ECU MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 Owner's Manual

vice or maintenance work. There is ar isk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
you rs martphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via you rs martphone, for example, if you:R
switch on the hazard warning lamps R
do not lock the doors R
open the hood
Pulling away
General notes
G WARNING
If the engine spee disa bove the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicl ec ould pul la wa ys uddenly .T here is
ar isk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position D or R ,
alway sf irmly depress the brake peda la nd do
not simultaneously accelerate.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicl el ocks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the insid eata ny
time.
You can als od eactivate the automatic locking
feature ( Y
pag e1 87).
It is possible to shift the transmission from posi-
tion ] to the desired position only if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then can the
parking lock be deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if you do not depress the brake pedal, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you do not depress
the brake pedal, the selector lever can still be
moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
At transmission flui dt emperatures below

Important safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th ee ng in eiss witched off automatically and
you exit th ev ehicle, th ee ng in eisr estarte d
automatically. The vehicl em ay begi nm oving .
Ther eisar is kofa cciden ta nd injury.
If you wish to exit th ev ehicle, always tur no ff
th ei gnition and secure th ev ehicl ea gainst
rollin ga way.
General notes
C
ECO start/sto pd isplay
The ECO start/sto pf unction is activated when -
eve ry ou start th ee ng in eu sin gt he SmartKey or
th eS ta rt/Sto pb utton.
If th ee ng in eh as been switched off automati-
call ybyt he ECO start/sto pf unction ,t he

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

accelerate sm or eg ently. This settin gisr ecom-
mended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
chang etot he overtakin gl ane ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONIC support sy ou if:R
you are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/ h)R
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci sm ai ntaining the
distance to av ehicl einf rontR
yo us wi tch on the appropriate tur ns ig nalR
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd oe sn ot currently
detect ad an ge rofc ollision
If these conditions ar ef ul filled ,y ou rv ehicl ei s
accelerated .A cceleratio nw il lbei nterrupte di f
changing lanes take st oo long or if the distance
between your vehicl ea nd the vehicl einf ront
become st oo small.
Stopping If Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Cd et ects tha tt he
vehicl einf ront is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
unti litiss tationary.
Once your vehicl eiss tationary, it remains sta-
tionar ya nd yo udon ot nee dtod ep ress the
brake.
i After at ime ,t he electri cp ar kin gb rake
secures the vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specifie dm inimu md is -
tance ,y ou rv ehicl ew il lc ome to as tandstil la t
as uf ficient distance behind the vehicl ei n
front. The specifie dm inimu md is tance is set
using the contro lont he cruis ec o ntro ll ev e
r.
When Distance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci sa ctivated,
the transmission is shifted automaticall yt o
position ] if:R
the driver's sea tb el tisn ot fastened and the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off ,u nless it is auto-
maticall ys wi tched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electri cp ar kin gb rake secures the vehicle
automaticall yifD istance Pilo tD ISTRONI Ci s
activated when the vehicl eiss tationar ya nd:R
as ys tem malfunctio no ccurs.R
the powe rs uppl yisi nsufficient.
If am al functio no ccurs, the transmission may
also shift to position ] automatically. Settin gas peedKee pinm in dt ha titm ay take ab rief moment
unti lt he vehicl eh as accelerated or braked to
the spee ds et. X
Press the cruis ec ontro ll ev er up C for a
highe rs peed or down D for al ower speed.X
To adjus tt he se ts peed in 1m ph incre-
ments (1 km/ hi nc rements): briefl yp ress
the cruis ec ontro ll ev er up C or down D to
the pressure point.
The last stored spee di ncreases or decreases
in 1m ph (1 km/h )i ncrements.X
To adjus tt he se ts peed in 5m ph incre-
ments (1 0k m/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C or down D
beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 5m ph (10 km/h) increments.
i Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is not deactivated
if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerat etoo vertake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting as pecified minimum distanceYou can set the specified minimum distanc ef or
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function you can set the minimum distanc et hat
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi-
cle in front, dependen tonv ehicle speed. You
can see this distanc eint he multifunction dis-
play ( Y
page 161).
The specified minimum distanc ec an be
changed while Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
switched on or off.
i Make sure that you maintain the minimum
distanc etot he vehicle in fron tasr equired by
law. Adjust the distanc etot he vehicle in front
if necessary.154
Driving systems
Driving and parking

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

i After at ime ,t he electri cp ar king brake
secures the vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.
Whe nt he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated ,t he trans-
mission is automaticall ys hifted to position ]
if: R
the driver's sea tb el tisn ot fastene da nd the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
maticall ys wi tched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electri cp ar king brake secures the vehicle
automaticall yift he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated
when the vehicl eiss tationar ya nd:R
as ys tem malfunctio no ccurs.R
the powe rs uppl yisi nsufficient.
Start-off Assist (except Mercedes-
AM Gv eh icles)
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If yo uu se start-off assist, individual wheels
ma ys tart to spi na nd the vehicl em ay skid. If
ESP ®
is deactivated ,t her eisag reate rd an ger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure
tha tnop er sons or obstacle sa re in the vicinity
of the vehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimu ma cceleration
from as tandstill .F or this, as ui tabl yh ig h-grip
roa ds ur face is required ,a lo ng with the tire sa nd
vehicl eb ei ng in prope ro pe rating condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public roads.
Observ et he safety notes on driving safety sys-
tems ( Y
page 61).
Be sure to rea dt he safety notes and information
on ESP ®
( Y
page 64).
Activatin gs tart-off assistX
Deactivate ESP ®
( Y
page 185).X
Turn the steering whee ltot he straight-ahead
position. X
Depres st he brake peda lh ar dw it hy ou rl ef t
foo ta nd kee pitd ep ressed.X
Shift the transmission to position D . X
Use the DYNAMIC SELEC Tb ut ton to select
the S drive progra m( Y
page 128).X
Quickly depress the accelerator peda lf ully.X
Take your foo to ff the brake, bu tk ee pt he
accelerator peda ld ep ressed.
The vehicl ep ulls away at maximu ma cceler-
ation.
i Activate ESP ®
as soo na st he acceleration
proces sh as ended .E SP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilize the vehicl eift he vehicle
starts to ski doraw heel starts to spin.
Canceling start-off assist X
Remove your foo tf rom the accelerator pedal.X
Reactivate ESP ®
.
RAC ES TART (Mercedes-AM Gv eh i-
cles)
Important safety notes
i RAC ES TAR Tm us tn ot be used on normal
roads. RAC ES TAR Tm us to nl ybea ctivated
and used on dedicate dr oa dc ircuits, outside
of public roa du se .
i RAC ES TAR Tiso nl ya vailable in
Mercedes ‑ AM Gv ehicles.
G WARNING
If yo uu se RAC ES TART, individual tire sm ay
start to spi na nd the vehicl ec ould skid.
Depending on the selecte dE SP ®
mode, there
is an increased ris kofs kidding and having an
accident. Make sure tha tnop er sons, animals
or obstacle sa re withi nr an ge of the vehicle.
RAC ES TAR Te nables optima la cceleratio nf rom
as tanding start. For this, as ui tabl yh ig h-grip
roa ds ur face is required and the vehicl ea nd tires
must be in goo dw or king order.
i Observ et he safety notes on driving safety
system s( Y
page 61).
Be sure to rea dt he safety notes and informa-
tio nonE SP ®
( Y
page 64).158
Driving systems
Driving an dp arking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The yellow $ warning lamp and th er ed I (US Ao nl y) or $
(Canada only) indicator lamp ligh tu p.
The electric parking brak eism alfunctioning .
To release: X
Switc ho ff th ei gnition and tur nitb ac ko n.X
Releas et he electric parking brak em anually.
or X
Releas et he electric parking brak ea utomatically ( Y
page 142).
If th ee lectric parking brak es ti ll canno tber eleased:X
Do no td rive on .X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .
The red I (US Ao nl y) or $ (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes
and th ey ellow $ warning lamp lights up.
The electric parking brak eism alfunctioning .
To release: X
Switc ho ff th ei gnition and tur nitb ac ko n.X
Releas et he electric parking brak em anually.
To apply : X
Switc ho ff th ei gnition and tur nitb ac ko n.X
Apply th ee lectric parking brak em anually.
If th er ed I (US Ao nl y) or $ (Canada only) indicator lamp con-
tinue stof lash: X
Do no td rive on .X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 309).X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position E .X
Turn th ef ront wheels toward st he curb.X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .Display messages 19 5
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The yellow $ warning lamp lights up and th er ed I (US Ao nl y)
or $ (Canada only) indicator lamp flashes .
It is no tp ossibl etoa pply th ee lectric parking brak em anually.X
Shift th et ra nsmission to position E .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
' (US Ao nl y)
M (Canada only)
Check Brake Fluid
Level There is no te no ugh brak ef lui dint he brak ef luid reservoir .
Aw arning tone sounds. The ' (US Ao nl y) or M (Canada only)
warning lamp sint he instrumen tc luste rm ay also ligh tu p.
G WARNIN G
The braking effec tm ay be impaired.
There is ar is kofana ccident.X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions. Do no tc ontinue drivin g
under any circumstances. X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 141).X
Consult aq ualified specialist workshop .X
Do no ta dd brak ef luid .T his does no tc orrect th em alfunction .
& Check Brake Pad Wea r The brak ep ads/linings hav er eached their wear limit.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
S Inoperative On eorm or em ain features of th em brace system are malfunctioning .X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop .
Active Brake Assist
Functions Currently
Limite dS ee Opera‐
tor's Manual Active Brake Assis tist em porarily inoperative.
Possibl ec auses are: R
The radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagneti cr adiation emitted by nearby TV or radi os ta tion so r
other source sofe lectromagneti cr adiation .R
The system is outside th eo perating temperature range.R
The on-boar dv oltag eist oo low.
Whe nt he causes state da bov enol onger apply, th ed isplay message
disappears.
Active Brake Assis tiso perational again .
If th ed isplay message does no td isappear :X
Pull ove ra nd stop th ev ehicl es afely as soo nasp ossible, payin g
attention to roa da nd traffic conditions.X
Secur et he vehicl ea gainst rollin ga way ( Y
page 141).X
Restart th ee ng ine.
Active Brake
Assist : System Inop‐
erativ e Active Brake Assis tisu navailable due to am alfunction .S ituation -
dependen tb raking assistanc em ay also hav ef ailed.X
Visit aq ualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages 19 7
On-boar dc omputer an dd isplays Z