2017 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA brake light

Drivin g safet y systems
Overview of drivin g safet y systemsIn this section , you will fin d information about
th e followin g drivin g safet y systems :R
AB S ( A n ti-loc k B rakin g S ystem)
( Y
page 60)R
BA S ( B rak e A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 60)R
Active Brak e Assis t ( Y
page 61 )R
ES P ®
( E lectronic S t ability P r ogram)
( Y
page 63)R
EB D ( E lectroni c B rak e forc e D istribution )
( Y
page 66 )R
ADAPTIV E BRAKE ( Y
page 66 )R
STEE R CONTROL ( Y
page 66)
Important safet y notesIf you fail to adapt your drivin g style or if you are
inattentive , th e drivin g safet y systems can nei-
ther reduce th e ris k of an acciden t no r override
th e laws of physics. Driving safet y systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible fo r maintainin g th e distanc e to th e
vehicle in front, fo r vehicle speed, fo r braking in
goo d time, and fo r stayin g in lane. Always adapt
your drivin g style to suit th e prevailin g road and
weather condition s and maintain a saf e distanc e
from th e vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin g safet y systems described only wor k
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quat e contact between th e tires and th e road
surface. Please pay special attention to th e
note s on tires , recommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. ( Y
page 282).
In wintr y drivin g conditions, always use winte r
tires (M+ S tires )a nd if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking. The % ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 60).
G WARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y
page 218) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y
page 189).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over. X
To make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a
reminder to take extra care while driving.
BAS (Brake Assist System)
General information
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If you depress the brake pedal quickly, BAS
automatically boosts the braking force, thus
shortening the stopping distance.60
Driving safety systems
Safety

R
Traction control is still activated. R
STEER CONTROL is no longer active R
ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(Mercedes ‑ AMG vehicles)Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 60).
You can select between the following states of
ESP ®
: R
ESP ®
is activated.R
SPORT handling mode is activated. R
ESP ®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
G WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to
activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
: R
when using snow chains R
in deep snow R
on sand or gravel R
on specially designated roads when the vehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts to
spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X
To activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press button C .
The t SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mode
message appears in
the multifunction display. X
To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button C .
The t SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out. X
To deactivate ESP ®
: press button C until
the

Door s
Important safet y notes
G WARNING
If children are lef t unsupervised in th e vehicle,
they could: R
ope n th e doors , thus endangerin g other
people or road users. R
get out and disrup t traffic .R
operat e th e vehicle' s equipment.
Additionally, children could set th e vehicle in
motion if, fo r example, they:R
release th e parking brake .R
shiftin g th e automatic transmissio n out of
par k position PR
Start th e engine.
There is a ris k of an acciden t and injury.
Whe n leavin g th e vehicle, always take th e
SmartKey wit h you and loc k th e vehicle. Never
leav e children or animals unattended in th e
vehicle. Always keep th e SmartKey out of
reach of children .
You should preferably plac e luggage or load s in
th e cargo compartment. Observ e th e loadin g
guidelines ( Y
page 233).
Unlockin g an d opening doors from
th e inside
! The sid e windows will no t open/close if th e
battery is discharged or if th e sid e windows
hav e iced up. It will then no t be possible to
close th e door. Do no t attempt to forc e th e
doo r closed. You could otherwise damage th e
doo r or th e sid e window.
Whe n a doo r is opened, th e sid e window on that
sid e opens slightly. Whe n th e doo r is closed, th e
sid e window close s again . X
To unlock an d ope n a front door: pull doo r
handle D .
If th e doo r is locked, locking knob C pop s up.
The doo r is unlocke d and opens .X
To unlock a rear door: pull up locking
knob C .
The doo r is unlocke d and can be opened.X
To ope n a rear door: pull doo r handle D .
You can ope n a doo r from insid e th e vehicle
eve n if it has bee n locked. You can only ope n th e
rea r doors from insid e th e vehicle if they are no t
secure d by th e child-proof locks ( Y
page 59).
If th e vehicle has previously bee n locke d wit h
th e SmartKey from th e outside, opening a doo r
from th e insid e will trigger th e anti-thef t alar m
system. Switc h of f th e alar m ( Y
page 67).
Centrally locking an d unlocking th e
vehicle from th e insideYou can centrall y loc k or unloc k th e vehicle from
th e inside. Thi s can be useful if you wish to loc k
th e vehicle befor e pulling away, fo r example.
X
To unlock : press butto n C .X
To lock : press butto n D .
If all th e doors and th e trunk lid are closed, th e
vehicle locks .Doors 75
Opening and closing Z

