automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2014 Owner's Guide

If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to positionN.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces.Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You
should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
freezing point.
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Ypage 315).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you.Itbrakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gearin
good time. For this, you will need to have
selected manual drive program
M(Ypage 148). By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine, This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Cruise control cannot take into account the
road, traffic and weather conditions. Cruise
control 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.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or
accelerating could cause the drive wheels
to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
To activate or increase speed
To activate or reduce speed
"To deactivate cruise control
!To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
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Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions mustbe fulfilled:
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
Ryou are driving faster than
20 mph(30 km/h).
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Ron vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in positionD.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the currentspeed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
upor down.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise controlmaintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the currentspeedorcalling up the
last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates. If you do not know
the stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate
or brake unexpectedly.There is a risk of an
accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic
conditions before calling up the stored speed.
If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you!.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Settingaspeed
Keep in mind thatitmay take a briefmoment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever upfor a
higher speed or downfor a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments):briefly
press the cruise control lever upor
downto the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed upor downthe last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
upor downto the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed upor downthe last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For
example, if you accelerate briefly to
overtake, cruise control adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
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Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards".
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Rthe vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmissionto positionN
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see theCruise
Control Offmessage in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the
distance to the vehicle detected in front.
Vehicles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is
especially important if the 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 prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot
prevent a collision without your intervention.
An intermittent warning tone will then sound
and the distance warning lamp will light up in
the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves,
it can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iThis device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful
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.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g.
stopped or parked vehicles
Roncoming and crossingtraffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
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Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g.by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turnoff
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (Ypage 169).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front is stopping, it brakes yourvehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
iDepending on the specified minimum
distance, your vehicle will come to a
standstill at a sufficientdistance behind the
vehicle in front.The specified minimum
distance is set using the control on the
cruise control lever.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
Rthe seat belt is unfastened and the driver's
door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, then the transmission
may be shifted into positionPautomatically.
Settingaspeed
Keep in mind thatitmay take a briefmoment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
XPress the cruise control lever upfor a
higher speed or downfor a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph
increments (1 km/h increments):briefly
press the cruise control lever upor
downto the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed upor downthe last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph
increments (10 km/h increments):
briefly press the cruise control lever
upor downto the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed upor down, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished
overtaking.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this
function, you can set the minimum distance
that DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
168Driving systems
Driving and parking

see this distance in the multifunction display
(Ypage 170).
iMake sure that you maintain the
minimum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
XTo increase:turn control"in
direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
XTo decrease:turn control"in
direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever
forwards.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see theDISTRONIC PLUS Offmessage
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the
accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically
deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in theP,RorNposition
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull awayand the front-
passengerdoor or one of the rear doors is
open
Rthe vehicle is skidding.
Ryou activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS offmessage in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
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Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by theHOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine
compartment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes
automatically in certain situations. To
prevent damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or other similarsituations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(Ypage 173).
General notes
The HOLDfunction can assistthe driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission positionD,RorNis
engaged while driving a vehicle with an
automatic transmission
RDISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated
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Driving and parking

Activating the HOLD function
Example: vehicles with a color multifunctiondisplay
XMake sure that the activation conditions
are met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
untilappears in the multifunction
display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated
automatically if:
Ryou accelerate.Onvehicles with automatic
transmission:only when the transmission
is in positionDorR.
Rthe transmission is in positionPon vehicles
with automatic transmission.
Ryou depress the brake pedal againwith a
certain amountofpressure until
disappears from the multifunction display.
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
Ryou activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if the HOLD function is
activated and:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's
seat beltis unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is
automatically switched off by the ECO
start/stop function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, then the transmission
may be shifted into positionPautomatically.
RACE START
Important safety notes
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
RACE START is intended solely for activation
on dedicated race circuits.
iRACE START is only available in AMG
vehicles.
Conditions for activation
You can activate RACE START if:
Rthe doors, hood and the trunk lid are
closed.
Rthe engine is running and the transmission,
all-wheel drive clutch and the engine are at
operating temperature.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
(Ypage 66)
Rthe steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
Rthe vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
Rthe transmission is in positionD.
Rdrive programMis selected (Ypage 146).
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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
replacement for your attention to your
immediate surroundings. 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 objectsinthe 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:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to positionD,RorN
Rrelease the electric 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
consideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people,
animals or objects
Rabove the detection range, e.g.
overhanging loads, truck overhangs or
loading ramps.
Sensors in the front bumper, left-hand
side (example)
Side view
Top view
The sensors must be free from dirt, ice or
slush. They can otherwise not function
correctly. Cleanthe sensors regularly, taking
Driving systems175
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and measures parking spaces on both sides
of the vehicle.
Active Parking Assist will only detect parking
spaces:
Rthat are parallel or at right-angles to the
direction of travel
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel
and at least 59 in (1.5 m) wide
Rthat are parallel to the direction of travel
and at least 39.5 in (1.0m) longer than your
vehicle
Rthat are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 39.5 in (1.0 m) wider
than your vehicle
iIn the case of parking spaces that are at
right angles to the direction of travel,
please ensure that the parking space is
long enough to accommodate your vehicle.
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30 km/h), you will see parking symbol as a
status indicator in the instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right or the left also
appears. By default, Active Parking Assist
only displays parking spaces on the front-
passenger side. Parking spaces on the
driver's side are displayed as soon as the turn
signal on the driver's side is activated. When
parking on the driver's side, this must remain
switched on until you acknowledge the use of
Active Parking Assist by pressing the
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at
right-angles to the direction of travel.
Aparking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking
GWARNING
Active Parking Assist merely aids you by
intervening actively in the steering. If you do
not brake there is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself when
maneuvering and parking.
XStop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
XShift the transmission to positionR.
TheStart Park Assist? Yes: OK No:
message appears in the multifunction
display.
XTo cancel the procedure:press the
button on the multifunction steering
wheel or pull away.
or
XTo park using Active Parking Assist:
press thebuttononthe multifunction
steering wheel.
ThePark Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
message appears in the multifunction
display.
XLet go of the multifunction steering wheel.
XBack up the vehicle, being ready to brake
at all times. Do not exceed a maximum
speed of approximately5mph (10 km/h)
when backing up. Otherwise Active Parking
Assist will be canceled.
iIn tight parking spaces, you will achieve
the best parking results by backing up as
far as possible. When doing so, also
observe the PARKTRONIC messages.
XStop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Maneuvering may be required in tight
parking spaces.
ThePark Assist Active Select D
ObserveSurroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XShift the transmission to positionDwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
ThePark Assist Active Accelerate
and Brake Observe Surroundings
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Driving and parking

XShift the transmissionto positionDorRas
required while the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.ThePark Assist
Active Accelerate and Brake
ObserveSurroundingsmessage appears
in the multifunction display.
iYou will achieve the best results by
waiting for the steering procedure to
complete before pulling away.
If you back up after activation, the steering
wheel is moved to the straight-ahead
position.
XDrive forwards and back up as prompted by
the PARKTRONIC warning displays, several
times if necessary.
XStop as soon as PARKTRONIC sounds the
continuous warning tone, if not before.
Once you have exited the parking space
completely, the steering wheel is moved to
the straight-ahead position. You hear a tone
and the messagePark Assist Finished
appears in the multifunction display. You will
then have to steer and merge into traffic on
your own. PARKTRONIC is still available. You
can take over the steering, before the vehicle
has exited the parking space completely. This
is useful, for example when you recognize
that it is already possible to pull out of the
parking space.
Canceling Active Parking Assist
You can cancel Active Parking Assist at any
time.
XStop the movement of the multifunction
steering wheel or steer yourself.
Active Parking Assist will be canceled at
once. ThePark Assist Canceled
message appears in the multifunction
display.
or
XPress the PARKTRONIC button on the
center console (Ypage 177).
PARKTRONIC is switched off and Active
Parking Assist is immediately canceled.
ThePark Assist Canceledmessage
appears in the multifunction display.
Active Parking Assist is canceled
automatically if:
Rthe electric parking brake is engaged
Rtransmission positionPis selected
Rparking using Active Parking Assist is no
longer possible
Ryou are driving faster than 6 mph
(10 km/h)
Ra wheel spins, ESP®intervenes or fails. The
warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
Awarning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows thePark Assist Canceled
message.
If Active Parking Assist is canceled, you must
steer again yourself.
Rear view camera
General notes
Rear view camerais in the trunk lid handle.
The rear view camera is an optical parking and
maneuvering aid. It uses guide lines to show
the area behind your vehicle in the Audio/
COMAND display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear view mirror.
The rear view camera is protected from
raindrops and dust by meansofaflap. When
the rear view camera is activated, this flap
182Driving systems
Driving and parking