2018 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA light

In addition, the current drive program settings
are displaye db riefl yint he multimedia system
display.
i In af ew countries, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is deactivated at the factory due to the
available fuel grade .Int his 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 Comfort Comfortable and economi-
cal driving characteristics
S Sport Sporty driving characteris-
tics
I Individual Individual settings
E Economy Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 134).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor-
mation on the manua ld rive program
( Y
page 136).
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 wil lc hange:R
the drive R
the transmission management R
ESP ®
R
the suspension (vehicles with AMG adaptive
sport suspension system) R
the availability of the ECO start/stop function R
the availability of gliding mode
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program C is
activated. For further information abou ts tarting
the engine, see ( Y
page 125). X
Turn DYNAMIC SELECT controller C as many
times as necessary until the desire dd rive
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 C lights up in red.
Available drive programs:
I Individual Individual settings
C Comfort Comfort-oriented, opti-
mum-economy engine and
transmission settings
S Sport Sporty engine and trans-
missio ns ettings
S+ Sport Plus Particularly sporty trans-
missio ns ettings
Race
Maximu ms portiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 134).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor-
mation on the manua ld rive program
( Y
page 136).DYNAMIC SELEC Tc on trolle r( Mercedes-AMG vehicles) 129
Driving and parking Z

the SmartKe yf ro mt he ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to ] automatically.
With the Start/Sto pb utton: if yo ut he no pe n
the driver's door or the front-passenge rd oo r,
the automatic transmission shifts to ] auto-
matically.
If yo uw an tt he automatic transmission to
remai ninn eutral \\ ,e .g .w he nh av in gt he vehi-
cle cleane dinana ut omatic car wash with a
towing system: X
Vehicle sw it ht he Start-Sto pb utton:
remove the Start-Stop button fro mt he igni-
tio nl oc k.X
Insert the SmartKe yi nto the ignition lock.X
Al lv eh icles: switch the ignition on.X
Depres st he brake peda la nd kee pi t
depressed. X
Engage neutral \\ .X
Releas et he brake pedal.X
Releas et he electri cp ar king brake.X
Switch off the ignition and leav et he SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Electric parking brake
General notes
G WARNING
If yo ul eave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle ,t he yc ould se titinm otion by ,f or example:R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission ou toft he
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, the ym ay operate vehicl ee quip-
ment and become trapped .T here is ar is ko f
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou and lock the vehicle. Never
leav ec hildren unsupervised in the vehicle. The functio noft he electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
boar dv oltag eisl ow or there is am al functio ni n
the system, it ma yn ot be possibl etoa pply the
release dp ar king brake. X
If thi sist he case, onl yp ar kt he vehicl eo n
level ground and secur eittop revent it rolling
away. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
] .
It ma yn ot be possibl etor elease an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltag eisl ow or
there is am al functio nint he system. Contact a
qualified specialis tw or kshop.
The electric parking brake performs af un ction
tes tatr egular intervals whil et he engine is
switched off .T he sound st ha tc an be he ar dw hile
thi siso ccurring ar en ormal.
Applyin gorr eleasing 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.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can also be applied
when the SmartKe yisr emoved.X
To release: pull handle C .
The red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can onl yb e
released: R
if the SmartKe yisinp osit ion G or H in
the ignition lock ( Y
page 122 )o rR
if the ignition wa ss wi tched on using the
Start/Stop button142
Parking
Driving an dp arking

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 include dint he ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving ah igher valu eint he categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant": R
observe the gearshift recommendations. R
drive the vehicle in drive program C or E
(vehicles with aD YNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at ac onstant 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 area satt he start of aj ourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform am anua lr est
( Y
page 181).
For more information on the ECO display, see
( Y
page 180).
Braking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheel sc ould lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on as lippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
! On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
lowe rg ear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of engine braking. For this you
must first activate manua lg earshifting. This helps you to avoid overheating the brakes and
wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, it
is possible that ad rive wheel wil ln ot rotate for
some time, e.g. on as lippery 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 peda lo n
downhill gradients whil et he manua ld rive pro-
gram M is temporaril ya ctivated: the automatic
transmission may switch to the last active auto-
matic drive program E or S .T he automatic trans-
missio nm ay shift to ah ighe rg ear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest you rf oot on the brake peda lw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail .T here is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake peda lasaf ootrest. Never
depres st he brake peda la nd the accelerator
peda latt he same time.
! Depressing the brake peda lc onstantly
results in excessive and premature wea rt o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to ah eavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicle immediately .D rive
on for as hort while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for al ong time in heavy rain
withou tb raking, there may be ad elayed 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 depres st he brake peda lm ore
firmly .M aintai nag reater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on aw et road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whil ep aying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.146
Driving tips
Driving and parking

