2019 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA manual transmission

S+Sport PlusParticularly sporty trans-mission settings
RaceMaximum sportiness andengine and transmissionsettings suitable for theracetrack
Additional information for drive programs(Ypage 135).
You can also change gear yourself using thesteering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor-mation on the manual drive program(Ypage 137).
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position:
orF, the vehicle could pull away suddenly.
There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position:or
F, always firmly depress the brake pedal
and do not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral positionNwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking positionP. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
]Park position with parking lock
^Reverse gear
\\Neutral
[Drive
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-cles):the DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right ofthe steering column.
For information on the selector lever inMercedes-AMG vehicles (Ypage 133).
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to itsoriginal position. The current transmission posi-tion],^,\\or[is shown in the transmis-sion position display in the multifunction display(Ypage 131).
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive pro-gram appear in the multifunction display.
CTransmission position display
DGear

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehiclestationary on uphill gradients by depressing theaccelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, awarning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):theStop Vehicle Shift to 'P'Stop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine RunningLeave Engine Runningdisplay messageappears in the multifunction display. You willonly be able to continue your journey once theclutch has cooled down and the display mes-sage in the multifunction display has disap-peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:theTrans. OilTrans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with CareOverheated Drive on with Caredisplaymessage appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary onuphill gradients by:
Rdepressing the brake pedal
Ractivating the HOLD function
Rengaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond thepressure point.The automatic transmission shifts to a lowergear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once thedesired speed is reached.The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:it is only possible touse kickdown in the automatic drive programand the temporary manual drive programM.When manual drive programMis permanentlyactivated, kickdown is not possible.
For further information on kickdown in manualdrive programM(Ypage 139).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting back and forth between transmissionpositions[and^can help to free up thevehicle if it gets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-cle's engine management system limits thespeed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) whenshifting back and forth. To shift repeatedlybetween transmission positions[and^,move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and downpast the point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive programCis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forwardand reverse gears, unless the acceleratorpedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, forexample on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive programSis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmissionshift points.
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

Drive program I (Individual)
In drive programIthe following properties of thedrive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine and transmission manage-ment)
Rthe suspension (vehicles with damping sys-tem or AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-tem)
Rthe steering
Rthe availability of the ECO start/stop function
Rthe climate control
Information about configuring drive programIwith the multimedia system can be found in theDigital Operator's Manual.
iTo permanently select the gears in driveprogramIusing the steering wheel paddleshifters, select theM(manual) setting for thedrive.
Drive program E (Economy)
Drive programEis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rcomfort-oriented engine settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forwardand reverse gears, unless the acceleratorpedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, forexample on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting upsooner. This results in the vehicle being drivenat lower engine speeds and the wheels beingless likely to spin.
Rgliding mode is activated automatically whenengine-internal conditions are fulfilled andthe accelerator is not depressed. At the sametime the transmission’s clutch opens and thevehicle rolls freely using its kinetic energy. Asa result great distances can be completedwithout the engine brake and fuel consump-tion reduced.
iThe availability of gliding mode depends onvarious factors, including the following:
Rthe engine and transmission temperature
Rthe downhill gradient
Rthe vehicle speed
Rperforming regular adaptation functions
When you depress the brake pedal, glidingmode is deactivated, depending on pedalpressure.
When you activate cruise control or ActiveDistance Assist DISTRONIC, gliding mode isnot available.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive programIthe following properties of thedrive program can be selected:
Rthe drive (engine management)
Rthe transmission management
Rthe suspension (vehicles with AMG adaptivesport suspension system)
RESP®
Information about configuring drive programIwith the multimedia system can be found in theDigital Operator's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive programCis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economicalhandling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forwardand reverse gears, unless the acceleratorpedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, forexample on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from theautomatic transmission shifting up sooner.The vehicle is driven in the low engine speedrange and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Rgliding mode is available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive programSis characterized by the follow-ing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-istics.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.The fuel consumption possibly being higheras a result of the later automatic transmissionshift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits stiff springing anddamping settings (vehicles with AIR adaptivesport suspension system).
136Automatic transmission
Driving and pa rking

Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive programS+is characterized by the fol-lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly sporty drivingcharacteristics.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher asa result of the later automatic transmissionshift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly stiffspringing and damping settings (vehicles withAMG adaptive sport suspension system).
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
adaptive sport suspension system)
TheRACEdrive program is characterized by thefollowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristicssuitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximumsportiness.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher asa result of the later automatic transmissionshift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly stiffspringing and damping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Manual gear shifting
General notes
You can change gear yourself using the steeringwheel paddle shifters. The transmission must bein position[to do this.
Depending on which steering wheel paddleshifter is pulled, the automatic transmissionimmediately shifts into the next gear down orup, if permitted.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:to use manual shift-ing, you have two options:
Rtemporary setting
Rpermanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-function display will show the current gearinstead of transmission position[.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gearswill be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
XTo activate:shift the DIRECT SELECT lever toposition[.
XPull steering wheel paddle shifterCorD.
Temporary setting will be active for a certainamount of time. Under certain conditions theminimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in thecase of lateral acceleration, during an overrunphase or when driving on steep terrain.
XTo deactivate:pull steering wheel paddleshifterDand hold it in place.
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch thetransmission position.
or
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to changethe drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMICSELECT controller to change the drive pro-gram.
Automatic transmission137
Driving and parking
Z

Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to[.
XPress buttonC.
XTo deactivate:press buttonC.
or
XIf position D (automatic transmission) isselected for the transmission in drive pro-gramI: shift to drive programIwith theDYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles:the automatictransmission does not shift up automaticallyeven when the engine limiting speed for thecurrent gear is reached. When the engine lim-iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut toprevent the engine from overrevving. Alwaysmake sure that the engine speed does notreach the red area of the tachometer. There isotherwise a risk of engine damage.
XTo shift up:pull steering wheel paddleshifterD.The automatic transmission shifts up to thenext gear.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-cles):if the maximum engine speed on thecurrently engaged gear is reached and youcontinue to accelerate, the automatic trans-mission automatically shifts up in order toprevent engine damage.
XTo shift down:pull steering wheel paddleshifterC.The automatic transmission shifts down tothe next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum enginespeed when shifting down, the automatictransmission protects against engine damageby not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you inadopting an economical driving style. The rec-ommended gear is shown in the multifunctiondisplay.
XShift to recommended gearDaccording togearshift recommendationCwhen shown inthe multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!In manual mode, the automatic transmis-sion does not shift up automatically evenwhen the engine limiting speed for the currentgear is reached. When the engine limitingspeed is reached, the fuel supply is cut toprevent the engine from overrevving. Alwaysmake sure that the engine speed does notreach the red area of the tachometer. There isotherwise a risk of engine damage.
138Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Before the engine speed reaches the red area,an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-function display.
XShift to recommended gearCwhen mes-sageDis shown in the multifunction display.
Kickdown
XFor maximum acceleration, depress theaccelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.The automatic transmission shifts to a lowergear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed isreached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears usingthe steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-mission shifts up to the next gear when themaximum engine speed is reached. This pre-vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:it is only possible touse kickdown in temporary manual drive pro-gramM. When manual drive programMis per-manently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andPPSolutions
The transmission hasproblems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshopimmediately.
The acceleration abilityis deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-ger shifts into all of thegears.
Reverse gear can no lon-ger be engaged.
The transmission is in emergency mode.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to position].
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to position[.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshopimmediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Risk of fire and
explosion by improper handling of fuel.
You must avoid fire, open flames, smoking
and creating sparks. Switch off the ignition
before refueling and, if present, switch off the
auxiliary heating.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
Refueling139
Driving and parking
Z

Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake
Rshift the automatic transmission out of park
position]
Rstart the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Never leave children or animals unattended in
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. This
also applies for the Digital Vehicle Key if the
"Digital Vehicle Key" function is activated via
Mercedes me connect.
The function of the electric parking brake isdependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-board voltage is low or there is a malfunction inthe system, it may not be possible to apply thereleased parking brake.
XIf this is the case, only park the vehicle onlevel ground and secure it to prevent it rollingaway.
XShift the automatic transmission to position].
It may not be possible to release an appliedparking brake if the on-board voltage is low orthere is a malfunction in the system. Contact aqualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake performs a functiontest at regular intervals while the engine isswitched off. The sounds that can be heard whilethis is occurring are normal.
Applying or releasing manually
XTo engage:push handleC.When the electric parking brake is applied,the redI(USA only) or$(Canadaonly) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-ment cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be appliedwhen the SmartKey is removed.
XTo release:pull handleC.The redI(USA only) or$(Canadaonly) indicator lamp in the instrument clustergoes out.
The electric parking brake can only bereleased:
Rif the SmartKey is in positionGorHinthe ignition lock (Ypage 123) or
Rif the ignition was switched on using theStart/Stop button
Applying automatically
The electric parking brake is automaticallyapplied when the transmission is in position]and:
Rthe engine is switched off or
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and thedriver's door is opened
To prevent the electric parking brake from beingautomatically applied, pull handleC.
The electric parking brake is also applied auto-matically if:
RActive Distance Assist DISTRONIC brings thevehicle to a standstill or
Rthe HOLD function is keeping the vehicle sta-tionary
RActive Parking Assist is keeping the vehiclestationary
In addition, at least one of the following condi-tions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine is switched off
Rthe driver is not wearing a seat belt and thedriver's door is opened
Rthere is a system malfunction
Rthe power supply is insufficient
Rthe vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The redI(USA only) or$(Canada only)indicator lamp in the instrument cluster goesout.
The electric parking brake is not automaticallyapplied if the engine is switched off by the ECOstart/stop function.
144Parking
Driving an d parking

helps you to avoid overheating the brakes andwearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, itis possible that a drive wheel will not rotate forsome time, e.g. on a slippery road surface.This could cause damage to the drive train.This type of damage is not covered by theMercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal ondownhill gradients while the manual drive pro-gramMis temporarily activated: the automatictransmission may switch to the last active auto-matic drive programEorS. The automatic trans-mission may shift to a higher gear. This canreduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
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 constantlyresults in excessive and premature wear tothe brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavyload, do not stop the vehicle immediately. Driveon for a short while. This allows the airflow tocool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rainwithout braking, there may be a delayed reac-tion from the brakes when braking for the firsttime. This may also occur after the vehicle hasbeen washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depress the brake pedal morefirmly. Maintain a greater distance from thevehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehiclewashed, brake firmly while paying attention tothe traffic conditions. This will warm up thebrake discs, thereby drying them more quicklyand 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 brakepads. This can result in a significantly longerbraking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply thebrakes occasionally while paying attention tothe traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and thebeginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicleahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up inthe instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine isrunning
Observe additional warning messages in themultifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due tobrake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immediately.Consult a qualified specialist workshop toarrange this.
!A function or performance test should onlybe carried out on a 2-axle dynamometer. Ifyou wish to operate the vehicle on such adynamometer, please consult a qualified spe-cialist workshop in advance. You could oth-erwise damage the drive train or the brakesystem.
!As the ESP®system operates automatically,the engine and the ignition must be switchedoff (the SmartKey must be in position