warning MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 2017 Owners Manual

R
Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts. R
Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery. R
It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery. R
When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected. R
It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jumper cables. R
Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten-
tion.
H Environmental note
Batteries contain dangerous
substances. It is against the
law to dispose of them with
the household rubbish. They
must be collected separately
and recycled to protect the
environment.
Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally friendly
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or a special
collection point for used bat-
teries.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop. Observe the service intervals in the Mainte-
nance Booklet or contact a qualified specialist
workshop for more information.
! Always have work on batteries carried out at
a qualified specialist workshop. Should it, in
exceptional circumstances, be absolutely
necessary to disconnect the 12-volt battery
yourself, observe the following: R
secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling
away. R
switch off the ignition. R
always disconnect the negative terminal
clamp first, followed by the positive termi-
nal clamp.
After the battery has been disconnected, the
transmission is locked in position P .
After the work has been done, install the bat-
tery and replace the cover of the positive ter-
minal clamp firmly.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries.
Risk of explosion.
Fire, open flames and smoking are
prohibited when handling the bat-
tery. Avoid creating sparks.
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
especially gloves, apron and face-
guard.
Rinse any acid spills immediately
with clear water. Contact a physician
if necessary.
Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Operator's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have
been tested and approved for your vehicle byBattery (vehicle) 283
Breakdown assistance Z

Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehicle
occupants from suffering acid burns should the
battery be damaged in the event of an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maximum
possible service life, it must always be suffi-
ciently charged.
Like other batteries, the vehicle battery may
discharge over time if you do not use the vehicle.
In this case, have the battery disconnected at a
qualified specialist workshop. You can also
charge the battery with a charger recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Contact a qualified special-
ist workshop for further information.
Have the battery condition of charge checked
more frequently if you use the vehicle mainly for
short trips or if you leave it standing idle for a
lengthy period. Consult a qualified specialist
workshop if you wish to leave your vehicle
parked for a long period of time.
Remove the SmartKey if you park the vehicle
and do not require any electrical consumers.
The vehicle will then use very little energy, thus
conserving battery power.
If the power supply has been interrupted, e.g. if
you reconnect the battery, you will have to: R
set the clock; see the Digital Operator's Man-
ual
On vehicles with a multimedia system, the
time is set automatically. R
reset the function for folding the exterior mir-
rors in/out automatically, by folding the mir-
rors out once ( Y
page 101).
Charging the battery
! Only use battery chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 14.8 V.
G WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive
gases can escape from the battery. There is a
risk of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient
ventilation while charging and jump-starting.
Do not lean over a battery.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do
not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over
the battery. Keep children away from batter-
ies. Wash away battery acid immediately with
plenty of clean water and seek medical atten-
tion.
G WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera-
tures below freezing point. When jump-start-
ing the vehicle or charging the battery, gases
can escape from the battery. There is a risk of
an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before
charging it or jump-starting.
! Only charge the battery using the jump-
starting connection point.
The jump-starting connection point is in the
engine compartment ( Y
page 285).X
Open the hood. X
Connect the battery charger to the positive
terminal and ground point in the same order
as when connecting the donor battery in the
jump-starting procedure ( Y
page 285).
Keep away from fire and open flames. Do not
lean over a battery. Never charge the battery if it
is still installed in the vehicle, unless you use a
battery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. A battery charger
unit specially adapted for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles and tested and approved by Mercedes-
Benz is available as an accessory. It permits the
charging of the battery in its installed position.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for further information and availability. Read the
battery charger's operating instructions before
charging the battery.
If the warning and indicator lamps do not light up
on the instrument cluster when temperatures
are low, it is probably because the discharged
battery has frozen. In this case, you may neither
charge the battery nor jump-start the vehicle.
The service life of a thawed-out battery may be
shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have
the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop.284
Battery (vehicle)
Breakdown assistance

