MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 Owners Manual

In addition, the current drive program settings
are displaye db riefl yint he multimedia system
display.
i In af ew countries, the ECO start/stop func-
tion is deactivated at the factory due to the
available fuel grade .Int his case, the ECO
start/stop function is not available in any
drive program, regardless of the display in the
multimedia system display.
Available drive programs:
C Comfort Comfortable and economi-
cal driving characteristics
S Sport Sporty driving characteris-
tics
I Individual Individual settings
E Economy Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 134).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor-
mation on the manua ld rive program
( Y
page 136).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles) Use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to change
the drive program. Depending on the drive pro-
gram selected the following vehicle character-
istics wil lc hange:R
the drive R
the transmission management R
ESP ®
R
the suspension (vehicles with AMG adaptive
sport suspension system) R
the availability of the ECO start/stop function R
the availability of gliding mode
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, drive program C is
activated. For further information abou ts tarting
the engine, see ( Y
page 125). X
Turn DYNAMIC SELECT controller C as many
times as necessary until the desire dd rive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds the
display goes out and the status icon of the
selected drive program appears.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMIC
SELECT controller C lights up in red.
Available drive programs:
I Individual Individual settings
C Comfort Comfort-oriented, opti-
mum-economy engine and
transmission settings
S Sport Sporty engine and trans-
missio ns ettings
S+ Sport Plus Particularly sporty trans-
missio ns ettings
Race
Maximu ms portiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 134).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further infor-
mation on the manua ld rive program
( Y
page 136).DYNAMIC SELEC Tc on trolle r( Mercedes-AMG vehicles) 129
Driving and parking Z

Aut oma ti ct ra ns mi ssion
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th ee ng in es pee disa bov et he idlin gs pee d
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
th ev ehicl ec ou ld pull away suddenly. There is
ar is kofana ccident.
When engagin gt ra nsmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress th eb rak ep edal and do
no ts imultaneously accelerate .
G WARNIN G
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off th ee ng ine.
The vehicl em ay rol la way. There is ar is kofa n
accident.
Afte rs witching off th ee ng ine, always switch
to parking position P .P reven tt he parked vehi-
cle from rollin ga way by applyin gt he parking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit hp arking loc k
^
Reverse gear
\\
Neutral
[
Drive
All vehicles (excep tM ercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): th eD IR ECT SELECT lever is on th er ight of
th es te ering column .
Fo ri nformation on th es elector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gv ehicles ( Y
page 132). The DIRECT SELECT lever always return stoi ts
original position .T he curren tt ra nsmission posi-
tion ] , ^ , \\ or [ is shown in th et ra nsmis -
sion position display in th em ultifunction display
( Y
page 130).
Trans mi ssion position and drive pr o-
gram display The curren tt ra nsmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th em ultifunction display.
C
Transmission position D
Gear

At transmission fluid temperature sb elow

Engaging drive position D X
If th et ra nsmission is in position ^ or \\ :
push th eD IR ECT SELECT leve rd own past the
first poin tofr esistance.X
If th et ra nsmission is in position ] :d epress
th eb rak ep edal and push th eD IR ECT SELECT
leve rd own past th ef irst poin tofr esistance.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
]
Park position with parking lock^
Reverse gear\\
Neutral[
Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display The curren tt ra nsmission position and driv ep ro-
gram appear in th em ultifunction display.
C
Transmission position display
D
Drive program display
If th et ra nsmission position display in th em ul-
tifunctio nd isplay is no tw orking ,y ou shoul dp ull
away carefully to check whether th ed esired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should selec tt ra nsmission position [ and
driv ep rogram C or S . Engaging park position P X
When th ev ehicle is stationary, pres sb ut-
ton C .
Engaging revers eg ear R
! Only mov et he automatic transmission to
^ when th ev ehicle is stationary. X
Depres st he brak ea nd keep it pressed.X
Push th es electo rl eve rf orwards past th ef irst
poin tofr esistance.132
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Transmission positions E Park position
Thi sp revents the vehicl ef ro mr olling
away when stopped.
Onl ys hift the transmission to posi-
tion ] when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. The parkin gl oc ks houl dn ot be
used as ab rake when parking.
Alway sa pply the electronic parking
brake in additio ntot he parkin gl oc k
in order to secur et he vehicle.
In the event of am al functio noft he
vehicle's electronics ,t he transmis-
sion ma yl oc kinp osit ion ] .H ave
the vehicl ee le ctronics checked
immediatel yataq uali fied specialist
workshop.
Park position ] is automatically
engaged if: R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe ya nd remove the Smart-
Key R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe yoru si ng the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenge rd oo rR
yo uo pe nt he driver's door when
the vehicl eiss tationar yorw he n
drivin gatav er yl ow spee da nd the
transmission is in position [ or
^
F Revers eg ea r
Onl ys hift the transmission into posi-
tion ^ when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to \\
whil ed riving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwis ebed am -
aged.
No powe rist ransmitted fro mt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wy ou to
mov et he vehicl ef reely, e.g .top us h
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position \\ if the
vehicl eisind an ge rofs kidding ,e .g.
on icy roads.
If yo us wi tch the engine off with the
transmission in position ^ or [ ,
the automatic transmission shifts to
\\ automatically.
! Coasting in neutral \\ may
cause damage to the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Driving tips
Changin gg ea rThe automatic transmission shifts throug ht he
individual gear sa ut omaticall yw he nitisint rans-
mission position [ .T hi sa ut omatic gear shift-
ing behavio risd et ermine db y:R
the selecte dd rive program R
the positio noft he accelerator pedal R
the roa ds peed
Accelerator peda lp ositionYour style of drivin gi nfluences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle :e ar ly upshifts R
mor et hrottle :l at eu ps hiftsAutomati ct ransmission 133
Driving an dp arking Z

