2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class automatic

XMake sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off.
XPull release lever:on the hood.
The hood is released.
XReach into the gap, pull hood catch handle ;
up and lift the hood.
If you lift the hood by approximately 15 in
(40 cm), the hood is opened and held open
automatically by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the hood
XLower the hood and let it fall from a height of
approximately 8 in (20 cm).
XCheck that the hood has engaged properly.
If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close it
with a little more force.
Engine oil
General notes
Depending on your driving style, the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qt (0.8 liters) of oil per
600 miles (1,000 km). The oil consumption may be higher than this when the vehicle is new or if
you frequently drive at high engine speeds.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may be
in a different location.
When checking the oil level:
Rpark the vehicle on a level surface.
Rthe engine should be switched off for approx-
imately five minutes if the engine is at normal
operating temperature.
Rif the engine is not at normal operating tem-
perature, e.g. if the engine was only started
briefly, wait about 30 minutes before carrying
out the measurement.
Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and touch only the components described in the
following.
Example
XPull oil dipstick :out of the dipstick guide
tube.
XWipe off oil dipstick :.
XSlowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide tube
to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark =and MAX
mark ;, the oil level is correct.
XIf the oil level has dropped to MIN mark =or
below, add 1.0 l of engine oil.
Engine compartment275
Maintenance and care
Z

Care
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Dispose of empty packaging and cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man- ner.
!For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any of
the following:
Rdry, rough or hard cloths
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rsolvents
Rcleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective films
with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice scraper.
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surfaces and protective film.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning.
Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
conditions until full braking power is restored.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function is
activated, the vehicle brakes automatically in
certain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed.
Rthe ventilation/heating is switched off (the
OFF button has been pressed).
Rthe windshield wiper switch is in position 0.
Otherwise, the vehicle might be damaged.
!In car washes with a towing mechanism,
make sure that the automatic transmission is
in transmission position N, otherwise the
vehicle could be damaged.
RVehicles with a SmartKey:
Do not remove the SmartKey from the igni-
tion lock. Do not open the driver's door or
front-passenger door when the en
gine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans-
mission to Nbeforehand.
RVehicles with KEYLESS-GO:
Do not open the driver's door or front-
passenger door when the engine is
switched off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position Pauto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N:
XMake sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock (Ypage 127).
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N .
Care279
Maintenance and care
Z

XReleaseth ebrak epedal .
XReleas eth eparking brake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmartKey
in th eignition lock.
You can wash th evehicl ein an automatic car
wash from th ever ystart .
If th evehicl eis ver ydirty, pre-was hit before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
Afte rusin gan automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from th ewindshield and th ewiper blades. This
will preven tsmears and reduce wipin gnoises
caused by residue on th ewindshield.
Washing by hand
In som ecountries, washing by han dis only
allowe dat specially equipped washing bays.
Observ eth elegal requirements in eac hcountry.
XDo no tuse hot water and do no twash th e
vehicl ein direct sunlight.
XUse asof tspong eto clean.
XUse amild cleaning agent, suc has acar
shampoo approve dby Mercedes-Benz.
XThoroughly hos edown th evehicl ewit h a gen -
tl e je tof water.
XDo no tpoin tth ewater je tdirectly towards th e
air inlet .
XUse plenty of water and rinse out th espong e
frequently.
XRins eth evehicl ewit hclean water and dry
thoroughly wit h achamois.
XDo no tlet th ecleaning agen tdry on th epaint-
work.
Carefully remove all deposit sof road salt as
soo nas possibl ewhen driving in winter.
Power washers
GWARNIN G
The water je tfrom acircular je tnozzle (dir t
blasters )can caus einvisible exterio rdamag e
to th etires or chassi scomponents. Compo-
nent sdamaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is aris kof an accident.
Do no tuse power washers wit hcircular je t
nozzles to clean th evehicle. Hav edamaged
tires or chassi scomponent sreplace dimme-
diately.
!Always maintai n adistanc eof at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between th evehicl eand th e
powe rwashe rnozzle. Information about th e
correc tdistanc eis available from th eequip -
men tmanufacturer.
Mov eth epowe rwashe rnozzle around when
cleaning your vehicle.
Do no taim directly at any of th efollowing:
Rtires
Rdoor gaps ,roo fgaps ,joints, etc.
Relectrical component s
Rbattery
Rconnectors
Rlights
Rseals
Rtrim
Rventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical component scan
lead to leak sor failures .
Cleaning the paintwork
!Do notaffix:
Rstickers
Rfilm s
Rmagnetic plates or similar items
to painte dsurfaces. You could otherwise
damag eth epaintwork .
Scratches, corrosiv edeposits, areas affecte dby
corrosio nand damag ecaused by inadequat e
car ecanno talways be completely repaired. In
suc hcases, visit aqualified specialist workshop.
XRemove dirt immediately, wher epossible,
while avoidin grubbing to ohard.
XSoak insec tremain swit hinsec tremove rand
rinse off th etreated areas afterwards .
XSoak bird droppings withwater and rinse off
th etreated areas afterwards .
XRemove coolant, brakefluid ,tree resin, oils ,
fuel sand greases by rubbing gentl ywit h a
cloth soaked in petroleum ether or lighte r
fluid .
XUse tar remove rto remove tar stains.
XUse silicon eremove rto remove wax.
If water no longer forms "beads "on th epain t
surface, use th epain tcar eproducts recommen -
ded and approve dby Mercedes-Benz .This is th e
cas eapproximately every three to fiv emonths,
280Care
Maintenance and care

depending on the climate conditions and the
care product used.
If dirt has penetrated the paint surface or if the
paint has become dull, the paint cleaner recom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz
should be used.
Do not use these care products in the sun or on
the hood while the hood is hot.
XUse a suitable touch-up stick, e.g. MB Touch-
Up Stick, to repair slight damage to the paint- work quickly and provisionally.
Matte finish care
!Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to shine.
!The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matte
effect:
Rstrong rubbing of the paintwork with
unsuitable materials
Rfrequent use of automatic car washes
Rwashing the vehicle in direct sunlight
!Never use paint cleaner, buffing or polishing
products, or gloss preserver, e.g. wax. These
products are only suitable for high-gloss sur-
faces. Their use on vehicles with matte finish
leads to considerable surface damage (shiny,
mottled areas).
Always have paintwork repairs carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a clear
matte finish. This will help you to avoid damage
to the paintwork due to incorrect treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels with a clear matte finish.
iThe vehicle should preferably be washed by
hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo and
plenty of water.
iUse only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after cleaning.
Braking heats the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings, thus drying them. The vehicle
can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
!Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring. There
is otherwise a risk of damaging the windows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals and pollen may under certain circumstances pre-
Care281
Maintenance and care
Z

Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop. You can also
charge the battery with a charger recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a qualified special-
ist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly for
short trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked for a long period of time.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrical consumers.
The vehicle will then use very little energy, thus conserving battery power.
If the power supply has been interrupted, e.g. if
you reconnect the battery, you will have to:
Rset the clock. Information on setting the clock
can be found in the Digital Operator's Manual
On vehicles with a multimedia system, the
time is set automatically.
Rreset the function for folding the exterior mir-
rors in/out automatically, by folding the mir-
rors out once (
Ypage 104)
Charging the battery
GWARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk 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 over a battery.
GWARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with plenty of clean water and seek medical atten-
tion.
GWARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
!Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
!Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment (
Ypage 294).
XOpen the hood.
XConnect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and ground point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure (
Ypage 294).
If the indicator/warning lamps do not light up at
low temperatures, it is very likely that the dis-
charged battery has frozen. In this case, you
may neither charge the battery nor jump-start
the vehicle. The service life of a thawed-out bat-
tery may be shorter. The starting characteristics
may be impaired, especially at low tempera-
tures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Never charge a battery still installed in the vehi-
cle unless a battery charger unit approved by
Mercedes-Benz is being used . A battery charger
unit specially adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz is available as an accessory. It permits the charging of the battery in its installed position.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for further information and availability. Read the
battery charger's operating instructions before
charging the battery.
Battery (vehicle)293
Breakdown assistance
Z

