tow MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 User Guide

G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they coul ds et it in motion by, for example:R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicl ee quip-
ment and become trapped. There is ar isk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway st ake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
G WARNING
If persons, particularl yc hildren are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme hea to r
cold, there is ar isk of injury ,p ossibly even
fatal .N ever leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
G WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularl yont he metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is ar isk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you ,a lway se nsure that the child restraint
system is not expose dtod irect sunlight. Pro-
tect it with ab lanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been expose dtod irect
sunlight, let it cool dow nb efore securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicl eo ccupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly .P articular attention must be pai dt o
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
( Y
pag e4 2) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts ( Y
pag e4 3).
Ab ooster seat may be necessary to achieve
prope rs eat bel tp ositioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg )u ntil they reach ah eight where a three-point seat bel tc an be properly fastened
without ab ooster seat.
Special seatbelt retractor
G WARNING
If the seat bel tisr eleased while driving, the
child restraint system wil lnol onger be
secure dp roperly .T he special seat bel tr etrac-
tor is disable da nd the inertia real draw sina
portion of the seat belt. The seat bel tc annot
be immediatel yr efastened. There is an
increased risk of injury ,p ossibly even fatal.
Stop the vehicl ei mmediately, paying atten-
tion to road and traffic conditions. Reactivate
the special seat bel tr etractor and secure the
child restraint system properly.
All seat belts in the vehicle, except the driver's
seat belt, are equipped with as pecial seat belt
retractor. When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensure st hat the seat bel tc annot
slacken once the child seat is secured.
Installing ac hild restraint system: X
Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. X
Pul lt he seat bel ts moothly from the bel to ut-
let. X
Engage seat bel tt ongue in bel tb uckle.
Activating the special seat bel tr etractor:X
Pul lt he seat bel to ut full ya nd let the inertia
reel retract it again.
Whil et he seat bel tisr etracting, you should
hear ar atcheting sound .T he special seat belt
retractor is enabled. X
Push the child restraint system dow nsot hat
the seat bel tist ight and does not loosen.
Removing the child restraint system and deac-
tivating the special seat bel tr etractor:X
Make sure you observe the child restraint
system manufacturer's installation instruc-
tions. X
Press the release button of the seat belt
buckle and guide the seat bel tt ongue back
toward st he bel ts ash guide.
The special seat bel tr etractor is deactivated.Children in the vehicle 55
Safety Z

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

Meanwhile, the fuel filler flap will not be locked
or unlocked.
You cannot unlock the vehicle centrally from the
inside if the vehicle has been locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO.
You can open ad oor from inside the vehicle
even if it has been locked. You can open the rear
doors from inside the vehicle unless they are
secured by the child-proof lock ( Y
page 60).
If the vehicle has previously been locked with
the SmartKey from the outside, opening ad oor
from the inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm
system. Switch off the alarm ( Y
page 68).
If al ocked door is opened from the inside, the
previous unlock status of the vehicle will be
taken into consideration if: R
the vehicle was locked using the locking but-
ton for the central locking, or R
if the vehicle was locked automatically
The vehicle will be fully unlocked if it had previ-
ously been fully unlocked. If only the driver's
door had been previously unlocked, only the
door which has been opened from the inside is
unlocked.
Automatic lockin gf eature
X
To deactivate: press and hold button C for
approximately five seconds until at one
sounds. X
To activate: press and hold button D for
approximately five seconds until at one
sounds.
If you press one of the two buttons and do not
hear at one, the relevant settin gh as already
been selected.
The vehicle is locked automatically when the
ignition is switched on and the wheels are turn-
ing. You could therefore lock yourself out if: R
the vehicle is being pushed R
the vehicle is being towed R
the vehicle is on ar oller dynamometer
You can also switch the automatic locking func-
tion on and off using the on-board computer
( Y
page 187).
Unlocking the driver's door (mechan-
ical key) If the vehicle can no longer be locked or
unlocked with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO,
use the mechanical key.
If you use the mechanical key to unlock and
open the driver's door, the anti-theft alarm sys-
tem will be triggered. Switch off the alarm
( Y
page 68). 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 counter-clockwise
as far as it will go to position G .
The door is unlocked. X
Turn the mechanical key back and remove it. X
Insert mechanical key into the SmartKey
( Y
page 72).
Locking the vehicle (mechanical key)
If the vehicle can no longer be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO, use the mechanical
key. X
Open the driver's door. X
Close the front-passenger door, the rear
doors and the trunk lid. Doors 77
Opening and closing Z

