2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class ESP

Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReversegear
iNeutral
hDrive
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AM G vehi-
cles): theDIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright
of th esteering column . Fo
rinformation on th eselector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles (
Ypage 159).
The DIRECT SE LECT lever always return sto
it s original position .The curren ttransmission
position P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmis -
sion position display in th emultifunction dis-
play (
Ypage 157).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
The curren ttransmission position and driv e
program appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmi ssion position
;Gear
=Drive program display
The arrows in th etransmission position dis-
play sho whow and int owhic htransmission
position syou can shif tusin gth eDIRECT
SE LECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should
pull away carefully to chec kwhether th e
desired transmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand driv eprogram Eor S.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehi-
cle is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic
transmission directly from Dto R,from Rto
D or directly to P.The automatic transmis -
sion could otherwise be damaged.
Automatic transmission15 7
Driving an d parking
Z

ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission toN
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.
7Drive
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:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto- matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
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 Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop Vehicle Shift to P
Leave Engine Runningdisplay message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the
clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Caredisplay
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator
pedal. Instead, only ever hold the vehicle sta-
tionary on uphill gradients by:
Rdepressing the brake pedal
Ractivating the HOLD function
Rengaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Automatic transmission161
Driving an d parking
Z

driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Rgliding mode is activated automatically
when engine-internal conditions are fulfil-
led and the accelerator is not depressed. At
the same time the transmission’s clutch
opens and the vehicle rolls freely using its
kinetic energy. As a result great distances
can be completed without the engine brake
and fuel consumption reduced.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive programIthe following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
Rthe suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL)
RESP®
Information about the configuration of drive
program Iwith COMAND or Audio 20 can be
found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economi-
cal handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven in the low
engine speed range and the wheels are less
likely to spin.
Rgliding mode is available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is available. Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program
Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits sporty driving charac-
teristics.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later. the fuel consumption possibly being
higher as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL).
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+is characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-
ing characteristics.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles
with AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem).
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
RIDE CONTROL)
The RACE drive program is characteriz

ed by
the following:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later.
Automatic transmission163
Driving and parking
Z

Kickdown
XFormaximum acceleration ,depress th e
accelerato rpedal beyon dth epressur e
point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on th eengin espeed.
XShift bac kup once th edesired spee dis
reached.
During kickdown ,you canno tshif tgear s
usin gth esteering whee lpaddle shifters .
If you apply full throttle, th eautomatic trans -
mission shifts up to th ene xt gear when th e
maximum engin espee dis reached. This pre -
vents th eengin efrom overrevving .
Mercedes-AM G vehicles:it is only possibl e
to use kickdown in temporar ymanual drive
program M.When manual drive program Mis
permanentl yactivated, kickdown is no tpos -
sible.
166Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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
XApply the electric parking brake.
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles): shift the transmission to posi-
tion P.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: press but-
ton :.
XWith the SmartKey: turn the SmartKey to
position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
XWith the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (
Ypage 147).
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 SmartKey position 1. When the
driver's door is open, this corresponds to
SmartKey position 0: "SmartKey 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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
XRemove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch 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:
Ra message appears in the multifunction dis-
play
Ra warning signal sounds
170Parking
Driving and parking

ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailing conditions. Your
driving style can significantly influence the
vehicle's consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAcceleration
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual
fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
RTire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried out using the following three categories:
RAcceleration(evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessment of driving behavior
at all times)
-The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes)
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
An economical driving style specially requires driving at moderate engine speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
and Constant:
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive the vehicle in drive program Cor E
(vehicles with a DYNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on
the highway, only the bar for Constant
will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving char-
acteristics from the start of the journey to its
completion. For this reason, the bars change
dynamically at the beginning of the journey.
On longer journeys, there are fewer changes.
For more dynamic changes, carry out a man-
ual reset.
For further information on the ECO display,
see (
Ypage 214).
174Driving tips
Driving and parking

Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up inthe instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engineis running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamom-
eter. If you wish to operate the vehicle on
such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if:
Rthe electric parking brake is tested on a
brake dynamometer (for a maximum of
ten seconds)
Rthe vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (
Ypage 66).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness
You can measure the break pad/lining thick- ness using a test gage. Color-coding (green or
red) on the test gage allows you to determine
whether the brake pad/lining thickness is still
sufficient. The test gage is in the vehicle docu-
ment wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel
176Driving tips
Driving and parking

becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heatingrunning, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
XTry to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
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.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 331).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 330).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (
Ypage 330).
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. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. You need to have previously selec-
ted manual gearshifting M(
Ypage 164). 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 make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
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 the road,
traffic and weather 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
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen 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.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking