Care
General notes
H Environmental 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: R
dry, rough or hard cloths R
abrasive cleaning agents R
solvents R
cleaning 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
G WARNING
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: R
when towing the vehicle R
in 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: R
the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed. R
the ventilation/heating is switched off (the
OFF button has been pressed). R
the 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. R
Vehicles 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
switc hed off. Otherwise, the automatic
transmission selects park position P auto-
matically and locks the wheels. You can
prevent this by shifting the automatic trans-
mission to N beforehand. R
Vehicles 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 P auto-
matically and locks the wheels.
Observe the following to make sure that the
automatic transmission stays in position N :X
Make sure the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is switched off. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock ( Y
page 127).
Use the SmartKey instead of the Start/Stop
button on vehicles with KEYLESS-GO. X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
N . Care 279
Maintenance and care Z
Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
If wheels and tires of th e wrong siz e are used,
th e whee l brakes or suspension component s
may be damaged. Ther e is a ris k of an acci-
dent.
Always replace wheels and tires wit h those
that fulfill th e specification s of th e original
part .
When replacing wheels, mak e sur e to use th e
correct: R
designation R
model
When replacing tires , mak e sur e to use th e
correct: R
designation R
manufacturer R
model
G WARNIN G
A flat tire severely impairs th e driving , steer -
ing and braking characteristics of th e vehicle.
Ther e is a ris k of accident.
Tires without run-flat characteristics :R
do no t driv e wit h a flat tire.R
immediately replace th e flat tire wit h your
emergenc y spar e whee l or spar e wheel, or
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Tires wit h run-flat characteristics :R
pay attention to th e information and warn -
ing notice s on MOExtended tires (tire s wit h
run-flat characteristics).
Accessories that are no t approve d for your vehi-
cle by Mercedes-Ben z or are no t bein g used cor-
rectl y can impair th e operating safety.
Before purchasing and usin g non-approve d
accessories, visit a qualified specialist work-
sho p and ask about :R
suitabilit yR
legal stipulation sR
factory recommendation s Further information regarding wheels and tires
can be foun d under "Wheel/tire combinations"
( Y
page 325).
You can ask for information regarding permitte d
wheel-tire combination s at an authorize d
Mercedes-Ben z Center.
Information on tire pressur e can be found:R
on th e Tir e and Loading Information placard
on th e B-pillar on th e driver' s side
( Y
page 311) R
in th e tire pressur e table in th e fuel filler flap
( Y
page 144) R
under "Tir e pressure" ( Y
page 304)
Operation
Information on driving Chec k th e tire pressur e when th e vehicl e is
heavily laden and adjust prio r to a trip.
While driving , pay attention to vibrations, noises
and unusual handlin g characteristics , e.g. pull-
ing to on e side . This may indicat e that th e
wheels or tires are damaged. If you suspec t that
a tire is defective, reduce your spee d immedi-
ately. Stop th e vehicl e as soo n as possible to
chec k th e wheels and tires for damage. Hidden
tire damag e could also be causing th e unusual
handlin g characteristics . If you fin d no sign s of
damage, hav e th e tires and wheels checke d at a
qualified specialist workshop.
When parking your vehicle, mak e sur e that th e
tires do no t get deformed by th e cur b or other
obstacles. If they canno t be avoided, driv e ove r
obstacles suc h as curbs slowly and at an obtuse
angle. Otherwise, you may damag e th e wheels
or tires .
Regular checking of wheels and tires
G WARNIN G
Damaged tires can caus e tire inflation pres-
sur e loss . As a result , you could lose control of
your vehicle. Ther e is a ris k of accident.
Chec k th e tires regularly for sign s of damag e
and replace any damaged tires immediately. Operation 301
Wheels and tires Z
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 Pressure inside the tire applying an outward
force to every 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 the 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-per-
formance battery, are not included in the curb
weight and the weight of the accessories.
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 pur-
chasers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur-
er'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 capa-
city 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 distrib-
uted over the tire tread. If the tire tread is level
with the bars, the wear limit of
Filling capacities The followin g value s refer to an oil chang e
includin g th e oil filter.
Model Capacit y
CLS 400
CLS 400 4MATIC 6. 9 US qt (6.5 l)
CL S 550
CLS 550 4MATIC 8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
Mercedes ‑ AMG
vehicles 9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Ad ditives
! Do not use any additives in the engine oil.
This could damage the engine.
Brake fluid
G WARNING
The brake fluid constantly absorbs moisture
from the air. This lowers the boiling point of
the brake fluid. If the boiling point of the brake
fluid is too low, vapor pockets may form in the
brake system when the brakes are applied
hard. This would impair braking efficiency.
There is a risk of an accident.
You should have the brake fluid renewed at
the specified intervals.
Comply with the important safety notes for ser-
vice products when handling brake fluid
( Y
page 331).
The brake fluid change intervals can be found in
the Maintenance Booklet.
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz in accordance with MB-Freigabe or MB-
Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can be
obtained at any qualified specialist workshop or
on the Internet at
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
i Have the brake fluid regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop and the replace-
ment confirmed in the Maintenance Booklet. Coolant
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If antifreeze comes into contact with hot com-
ponents in the engine compartment, it may
ignite. There is a risk of fire and injury.
Let the engine cool down before you add anti-
freeze. Make sure that antifreeze is not spilled
next to the filler neck. Thoroughly clean the
antifreeze from components before starting
the engine.
! Only add coolant that has been premixed
with the desired antifreeze protection. You
could otherwise damage the engine.
Further information on coolants can be found
in the Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Ser-
vice Products, MB BeVo 310.1, e.g. on the
Internet at http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
Or contact a qualified specialist workshop.
! Always use a suitable coolant mixture, even
in countries where high temperatures prevail.
Otherwise, the engine cooling system is not
sufficiently protected from corrosion and
overheating.
i Have the coolant regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop and the replace-
ment confirmed in the Maintenance Booklet.
Comply with the important safety precautions
for service products when handling coolant
( Y
page 331).
The coolant is a mixture of water and anti-
freeze/corrosion inhibitor. It performs the fol-
lowing tasks: R
corrosion protection R
antifreeze protection R
raising the boiling point
If the coolant has antifreeze protection down to
-35 ‡ (-37 †), the boiling point of the coolant
during operation is approximately 266 ‡
(130 †).334
Service products and filling capacities
Technical data