2017 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class ESP

Activating
XBrieflypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =,or mov eit up :or down ?.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated.
XMov eth ecruise control leve rrepeatedly
up : or down ?until th edesired spee dis
set .
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal.
Your vehicl eadapt sits spee dto that of th e
vehicl ein front, but only up to th edesired
store dspeed.
If th evehicl ein fron tof you is stationary, you
can only activat eDISTRONI CPLU Sonce your
vehicl eis stationary as well.
iIf you do no tfully release th eaccelerato r
pedal, th eDISTRONICPLU SSuspendedmes -
sage appear sin th emultifunction display. The
set distanc eto aslower-moving vehicl ein
fron twill then no tbe maintained. You will be
driving at th espee dyou determine by th e
positio nof th eaccelerato rpedal.
You can also activat eDISTRONI CPLU Swhen
stationary. The lowes tspee dthat can be set is
18 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefl ypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =,up: or down ?.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
store d speed
GWARNIN G
If you call up th estore dspee dand it differs
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicl eacceler -
ate sor decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
store dspeed, th evehicl ecould accelerate or
brak eune xpectedly. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attentio nto th eroad and traffic condi-
tions before calling up th estore dspeed. If you
do no tknow th estore dspeed, store th e
desired spee dagain .
XBrieflypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you ?.
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated. The first tim eit
is activated, th ecurren tspee dis stored. Oth-
erwise, it set sth evehicl espee dto th eprevi-
ously store dvalue .
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling away and driving
XIf you want to pull awa ywith DISTRONIC
PLUS :remove your foo tfrom th ebrak epedal.
XBriefl ypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =.
or
XAccelerat ebriefly.
The vehicl epulls away and adapt sits spee dto
that of th evehicl ein front.
If no vehicl eis detected in front, your vehicl e
accelerate sto th eset speed.
The vehicl ecan also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on adiffer-
en tlin efrom another vehicle. The vehicl ethen
brakes automatically.
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no tdetect avehicl ein
front, th esystem operate slik e a cruise control .
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdetect sthat th evehicl ein
fron thas slowe ddown ,it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, th especifie dminimum distanc eyou
have selected is maintained.
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdetect s afaster-moving
vehicl ein front, it increases th edriving spee dto
th eset speed.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONI CPLU Ssupport s asporty driving style
when you have selected th eS or M(AMG vehi-
cles: S,S+ orM)driving program (
Ypage 133).
Acceleration behind th evehicl ein fron tor to th e
set spee dis then noticeably mor edynamic .If
you have selected th eE (AMG veh icle
s:
C)driv -
ing program ,th evehicl eaccelerate smor egen -
tly. This settin gis recommended in stop-and -
start traffic.
Changing lanes
DISTRONI CPLU Saids you when switching to
th eovertaking lane ,if:
Ryou are driving faste rthan 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on th eappropriat etur nsignal
RDISTRONI CPLU Sis maintainin gth edistanc e
to avehicl ein fron t
RDISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no tdetect adanger of
a collisio n
If these condition sare fulfilled, your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lane stakes to olon gor if th edistanc e
152Driving systems
Driving and parking

DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehicle in
the center of the driving lane by means of mod-
erate steering interventions in a speed range
from 0 - 125 mph (0 - 200 km/h).
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of multifunction camera:, at the top of
the windshield.
At speeds of 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h), Stop&Go Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front, taking into
account lane markings, e.g. when following vehi-
cles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 37 mph (60 km/h)
Steering Assist focuses on detected lane mark-
ings (left and right), and only on the vehicle in
front if lane markings are missing.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC
PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. It cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot is only an aid. Yo u a
re responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi-
cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in your lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traffic
conditions and does not detect all road users. If
you are following a vehicle which is driving
towards the edge of the road, your vehicle could
come into contact with the curb or other road
boundaries. Be particularly aware of other road
users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly next to your
vehicle.
Obstacles such as building site huts on the lane
or projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicle
back to the lane. In such cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rno, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are strong shadows cast on the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
Ryou actively change lanes
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Rtake your hands off the steering wheel or do
not steer for a prolonged period of time
iAfter you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are auto-
matically active again.
DISTRONIC PLUS Stee ring As
sist does not pro-
vide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
for DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 150).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
156Driving system s
Driving an d parking

still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot are switched to passive.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XActivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using the
on-board computer (
Ypage 196).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Onmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are active.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears in gray. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XDeactivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steer-
ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using
the on-board computer (
Ypage 196).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Offmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deac-
tivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Driving systems157
Driving and parking
Z

Activationconditions
You can activat eth eHOLD function if:
Rth evehicl eis stationary
Rth eengin eis runnin gor if it has been auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function
Rth edriver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastene d
Rtheparking brak eis release d
Rthetransmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONI CPLU Sis deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMak esur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further until
ë :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
If depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time does
no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait briefl yand
then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil ë disap-
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS. When th
eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is shifte dautomatically to position Pif:
Rth edriver's door is open and th edriver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function .
Rthehoo dis opened.
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
RACE START
Imp ortant safety notes
Observ eth esafet ynote sfor th eSPORT han -
dlin gmod e (Ypage 71).
RACE START is only available for Mercedes-AM G
vehicles.
RACE START is intended solely for activation on
dedicate drac ecircuits.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start .The precondition for this is a
suitable high-grip road surface.
Conditions for activati on
You can activateRACE START if:
Rth edoor sare closed.
Rth eengin eis runnin gand it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
17 6 ‡ (80 †). This is th ecas ewhen th eoil
temperature gauge in th emultifunction dis-
play is shown in white.
RSPORT handlin gmod eis switched on .
(Ypage 71)
Rth esteering whee lis in th estraight-ahead
position .
Rthevehicl eis stationary and th ebrak epedal is
depressed (lef tfoot) .
Rthetransmission is in position D.
158Driving systems
Driving and parking

Activating RACE START
XDepress thebrak epedal wit hyour lef tfoo t
and keep it depressed.
XTurn th edrive program selector clockwise
(Ypage 134) until th eRS lamp lights up.
The RACESTART Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel :Paddle DOW Nmessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
iIf th eactivation condition sare no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Canceledmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XTo cancel: pull th elef tsteering whee lpaddl e
shifte r (Ypage 135).
or
XTo confirm :pull th eright steering whee lpad-
dle shifte r (Ypage 135).
The RACESTART available Depres s
acceleratormessage appearsin th emulti-
function display.
iIf you do no tdepress th eaccelerato rpedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can -
celed. The RACE
STARTNotPossibleSeeOperator' sManualmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XFull ydepress th eaccelerato rpedal .
The engin espee drises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RACE
STARTReleas ebraketostartmessage appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf you do no trelease th ebrak epedal within
fiv eseconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RAC ESTART Canceled
message appear sin
th emultifunction display.
XTak eyour foo toff th ebrake, but keep th e
accelerato rpedal depressed.
The vehicl epulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
The RACE
STARTactivemessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when th evehicl e
reaches aspee dof approximately 30 mph (Can -
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+is activated.
SPORT handlin gmod eremain sswitched on .
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release th eaccelerato rpedal during RACE
START or if any of th eactivation condition sare
no longer fulfilled .The RACESTART Not Pos ‐
sible See Operator' sManualmessage
appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th evehicl ehas been driven acertain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
When th evehicl eis bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limb sare
between th evehicl ebody and th ewheels or
underneat hth evehicle. There is aris kof
injury.
Mak esur eno on eis underneat hth evehicl eor
in th eimmediat evicinity of th ewhee larches
when th evehicl eis bein glowered.
Your vehicl eregulates it sheight automatically.
All-roun dlevel control ensures th ebest possibl e
suspension and constan tground clearance ,
eve nwit h a laden vehicle. When you drive fast,
th evehicl eis lowered automatically to improve
drivin gsafet yand to reduce fuel consumption .
The followin gvehicl elevels are possible:
RNormal
RRaised :th evehicl eis raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm ) when compared with the nor-
mal level
RLowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with
the normal level
iThese changes in level are so slight that you
are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be
set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically:
Rat speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
Rif you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Ypage 160)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road sur-
faces and "Raised" for driving with snow chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. Your
Driving systems159
Driving and parking
Z