Jump-starting For the jump-starting procedure, use only the jump-starting connection point in the engine com-
partment, consisting of a positive terminal and a ground point.
G WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean over the
battery. Keep children away from batteries. Wash away battery acid immediately with plenty of
clean water and seek medical attention.
G WARNING
During charging and jump-starting, explosive gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk
of an explosion.
Particularly avoid fire, open flames, creating sparks and smoking. Ensure there is sufficient ven-
tilation while charging and jump-starting. Do not lean over a battery.
G WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or sparks
are created, the hydrogen gas can ignite. There is a risk of an explosion. R
Make sure that the positive terminal of a connected battery does not come into contact with
vehicle parts. R
Never place metal objects or tools on a battery. R
It is important that you observe the described order of the battery terminals when connecting
and disconnecting a battery. R
When jump-starting, make sure that the battery poles with identical polarity are connected. R
It is particularly important to observe the described order when connecting and disconnecting
the jumper cables. R
Never connect or disconnect the battery terminals while the engine is running.
G WARNING
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures below freezing point. When jump-starting the
vehicle or charging the battery, gases can escape from the battery. There is a risk of an explosion.
Allow the frozen battery to thaw out before charging it or jump-starting.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting attempts. Otherwise, the catalytic converter could be
damaged by the non-combusted fuel.
If the indicator and warning lamps do not light up at low temperatures, it is very likely that the
discharged battery has frozen. In this case, you may neither charge the battery nor jump-start the
vehicle. The service life of a thawed-out battery may be shorter. The starting characteristics can be
impaired, particularly at low temperatures. Have the thawed-out battery checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. Jump-starting 285
Breakdown assistance Z

! If you tow or tow-start another vehicle, its
weight must not exceed the maximum per-
missible gross vehicle weight of your vehicle.
It is better to have the vehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission damage,
have it transported on a transporter or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in position
N when the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you: R
cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock. R
cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N .
In the event of damage to the electrical sys-
tem
If the battery is defective, the automatic trans-
mission will be locked in position P . To shift the
automatic transmission to position N , you must
provide power to the vehicle's electrical system
in the same way as when jump-starting
( Y
page 285).
Have the vehicle transported on a transporter or
trailer.
Disarm the automatic locking feature before the
vehicle is towed ( Y
page 82). You could other-
wise be locked out when pushing or towing the
vehicle.
Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye
G WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There is
a risk of burns when removing the rear cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe. Take particular
care when removing the rear cover. All vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The brackets for the screw-in towing eye are
located in the bumpers. They are at the front and
at the rear, behind the covers. X
Remove the towing eye from the vehicle tool
kit ( Y
page 277). X
Pull cover C out of the bumper in the direc-
tion of the arrow by inserting your fingers into
the recess. X
Press the mark on cover D inwards in the
direction of the arrow. X
Remove cover D from the opening.X
Screw in the towing eye clockwise as far as it
will go and tighten it.288
Towing and tow-starting
Breakdown assistance

Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye. X
Position cover C on top of the bumper and
press it in at the bottom until it engages. X
Attach cover D to the bumper and press until
it engages. X
Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit.
Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
( Y
page 287).
The automatic transmission automatically shifts
to position P when you open the driver's or front-
passenger door or when you remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition lock. In order to ensure
that the automatic transmission stays in posi-
tion N when towing the vehicle, you must
observe the following points: X
Make sure that the vehicle is stationary. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the Smart-
Key instead of the Start/Stop button
( Y
page 124). X
Depress and hold the brake pedal. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
N . X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the parking brake. X
Switch on the hazard warning lamps
( Y
page 107). X
Leave the SmartKey in position 2 in the igni-
tion lock.
In order to signal a change of direction when
towing the vehicle with the hazard warning
lamps switched on, use the combination switch
as usual. In this case, only the turn signals for
the desired direction flash. After resetting the
combination switch, the hazard warning lamp
starts flashing again. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as
doing so will damage the transmission.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
not be towed with the rear axle raised. The
vehicle/trailer combination may otherwise
swerve or even roll over.
Transporting the vehicle
4MATIC vehicles/vehicles with auto-
matic transmission
! When the vehicle is loaded for transport, the
front and rear axles must be stationary and on
the same transportation vehicle. Positioning
over the connection point of the transport
vehicle is not permitted. The drive train may
otherwise be damaged.
All vehicles
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise, the
vehicle could be damaged.
The towing eye can be used to pull the vehicle
onto a trailer or transporter for transporting pur-
poses. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition
lock. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
N .Towing and tow-starting 289
Breakdown assistance Z