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you driv eons alted roads ,al ayer of salt resi-
due may for mont he brak ed isc sa nd brake
pads. This can result in as ignificantly longer
braking distance. R
In orde rtop revent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
th et ra ffic conditions.R
Carefully depress th eb rak ep edal and the
beginnin ga nd end of aj ou rney.R
Maintain ag reater distanc etot he vehicle
ahead.
Servicing th eb rakes
! The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow, if:R
if th er ed brak ew arning lamp light supi n
th ei nstrumen tc luster andR
you hear aw arning tone while th ee ngine is
running
Observe additional warning messages in the
multifunction display.
The brak ef luid level may be to ol ow due to
brak ep ad wear or leaking brak el ines.
Hav et he brak es ystem checked immediately.
Consult aq ualifie ds pecialist workshop to
arrange this.
! Af unction or performanc et es ts hould only
be carried out on a2 -a xle dynamometer. If
you wish to operate th ev ehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult aq ualifie ds pe-
cialis tw orkshop in advance. You could oth-
erwis ed amage th ed riv et ra in or th eb rake
system.
! As th eE SP ®
system operates automatically,
th ee ngine and th ei gnitio nm ust be switched
off (th eS ma rtKey must be in position

If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have you rv ehicle winter-proofed at aq ualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed: X
Shift the transmission to position N .X
Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outsid et emperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outsid et emperature are dis-
played after as hort delay.
Indicated temperature sj ust above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
woode da rea soronb ridges.
You shoul dp ay specia la ttention to road condi-
tions when temperature sa re around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see ( Y
page 290).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( Y
page 289).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion ( Y
page 289).
Drivin gs ystems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains ac onstant road speed
for you .Itb rakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed .Onl ong and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select al ow gear in good time.
You need to shift manually using the steering
wheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,
you wil lm ake use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limi tt he speed to any
speed betwee n20m ph (30 km/h )a nd the tech-
nicall yp ermitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain as teady
speed for ap rolonge dp eriod.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt you rd riving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the law sofp hysics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid .Y ou are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed ,f or braking in
good time and for staying in you rl ane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain ac onstant speed ,e .g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces .B raking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheel stol ose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is ac hange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
Activates or increases speed
D
Activates or reduces speedDriving systems 149
Driving and parking Z

i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes Distance Pilot DISTRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tanc etot he vehicle detected in front. Vehicles
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes auto-
matically to avoid exceedin gt he set speed or to
maintain the designated distanc ef rom the vehi-
cle in front.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detect st hat there is
ar isk of ac ollision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tanc eP ilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent ac olli-
sion. An intermittent warning ton ew ill then
sound and the distanc ew arning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase the distanc etot he vehicle in
fron tort ake evasive action provided it is safe to
do so.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC operates in the range
between 0m ph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Change into al ower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients .T his is especially
importan tift he vehicle is laden. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevent st he brakes from overheatin ga nd wear-
ing too quickly.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC on roads
with steep gradients.
For Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Sinc eD istance Pilot DISTRONIC transmits radar
waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of
the responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator' sM anual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a" Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device will void any war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not react to: R
people or animals R
stationary object sont he road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles R
oncoming vehicles and crossin gt raffic
As ar esult, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is ar isk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identif yo ther road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neither give aw arning nor intervene R
accelerat eorb rake unexpectedly
There is ar isk of an accident.Driving systems 151
Driving and parking Z

Sport mode
The firmer settin goft he suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads. X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up. You have selected
Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you favor am ore comfortable driving
style, but also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. highways. X
Press button C again so that indicator
lamp D goes out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG
Suspension System COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. 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.
4MATIC, together with ESP ®
,i mproves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever ad rive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip. 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 ,f or vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
If ad rive wheel spins due to insufficient grip: R
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away. R
Accelerate less when driving.
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.
DYNAMIC BODY CONTROL
General notes DYNAMI CB ODY CONTROL offers improved
driving comfort and continuously controls the
calibration of the dampers. The
damping characteristics adapt to the current
operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the drive program selected
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMI CS ELECT button ( Y
page 128).
Selecting Comfort mode In the Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristic sofy our vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Therefore, select this drive program if you
prefer am ore comfortable driving style. Also
select the Comfort drive program when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches
of highway. X
Press DYNAMI CS ELECT button ( Y
page 128)
as many times as necessary until the Com-
fort drive program is selected.160
Driving systems
Driving and parking

becomes .W hen the minimum distance is
reached, you hear ac ontinuous warning tone.
Deactivating or activating Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC
C
Indicator lampD
Deactivates or activates Parkin gA ssist
PARKTRONIC If indicator lamp C is lit, Parkin gA ssist
PARKTRONI Ci sd eactivated.
i Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Cisa utomati-
cally activated when you turn the SmartKey to
position 2 in the ignition lock.
Problems with Parking Assist PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Only the red segments in
the Parkin gA ssist
PARKTRONI Cw arning
displays are lit. You also
hear aw arning ton ef or
approximately two sec-
onds.
Parkin gA ssist
PARKTRONI Ci st hen
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONI Cb utton
lights up. Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Ch as malfunctioned and has been deacti-
vated. X
If problems persist ,h ave Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Cc hecked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the Parkin gA ssist
PARKTRONI Cw arning
displays are lit. Parking
Assist PARKTRONI Ci s
then deactivated. The Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Cs ensor sa re dirty or ther eisi nter-
ference. X
Clean the Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Cs ensor s( Y
page 265).X
Switc ht he ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. X
Check to see if Parkin gA ssist PARKTRONI Cw orks at ad ifferent
location. Driving systems 163
Driving and parking Z