TheAMG Ride Control SPORT +message
appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp ?lights up:
XPress button :once.
Second indicator lamp =lights up. You have
selected Sport + mode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemSPORT +mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
When comfort mode is selected, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com-
fortable. Select this mode if you favor a comfort-
oriented driving style. Select comfort mode also
when driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on
straight stretches of highway.
XPress button :repeatedly until indicator
lamps =and ?go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemCOMFORTmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Storing and calling up settings
Once the suspension setting and drive program
have been selected, you can store and call up
your settings using AMG button ;.
XTo store:press and hold AMG button ;until
you hear a tone.
XTo call up: press AMG button ;.
The stored suspension setting and drive pro-
gram are selected.
XTo display: briefly press AMG button ;.
Your selection appears in the multifunction
display.
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. The vehicle may be lowered if you press the sus-
pension setting selector button or the AMG but-
ton. The vehicle also lowers if it is stationary.
!If Sport or Sport + suspension tuning has
been selected, the vehicle's ground clearance
decreases. Make sure that no objects
become trapped or that the vehicle does not
become damaged, for example, on the curb.
iThe vehicle level may change visibly at the
rear axle if you park the vehicle and the out-
side temperature changes. If the temperature
drops, the vehicle level lowers; with an
increase in temperature, the vehicle level
rises.
Changing the rear axle ride height
This function is only available on the Mercedes-
AMG CLS 63 4MATIC.
The vehicle level at the rear axle depends on the
selected suspension mode and the vehicle
speed.
The vehicle level at the rear axle changes while
driving depending on which suspension mode is
selected:
RComfort: +0.4 in (+10 mm)
RSport + and Sport: -0.6 in (-15 mm)
When changing from Comfort to Sport or Sport
+, the rear axle is lowered by approximately
1.0 in (25 mm). When changing from Sport or
Sport + to Comfort, the rear axle is raised by
approximately 1.0 in (25 mm). This level change
also takes place when the vehicle is stationary.
If you drive faster than 105 mph (170 km/h) , the
rear axle level is set to a middle level. This
increases driving safety and reduces air resist-
ance. If you then drive slower than 93 mph
(150 km/h), the level of the rear axle is again
adjusted to correspond to the selected suspen-
sion mode.
Load compensation
The vehicle can compensate differences in the
vehicle level by raising or lowering the rear axle.
This is the case, for example, if people get out or
if luggage is being loaded.
Load c
ompensation takes place if:
Ra door or the trunk lid is opened
Rthe parked vehicle is unlocked
For larger level changes, the engine must be
running.
162Driving systems
Driving and parking

4MATIC (permanent four-wheel drive)
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying inyour lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
!Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the transfer case. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty. All wheels must
remain either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are perma-
nently driven. Together with ESP
®, it improves
the traction of your vehicle whenever a drive
wheel spins due to insufficient grip.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area around
your vehicle using six sensors in the front
bumper and six sensors in the rear bumper.
PARKTRONIC indicates visually and audibly the
distance between your vehicle and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate sur-
roundings. You are always responsible for safe
maneuvering, parking and exiting a parking
space. When maneuvering, parking or pulling
out of a parking space, make sure that there are
no persons, animals or objects in the area in
which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARKTRONIC
does not detect such objects when they are in
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You
could damage the vehicle or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car
wash, the compressed-air brakes on a truck
or a pneumatic drill could cause PARKTRONIC
to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rrelease the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
11 mph (18 km/h). It is reactivated at lower
speeds.
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps.
:Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand side
(example)
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or slush.
They can otherwise not function correctly. Clean
the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch
or damage them (
Ypage 274).
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z

This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates/activates PARKTRONICIf indicator lamp
;lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit. You
also hear a warning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 274).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Active Parking Assist
General notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention and brake application can assist you during parking. You may also use PARKTRONIC
(
Ypage 163).
Important safety notes
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
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