take precedence over the daytime running
lamps.
USA only:
The daytime running lamps improve the visibility
of your vehicle during the day. To do this, the
daytime running lamps function must be
switched on using the on-board computer
( Y
page 184).
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to the ` or X position, the manual
settings take precedence over the daytime run-
ning lamps.
Low-beam headlamps Even if the light sensor does not detect that it is
dark, the parking lamps and low-beam head-
lamps come on when the ignition is switched on
and the light switch is set to the X position.
This is a particularly useful function in the event
of rain and fog. X
To switch on the low-beam headlamps:
turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to posi-
tion 2 or start the engine.X
Turn the light switch to X .
The green X indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear fog lamp The rear fog lamp improves visibility of your
vehicle for the traffic behind in the event of thick
fog. Please take note of the country-specific
regulations for the use of rear fog lamps. X
To switch on the rear fog lamp: turn the
SmartKey in the ignition lock to position 2 o r
s
tart the engine. X
Turn the light switch to X or X .X
Press the ^ button.
The yellow ^ indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up. X
To switch off the rear fog lamp: press the
^ button.
The yellow ^ indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
i When the rear fog lamp is switched on, the
center brake lamp in the tail lamp switches off
due to a legal requirement.
Parking lamps
! If the battery charge is very low, the parking
lamps or standing lamps are automatically
switched off to enable the next engine start. Always park your vehicle safely and in a well lit
area, in accordance with the relevant legal
stipulations. Avoid using the ` parking
lamps over a period of several hours. If pos-
sible, switch on the right-hand d or left-
hand c standing lamps. X
To switch on: turn the light switch to ` .
The green ` indicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Standing lamps Switching on the standing lamps ensures the
corresponding side of the vehicle is illuminated. X
To switch on the standing lamps: the
SmartKey should not be in the ignition lock or
it should be in position 0 .X
Turn the light switch to c (l eft-hand side of
the vehicle) or d (right-hand side of the
vehicle).
Combination switch
X
To indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow D or

operates independently of the ECO start/stop
automatic engine switch-off function.
Key positions with the Start/Stop button
C
Start/Stop buttonD
Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up.
For further information on situations in which an
indicator lamp either fails to go out after the
engine is started or lights up while driving,
please refer to "Warning and indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster" ( Y
page 217).
If Start/Stop button C has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the SmartKey
being removed from the ignition. X
To switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button C once.
The power supply is switched on. You can now
activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The power supply is switched off again if: R
the driver's door is opened and R
you press Start/Stop button C twice when in
this position X
To switch on the ignition: press Start/Stop
button C twice.
The ignition is switched on.
If you press Start/Stop button C once when
in this position, the ignition is switched off
again.
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicle as normal
using the SmartKey.
You can only switch between Start/Stop button
mode and SmartKey operation when the vehicle
is stationary. You must also engage park position P .X
Remove Start/Stop button C from ignition
lock D .
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when you leave the
vehicle. You should, however, always take the
SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle: R
the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button R
the electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
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 P R
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.
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.122
Driving
Driving and parking

the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P automatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to P automat-
ically.
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 the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion 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 electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Electric parking brake
General notes
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. The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or there is a malfunction in
the system, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake. X
If this is the case, only park the vehicle on
level ground and secure it to prevent it rolling
away. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
P .
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a function
test at regular intervals while the engine is
switched off. The s ounds that can be heard while
th is is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
X
To engage: push handle C .
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be applied
when the SmartKey is removed. X
To release: pull handle C .
The red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
The electric parking brake can only be
released: R
when the SmartKey is in position 1 or 2 in
the ignition lock ( Y
page 121) orR
if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button Parking 141
Driving an d parking Z

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as: R
Load R
Tire pressure R
Cold start R
Choice of route R
Active electrical consumers
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving a higher value in the categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant": R
observe the gearshift recommendations. R
drive the vehicle in drive program C or E
(vehicles with a DYNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer areas at the start of a journey. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform a manual rest
( Y
page 178).
For more information on the ECO display, see
( Y
page 177).
Braking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
! On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of engine braking. For this you
must first activate manual gearshifting. This helps you to avoid overheating the brakes and
wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, it
is possible that a drive wheel will not rotate for
some time, e.g. on a slippery road surface.
This could cause damage to the drive train.
This type of damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive pro-
gram M is temporarily activated: the automatic
transmission may switch to the last active auto-
matic drive program E or S . The automatic trans-
mission may shift to a higher gear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Drive
on for a short while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion. Driving tips 145
Driving and parking Z

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt resi-
due may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly longer
braking distance. R
In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. R
Carefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey. R
Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
! The brake fluid level may be too low, if: R
if the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and R
you hear a warning tone while the engine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
! A function or performance test should only
be carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-
cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-
erwise damage the drive train or the brake
system.
! As the ESP ®
system operates automatically,
the engine and the ignition must be switched
off (the SmartKey must be in position 0 or 1 in
the ignition lock) if: R
the electric parking brake is tested on a
brake dynamometer (for a maximum of
ten seconds) R
the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may
seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the functional-
ity of your brakes at regular in t ervals.
You can find a description of Brake Assist (BAS)
on ( Y
page 60).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only have
brake pads/linings installed on your vehicle
which have been approved for Mercedes-Benz
vehicles or which correspond to an equivalent
quality standard. Brake pads/linings which have
not been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles
or which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only use
brake fluid that has been specially approved for
your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or which corre-
sponds to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which is not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
Checking brake lining thickness You can measure the break pad/lining thick-
ness using a test gage. Color-coding (green or
red) on the test gage allows you to determine
whether the brake pad/lining thickness is still
sufficient. The test gage is in the vehicle docu-
ment wallet in the glove box.
Front wheel146
Driving tips
Driving and parking