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
G WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicl em ay ,f or example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is ar isk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicl es tationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicle s( except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the Stop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine Running display message
appears in the multifunction display .Y ou will
only be abl etoc ontinue you rj ourney once the
clutch has coole dd ow na nd the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the Trans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Care display
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicl es tationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicl es tationary on
uphill gradients by: R
depressing the brake pedal R
activating the HOLD function R
engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximu ma cceleration.X
Depress the accelerator peda lb eyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gea rd epending on the engine speed.X
Ease off the accelerator peda lo nce the
desired spee disr eached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manua ld rive program M .
When manua ld rive program M is permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M ( Y
pag e1 38).
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions [ and ^ can help to free up the
vehicl eifitg ets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
spee dtoam aximu mof5m ph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift repeatedly
between transmission positions [ and ^ ,
move the DIRECT SELECT leve rupa nd down
pas tt he point of resistance.
Drive programs
Al lv ehicle s( except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C( Comfort)Drive program C is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ed elivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls awa ym ore gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
peda lisd epressed fully. R
the vehicl eh as improved driving stability ,f or
exampl eons lippery road surfaces. R
optima lf uel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisd rive nint he low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likel ytos pin.
Drive program S( Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
sporty engine settings. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points.134
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Drive program I( Individual)In drive progra m I th ef ol lowing properties of th e
drive progra mc an be selected:R
th ed rive (engin ea nd transmissio nm anage-
ment) R
th es uspensio n( vehicles wit hd ampin gs ys-
te morA MG adaptive sport suspensio ns ys-
tem) R
th es te erin gR
th ea vailabilit yoft he ECO start/sto pf unctionR
th ec limat ec ontro l
Information about configurin gd rive progra m I
wit ht he multimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sM anual.
i To permanentl ys elect th eg ear sind rive
progra m I usin gt he steerin gw hee lp addl e
shifters ,s elect th e M (manual) setting fo rt he
drive.
Drive program E( Economy)Drive progra m E is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
comfort-oriented engin es ettings.R
optimal fue lc onsum ption resultin gf ro mt he
automati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gups ooner.R
th ev ehicl ep ulls away mor eg entl yi nf or war d
and revers eg ears, unless th ea ccelerato r
peda lisd epressed fully.R
th ev ehicl eh as improved drivin gs ta bility, fo r
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds urfaces.R
th ea utomati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gu p
sooner. This result sint he vehicl eb ein gd riven
at lowe re ng in es peeds and th ew heel s bein g
l
ess likely to spin .R
glidin gm od eisa ctivated automatically when
engine-internal condition sa re fulfilled and
th ea ccelerato risn ot depressed. At th es am e
time th et ra nsmission’s clutc ho pens and th e
vehicl er olls freely usin gi ts kineti ce ne rgy. As
ar esult great distances can be completed
without th ee ng in eb rak ea nd fue lc onsum p-
tion reduced.
i The availabilit yofg lidin gm od ed epend so n
various factors ,i nc ludin gt he following :R
th ee ng in ea nd transmissio nt em peratureR
th ed ownhill gradien tR
th ev ehicl es peedR
performin gr egular adaptation function s Whe ny ou depress th eb rak ep edal, glidin g
mod eisd eactivated, dependin gonp eda l
pressure.
Whe ny ou activat ec ru ise control or Distanc e
Pilo tD ISTR ONIC, glidin gm od eisn ot availa-
ble.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I( Individual)In drive progra m I th ef ol lowing properties of th e
drive progra mc an be selected: R
th ed rive (engin em anagement)R
th et ra nsmissio nm anagemen tR
th es uspensio n( vehicles wit hA MG adaptive
sport suspensio ns ystem)R
ES P ®
Information about configurin gd rive progra m I
wit ht he multimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sM anual.
Drive program C( Comfort)Drive progra m C is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
th ev ehicl ed eliver sc omfo rtable, economical
handlin gc ha racteristics .R
th ev ehicl ep ulls away mor eg entl yi nf or war d
and revers eg ears, unless th ea ccelerato r
peda lisd epressed fully. R
th ev ehicl eh as improved drivin gs ta bility, fo r
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds urfaces.R
optimal fue lc onsum ption resultin gf ro mt he
automati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gups ooner.
The vehicl eisd riven in th el ow engin es peed
range and th ew heels are less likely to spin .R
glidin gm od eisa vailable. R
th eE CO start/sto pf unction is available.
Drive program S( Sport)
Drive progra m S is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
th ev ehicl ee xh ibits sport yd rivin gc ha racter-
istics . R
th ea utomati ct ra nsmissio ns h ift supl ater.
The fue lc onsum ption possibl yb ein gh igher
as ar esult of th el ater automati ct ra nsmissio n
shift points . R
th es uspensio ne xh ibits stiff springin ga nd
dampin gs etting s( vehicles wit hA IR adaptive
sport suspensio ns ystem) .Automatic transmission 135
Driving an dp ark in g Z

