2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA traction control

1, 2, 3 ...4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
see ETS/4ETS (Electronic Trac-
tion System)
4MATIC
Display message ............................ 255
4MATIC (permanent four-wheel
drive) .................................................. 191
12 V socket
see Sockets
AABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Display message ............................ 228
Function/notes ................................ 65
Important safety notes .................... 65
Warning lamp ................................ .2 61
Accident
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent ................................................. 58
Activating/deactivating cooling
with air dehumidification ................. 136
Active Parking Assist
Detecting parking spaces .............. 196
Display message ............................ 247
Exiting a parking space .................. 198
Function/notes ............................ .1 95
Important safety notes .................. 195
Parking .......................................... 197
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ................................. 72
Adaptive Brake Assist
Function/notes ................................ 68
Adaptive Damping System
Function/notes ............................ .1 90
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Display message ............................ 243
Function/notes ............................ .1 18
Switching on/off ........................... 118
Additional speedometer ................... 221
Additives (engine oil) ........................ 369
Air bags
Deployment ..................................... 56
Display message ............................ 238
Front air bag (driver, front
passenger) ....................................... 49
Important safety notes .................... 48 Introduction ..................................... 48
Knee bag .......................................... 50
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 51
PASSENGER AIR BAG indicator
lamps ............................................... 43
Side impact air bag .......................... 50
Window curtain air bag .................... 50
Air vents
Important safety notes .................. 142
Rear .......................................... ..... 143
Setti ng the center air vents ........... 142
Setting the side air vents .............. .1 42
Air-conditioning system
see Climate control
Alarm
ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system) ......... 73
Switching off (ATA) .......................... 73
Switching the function on/off
(ATA) ................................................ 73
Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
AMG
Adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem ................................................ 190
Performance Seat .......................... 104
AMG menu (on-board computer) ..... 223
AMG Performance exhaust sys-
tem ..................................................... 153
Anti-lock braking system
see ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Anti-Theft Alarm system
see ATA (Anti-Theft Alarm system)
Ashtray ............................................... 280
Assistance display (on-board com-
puter) ................................................. .2 19
Assistance menu (on-board com-
puter) ................................................. .2 19
ASSYST PLUS
Displaying a service message ....... .3 01
Driving abroad ............................... 301
Hiding a service message .............. 300
Information about Service ............. 301
Resetting the service interval dis-
play ................................................ 301
Service message ............................ 300
Special service requirements ......... 3014
Index

ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing
your vehicle with the front axle raised, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP ®
( Y
page 323).
If the

becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, 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: X
Shift the transmission to position N .X
Try 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 ( Y
page 331).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( Y
page 330).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( Y
page 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 ( Y
page 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: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when 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.178
Driving systems
Driving and parking

The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface condition, e.g. bumps R
your individual selection of Sport or Com-
fort mode.
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button in the center console.
i The mode can also be set using the AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller ( Y
page 156).
Each time you start the engine with the igni-
tion key or the Start/Stop button, Comfort
mode is activated. For further information
about starting the engine, see ( Y
page 149).
Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads. X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up. You have selec-
ted Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. Select
this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style, but also when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. highways. X
Press button C again so that indicator
lamp D goes out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Suspension System COMFORT
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the differential.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or
be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
4MATIC, together with ESP ®
, improves the
traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
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 con-
ditions. 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.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip: R
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away. R
Accelerate less when driving.
i In 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.
Chassis with adaptive adjustable
damping
General notes
Suspension with the Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem provides improved driving comfort and
continuously controls the calibration of the Driving systems 191
Driving and parking Z

When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tires do not get deformed by the curb or
other obstacles. If they cannot be avoided,
drive over obstacles such as curbs slowly and
at an obtuse angle. Otherwise, you may dam-
age the wheels or tires.
Regular checking of wheels and tires
G WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
Check wheels and tires for damage at least
once a month. Check wheels and tires after
driving off-road or on rough roads. Damaged
wheels can cause a loss of tire pressure. Pay
particular attention to damage such as: R
cuts in the tires R
punctures R
tears in the tires R
bulges on tires R
deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width
of the tire ( Y
page 329). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve 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-Benz for 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 ( Y
page 332). The service life of tires depends, among other
things, on the following factors: R
driving style R
tire pressure R
distance covered
Notes on tire tread
G WARNING
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 con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent 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: R
Summer tires:

Example: R
Treadwear grade: 200R
Traction grade: AAR
Temperature grade: A
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
U.S. government course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half
times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, ser-
vice practices and differences in road char-
acteristics and climate.
Traction
G WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor-
nering, hydroplaning, or peak traction char-
acteristics.
! Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train.
The traction grades – from highest to lowest –
are AA, A, B and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road surfa-
ces.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum
tread depth of

Curb weight
The weight of a vehicle with standard equip-
ment including the maximum capacity of fuel,
oil and coolant. It also includes the air-condi-
tioning system and optional equipment if
these are installed in the vehicle, but does not
include passengers or luggage.
Maximum load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum per-
missible weight in kilograms or lbs for which a
tire is approved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure
Maximum permissible tire pressure for one
tire.
Maximum load on one tire
Maximum load on one tire. This is calculated
by dividing the maximum axle load of one axle
by two.
PSI (pounds per square inch)
A standard unit of measure for tire pressure.
Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to each square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal
(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should only
be corrected when the tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure
The tires are cold: R
if the vehicle has been parked with the tires
out of direct sunlight for at least three
hours and R
if the vehicle has not been driven further
than 1 mile (1.6 km) Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on t h
e wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
parts and more than 2.3 kg (5 lbs). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-
performance battery, are not included in the
curb weight and the weight of the accesso-
ries.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used
by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is made up of the
manufacturer's identity code, tire size, tire
type code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a
code that contains the maximum load bearing
capacity of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the
tires and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are dis-
tributed over the tire tread. If the tire tread is
level with the bars, the wear limit of