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

Parking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is ar isk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example: R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is ar isk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away .O therwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally: R
the electric parking brake must be applied. R
the transmission must be in position ] and
the transmission position display must show
] in the multifunction display. R
the SmartKey must be removed from the igni-
tion lock. R
on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away .T here is ar isk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P .P revent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake. X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): shift the transmission to position ] .
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: press button C .X
With the SmartKey : turn the SmartKey to
position Z in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. X
With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button ( Y
page 122).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrumen tc luster go out.
If the driver's door is closed, this is the same
as key position G .Ift he driver's door is open,
this is the same as key position Z ,i .e. the
SmartKey having been removed.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position ^ or [ ,t he automatic trans-
mission shifts to \\ automatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove Parking 141
Driving and parking Z

the SmartKe yf ro mt he ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to ] automatically.
With the Start/Sto pb utton: if yo ut he no pe n
the driver's door or the front-passenge rd oo r,
the automatic transmission shifts to ] auto-
matically.
If yo uw an tt he automatic transmission to
remai ninn eutral \\ ,e .g .w he nh av in gt he vehi-
cle cleane dinana ut omatic car wash with a
towing system: X
Vehicle sw it ht he Start-Sto pb utton:
remove the Start-Stop button fro mt he igni-
tio nl oc k.X
Insert the SmartKe yi nto the ignition lock.X
Al lv eh icles: switch the ignition on.X
Depres st he brake peda la nd kee pi t
depressed. X
Engage neutral \\ .X
Releas et he brake pedal.X
Releas et he electri cp ar king brake.X
Switch off the ignition and leav et he SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Electric parking brake
General notes
G WARNING
If yo ul eave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle ,t he yc ould se titinm otion by ,f or example:R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission ou toft he
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, the ym ay operate vehicl ee quip-
ment and become trapped .T here is ar is ko f
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou and lock the vehicle. Never
leav ec hildren unsupervised in the vehicle. The functio noft he electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
boar dv oltag eisl ow or there is am al functio ni n
the system, it ma yn ot be possibl etoa pply the
release dp ar king brake. X
If thi sist he case, onl yp ar kt he vehicl eo n
level ground and secur eittop revent it rolling
away. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
] .
It ma yn ot be possibl etor elease an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltag eisl ow or
there is am al functio nint he system. Contact a
qualified specialis tw or kshop.
The electric parking brake performs af un ction
tes tatr egular intervals whil et he engine is
switched off .T he sound st ha tc an be he ar dw hile
thi siso ccurring ar en ormal.
Applyin gorr eleasing manually
X
To engage: push handle C .
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can also be applied
when the SmartKe yisr emoved.X
To release: pull handle C .
The red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can onl yb e
released: R
if the SmartKe yisinp osit ion G or H in
the ignition lock ( Y
page 122 )o rR
if the ignition wa ss wi tched on using the
Start/Stop button142
Parking
Driving an dp arking

