2018 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS ignition

X
To apply: depress parking brake D firmly.
When the engine is running, the ' (USA
only) or M (Canada only) indicator lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster. X
To release: depress the brake pedal and keep
it depressed. X
Pull release handle C .
When the ignition is switched on or the engine
is running, the ' (USA only) or M (Can-
ada only) indicator lamp goes out in the instru-
ment cluster.
Parking the vehicle for a long period If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than six
weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as a
result of lack of use. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop and seek
advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving.
G WARNING
If you operate mobile communication equip-
ment while driving, you will be distracted from
traffic conditions. You could also lose control
of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident. Only operate this equipment when the vehicle
is stationary.
Observe the legal requirements for the country
in which you are driving. Some jurisdictions pro-
hibit the driver from using a mobile phone while
driving a vehicle.
If you make a call while driving, always use
hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone
when the traffic situation permits. If you are
unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers a
distance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per sec-
ond.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel: X
The tires should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tire pressure. X
Remove unnecessary loads. X
Remove roof racks when they are not needed. X
Warm up the engine at low engine speeds. X
Avoid frequent acceleration or braking. X
Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Main-
tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
G WARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs. Driving tips 143
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

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

This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
C
Indicator lampD
Deactivates/activates PARKTRONIC If indicator lamp D lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2 in
the ignition lock.
Problems with PARKTRONIC Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
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. X
If 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. X
Clean the PARKTRONIC sensors ( Y
page 274).X
Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. X
See 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
( Y
page 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 responsibleDriving systems 165
Driving and parking Z

given when a vehicle enters the blind spot mon-
itoring range from behind or from the side. When
you overtake a vehicle, the warning only occurs
if the difference in speed is less than 7 mph
(12 km/h).
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Active Blind Spot Assist is not
operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the sur-
roundings.
Visual and acoustic collision warning If you switch on the turn signals to change lanes
and a vehicle is detected in the side monitoring
range, you receive a visual and acoustic collision
warning. You then hear a double warning tone
and red warning lamp C flashes. If the turn sig-
nal remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp C . There are
no further warning tones.
Course-correcting brake application If Active Blind Spot Assist detects a risk of a lat-
eral collision in the monitoring range, a course-
correcting brake application is carried out. This
is meant to assist you in avoiding a collision.
G WARNING
A course-correcting brake application cannot
always prevent a collision. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Blind Spot Assist warns
you or makes a course-correcting brake appli-
cation. Always maintain a safe distance at the
sides.
If a course-correcting brake application occurs,
red warning lamp C flashes in the exterior mir-
ror and a dual warning tone sounds. In addition,
display D appears in the multifunction display
underlining the danger of a side collision.
In very rare cases, the system may make an
inappropriate brake application. An inappropri- ate course-correcting brake application may be
interrupted at any time if you steer slightly in the
opposite direction or accelerate, for example.
The course-correcting brake application is avail-
able in the speed range between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Either no braking application, or a course-cor-
recting brake application adapted to the driving
situation occurs if: R
there are vehicles or obstacles, e.g. crash
barriers, located on both sides of your vehicle. R
a vehicle approaches you too closely at the
side. R
you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds. R
you clearly brake or accelerate. R
a driving safety system intervenes, e.g. ESP ®
or PRE-SAFE ®
Brake. R
ESP ®
is switched off. R
a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire is
detected.
Switching on Active Blind Spot Assist X
Make sure that Active Blind Spot Assist
( Y
page 196) is activated in the on-board
computer. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps C in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 seconds and
then turn yellow.
Active Lane Keeping Assist
General notes
Active Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of multifunction
camera C at the top of the windshield. Various
different areas to the front, rear and side of your184
Driving systems
Driving and parking

Deactivating delayed switch-off of the exterior
lighting temporarily: X
Before leaving the vehicle, turn the SmartKey
to position 0 in the ignition lock.X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the next time you start the engine.
If you have activated the Surround Lighting
function and the light switch is set to the X
position, the following functions are activated
when it is dark: R
surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 seconds af ter unlocking
with the SmartKey. If you start the engine, the
surround lighting is switched off and auto-
matic headlamp mode is activated
( Y
page 105). R
exterior lighting delayed switch-off: the
exterior lighting remains lit for 60 seconds
after the engine is switched off. If you close all
the doors and the trunk lid/tailgate, the exte-
rior lighting goes off after 15 second s.
i Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
when the surround lighting and delayed
switch-off exterior lighting are on, the follow-
ing light up: R
Parking lamps R
Side marker lamps R
Surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activate the Light. Delay function, the
interior lighting remains on for 20 second sa fter
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Lights submenu.X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Light. Delay function.
When the Light. Delay function is activa-
ted, the vehicle interior is displayed in orange
in the multifunction display. X
Press the v button to save the setting. Vehicle Activating/deactivating the automatic
door locking mechanism X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Vehicle submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Auto. Door Locks function.
If the Auto. Door Locks function is switched
on, the multifunction display shows the vehi-
cle's doors in orange. X
Press the v button to save the setting.
If you activate the Auto.
Door Locks function,
the vehicle is centrally locked above a speed of
around 9 mph (15 km/h).
For further information on the automatic locking
feature, see ( Y
page 82).
Activating/deactivating the acoustic
locking verification signal If you switch on the Acoustic Lock function, an
acoustic signal sounds when you lock the vehi-
cle. X
Press the Y or e button on the steering
wheel to select the Sett. menu.X
Press the d or c button to select the
Vehicle submenu. X
Press v to confirm. X
Press the d or c button to select the
Acoustic Lock function.
If the Acoustic Lock function is activated,
the 7 symbol in the multifunction display
lights up orange. X
Press the v button to save the setting.
Comfort
Activating/deactivating the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature
G WARNING
When the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature adjusts
the steering wheel, you and other vehicle
occupants – particularly children – could
become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
While the EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature is mak-
ing adjustments, make sure that no one hasMenus and submenus 199
On-board computer and displays Z

X
Press Y or e on the steering wheel to
select the AMG menu.X
Press c repeatedly until the lap evaluation
appears.
Each lap is shown in a separate submenu. The
fastest lap is indicated by flashing symbol C .X
Press the c or d button to select a dif-
ferent lap evaluation.
Display messages
Introduction
General notes Display messages appear in the multifunction display.
Display messages with graphic displays may be shown in simplified form in the Operator's Manual
and may differ from the messages shown in the multifunction display.
Please respond in accordance with the display messages and follow the additional notes in this
Operator's Manual.
Certain display messages are accompanied by an audible warning tone or a continuous tone.
When the ignition is switched off, all display messages are deleted, apart from some high-priority
display messages. Once the causes of the high-priority display messages have been rectified, the
corresponding display messages are also deleted.
When you stop and park the vehicle, please observe the notes on: R
HOLD function ( Y
page 157)R
Parking ( Y
page 141)
Hiding display messages X
Press the v or 8 button on the steering wheel.
The multifunction display hides the display message.
The multifunction display shows high-priority display messages in red. Some high-priority display
messages cannot be hidden.
The multifunction display shows these messages continuously until the causes for the messages
have been remedied.
Message memory The on-board computer saves certain display messages in the message memory . You can call up
the display messages: X
Press the Y or e button on the steering wheel to select the Serv. menu.
If there are display messages, the multifunction display shows 2 Messages , for example.X
Press the c or d button to select the entry, e.g. 2 Messages .X
Press v to confirm.X
Press the c or d button to scroll through the display messages. Display messages 203
On-board computer and displays Z