The fuses are located in various fuse boxes: R
Fuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed in
the direction of travel R
Fuse box in the trunk on the right-hand side of
the vehicle, when viewed in the direction of
travel
Fuse box in the engine compartment Pay attention to the important safety notes
( Y
page 290).
G WARNING
When the hood is open and the windshield
wipers are set in motion, you can be injured by
the wiper linkage. There is a risk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before opening the hood.
X
Make sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off. X
Open the hood ( Y
page 265).X
Use a dry cloth to remove any moisture from
the fuse box. X
To open: take lines C out of the guides.X
Move lines C to one side.X
Open retaining clamps D .X
Remove the fuse box cover forwards. X
To close: check whether the seal is lying cor-
rectly in the cover. X
Insert the cover at the rear of the fuse box into
the retainer. X
Fold down the cover and close clamps D .X
Secure lines C in the guides.X
Close the hood. Fuse box in the trunk Pay attention to the important safety notes
( Y
page 290).
X
Open the trunk lid. X
To open: release cover C at the top right and
left-hand sides with a flat object. X
Open cover C downwards in the direction of
the arrow. Fuses 291
Breakdown assistance Z

off-road or on rough roads. Damaged wheels
can cause a loss of tire pressure.
Pay particular attention to damage such as: R
cuts in the tires R
punctures in the tires R
tears in the tires R
bulges on tires R
deformation or severe corrosion on wheels
Regularly check the tire tread depth and the
condition of the tread across the whole width of
the tire ( Y
page 293). If necessary, turn the
front wheels to full lock in order to inspect the
inner side of the tire surface.
All wheels must have a valve cap to protect the
valve against dirt and moisture. Do not mount
anything onto the valve other than the standard
valve cap or other valve caps approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle. Do not use any
other valve caps or systems, e.g. tire pressure
monitoring systems.
Regularly check the pressure of all the tires par-
ticularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire pres-
sure as necessary ( Y
page 295).
Observe the notes on the emergency spare
wheel ( Y
page 317).
The service life of tires depends, among other
things, on the following factors: R
Driving style R
Tire pressure R
Distance covered
Notes on tire tread
G WARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at differ-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires. Minimum tire tread depth for: R
Summer tires:

MOExtended tires (tires with run-flat
properties) With MOExtended tires (tires with run flat char-
acteristics), you can continue to drive your vehi-
cle even if there is a total loss of pressure in one
or more tires.
MOExtended tires may only be used in conjunc-
tion with an active tire pressure loss warning
system or with an active tire pressure monitor
and on wheels specifically tested by Mercedes-
Benz.
Notes on driving with MOExtended tires with a
flat tire ( Y
page 278).
Vehicles equipped with MOExtended tires are
not equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It
is therefore recommended that you additionally
equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you mount
tires that do not feature run-flat properties, e.g.
winter tires. A TIREFIT kit can be obtained from
a qualified specialist workshop.
Winter operation
General notes Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section ( Y
page 312).
Driving with summer tires At temperatures below 45 ‡ (+7 †), summer
tires lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power. Change the tires on your vehicle
to M+S tires. Using summer tires at very cold
temperatures could cause cracks to form,
thereby damaging the tires permanently.
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept responsibility for
this type of damage.
G WARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle. There is a risk of accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately. M+S tires
G WARNING
M+S tires with a tire tread depth of less than

