2015 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class Owner's Manual

X
Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever down past the first point of
resistance. Selector lever (AMG vehicles)
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display !
If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select trans-
mission position Dand automatic drive pro-
gram Cor S. :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.
Engaging park position P X
When the vehicle is stationary, press but-
ton :. Automatic trans
mission
151Driving an d parking Z

Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll- ing away when stopped.
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Y page 149) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey and remove the
SmartKey
R you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or using the Start/
Stop button and open the driv-
er's door or front-passenger
door
R the driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driv-
ing at very low speed and the
transmission is in position Dor R C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary. A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan damage
the drive train. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 153)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 152)
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 152
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi- cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress- ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): the
Stop
Stop Vehicle Vehicle Shift
Shiftto
toP
PLeave
Leave Engine
Engine
Running
Running display message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. You will only be able to
continue your journey once the clutch has
cooled down and the display message in the
multifunction display has disappeared.
AMG vehicles: theTrans. Oil Overhea‐ Trans. Oil Overhea‐
ted Drive on with Care
ted Drive on with Care display message
appears in the multifunction display.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary
on uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic 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.
AMG vehicles: it is only possible to use kick-
down in the automatic drive program and the temporary manual drive program
M. When
manual drive program Mis permanently acti-
vated, kickdown is not possible.
For further information on kickdown in man-
ual drive program M(Y page 155).
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi- cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions Dand R,
move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the point of resistance. Program selector button
The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with differ-
ent driving characteristics. X
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles):
press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. Automatic transmission
153Driving and parking Z

X
AMG vehicles: press program selector
button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
When the engine is started, the automatic
transmission always switches to automatic
drive program E(drive program Cin AMG
vehicles).
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles) E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
AMG vehicles
C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (Y page 154). Steering wheel paddle shifters
:
Left steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
down)
; Right steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
up)
In drive program M, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel pad- dle shifter when in automatic drive program E
(drive program Con AMG vehicles) or S, the
automatic transmission shifts into drive pro-
gram Mfor a limited time. Depending on
which paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear down or up.
AMG vehicles: you can activate drive pro-
gram MRACE START (Y page 180) using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
You can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D.
For further information on the manual drive
program, see (Y page 155). Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. 154
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

R
the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis- sion shift points. Manual drive program
General information In manual drive program
M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad-
dle shifters. For this, the transmission must
be in position D. The gear currently selected
and engaged is shown in the multifunction
display.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive
programs E(drive program Con AMG vehi-
cles) and Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes. Gear Driving situations
=
You can use the engine's braking
effect 5
You can use the braking effect of
the engine on downhill gradients
and for driving:
R on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 153) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program Mremains active
until drive program E(drive program Con
AMG vehicles) or Sis selected.
Activating temporarily X Pull the right or left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 154).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
When manual drive program Mis activated via
the steering wheel paddle shifters, the tem-
porarily active manual drive program Mwill be
deactivated automatically after a limited
time, if the driving situation permits. The auto-
matic transmission switches to the previously activated drive program E(drive program Con
AMG vehicles) or S. When driving on downhill
gradients, the temporarily active manual
drive program Mwill only be deactivated if the
accelerator pedal is depressed while the vehi-
cle is rolling downhill. Automatic transmission
155Driving and parking Z

Upshifting
X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): in
order to prevent engine damage the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts up:
R if the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and
R you continue to accelerate.
AMG vehicles:
! In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
Shift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
AMG vehicles !
In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage. :
Gear indicator
; Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X If the color in the speedometer multifunc-
tion display changes to red and the UP UPdis-
play message is shown, shift up a gear.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 154).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
For maximum acceleration, pull the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter until the trans-
mission selects the optimum gear for the cur- rent speed.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down. 156
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears
using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
AMG vehicles: it is only possible to use kick-
down in temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis perma-
nently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Switching off the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 153) repeatedly until E(drive pro-
gram Cin AMG vehicles) or Sappears in the
multifunction display.
Deactivating the temporary manual drive program
X Pull and hold the right steering wheel pad-
dle shifter until the automatic transmission
shifts into the last active automatic drive
program E(drive program Con AMG vehi-
cles) or S.
When manual drive program Mis deactivated,
the automatic transmission in automatic
drive program E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) or Smay shift from the current gear
into a higher or lower gear. This is dependent
on the position of the accelerator pedal,
speed and load. Automatic trans
mission
157Driving an d parking Z

Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer shifts into all of
the gears.
Reverse gear can no
longer be engaged. The transmission is in emergency mode.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Refueling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling. G
WARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
You must make sure that fuel does not come into contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
R If fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
R If fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
R Immediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel. G
WARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Do not switch on the igni- tion if you accidentally refuel with the
wrong fuel. Otherwise, the fuel will enter
the fuel system. Even small amounts of the
wrong fuel could result in damage to the
fuel system and the engine. Notify a quali-
fied specialist workshop and have the fuel
tank and fuel lines drained completely. 158
RefuelingDriving and parking