To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled: R
the engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use. R
the electric parking brake must be released. R
ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.R
Parking Pilot must not be activated. R
the transmission must be in position [ .R
the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from ] to [ or your seat belt must be
fastened. R
the front-passenger door must be closed. R
the vehicle must not skid.
Activating X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive rint he
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicl eisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele da nd the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ul la way.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is am alfunction in the system or in
the voltag es upply.R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator peda lort he brake
pedal, e.g. by av ehicl eo ccupant.R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse sh ave
been tampere dw ith.R
the battery is disconnected
There is ar isk of an accident.
If you wis htoe xit the vehicle, alway st urn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoi dd amage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
pag e1 57). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if: R
the vehicl eiss tationary R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function R
the driver's door is closed or you rs eat bel ti s
fastened R
the electric parking brake is released R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated R
the transmission is in position [ , ^ or \\
on vehicles with automatic transmission
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake peda lf urther
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake peda lt he first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivatin gt he HOLD functionThe HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission is in
position [ or ^ . R
the transmission is in position ] on vehicles
with automatic transmission. R
you depress the brake peda la gain with ac er-
tain amount of pressure until C disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC. R
you secure the vehicl eu sing the electric park-
ing brake.Driving systems 157
Driving and parking Z

Sport mode
The firmer settin goft he suspension tuning in
Sport mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads. X
Press button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up. You have selected
Sport mode.
The AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you favor am ore comfortable driving
style, but also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. highways. X
Press button C again so that indicator
lamp D goes out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG
Suspension System COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. Damage of
this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty. All wheels must remain
either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
4MATIC, together with ESP ®
,i mproves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever ad rive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip. If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front ,f or vehicle
speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
If ad rive wheel spins due to insufficient grip: R
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away. R
Accelerate less when driving.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
DYNAMIC BODY CONTROL
General notes DYNAMI CB ODY CONTROL offers improved
driving comfort and continuously controls the
calibration of the dampers. The
damping characteristics adapt to the current
operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g. sporty R
the road surface conditions R
the drive program selected
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMI CS ELECT button ( Y
page 128).
Selecting Comfort mode In the Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristic sofy our vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Therefore, select this drive program if you
prefer am ore comfortable driving style. Also
select the Comfort drive program when driving
fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches
of highway. X
Press DYNAMI CS ELECT button ( Y
page 128)
as many times as necessary until the Com-
fort drive program is selected.160
Driving systems
Driving and parking

for safe maneuvering and parking. Make sure
that there are no persons, animals or objects in
the maneuvering area while maneuvering and
parking in parking spaces.
Under the following circumstances, the rear
view camera wil ln ot function, or wil lf unction in
al imited manner: R
if the trunk lid is open R
in heavy rain, snow or fog R
at night or in very dark places R
if the camera is expose dtov ery bright lightR
if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker) R
if there is as udden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into ah eated garage in win-
ter R
if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
( Y
pag e2 65)R
if the rear of you rv ehicl eisd amaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting
checked at aq ualified specialist workshop
The fiel dofv ision and other functions of the rear
view camera may be restricted due to additional
accessories on the rear of the vehicl e( e.g.
license plate holder, rear bicycle rack).
Activating/deactivating the rear view
camera X
To activate: make sure that the SmartKey is
in position H in the ignition lock.X
Make sure that the Activation by Rg ear
function is selected in the multimedi as ystem;
see the Digita lO perator's Manual.X
Engage reverse gear.
The area behind the vehicl eiss how nw ith
guide lines in the multimedi as ystem display.
The image from the rear view camera is avail-
abl et hroughou tt he maneuvering process.
To deactivate: the rear view camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to ] or after
driving forwards as hort distance. Messages in the multimedia system dis-
play The rear view camera may show ad istorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all.
The rear view camera does not show objects in
the following positions: R
very close to the rear bumper R
under the rear bumper R
in close range above the handl eont he trunk
lid
! Objects not at ground leve lm ay appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.: R
the bumper of ap arked vehicleR
the drawbar of at railerR
the bal lc oupling of at railer tow hitchR
the rear section of an HGV R
as lanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom-
most guideline.
C
Yellow guide line at ad istance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle D
White guide line without steering inpu t–
vehicl ew idth including the exterior mirrors
(static)