2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS brake

Aut oma tic trans mi ssion
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e engin e spee d is abov e th e idlin g spee d
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
th e vehicl e could pull away suddenly. There is
a ris k of an accident.
When engagin g transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress th e brak e pedal and do
no t simultaneously accelerate .
G WARNIN G
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off th e engine.
The vehicl e may rol l away. There is a ris k of an
accident.
Afte r switching off th e engine, always switch
to parking position P . Preven t th e parked vehi-
cle from rollin g away by applyin g th e parking
brake.
Select or lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit h parking loc k
^
Reverse gear
\\
Neutral
[
Drive Trans mi ssion position and drive pr o-
gram display The curren t transmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th e multifunction display.
C
Transmission position display D
Drive program display
Additionally, displays next to th e selector lever
mar k th e curren t transmission position .
The indicators ligh t up when th e Smartke y is
inserted int o th e ignition lock. The indicators go
out when th e Smartke y is remove d from th e
ignition lock.
If th e transmission position display in th e mul-
tifunction display is no t working , you should pull
away carefully to chec k whether th e desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position D and drive
program C or S .
Engaging pa rk position P
X
When th e vehicl e is stationary, press but -
to n C .134
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
]
Par k position wit h parking loc k^
Revers e gear\\
Neutral[
Drive
The DIREC T SELECT lever is on th e right of th e
steerin g column .
The DIREC T SELECT lever always return s to it s
original position . The curren t transmissio n posi-
tion P , R , N or D appears in th e transmissio n
position display in th e multifunction display
( Y
page 135).
Transmission position an d drive pro-
gram display The curren t transmissio n position and drive pro -
gram appear in th e multifunction display.
C
Transmissio n position display
D
Drive program display
The arrows in th e transmissio n position display
sho w how and into whic h transmissio n position s
you can shift usin g th e DIREC T SELECT lever.
If th e transmissio n position display in th e mul-
tifunction display is no t working , you should pull
away carefully to chec k whether th e desire d
transmissio n position is engaged. Ideally, you
should selec t transmissio n position D and drive
program E or S . Engaging park position P
! If th e engin e speed is to o hig h or th e vehicle
is moving, do no t shift th e automatic trans -
missio n directl y from D to R , from R to D or
directl y to P . The automatic transmissio n
could otherwise be damaged .X
Push th e DIREC T SELECT lever in th e direction
of arrow P .
Transmissio n position display P is shown in
th e multifunction display.
Depressing th e brake and pushin g th e DIREC T
SELECT lever up or down disengage s th e park-
in g lock. The transmissio n is in N neutral.
In order to shift from par k position P directl y into
R or D : R
depress th e brake peda l andR
push th e DIREC T SELECT lever up or down
past th e first poin t of resistanc e
Engaging park position P automaticallyPar k position P is automatically engage d if:R
you switch of f th e engin e usin g th e Smartke y
and remov e th e SmartKey R
you switch of f th e engin e usin g th e Smartke y
or usin g th e Start/Sto p butto n and ope n th e
driver's doo r or front-passenger doo rR
th e driver's doo r is opene d when th e vehicle is
stationary or drivin g at ver y low speed and th e
transmissio n is in position D or R
Under certain conditions, th e automatic trans -
missio n shift s automatically to transmissio n
position P if th e HOLD function or DISTRONIC
PLU S is activated. Observ e th e information on
th e HOLD function ( Y
page 165) and on
DISTRONIC PLU S ( Y
page 159).
Engaging reverse gea r R
! Only shift th e automatic transmissio n to R
when th e vehicle is stationary. X
If th e transmissio n is in position D or N : push
th e DIREC T SELECT lever up past th e first
poin t of resistance. X
If th e transmissio n is in position P : depress
th e brake peda l and push th e DIREC T SELECT
lever up past th e first poin t of resistance.
The EC O start/sto p function is no t available
when revers e gear is engaged. Further informa-Automatic transmission 135
Driving and parking Z