R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program S+ is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later. R
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points. R
the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles with
AMG adaptive sport suspension system). R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program RACE (vehicle sw ith AMG
adaptive sport suspension system) The RACE drive program is characterized by the
following: R
the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack. R
all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later. R
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points. R
the suspension exhibits particularly hard
springing and damping settings. R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Manual gear shifting
General notes You can change gear yourself using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position [ to do this.
Depending on which steering wheel paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down or
up, if permitted. Mercedes-AMG vehicles: to use manual shift-
ing, you have two options: R
temporary setting R
permanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-
function display will show the current gear
instead of transmission position [ .
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporar ys etting X
To activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position [ . X
Pull steering wheel paddle shifter C or D .
Temporary setting will be active for ac ertain
amount of time. Under certain conditions the
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the
case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun
phase or when driving on steep terrain. X
To deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D and hold it in place.
or X
Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
use the DYNAMI CS ELECT button to change
the drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram.136
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) X
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Press button C .X
To deactivate: press button C .
or X
If position D( automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro-
gram I :s hift to drive program I with the
DYNAMI CS ELECT controller.
Shifting gears
! Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting 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 ar isk of engine damage.
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up in order to
prevent engine damage. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protect sa gainst engine damage
by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshift recommendation C when shown in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
! In manual mode, the automatic transmis-
sion 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 ar isk of engine damage.Automatic transmission 137
Driving and parking Z

Befor et he engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be show nint he multi-
function display. X
Shift to recommende dg ear C whe nm es-
sage D is show nint he multifunction display.
Kickdown X
For maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gea rd epending on the engine speed.X
Shift back up once the desire ds peed is
reached. During kickdown, yo uc annot shift gears using
the steering wheel paddl es hifters.
If yo ua pply ful lt hrottle ,t he automatic trans-
missio ns hifts up to the next gea rw he nt he
maximum engine speed is reached .T hi sp re-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in temporary manual drive pro-
gram M .W he nm anual drive program M is per-
manently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Problems with the transmission Problem
Possible causes/consequence sa nd P Solutions
The transmission has
problem ss hifting gear. The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checke dataq uali fied specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger shifts into al loft he
gears.
Revers eg ea rc an no lon-
ger be engaged. The transmission is in emergency mode. X
Stop the vehicle. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Switch off the engine. X
Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine. X
Shift the transmission to position [ .X
Have the transmission checke dataq uali fied specialist workshop
immediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Fue lish ighly flammable. If yo uh andle fuel
incorrectly ,t here is ar is koff ire and explo-
sion. You mus ta void fire ,o pe nf lames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and ,ifa ppli cable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling.
G WARNING
Fue lisp oisonou sa nd hazardou stoh ealth.
There is ar isk of injury.138
Refueling
Drivin ga nd parking