steering MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2014 Owner's Guide

Active:
Rif you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turnsignal or
turnthe steering wheel.
Rif you are driving at speeds between
25 mph(40 km/h) and 45 mph(70 km/h)
and turn the steering wheel.
Not active:if you are driving at speeds above
25 mph (40 km/h) or switch off the turn
signal or turn the steering wheel to the
straight-ahead position.
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after
no more than three minutes.
Extended range fog lamps
The extended range fog lamps reduce the
glare experienced by the driverand improve
the illuminationofthe edge of the road.
Active:if you are driving at speeds below
40 mph (70 km/h) and you switch on the rear
fog lamp.
Not active:if, following activation, you are
driving at speeds above 60 mph (100 km/h)
or if you switch off the rear fog lamp.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Adaptive Highbeam Assist does not recognize
road users:
Rwho have no lights, e.g. pedestrians
Rwho have poor lighting, e.g. cyclists
Rwhose lighting is blocked, e.g. by a barrier
In very rare cases, Adaptive Highbeam Assist
may fail to recognize other road users that
have lights, or may recognize them too late.
In this or similar situations, the automatic
high-beam headlamps will not be deactivated
or activated regardless. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always carefully observe the traffic conditions
and switch off the high-beam headlamps in
good time.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is only an aid. You
are responsible for adjusting the vehicle's
lighting to the prevailing light, visibility and
traffic conditions.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
Rpoor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
Rdirt on the sensors or the sensors are
obscured
General notes
You can use this function to set the
headlamps to change between low beam and
high beam automatically.The system
recognizes vehicles with their lights on, either
approaching from the opposite direction or
traveling in front of your vehicle, and
consequently switches the headlamps from
high beam to low beam.
The system automatically adapts the low-
beam headlamp range depending on the
distance to the other vehicle. Once the
108Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

GWARNING
If you switch off the ignitionwhile 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.
GWARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
Roverheat and cause a fire
Rlose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident.Release
the parking brake fully before driving off.
!Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
!AMG vehicles:avoid full-load operation
and engine speeds greater than 5000rpm
when the engine is cold. This helps to
protect the engine and avoids
uncomfortable driving.
Key positions
\rTo remove the SmartKey
(shift the transmission to positionP)
Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
To start the engine
iThe SmartKey can be turned in the
ignition lock even if it is not the correct
SmartKey for the vehicle. The ignition is not
switched on. The engine cannot be started.
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces
without sufficient ventilation.
GWARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
Driving137
Driving and parking
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences and
Solutions
The engine is not
running smoothly and
is misfiring.
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic
converter and damage it.
The coolant
temperature display is
showing more than
248 ‡ (120 †). The
coolant warning lamp
may also be lit and a
warning tone may
sound.
The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant
to cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 283). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission positionDor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission positionDorR,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
neutral 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
vehicle from rolling away by applying the
parking brake.
DIRECTSELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
All vehicles (exceptAMG vehicles):the
DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
For information on the selector lever in AMG
vehicles (Ypage 144).
Park position with parking lock
Reverse gear
Neutral
Drive
iThe DIRECT SELECT leveralways returns
to its original position. The current
transmission positionP,R,NorDappears
142Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

AMG vehicles
CControlled
Efficiency
Comfortable, economical
driving
SSportSporty driving style
MManualManual gear shifting
Only change from automatic drive program
CorSto manual drive programMwhen the
vehicle is stationary.
XPress program selector button
repeatedly until the letterfor the desired
gearshift program appears in the
multifunction display.
iThe automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive programCeach time the
engine is started.
iFor further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Ypage 147).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
Left steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
down)
Right steering wheel paddle shifter (shifts
up)
In drive programM, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel paddle
shifters.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter when in automatic drive
programE(drive programCon AMG vehicles)
orS, the automatic transmission shifts into
drive programMfor a limited time.
Depending on which paddle shifter is pulled,
the automatic transmission immediately
shifts into the next gear down or up.
AMG vehicles:you can activate drive
programMRACE START (Ypage 173) using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
iYou can only change gear with the
steering wheel paddle shifters when the
transmission is in positionD.
iFor further information on the manual
drive program, see (Ypage 148).
Automatic drive program
Drive programE(drive programCon MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine settings
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
Automatic transmission147
Driving and parking
Z

Rthe vehicle pulling away moregently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
Rincreased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive programSis characterized by the
following:
Rsporty engine settings
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points
Manual drive program
Introduction
In manual drive programM, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
paddle shifters. For this, the transmission
must be in positionD. The gear currently
selected and engaged is shown in the
multifunction display.
Manual drive programMdiffers from drive
programsE(drive programCon AMG
vehicles) andSwith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
GearDriving situations
You can use the engine's braking
effect
\nYou can use the braking effect of
the engine on downhill gradients
and for driving:
Ron steep mountain roads
Rin mountainous terrain
Rin arduous conditions
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently
XPress the program selector button
(Ypage 146) repeatedly untilMappears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive programMremains active
until drive programE(drive programCon
AMG vehicles) orSis selected.
Activating temporarily
XPull the right or left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 147).
Mis shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive programMis temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
iWhen manual drive programMis
activated via the steering wheel paddle
shifters, the temporarily active manual
drive programMwill be deactivated
automatically after a limited time, if the
driving situation permits. The automatic
transmission switches to the previously
activated drive programE(drive program
Con AMG vehicles) orS.When driving on
downhill gradients, the temporarily active
manual drive programMwill only be
deactivated if the accelerator pedal is
depressed while the vehicle is rolling
downhill.
148Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Upshifting
XPull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 147).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iAll vehicles (except AMG vehicles):in
order to preventengine damage the
automatic transmission automatically
shifts up:
Rif the maximumengine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and
Ryou continue to accelerate.
AMGvehicles:
!In manual drive programM, the automatic
transmission does not shiftup
automatically evenwhen the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is
reached. When the engine limiting speed is
reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent
the engine from overrevving. Always make
sure that the engine speed does not reach
the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
AMG vehicles
!In manual drive programM, the automatic
transmission does not shift up
automatically even when the engine
limiting speed for the current gear is
reached. When the engine limiting speed is
reached, the fuel supply is cut to prevent
the engine from overrevving. Always make
sure that the engine speed does not reach
the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
Gear indicator
Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the
multifunction display.
XIf the color in the speedometer
multifunction display changes to red and
theUPdisplay message is shown, shift up
a gear.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 147).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission
automatically shifts down.
iFor maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the
automatic transmission protects against
engine damage by not shifting down.
Kickdown
AMG vehicles:kickdown is only possible in
temporary manual drive programM.
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive programM.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
iDuring kickdown, you cannot change gear
using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
iIf you apply full throttle, the automatic
transmission shifts up to the next gear
when the maximum engine speed is
Automatic transmission149
Driving and parking
Z

reached. This prevents the engine from
overrevving.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the programselectorbutton
(Ypage 146) repeatedly untilEorS
appears in the multifunction display.
Deactivatingthe temporary manual drive
program
XPull and hold the right steering wheel
paddle shifter until the automatic
transmission shifts into the last active
automatic drive programE(drive program
Con AMG vehicles) orS.
iWhen manual drive programMis
deactivated, the automatic transmission in
automatic drive programE(drive program
Con AMG vehicles) orSmay shift from the
current gearinto a higherorlower gear.
This is dependent on the position of the
accelerator pedal, speed and load.
150Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

If yourseat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parkingbrake:
Rthe driver's door is closed.
Ryou have shifted out of transmission
positionPor you have previously driven
faster than 2 mph (3 km/h).
Emergency braking
The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
XWhile driving, push handleof the electric
parking brake (Ypage 154).
iThe vehicle is braked for as long as
handleof the electric parking brake is
pressed. The longer electric parking brake
handleis depressed, the greater the
braking force.
During braking:
Ra warning tone sounds
RtheRelease Park. Brakemessage
appears
Rthe red(USA only) or (Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a
standstill, the electric parking brake is
engaged.
Parking the vehicle foralong 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.
XVisit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
iYou can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist
workshop.
Driving tips
General notes
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignitionwhile 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.
GWARNING
If you operate mobile communication
equipment 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 prohibit 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
second.
156Driving tips
Driving and parking

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.
162Driving systems
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).
Driving systems173
Driving and parking
Z