XConnect negative terminal?of donor battery Bto ground point Aof your vehicle using the
jumper cable, connecting the jumper cable to battery of other vehicle Bfirst.
XStart the engine.
XBefore disconnecting the jumper cables, let the engine run for several minutes.
XFirst, remove the jumper cables from ground pointA and negative terminal ?, then from pos-
itive clamp ;and positive terminal =. Begineach time at the contacts on your own vehicle first.
XClose cover :of positive clamp ;after removing the jumper cables.
XHave the battery checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Jump-starting isnot cons idered to bea normal operating condition.
iJumper cables and further information regarding jump-starting can be obtained at any qualified
specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Functions relevant to safety are restricted or
no longer availab leif:
Rthe engine isnot running.
Rthe brake system or the power steering is
malfunctioning.
Rthere isa malfunction inthe voltage supply
or the veh icle's electrical system.
If your veh icle is bein g towed, much more
force may benecessary to steer or brake.
There isa risk of an acc ident.
In such cases, use a tow bar. Before to wing,
make sure that the steering moves freely.
GWAR NING
When to wingor tow-starting another veh icle
and its weight isgreater than the permis sible
gross weight of your veh icle, the:
Rthe to wingeye could detach itself
Rthe veh icle/trailer co mbination could roll-
over.
There isa risk of an acc ident.
When to wingor tow-starting another veh icle,
its weight should not begreater than the per-
mis sible gross weight of your veh icle.
Details on the permis siblegross veh icleweight
of your veh iclecan befound on the veh icle iden-
tification plate (
Ypage 330).
!When COLLIS ION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLU S,DIST RONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automatically
in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
these systems in the foll owing or similar sit-
uations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
!Only secure the tow rope or tow bar at the
to wing eyes. Otherwise, the vehicle could be
damaged.
!Do not use the to wingeye for recovery, this
could damage the vehicle. If in doubt, recover
the vehicle with a crane.
!When to wing, pull away slowly and
smoothly. If the tractive power is too high, the
vehicles could bedamaged.
!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 position Pwhen the driver's or front-
passenger door are opened, which could lead
to damage to the transmission.
!The vehicle can be towed a maximum of
30 mile s (50km). The to wingspeed 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.
296Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

!If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
Rcannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock
Rcannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem
If the battery is defective, the automatic trans-
mission will be locked in position P. 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 294).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the vehicle is towed (
Ypage 82). You could other-
wise be locked 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 is
a risk of burns when removing the rear cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe. Take particular
care when removing the rear cover.
All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Mercedes-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 286).
XPull cover :out of the bumper in the direc-
tion of the arrow by inserting your fingers into
the recess.
XPress the mark on cover ;inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
XRemove cover ;from the opening.
XScrew in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.
Towing and tow-starting297
Breakdown assistance
Z

Removing the towing eye
XUnscrew and remove the towing eye.
XPosition cover:on top of the bumper and
press it in at the bottom until it engages.
XAttach cover ;to the bumper and press until
it engages.
XPlace the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(
Ypage 296).
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position Pwhen you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock. In order to ensure
that the automatic transmission stays in posi-
tion Nwhen towing the vehicle, you must
observe the following points:
XMake sure that the vehicle is stationary.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the Smart-
Key instead of the Start/Stop button
(
Ypage 128).
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the parking brake.
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(Ypage 109).
XLeave the SmartKey in position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. 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.
Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
vehicle/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even roll over.
Transporting the vehicle
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission
!When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles
!You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, 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
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses.
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition
lock.
XShift the automatic transmission to position
N.
298Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance