not be towed
with either the frontorthe rear axle raised,
as doing so will damage the transmission.
If the vehicle has transmission damage or
damage to the front or rear axle, have it
transported onatransporter or trailer.
In the event of damage to the electrical
system
If the battery is defective, the automatic
transmission will be locked in positionP.To
shift the automatic transmission to position
N,you must provide power to the vehicle's
electrical system in the same way as when
jump-starting (Ypage 326).
Have the vehicle transported onatransporter
or trailer.
Tow-starting (emergency engine
starting)
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
must not be started by tow-starting. This
could otherwise damage the transmission.
You can find information on "Jump-starting"
at (Ypage 326).
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you manipulate or bridgeafaulty fuse or if
you replace it withafuse withahigher
amperage, the electric cables could be
overloaded. This could result inafire. There
isarisk of an accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
!Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benzvehicles and which
have the correct fuse ratingfor the system
concerned. Otherwise, componentsor
systems could be damaged.
The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. Ifafuse blows,all the
componentsonthecircuit and their functions
stop operating.
Blown fusesmust be replacedwith fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed
in the fuse allocation chart.
Ifanewly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified ataqualified
specialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-BenzCenter.
Beforechangingafuse
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away
(Ypage 167).
XSwitchoff all electrical consumers.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the
ignition lock and remove it (Ypage 147).
or
XOn vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, make sure
the ignition is switched off (Ypage 147).
All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
must be off.
Fuses331
Breakdown assistance
Z

The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
RFuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
Rfuse box in the trunk on the right-hand side,
when viewed in the direction of travel
the fuse allocation chart is located in the
vehicle tool kit in the stowage compartment
under the trunk floor (Ypage 320).
Fuse box in the engine compartment
GWARNING
When the hood is open and the windshield
wipers are set in motion,you can be injured
by the wiper linkage. There isarisk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before opening the hood.
!Make sure that no moisture can enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
!When closing the cover, make sure that it
is lying correctly on the fuse box. Moisture
seeping in or dirt could otherwise impair
the operation of the fuses.
XMake sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off.
XOpen the hood.
XUseadry cloth to remove any moisture
from the fuse box.
XTo open:remove linesfrom the guides.
XMove linesaside. Route the lines behind
connection$to do this.
XOpen clamp.
XRemove the fuse box cover forwards.
XTo close:check whether the rubber seal is
lying correctly in the cover.
XInsert the cover at the rear of the fuse box
into the retainer.
XFold down cover and close clamps.
XSecure linesin the guides.
XClose the hood.
Fuse box in the trunk
!Make sure that no moisture can enter the
fuse box when the cover is open.
!When closing the cover, make sure that it
is lying correctly on the fuse box. Moisture
seeping in or dirt could otherwise impair
the operation of the fuses.
XOpen the trunk lid.
XTo open:release coverat the top right
and left-hand sides withaflat object.
XOpen coverdownwards in the direction
of the arrow.
332Fuses
Breakdown assistance

Useful information
iThis Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please notethat your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systemsand functions.
iRead the information on qualified
specialist workshops: (Ypage 26).
Important safetynotes
GWARNING
If wheels and tires of the wrong size are used,
the wheel brakes or suspension components
may be damaged. There isarisk of an
accident.
Always replacewheels and tires with those
that fulfill the specifications of the original
part.
When replacing wheels, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmodel
When replacing tires, make sure to use the
correct:
Rdesignation
Rmanufacturer
Rmodel
GWARNING
Aflat tireseverely impairs the driving,
steeringand braking characteristics of the
vehicle. There isarisk of accident.
Tires without run-flat characteristics:
Rdo not drive withaflat tire.
Rimmediately replacethe flat tirewith your
emergencyspare wheel or spare wheel, or
consultaqualified specialist workshop.
Tires with run-flat characteristics:
Rpay attention to the information and
warningnotices on MOExtended tires (tires
with run-flat characteristics).
Accessories that are not approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benzorthat are not
being used correctly can impair the operating
safety.
Before purchasing and using non-approved
accessories, visitaqualified specialist
workshop and inquire about:
Rsuitability
Rlegal stipulations
Rfactory recommendations
Information on the dimensions and types of
wheels and tires for your vehicle can be found
in the "Wheel/tire combinations" section
(Ypage 362).
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)
Runder "Tire pressure" (Ypage 338)
Operation
Information on driving
If the vehicle is heavily loaded, check the tire
pressures and correct them if necessary.
While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteristics,
e.g. pulling to one side. This may indicate that
the wheels or tires are damaged. If you
suspect thatatire is defective, reduce your
speed immediately. Stop the vehicle as soon
as possible to check the wheels and tires for
damage. Hidden tire damage could also be
causing the unusual handling characteristics.
If you find no signs of damage, have the tires
334Operation
Wheels and tires

and wheels checked ataqualified specialist
workshop.
When parking your vehicle,makesure that
thetires do notget deformed by the curb or
other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive over
curbs, speed humps or similar elevations, try
to do so slowly and at an obtuse angle.
Otherwise, the tires, particularly the
sidewalls, may be damaged.
Regular checking of wheels and tires
GWARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. Asaresult, you could lose
control of your vehicle. There isarisk of
accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
Regularly checkthe wheels and tires of your
vehicle for damage at least onceamonth, as
well as after driving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheels can causealoss of
tire pressure. Pay particular attention to
damage such as:
Rcuts in the tires
Rpunctures
Rtears in the tires
Rbulges on tires
Rdeformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tire (Ypage 335). If necessary, turn
the front wheels to full lock in order to inspect
the inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must haveavalve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
mount anything onto the valve other than the
standard valve cap or other valve caps
approved by Mercedes-Benzfor your vehicle.
Do not use any other valve caps or systems,
e.g. tire pressure monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire
pressure as necessary (Ypage 338).
Observe the notes on the emergencyspare
wheel (Ypage 367).
The service life of tires depends, among other
things, on the following factors:
RDrivingstyle
RTire pressure
RDistance covered
Important safety notes on the tire
tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There isarisk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at
different locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
RSummer tires:in (3 mm)
RM+S tires:in (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Operation335
Wheels and tires
Z