wheel MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 Owner's Guide

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

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

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

In addition to driving style, the actual consump-
tion is affected by other factors, such as: R
Load R
Tire pressure R
Cold start R
Choice of route R
Active electrical consumers
These factors are not include dint he ECO dis-
play.
An economical driving style specially requires
driving at moderate engine speeds.
Achieving ah igher valu eint he categories
"Acceleration" and "Constant": R
observe the gearshift recommendations. R
drive the vehicle in drive program C or E
(vehicles with aD YNAMIC SELECT button).
On long journeys at ac onstant speed ,e .g. on the
highway, only the outer area for "constant" will
change.
The ECO display summarizes the driving style
from the start of the journey to its completion.
Therefore, there are more marked changes in
the outer area satt he start of aj ourney. On lon-
ger journeys, there are fewer changes. For more
marked changes, perform am anua lr est
( Y
page 181).
For more information on the ECO display, see
( Y
page 180).
Braking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you shift down on as lippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheel sc ould lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on as lippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
! On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to a
lowe rg ear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of engine braking. For this you
must first activate manua lg earshifting. This helps you to avoid overheating the brakes and
wearing them out excessively.
When you take advantage of engine braking, it
is possible that ad rive wheel wil ln ot rotate for
some time, e.g. on as lippery road surface.
This could cause damage to the drive train.
This type of damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator peda lo n
downhill gradients whil et he manua ld rive pro-
gram M is temporaril ya ctivated: the automatic
transmission may switch to the last active auto-
matic drive program E or S .T he automatic trans-
missio nm ay shift to ah ighe rg ear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads
G WARNING
If you rest you rf oot on the brake peda lw hile
driving, the braking system can overheat. This
increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail .T here is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake peda lasaf ootrest. Never
depres st he brake peda la nd the accelerator
peda latt he same time.
! Depressing the brake peda lc onstantly
results in excessive and premature wea rt o
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to ah eavy
load ,don ot stop the vehicle immediately .D rive
on for as hort while. This allows the airflow to
cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads If you have driven for al ong time in heavy rain
withou tb raking, there may be ad elayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has
been washed or driven through deep water.
You have to depres st he brake peda lm ore
firmly .M aintai nag reater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on aw et road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly whil ep aying attention to
the traffic conditions. This wil lw arm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.146
Driving tips
Driving and parking

Rear whee lX
Bring th ev ehicl ea nd wheels int oas uitable
position so that you can attach test gage

If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have you rv ehicle winter-proofed at aq ualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed: X
Shift the transmission to position N .X
Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outsid et emperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outsid et emperature are dis-
played after as hort delay.
Indicated temperature sj ust above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
woode da rea soronb ridges.
You shoul dp ay specia la ttention to road condi-
tions when temperature sa re around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see ( Y
page 290).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( Y
page 289).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion ( Y
page 289).
Drivin gs ystems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains ac onstant road speed
for you .Itb rakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed .Onl ong and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select al ow gear in good time.
You need to shift manually using the steering
wheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,
you wil lm ake use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limi tt he speed to any
speed betwee n20m ph (30 km/h )a nd the tech-
nicall yp ermitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain as teady
speed for ap rolonge dp eriod.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt you rd riving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the law sofp hysics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid .Y ou are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed ,f or braking in
good time and for staying in you rl ane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain ac onstant speed ,e .g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces .B raking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheel stol ose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is ac hange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
Activates or increases speed
D
Activates or reduces speedDriving systems 149
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

Conditions for activation You can activat eR ACE START if:R
th ed oors, hood and th et ru nk lid are closed.R
th ee ng in eisr unnin ga nd th et ra nsmission,
all-wheel driv ec lutch and th ee ng in ea re at
operatin gt em perature.R
th es te ering wheel is in th es tr aight-ahead
position. R
th ev ehicle is stationar ya nd th eb rak ep edal is
depressed (lef tf oot).R
th et ra nsmission is in position [ .R
driv ep rogram S , S+ or RACE is selected
( Y
page 129)
Activating RACE START X
Depres st he brak ep edal wit hy our left foot
and keep it depressed. X
Pull and hold bot hs te ering wheel paddle shift-
ers. X
The RAC ES TART Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel :P addle DOWN message appear si n
th em ultifunction display.X
Release bot hs te ering wheel paddle shifters.
i If th ea ctivation condition sa re no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Not Possible See Operator's
Manual message appear sint he multifunction
display. X
To cancel: pull th el eft steering wheel paddle
shifte r( Y
page 136).
or X
To confirm: pull th er igh ts te ering wheel pad-
dle shifte r( Y
page 136).
The RACE START Available Depress gas
pedal message appear sint he multifunction
display.
i If you do no td epress th ea ccelerato rp edal
within af ew seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The multifunction display shows the
RAC ES TART Canceled message.X
Fully depress th ea ccelerato rp edal.
The engin es pee disi ncreased.
The RACE START Release brake to start
message appear sint he multifunction display.
i If you do no tr elease th eb rak ep edal within
as hort time, RACE START will be canceled. The multifunction display shows the RACE
START Canceled message.X
Tak ey our foo to ff th eb rake, but keep the
accelerato rp edal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE START Active message appear si n
th em ultifunction display.
RACE START is deactivate dw hen th ev ehicle
reaches as pee dofa pproximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivate di mmediately if you
release th ea ccelerato rp edal durin gR ACE
START or if any of th ea ctivation condition sa re
no longer fulfilled. The RAC ES TART Not Pos‐
sible See Operator' sM anual or RACE
START Canceled message appear sint he mul-
tifunctio nd isplay.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th ev ehicle has been driven ac ertain
distance.
AMG adaptiv es port suspension sys-
tem
General notes The electronicall yc ontrolled damping system
work sc ontinuously. This improve sd riving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g .s portyR
th er oad surface condition ,e .g .b umpsR
your individua ls electio no f Sport or Comfort
The suspension settin gisa djusted usin gt he
correspondin gb utto nint he cente rc onsole.
i The mod ec an also be set usin gt he AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller ( Y
page 129).
Eac ht im ey ou start th ee ng in ew it ht he Smart-
Key or th eS ta rt/Sto pb utton, Comfort mod ei s
activated. For further informatio na bout starting
th ee ng ine, see ( Y
page 125).Driving systems 159
Driving and parking Z