To avoid hazardous situations: R
never install snow chains to the front
wheels R
always install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
! On vehicles with AIRMATIC, you must drive
at raised vehicle level if snow chains have
been mounted. The vehicle may otherwise be
damaged.
! On some tire sizes there is not enough space
for snow chains. To avoid damage to the vehi-
cle or tires, observe the "Wheel and tire com-
binations" section under "Tires and wheels".
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that have
been specially approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz, or are of a corresponding
standard of quality. For more information, con-
tact a qualified specialist workshop.
If you intend to mount snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind: R
Snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permissible wheel-
tire combinations ( Y
page 317).R
Only use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to a road that is not snow-covered. R
Local regulations may restrict the use of snow
chains. Observe the appropriate regulations if
you wish to mount snow chains. R
Do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 31 mph (50 km/h).
i You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
when pull-
ing away with snow chains installed: R
All vehicles (except Mercedes ‑ AMG vehi-
cles) ( Y
page 70)R
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: ( Y
page 71)
You can thereby allow the wheels to spin in a
controlled manner, achieving an increased
driving force (cutting action).
Information about driving with an emergency
spare wheel ( Y
page 317). Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks: R
the tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase. R
the tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction. R
the driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures
and check the pressure of all the tires includ-
ing the spare wheel: R
monthly, at least R
if the load changes R
before beginning a long journey R
under different operating conditions, e.g.
off-road driving
If necessary, correct the tire pressure.
The data on the Tire and Loading Information
placard and tire pressure table shown here are
examples. Tire pressure specifications are vehi-
cle-specific and may deviate from the data
shown here. The tire pressure specifications
that are valid for your vehicle can be found on
the Tire and Loading Information placard and
tire pressure table on the vehicle.
General notes The recommended tire pressures for the tires
mounted at the factory can be found on the
labels described here.
Operation with an emergency spare wheel:
information on operation with an emergency
spare wheel can be found in the general notes in
the "Emergency spare wheel" section
( Y
page 318).
Further information on tire pressures can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop. Tire pressure 295
Wheels and tires Z

Overinflated tires may: R
increase the braking distance R
adversely affect handling R
wear excessively and/or unevenly R
have an adverse effect on ride comfort R
be more susceptible to damage
Maximum tire pressures
C
Example: maximum permissible tire pres-
sure
Never exceed the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure. Always observe the recom-
mended tire pressure for your vehicle when
adjusting the tire pressure ( Y
page 295).
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-spe-
cific and may deviate from the values in the
illustration.
Checking the tire pressures
Important safety notes Observe the notes on tire pressure
( Y
page 295).
Information on air pressure for the tires on your
vehicle can be found: R
on the vehicle's Tire and Loading Information
placard on the B-pillar R
in the tire pressure table in the fuel filler flap
( Y
page 139)R
in the "Tire pressure" section Checking tire pressures manually To determine and set the correct tire pressure,
proceed as follows: X
Remove the valve cap of the tire that is to be
checked. X
Press the tire pressure gauge securely onto
the valve. X
Read the tire pressure and compare it to the
recommended value on the Tire and Loading
Information placard or the tire pressure table
( Y
page 295). X
If the tire pressure is too low, increase the tire
pressure to the recommended value. X
If the tire pressure is too high, release air. To
do so, press down the metal pin in the valve,
using the tip of a pen for example. Then check
the tire pressure again using the tire pressure
checker. X
Screw the valve cap onto the valve. X
Repeat these steps for the other tires.
Tire pressure loss warning system
(Canada only)
General notes While the vehicle is in motion, the tire pressure
loss warning system monitors the set tire pres-
sure using the rotational speed of the wheels.
This enables the system to detect significant
pressure loss in a tire. If the speed of rotation of
a wheel changes as a result of a loss of pressure,
a corresponding warning message will appear in
the multifunction display.
You can recognize the tire pressure loss warning
by the Run Flat Indicator Active Press
'OK' to Restart message which appears in
the Serv. menu of the multifunction display.
Information on the message display can be
found in the "Restarting the tire pressure loss
warning system" section ( Y
page 299).
Important safety notes
The tire pressure warning system does not warn
you of an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure
( Y
page 295).
The tire pressure loss warning does not replace
the need to regularly check the tire pressure. An
even loss of pressure on several tires at the298
Tire pressure
Wheels and tires