tion on the ECO start/stop function
( Y
page 130).
Shifting to neutral N
G WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users. R
get out and disrupt traffic. R
operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake. R
shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position PR
Start the engine.
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 or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. X
If the transmission is in position D or R : push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the
first point of resistance. X
If the transmission is in position P : depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position R or D , the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to N automatically.
With the Smartkey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the Smartkey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P a utomatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P .
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: X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock. X
Insert the Smartkey into the ignition lock. X
All vehicles: switch the ignition on. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed. X
Shift to neutral N .X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the Smartkey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position R or N : push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance. X
If the transmission is in position P : depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever down past the first point of resistance.136
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Transmission positions E Park position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion P when the vehicle is stationary
( Y
page 147). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc-
tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P . Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position P is automatically
engaged if: R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door R
the driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position D or R
F Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion R when the vehicle is stationary. D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
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 only to position N if
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position R or D , the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can damage
the drive train.
: Drive
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 shifting
behavior is determined by: R
the selected drive program R
the position of the accelerator pedal R
the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle: early upshifts R
more throttle: late upshifts
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
When shifting down, the double-clutch function
is active regardless of the currently selected
drive program. The double-clutch functionAutomatic transmission 137
Driving an d parking Z

Downshifting X
Pull th e left-han d steerin g whee l paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmissio n shift s down to
th e next gear .
i If you brake th e vehicle or stop without shift -
in g down , th e automatic transmissio n will
shift down to a gear that will allow th e vehicle
to accelerat e or pull away again .
i Fo r maximum acceleration , pull th e left-
han d steerin g whee l paddle shifter until th e
transmissio n selects th e optimum gear fo r
th e curren t speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown fo r maximum accel-
eration in manual drive program M .X
Depress th e accelerator peda l beyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio n shift s to a lowe r
gear dependin g on th e engin e speed.X
Shift bac k up once th e desire d speed is
reached.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : it is no t possible to
use kickdown in manual drive program M .
Switchin g off th e manual drive programX
Press th e program selecto r butto n
( Y
page 138).X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : turn th e drive pro -
gram selecto r ( Y
page 139).142
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.
G WARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
Risk of explosion or fire. X
Apply the electric parking brake. X
Switch off the engine. X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS ‑ GO:X
Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0 . This is the same as the
SmartKey having been removed. X
Do not restart the engine under any circumstances. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked. X
Unlock the vehicle ( Y
page 76).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged. X
Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key ( Y
page 78).X
Open the trunk lid. X
Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
( Y
page 145).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed. 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 driv-
etrain could be damaged.146
Parking
Driving and parking

To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally: R
the parking brake must be applied. R
the transmission must be in position P and the
Smartkey must be removed from the ignition
lock. R
the front wheels must be turned towards the
curb on steep uphill or downhill gradients.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when 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 parking brake firmly. X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): shift the transmission to position P .
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: when the vehicle
is stationary, press button C .X
With the Smartkey: turn the Smartkey to
position 0 in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. X
With KEYLESS-GO: press the KEYLESS-GO
Start/Stop button ( Y
page 127).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out. When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds 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 transmis-
sion in position R or D , the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to N automatically.
With the Smartkey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the Smartkey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P automatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P .
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: X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock. X
Insert the Smartkey into the ignition lock. X
All vehicles: switch the ignition on. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed. X
Shift to neutral N . X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the Smartkey
in the ignition lock.
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for about three seconds. This func-
tion operates independently of the ECO start/
stop automatic engine switch-off function.
Parking brake
G WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi-
cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again. Parking 147
Driving and parking Z

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.
If you brake the vehicle with the parking brake,
the brake lamps will not light up. X
To apply: depress parking brake D firmly.
When the engine is running, the ' (USA
only) or M (Canada only) indicator lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster. X
To release: depress the brake pedal and keep
it depressed. X
Pull release handle C .
When the ignition is switched on or the engine
is running, the ' (USA only) or M (Can-
ada only) indicator lamp goes out in the instru-
ment cluster.
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
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
G WARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while
driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per sec-
ond.148
Driving tips
Driving and parking