2017 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class Owner's Manual

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 273).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XAllow the starter motor to cool down for approximately two minutes.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gauge shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †).
The coolant warning
lamp may also be on and
a warning tone may
sound.The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 257). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change the
drive program. Depending on the drive program
selected the following vehicle characteristics
will change:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
Rthe suspension (vehicles with damping sys-
tem or AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem)
Rthe steering.
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop function
Rthe climate control
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program Cis
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 122).
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds the
display goes out and the status icon of the
selected drive program appears.
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)127
Driving and parking
Z

In addition, the current drive program settings
are displayed briefly in the multimedia systemdisplay.
iIn a few countries, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is deactivated at the factory due to the
available fuel grade. In this case, the ECO
start/stop function is not available in any
drive program, regardless of the display in the
multimedia system display.
Available drive programs:
C ComfortComfortable and economi-
cal driving characteristics
SSportSporty driving characteris-
tics
IIndividualIndividual settings
E EconomyParticularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
(Ypage 133).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor- mation on the manual drive program
(
Ypage 135).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to change
the drive program. Depending on the drive pro-
gram selected the following vehicle character-
istics will change:
Rthe drive
Rthe transmission management
RESP®
Rthe suspension (vehicles with AMG adaptive
sport suspension system)
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop function
Rthe availability of gliding mode
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program Cis
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 122).
XTurn DYNAMIC SELECT controller :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds the
display goes out and the status icon of the
selected drive program appears.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :lights up in red.
Available drive programs:
I IndividualIndividual settings
C ComfortComfort-oriented, opti-
mum-economy engine and
transmission settings
SSportSporty engine and trans-
mission settings
S+ Sport PlusParticularly sporty trans-
mission settings
RaceMaximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Additional information for drive programs
(Ypage 133).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor- mation on the manual drive program
(
Ypage 135).
128DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Driving and parking

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
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theDIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright of
th esteering column .
Fo rinformation on th eselector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles (
Ypage 131). The DIRECT SELECT lever always return
sto it s
original position .The curren ttransmission posi-
tion P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmission
position display in th emultifunction display
(
Ypage 129).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
The curren ttransmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program display
The arrows in th etransmission position display
sho whow and int owhic htransmission position s
you can shif tusin gth eDIRECT SELECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should pull
away carefully to chec kwhether th edesired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position Dand drive
program Eor S.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom Dto R,from Rto Dor
directl yto P. The automatic transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
XPush th eDIRECT SELECT lever in th edirection
of arrow P.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
th emultifunction display.
When you hav eengage dpark position P,mak e
sur ethat th etransmission position display
shows Pin th emultifunction display.
You can only engage park position Pwhen th e
vehicl eis stationary.
Depressing th ebrak eand pushing th eDIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages th epark -
ing lock. The transmission is in Nneutral.
Automatic transmission12 9
Driving an d parking
Z

At transmission fluid temperatures belowÒ4 ‡
( Ò20†), you can only shift out of park position P
into another transmission position when the
engine is running.
In order to shift from park position Pdirectly into
R or D:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically
Park position Pis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
Ryou open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif the HOLD function or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the informa-
tion on the HOLD function (
Ypage 156) and on
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Ypage 153).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 125).
Shifting to neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart 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.
XIf the transmission is in position Dor R: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the
first point of resistance.
XIf 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 Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
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 Pautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to Pautomat-
ically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N,e.g. w
hen having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing system:
XVehicles with the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles: switch the ignition on.
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 SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
130Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Engaging drive position D
XIf the transmission is in positionRor N: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever down past the first point of resistance.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
:Transmission position display
;Drive program display
If the transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull
away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position Dand drive
program Cor S.
Engaging park position P
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, press but-
ton :.
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance.
Automatic transmission131
Driving and parking
Z

Transmission positions
BPark position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary.
The parking lock should not be used
as a brake when parking. Always
apply the electronic 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 Pis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
Rthe driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary.
ANeutral
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 to position Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, 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 shifting
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
132Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

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 vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, 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 display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary 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.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program
M(
Ypage 137).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions Dand R, move
the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, 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.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Automatic transmission133
Driving and parking
Z

Drive programI(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin eand transmissio nmanage-
ment)
Rth esuspensio n(vehicles wit hdampin gsys-
te m or AM Gadaptive sport suspensio nsys-
tem)
Rth esteerin g
Rtheavailabilit yof th eECO start/sto pfunction
Rth eclimat econtrol
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
iTo permanentl yselect th egear sin drive
progra mIusin gth esteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifters ,select th eM (manual) setting fo rth e
drive.
Drive program E(Economy)
Drive progra mEis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rcomfort-oriented engin esettings.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
Rth evehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Rth eautomati ctransmissio nshiftin gup
sooner. This result sin th evehicl ebein gdriven
at lowe ren gin
es
peeds and th ewheels bein g
less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis activated automatically when
engine-internal condition sare fulfilled and
th eaccelerato ris no tdepressed. At th esam e
time th etransmission’s clutc hopens and th e
vehicl erolls freely usin gits kineti cenergy. As
a result great distances can be completed
without th eengin ebrak eand fue lconsump-
tion reduced.
iThe availabilit yof glidin gmod edepend son
various factors ,includin gth efollowing :
Rtheengin eand transmissio ntemperature
Rth edownhill gradien t
Rthevehicl espeed
Rperformin gregular adaptation function sWhe
nyou depress th ebrak epedal, glidin g
mod eis deactivated, dependin gon peda l
pressure.
Whe nyou activat ecruise control or Distanc e
Pilo tDISTRONIC, glidin gmod eis no tavaila-
ble.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin emanagement)
Rth etransmissio nmanagemen t
Rthesuspensio n(vehicles wit hAM Gadaptive
sport suspensio nsystem)
RES P®
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
Drive program C(Comfort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl edeliver scomfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
The vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espeed
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis available.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is available.
Drive program S(Sport)
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later.
The fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher
as aresult of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits stiff springin gand
dampin gsetting s(vehicles wit hAI R adaptive
sport suspensio nsystem) .
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking