ESP MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 User Guide

and to have any malfunctionin ga ir bags
repaired. This will help to mak es ure th ea ir bags
continue to perform their protective function for
th ev ehicle occupant sint he even tofac ra sh.
G WARNING
Emergenc yT ensioning Devices that have
deployed pyrotechnically are no longer opera-
tional and are unabl etop erform their inten-
ded protective function .T his pose sa n
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Hav ep yrotechnically triggered Emergency
Tensioning Devices replaced immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
If Emergenc yT ensioning Devices are triggered
or air bags are deployed, you will hear ab ang,
and as mall amoun tofp owder may also be
released. The u restraint system warning
lamp light su p.
Only in rar ec ases will th eb ang affect your hear-
ing .T he powder that is released generally does
no tc onstitut eah ealt hh azard, but it may cause
short-term breathin gd ifficulties in peopl ew ith
asthma or other respiratory problems .P rovided
it is safe to do so, you shoul dl eave th ev ehicle
immediately or open th ew indow in orde rtop re-
ven tb reathin gd ifficulties.
Air bags and pyrotechnic Emergenc yT ensioning
Devices (ETDs )c ontain perchlorate material,
whic hm ay require special handlin ga nd regard
for th ee nvironment. National guidelines must
be observed durin gd isposal. In California, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/
Perchlorate/index.cfm .
Method of operation During th ef irst stage of ac ollision ,t he restraint
system control unit evaluates important physi-
cal dat ar elating to vehicle deceleratio nora ccel-
eration ,s uc ha s:R
duration R
direction R
intensity
Based on th ee valuation of this data, the
restraint system control unit trigger st he Emer-
gency Tensioning Devices durin gaf ront al or
rear collision. An Emergenc yT ensioning Devic ec an only be
triggered, if: R
th ei gnition is switched on R
th ec omponent soft he restraint system are
operational. You can fin df urther information
unde r" Restrain ts ystem warning lamp"
( Y
page 41) R
th es eat belt buckle tongue has engaged in
th eb elt buckle of th er espectiv ef ront seat
The Emergenc yT ensioning Devices in th er ear
compartmen ta re triggered independently of the
loc ks ta tus of th es eat belts.
If th er estraint system control unit detect sa
mor es evere accident, further component so f
th er estraint system are activated independ-
ently of each other in certain frontal collision
situations: R
Fron ta ir bags as well as driver' sa nd front-
passenger knee bags R
Window curtain air bag, if th es ystem deter-
mines that deploymen tc an offer additional
protection to that provided by th es eat belt
The front-passenger fron ta ir bag is activated or
deactivate dd ependin gont he person on t h
e
front-passenger seat .T he front-passenger front
air bag can only deplo yinana cciden tift he
PASSENGER AI RB AG OF Fi ndicator lamp is off.
Observ et he informatio nont he PASSENGER AIR
BA Gi ndicator lamps ( Y
page 41).
Your vehicle has two-stag ef ront air bags. In the
first deploymen ts ta ge, th ef ront air bag is filled
with propellan tg as. The fron ta ir bag is fully
deployed with th em aximum amoun tofp ropel-
lant gas if as econ dd eploymen tt hr eshold is
reached within af ew milliseconds.
The activation threshold of th eE me rgenc yT en-
sioning Devices and th ea ir bags is determined
by evaluating th er at eofv ehicle deceleratio no r
acceleratio nw hic ho ccurs at various points in
th ev ehicle .T his process is pre-emptive in
nature. Deployment shoul dt ak ep lace in good
tim eatt he start of th ec ollision.
The rat eofv ehicle deceleratio nora cceleration
and th ed irection of th ef orce are essentially
determine db y: R
th ed istribution of forces durin gt he collisionR
th ec ollision angle R
th ed eformatio nc ha racteristics of th ev ehicleR
th ec ha racteristics of th eo bject with which
th ev ehicle has collided
Factors whic hc an only be seen and measured
after ac ollision has occurre ddon ot play ad eci-Occupant safety 53
Safety Z

sive role in the deployment of an air bag. Nor do
they provide an indication of air bag deploy-
ment.
The vehicle can be deformed considerably, with-
out an air bag being deployed. This is the case if
only parts which are relatively easil yd eformed
are affected and the rate of deceleration is not
high. Conversely, air bags may be deployed even
though the vehicle suffers only minor deforma-
tion. This is the case if, for example, very rigid
vehicle parts such as longitudinal body mem-
bers are hit, and sufficient deceleration occurs
as ar esult.
If the restraint system control unit detects as ide
impact or if the vehicle rolls over, the applicable
component soft he restraint system are activa-
ted independently of each other depending on
the apparent type of accident. R
Side impact air bags on the side where the
impact takes place, independently of the
Emergenc yT ensioning Device and the use of
the seat belt on the driver's seat and outer
seats in the second row
The side impact air bag on the front-
passenger side deploy su nder the following
conditions: -
the OCS system detects that the front-
passenger seat is occupied or -
the seat belt buckle tongue is engaged in
the belt buckle of the front-passenger seat R
Window curtain air bag on the side of impact,
independently of the use of the seat belt and
independently of whether the front-
passenger seat is occupied R
Emergenc yT ensioning Devices, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection in this situation R
Window curtain air bags on the driver's and
front-passenger side in certain situations
when the vehicle rolls over, if the system
determines that deployment can offer addi-
tional protection to that provided by the seat
belt
i Not all air bags are deployed in an accident.
The different air bag systems work independ-
ently of each other. How the air bag system works is determined
by the severity of the accident detected,
especially the vehicle deceleration or accel-
eration and the apparent type of accident: R
Frontal collision R
Side impact R
Rollover
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact: R
the hazard warning lamps are activated R
the emergency lighting is activated R
the vehicle doors are unlocked R
the front side windows are lowered R
the engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off R
vehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
ac hild restraint system on ar ear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If ac hild younger than twelve years old and
under 5ft( 1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle: R
always secure the child in ac hild restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child R
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions R
be sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" ( Y
page 47)54
Children in the vehicle
Safety

Child restraint system The use of seat belt sa nd child restraint systems
is required by law in: R
all 50 states R
th eU .S .t erri toriesR
th eD istrict of ColumbiaR
all Canadian provinces
If you install ar earward-facing child restraint
system on th ec ente rr ear seat ,t he rear arm rest
must be folded back as far as possible.
You can obtain further informatio na bout the
correc tc hi ld restraint system from any author-
ize dM ercedes-Ben zC enter.
G WARNING
If th ec hi ld restraint system is installed incor-
rectly on as uitable seat ,itc anno tp rotect as
intended. The child canno tt he nber estrained
in th ee vent of an accident, heav yb raking or
sudde nc ha nges of direction .T her eisa n
increased ris kofi njury, possibly eve nf atal.
Mak es ure that you observ et he child restraint
system manufacturer' si nstallatio ni nstruc-
tions and th en otes on use. Pleas ee ns ure,
that th eb ase of th ec hi ld restraint system is
always restin gc ompletely on th es eat cush-
ion .N ever plac eo bjects, e.g .c ushions, under
or behin dt he child restraint system. Only use
child restraint systems wit ht he original cover
designe df or them. Only replace damaged
covers wit hg enuine covers.
G WARNING
If th ec hi ld restraint system is installed incor-
rectly or is no ts ecured, it can com el oos ei n
th ee vent of an accident, heav yb raking or a
sudde nc ha ng eind irection .T he child
restraint system coul dbet hr own about ,s tr ik-
ing vehicle occupants. Ther eisani ncreased
ris kofi njury, possibly eve nf atal.
Always install child restraint systems prop-
erly, eve nift he ya re no tb ein gu sed. Make
sure that you observ et he child restraint sys-
te mm anufacturer' si nstallatio ni nstructions.
You will fin df urther informatio nons to wing
objects, luggag eorl oads unde r" Loading guide-
lines" ( Y
page 237). G WARNING
Child restraint systems or their securin gs ys-
tems whic hh ave been damaged or subjected
to al oad in an acciden tc an no longer protect
as intended. The child canno tt he nb e
restraine dint he event of an accident, heavy
braking or sudde nc ha nges of direction .T here
is an increased ris kofi njury, possibly even
fatal.
Replac ec hi ld restraint systems whic hh ave
been damaged or subjected to al oad in an
acciden tass oon as possible. Hav et he secur-
ing systems on th ec hi ld restraint system
checked at aq ualified specialist workshop,
before you install ac hi ld restraint system
again.
The securin gs ystems of child restraint systems
are: R
th es eat belt system R
th eL AT CH-type (ISOFIX) securin gr ingsR
th eT op Tether anchorages
If it is absolutely necessary to carry ac hi ld on
th ef ront-pa ssenger seat ,bes ure to observ et he
informatio nont he "Occupan tC lassification
Syste m( OCS)" ( Y
page 47) .T her ey ou will also
fin di nformatio nond eactivatin gt he front-
passenger fron ta ir bag.
All child restraint systems must mee tt he fol-
lowin gs ta ndards: R
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safet yS ta ndards
21 3a nd 225 R
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safet yS ta ndards
21 3a nd 210.2
Confirmation that th ec hi ld restraint system cor-
responds to th es ta ndards can be foun dona n
ins truc tion label on th ec hi ld
restraint system.
This confirmation can also be foun dint he instal-
lation instruction st ha ta re included wit ht he
child restraint system.
Observ et he warning labels in th ev ehicle inte-
rior and on th ec hi ld restraint system.56
Children in th ev ehicle
Safety

Drivin gs af et ys ystems
Overview of drivin gs af et ys ystemsIn this section ,y ou will fin di nformati on about
th ef ol lowin gd rivin gs afet ys ystems :R
AB S( A nti-lock B rakin g S ystem)
( Y
page 61) R
BA S( B rak e A ssist S ystem) ( Y
page 61)R
Active Brak eA ss is t( Y
page 62 )R
ES P ®
( E lectronic S ta bility P ro gram)
( Y
page 64) R
EB D( E lectroni c B rak ef orce D istribution )
( Y
page 67 )R
ADAPTIV EB RAKE ( Y
page 68 )R
STEE RC ONTROL ( Y
page 68)
Important safet yn otesIf you fail to adapt your drivin gs ty le or if you are
inattentive ,t he drivin gs afet ys ystems can nei-
ther reduce th er is kofana cciden tn or override
th el aws of physics. Driving safet ys ystems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible fo rm aintainin gt he distanc etot he
vehicle in front, fo rv ehicle speed, fo rb raking in
goo dt im e, and fo rs ta yin ginl ane. Always adapt
your drivin gs ty le to suit th ep revailin gr oa da nd
weather condition sa nd maintain as af ed istanc e
from th ev ehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The drivin gs afet ys ystems described only wor k
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quat ec ontac tb etween th et ir es and th er oa d
surface. Please pay special attention to th e
note sont ir es ,r ecommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. ( Y
page 288).
In wintr yd rivin gc onditi ons, always use winte r
tires (M+ St ir es )a nd if necessary ,s now chains.
Onl yint hi sw ay will the driving safety systems
describe dint hi ss ection work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Brakin gS ystem)
General information
ABS regulate sb rake pressure in such aw ay that
the wheels do not lock when yo ub rake. This
allows yo utoc ontinue steering the vehicl ew he n
braking. The % ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goe so ut when the engine is running.
ABS works from as peed of abou t5m ph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, eve nw he ny ou
onl yb rake gently.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes "s ec-
tio n( Y
page 61).
G WARNING
If ABS is faulty ,t he wheels could lock when
braking .T he steerability and braking charac-
teristic sm ay be severely impaired .A ddition-
ally ,f urther driving safety system sa re deac-
tivated .T here is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Driv eonc arefully. Hav eA BS checked imme-
diately at aq uali fied specialist workshop.
Whe nA BS is malfunctioning ,o the rs ys tems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y
page 220 )a nd dis-
play messages which ma ybes hown in the
instrument cluster ( Y
page 192).
Braking X
If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake peda lv igorously unti lt he braking sit-
uatio ni so ver. X
To make af ul lb rake application: depress
the brake peda lw it hf ul lf orce.
If ABS intervene sw he nb raking ,y ou will fee la
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake peda lc an be an indication
of hazardou sr oa dc onditions, and functions as a
reminder to take extra car ew hile driving.
BAS (Brak eA ssis tS ystem)
General information
BAS operates in emergency braking situations.
If yo ud ep ress the brake peda lq ui ckly, BAS
automaticall yb oo sts the braking force ,t hus
shortening the stopping distance.Driving safety systems 61
Safety Z

sensor technology to assess the traffic situa-
tion.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is capa-
ble of reacting to moving objects that have
alread yb een detected as such at least once
over the period of observation, up to vehicle
speeds of around 155 mph (250 km/h).
Situation-dependent braking assistance can
also detect stationary objects, up to vehicle
speeds of around 44 mph (70 km/h). X
Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally agai ni f:R
you release the brake pedal. R
there is no longer any danger of ac ollision.R
no obstacle is detected in front of your vehi-
cle.
Situation-dependent braking assistance is then
deactivated.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems ( Y
page 61).
G WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist does not react: R
to people or animals R
to oncoming vehicles R
to crossing traffic R
when cornering
As ar esult, Adaptive Brake Assist may not
intervene in all critical conditions. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
Adaptive Brake Assist cannot always clearly
identify objects and complex traffic situa-
tions.
In such cases, Adaptive Brake Assist might: R
intervene unnecessarily R
not intervene
There is ar isk of an accident. Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake. Terminate the
intervention in an on-critical driving situation.
Due to the nature of the system, complex but
non-critical driving conditions may also cause
Active Brake Assist to intervene.
Even if Active Brake Assist is not available due to
am alfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system is still available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS.
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 61).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction ,i .e.
power transmission between the tires and the
road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating from
the direction desired by the driver, one or more
wheels are braked to stabilize the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling awa yo n
wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 61).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.Onv ehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
awa ya nd accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is transfer-
red to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 61).64
Driving safety systems
Safety

G WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully .H ave ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicl ew ith the front axle raised, it is important
that you observe the notes on ESP ®
( Y
pag e2 82).
If the

Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivatedIf ESP ®
is deactivate da nd on eorm or ew heels
start to spin ,t he

X
To deactivate ESP ®
: press button C until
the

You should therefore adapt your drivin gs tyle
to the differen th andlin gc haracteristics. Have
the brak es yste mc hecked at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Please observ et he information on warnin ga nd
indicator lamps ( Y
page 220)
( Y
page 220) as well as on display messages
( Y
page 194).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safet ya nd
offers increased braking comfort .Ina ddition to
the braking function ,A DA PTIVE BRAKE also has
the HOL Df unction ( Y
page 157) and hill start
assist ( Y
page 125).
STEER CONTROL
Genera li nformationSTEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steerin gf orc etot he steerin gw heel
in the direction required for vehicle stabilization.
This steerin ga ssistanc eisp rovided in particular
if: R
both right wheels or both left wheels are on a
wet or slippery road surfac ew hen you brakeR
the vehicle begins to skid
Important safet yn otes
i Observe the "Importan ts afet yn otes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 61).
No steerin ga ssistanc eisp rovided from STEER
CONTROL, if: R
ESP ®
is malfunctioningR
the steerin gism alfunctioning
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevent sy our vehicle from
being started without the correc tS martKey. X
To activat ew ith th eS martKey: remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
To activat ew ith KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: switc ht he ignition off
and open the driver's door. X
To deactivate: switc hont he ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always tak et he
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Anyone
can star tt he engin eifav alid SmartKey has been
left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivate dw hen
you star tt he engine.
In the even tt hat the engin ec annot be started
(yet the vehicle's battery is charged), the sys-
tem is not operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Ben zC enter or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA )o r
1-800-387-010 0( in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alar ms ystem)
X
To arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKe yo r
KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp C flashes. The alarm system
is armed after approximately 15 seconds. X
To disarm: unlock the vehicle with the Smart-
Key or KEYLESS-GO.
or X
Insert the SmartKe yi nt ot he ignition lock.
Av isual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open: R
ad oor R
the vehicle with the mechanical key R
the trun kl id R
the hood68
Protection against theft
Safety

X
Press the lockin gb utton on the driver’s door
( Y
page 76).X
Check whether the lockin gk nobs on the
front-passenger door and the rear doors are
still visible. Press down the lockin gk nobs by
hand, if necessary. X
Close the driver's door. X
Take the mechanical key out of the SmartKey
( Y
page 72).X
Insert the mechanical key into the lock of the
driver's door as far as it will go.
X
Turn the mechanical key clockwise as far as it
will go to position G .X
Turn the mechanical key back and remove it. X
Make sure that the doors and the trunk lid are
locked. X
Insert mechanical key into the SmartKey
( Y
page 72).
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-theft
alarm system is not armed.
Trunk
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion .T here is a
risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open. G WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is ar isk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or as ud-
den change in direction.
Always store object ssot hat they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when opened.
Therefore, make sure that there is sufficient
clearance above the trunk lid.
The opening dimensions of the trunk lid can be
found in the "Vehicle data" section
( Y
page 320).
You should preferably place luggage or loads in
the trunk .O bserve the loading guidelines
( Y
page 237).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk .Y ou
could otherwise lock yourself out.
The trunk lid can be: R
opened and closed manually from outside R
opened automatically from outside R
opened automatically from inside R
released with the emergenc yr elease from the
inside
Opening/closing from outside
Opening
X
Press the 6 button on the SmartKey. X
Pull handle C . X
Raise the trunk lid.78
Trunk
Opening and closing