2015 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class automatic transmission

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 fuel and the fuel tank
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
G WARNING
Risk of explosion or fire. X Turn the SmartKey to position 0immediately and remove it
(Y page 141).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
X Unlock the vehicle (Y page 74). The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
X Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Y page 76).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
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-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi- cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking 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
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave children unsupervised 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 electric parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the transmission position display must
show P.
R the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb. 160
ParkingDriving and parking

Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): shift
the transmission to position P.X
AMG vehicles: press button:.
X With the SmartKey: turn the SmartKey to
position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 141).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "Key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically. With the SmartKey:
if you then open the
driver's door or the front-passenger door or
remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the
automatic transmission shifts to Pautomati-
cally.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then
open the driver's door or the front-passenger
door, the automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing system:
Using the SmartKey:
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
X Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
If you attempt to turn off the engine when the selector lever is not in position P:
R a message appears in the multifunction dis-
play
R a warning signal sounds Parking
161Driving and parking Z

Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking 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
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in the system, it may not be possible to apply
the released parking brake.
X If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it roll- ing away.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a func-
tion test at regular intervals while the engine
is switched off. The sounds that can be heard
while this is occurring are normal. Applying/releasing manually X
To engage: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be
applied when the SmartKey is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus-
ter goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be
released:
R when the SmartKey is in position 1or 2in
the ignition lock (Y page 141) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button
Applying automatically The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the transmission is in position
P
and:
R the engine is switched off or
R the driver is not wearing a seat belt and the
driver's door is opened.
To prevent the electric parking brake from
being automatically applied, pull handle :.162
ParkingDriving and parking

The electric parking brake is also engaged
automatically if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS brings the vehicle to a
standstill or
R the HOLD function is keeping the vehicle
stationary
R Active Parking Assist is keeping the vehicle
stationary
In addition, at least one of the following con-
ditions must be fulfilled:
R there is a system malfunction.
R the power supply is insufficient.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
The electric parking brake is not automati-
cally engaged if the engine is switched off by
the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically Your vehicle's electric parking brake is auto-
matically released if all of the following con-
ditions are met:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R.
R the seat belt has been fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R, the trunk
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parking brake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of transmission posi-
tion Por you have previously driven faster
than 2 mph (3 km/h).
Ensure that you do not depress the acceler-
ator pedal unintentionally. Otherwise the
parking brake will be released and the vehicle will start to move. Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
X While driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake (Y page 162).
The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
handle :of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle :is depressed, the greater
the braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release park. brake
Release park. brake message
appears
R the red F(USA only) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument clus- ter flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand- still, the electric parking brake is engaged. Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop. Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available Driving tips
163Driving and parking
Z

effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients !
On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. For this, you need to have selected
manual drive program M. This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered bythe Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated: the auto-
matic transmission may switch to the last
active automatic drive program Eor S. The
automatic transmission may shift to a higher
gear. This can reduce the engine's braking
effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads. If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac- tion from the brakes when braking for the firsttime. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionally while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
R Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes !
If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a warn- ing tone while the engine is running, the
brake fluid level may be too low. Observe
additional warning messages in the multi-
function display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to brake pad wear or leaking brake lines. 166
Driving tipsDriving and parking