2017 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS air condition

change dynamically at the beginning of the
journey. On longer journeys, there are fewer
changes. For more dynamic changes, carry
out a manual reset.
For further information on the ECO display, see
( Y
page 191).
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 the engine's braking effect.
This helps you to avoid overheating the
brakes and wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, a
drive wheel may not turn 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 war-
ranty.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the vehicle is laden.
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, but
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.
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. Driving tips 145
Driving and parking Z

Have the brake system checked immediately.
Consult a qualified specialist workshop to
arrange this.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on a 2-
axle dynamometer. If you wish to operate the
vehicle on such a dynamometer, please con-
sult a qualified specialist workshop in
advance. You could otherwise damage the
drive train or the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP ®
sys-
tem operates automatically, the engine and
the ignition must be switched off (SmartKey in
position 0 or 1 in the ignition lock or Start/
Stop button in position 0 or 1 ) while the park-
ing brake is being tested on a brake dyna-
mometer.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake sys-
tem.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP ®
sys-
tem operates automatically, the engine and
the ignition system must be switched off
(SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the ignition
lock or Start/Stop button in position 0 or 1 )
when: R
testing the parking brake on a brake dyna-
mometer. R
you intend to have the vehicle towed with
one of the axles raised.
Braking maneuvers triggered automatically
by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake sys-
tem.
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 intervals. To do so,
press firmly on the brake pedal when driving at a
high speed. This improves the grip of the brake
pads.
You can find a description of Brake Assist (BAS)
on ( Y
page 65) or of BAS PLUS on ( Y
page 65). The braking characteristics of the vehicle can be
seriously impaired if: R
brake pads other than those recommended
are installed R
the recommended brake fluid is not used
Safe braking can no longer be guaranteed.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes The high-performance brake system is only
installed on the Mercedes-AMG
CLS 63 S 4MATIC model.
The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking. This
will depend on: R
Speed R
Braking force R
Environmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual components of the brake
system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs, depends on the individual driving style
and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age that will be valid under all circumstances. An
aggressive driving style will lead to high wear.
You can obtain further information about this
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after several
hundred kilometers of driving. Compensate for
this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
Keep this in mind, and adapt your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the brake wear
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake status messages in the multifunction
display. Especially for high performance driving,
it is important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.146
Driving tips
Driving and parking

Drivin g on wet road s
Hydroplaning If water has accumulated to a certain dept h on
th e road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planin g occurring, eve n if:R
you drive at low speeds .R
th e tires hav e adequat e tread depth.
Fo r this reason , in th e event of heav y rain or in
condition s in whic h hydroplaning may occur ,
you mus t drive in th e followin g manner:R
lowe r your speed.R
avoid ruts. R
avoid sudden steerin g movements .R
brake carefully.
Drivin g on flooded road s
! Do no t drive through floode d areas. Chec k
th e dept h of any water befor e drivin g through
it . Drive slowly through standin g water. Oth-
erwise , water may ente r th e vehicle interio r or
th e engin e compartment. Thi s can damage
th e electronic component s in th e engin e or
th e automatic transmission. Water can also
be drawn in by th e engine's air suction nozzles
and this can cause engin e damage.
Winte r drivin g
G WARNING
If you shift down on a slipper y road surfac e in
an attempt to increase th e engine's braking
effect , th e drive wheels could los e their grip.
There is an increase d danger of skidding and
accidents .
Do no t shift down fo r additional engin e brak-
in g on a slipper y road surface.
G DANGER
If th e exhaus t pipe is blocke d or adequat e
ventilation is no t possible, poisonous gases
suc h as carbon monoxide (CO) may ente r th e
vehicle. Thi s is th e case, e.g. if th e vehicle
becomes trappe d in snow. There is a ris k of
fatal injury. If you leav e th e engin e or th e auxiliar y heatin g
running , mak e sur e th e exhaus t pipe and are a
around th e vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensur e an adequat e supply of fresh air, ope n a
window on th e sid e of th e vehicle that is no t
facin g into th e wind.
Hav e your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialis t workshop at th e onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper y road sur -
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration , steerin g and
braking maneuvers . Do no t use th e cruise con-
trol or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If th e vehicle threatens to skid or canno t be
stopped when movin g at low speed:X
Shift th e transmissio n to position N .
The outsid e temperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin g devic e and
is therefore unsuitable fo r that purpose.
Changes in th e outsid e temperature are dis -
playe d after a short delay.
Indicated temperature s just abov e th e freezin g
poin t do no t guarantee that th e road surfac e is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could
skid if you fail to adapt your drivin g style. Always
adapt your drivin g style and drive at a speed to
suit th e prevailin g w eather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tion s when temperature s are around freezin g
point.
Fo r more information on drivin g wit h snow
chains, see ( Y
page 294).
Fo r more information on drivin g wit h summer
tires , see ( Y
page 294).
Observ e th e note s in th e "Winte r operation " sec -
tion ( Y
page 294).
Drivin g systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Ben z Intelligen t Drive stand s fo r inno -
vative driver assistanc e and safet y systems
whic h enhance comfor t and suppor t th e driver in
critical situations. Wit h these intelligen t co-ordi -
nated systems Mercedes-Ben z has set a mile-
ston e on th e pat h toward s autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Ben z Intelligen t Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safet y in on e wellDriving systems 14 7
Driving an d parking Z

Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS: R
in road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow vehi-
cles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or vehi-
cles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if: R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors R
there is snow or heavy rain R
there is interference by other radar sources R
there are strong radar reflections, for exam-
ple, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehicle
in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpectedly
accelerate the vehicle to the stored speed.
This speed may: R
be too high if you are driving in a filter lane or
an exit lane R
be so high in the right lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving on the left (left-hand drive coun-
tries) R
be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cl es driving on the right (right-hand drive
countries)
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Cruise control lever
C
To activate and store the current speed or a
higher speed D
To activate and store the current speed or a
lower speed

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 C , 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
fo
r 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: R
there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
i llumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray R
there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet) R
the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera R
no, or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area R
the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted R
the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge R
the road is narrow and winding R
there are strong shadows cast on the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions
if: R
you actively change lanes R
you switch on the turn signal R
take your hands off the steering wheel or do
not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After 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-
vi
de assistance: R
on very sharp corners R
when 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 ( Y
page 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 have156
Driving system s
Dr ivi ng an d parking

Activating RACE START X
Depress th e brak e pedal wit h your lef t foo t
and keep it depressed. X
Turn th e drive program selector clockwise
( Y
page 134) until th e RS lamp lights up.
The RAC E START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel : Paddle DOW N message appear s in
th e multifunction display.
i If th e activation condition s are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RAC E
START Canceled message appear s in th e
multifunction display. X
To cancel: pull th e lef t steering whee l paddl e
shifte r ( Y
page 135).
or X
To confirm : pull th e right steering whee l pad-
dle shifte r ( Y
page 135).
The RAC E START available Depres s
accelerator message appear s in th e multi-
function display.
i If you do no t depress th e accelerato r pedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can -
celed. The RAC E START Not Possible See
Operator' s Manual message appear s in th e
multifunction display. X
Full y depress th e accelerato r pedal .
The engin e spee d rises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RAC E START Releas e brake to start
message appear s in th e multifunction display.
i If you do no t release th e brak e pedal within
fiv e seconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RAC E START Canceled message appear s in
th e multifunction display.X
Tak e your foo t off th e brake, but keep th e
accelerato r pedal depressed.
The vehicl e pulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
The RAC E START active message appear s in
th e multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when th e vehicl e
reaches a spee d of approximately 30 mph (Can -
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+ is activated.
SPORT handlin g mod e remain s switched on .
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release th e accelerato r pedal during RACE
START or if any of th e activation condition s are
no longer fulfilled . The RAC E START Not Pos ‐
sible See Operator' s Manual message
appear s in th e multifunction display. i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th e vehicl e has been driven a certain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
When th e vehicl e is bein g lowered, people
could become trapped if their limb s are
between th e vehicl e body and th e wheels or
underneat h th e vehicle. There is a ris k of
injury.
Mak e sur e no on e is underneat h th e vehicl e or
in th e immediat e vicinity of th e whee l arches
when th e vehicl e is bein g lowered.
Your vehicl e regulates it s height automatically.
All-roun d level control ensures th e best possibl e
suspension and constan t ground clearance ,
eve n wit h a laden vehicle. When you drive fast,
th e vehicl e is lowered automatically to improve
drivin g safet y and to reduce fuel consumption .
The followin g vehicl e levels are possible:R
Normal R
Raised : th e vehicl e is raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm ) when compared with the nor-
mal level R
Lowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm ) when compared with
the normal level
i These 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: R
at speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h) R
if you have selected "Sports tuning"
( Y
page 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. YourDriving systems 159
Driving and parking Z

selection remains stored even if you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp D is not lit:X
Press the C button.
Indicator lamp D lights up. The vehicle height
is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle
Rising message appears in the
display.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you: R
drive at a speed over approximately 75 mph
(120 km/h) R
drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp D is lit:X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort. The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface condition, e.g. bumps R
your individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty driv-
ing style, e.g. on winding country roads. X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC
SPORT message appears in the
multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Therefore,
select this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style. Select comfort mode also when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.160
Driving 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 in
your lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip: R
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away. R
Accelerate 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.
i In 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: R
switch on the ignition R
shift the transmission to position D , R or NR
release 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: R
below the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects. R
above the detection range, e.g. overhanging
loads, truck overhangs or loading ramps.
C
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 ( Y
page 274).Driving systems 163
Driving and parking Z