towing MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 Owners Manual

Feature s. ............................................. 242
Maintenanc ea nd care ...................... 257
Engine compartment ........................... 257
ASSYST PLUS ...................................... 261
Care ..................................................... 262
Breakdown assistance ..................... 269
Where will If ind...? .............................. 269
Fla tt ire ................................................ 271
Battery (vehicle) .................................. 276
Jump-starting ....................................... 278
Towing and tow-starting ...................... 281
Fuses ................................................... 284
Wheels and tires ............................... 287
Important safety notes ........................ 287
Operation ............................................ 287
Winte ro peration .................................. 289
Tir ep ressure ....................................... 290
Loading the vehicle .............................. 298
All abou tw heel sa nd tire s. .................. 301
Changing aw heel ................................ 307
Wheel and tire combinations ............... 312
Technical data ................................... 313
Information regarding technical data ... 313
Vehicl ee le ctronics .............................. 313
Identification plates ............................. 314
Service products and filling capaci-
ties ...................................................... 315
Vehicl ed at a. ........................................ 320 Contents 3

Searching for am obil ep hone
(device manager ). .......................... 234
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 229
Telephony ...................................... 233
Brake Assist
see BAS (Brake Assist System)
Brake fluid
Displa ym essage ............................ 197
Note s. ............................................ 318
Brake forc ed istribution
see EBD (electroni cb rake force
distribution)
Brake lamp
Replacing bulb s. ............................ 106
Brake lamps
Displa ym essage ............................ 202
Brakes
ABS .................................................. 61
BAS .................................................. 61
Brake fluid (notes) ......................... 318
Braking assistance appropriate to
the situation ..................................... 63
Displa ym essage ............................ 192
EBD .................................................. 67
Hil ls tart assis t. .............................. 125
HOLD function ............................... 157
Important safety notes .................. 146
Maintenance .................................. 147
Parking brake ................................ 142
Riding tip s. ..................................... 146
Warning lamp ................................. 219
Brakin ga ssistanc ea ppropriate to
the situation
Function/note s. ............................... 63
Breakdown
Where will If ind...? ........................ 269
see Fla tt ire
see Tow-starting
see Towing away
Button sont he steering wheel ......... 177
C
California
Important notice for retail cus-
tomers and lessees .......................... 25 Calling up am alfunction
see Displa ym essages
Car
see Vehicle
Care
Ca rw as h. ....................................... 262
Carpets .......................................... 268
Displa y. .......................................... 266
Exhaus tp ip e. ................................. 266
Exterior lights ................................ 265
Gear or selector lever .................... 267
Interior ........................................... 266
Matte finish ................................... 264
Note s. ............................................ 262
Paint .............................................. 263
Plastic trim .................................... 266
Power washe r. ............................... 263
Rear vie wc amera .......................... 265
Roof lining ...................................... 268
Sea tb el t. ....................................... 267
Sea tc ove r. .................................... 267
Sensors ......................................... 265
Steering whee l. .............................. 267
Tri mp ie ce s. ................................... 267
Washing by hand ........................... 262
Wheel s. .......................................... 264
Window s. ....................................... 264
Wipe rb lade s. ................................. 265
Woode nt rim .................................. 267
Carg oc om partmen te nl argement ... 240
Carg ot ie dow nr ings ......................... 241
CD
see also Digital Operator's Man-
ua l. ................................................. 229
CD player (on-board computer) ........ 183
Cente rc on sole
Lower section .................................. 36
Upper section .................................. 35
Central locking
Automati cl oc king (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 187
Locking/unlocking (SmartKey ). ....... 70
Chang eofa ddress .............................. 26
Chang eofo wner ship .......................... 26
Changin gaw heel
Wh eels an dt ire s. ........................... 3086
Index

Traction (definition ). ...................... 307
Tread wear .................................... .3 01
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standard s. ..................................... 301
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standard s( definition) .................... 306
Wea ri ndicator (definition) ............. 307
Whee lr im (definition) .................... 306
see Flat tire
Top Tether ............................................ 57
Tow-starting
Emergency engine starting ............ 284
Important safety notes .................. 281
Installing the towing ey e. ............... 282
Removing the towing ey e. ............. .2 82
Towing at railer
ESP ®
(Electroni cS tability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 67
Towing away
Important safety guidelines ........... 281
Installing the towing ey e. ............... 282
Notes for 4MATIC vehicles ............ 284
Removing the towing ey e. ............. .2 82
Transporting the vehicle ................ 283
With both axle sont he ground ....... 283
With front axle raised ..................... 282
Towing eye ......................................... 270
Traffic reports
see also Digita lO perator's Man-
ua l. ................................................ .2 29
Transmission
see Automatic transmission
Transmission position display
(DIRECT SELEC Tl ever) ..................... .1 30
Transporting the vehicle .................. 283
Trim pieces (cleaning instruc-
tions) ................................................. .2 67
Trip computer (on-board com-
puter) ................................................. .1 80
Trip odometer
Calling up ....................................... 180
Resetting (on-board computer) ...... 181
Trunk
Emergency release .......................... 81
Emergency release button .............. .8 1
Important safety notes .................... 78 Opening (automaticall yf rom out-
side) ................................................ .7 9
Opening (from outside the vehi-
cle, HANDS-F REE ACCESS) ... ...........
79
Opening automaticall yf rom
inside ............................................... 80
Opening/closing (manually from
outside) ............................................ 78
Trunk lid
Display message ........................... .2 15
Opening dimensions ..................... .3 20
Trunk load (maximum) ..................... .3 20
Turn signals
Display message ............................ 202
Replacing bulbs (front) ................... 106
Switching on/off ........................... 101
Two-way radio
Frequencies ................................... 313
Installatio n. .................................... 313
Transmissio no utput (maximum ). ... 313
Type identification plate
see Vehicle identification plate
U Unlocking
Emergency unlocking ....................... 77
From insid et he vehicle (central
unlocking button) ............................ .7 6
Upshif ti ndicator (on-boar dc om-
puter, Mercedes-AMG vehicles) ...... .1 88
USB devices
Connecting to the Medi aI nter-
face ............................................... 236
V
Vanity mirror (in the sun visor) ....... .2 44
Vehicle
Correct use ...................................... 28
Data acquisition ............................... 29
Display message ............................ 213
Equipment ....................................... 25
Individua ls ettings .......................... 186
Limited Warranty ............................ .2 9
Loading .......................................... 298
Locking (in an emergency) ............... 77
Locking (SmartKey) .......................... 7020
Index

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

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

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

X
To en dac all: press the v button on the
multifunctio ns teering wheel.
or X
Press the corresponding multimedia system
button for ending ap hone call.X
After the emergency call, close cover C .
If the mobil ep hone network is unavailable,
mbrace will not be able to make the emergency
call. If yo ul ea ve the vehicl ei mmediatel ya fter
pressing SOS button D ,y ou do not know if
mbrace ha ss uc cessfull ym ade th ee mergency
call. In thi sc ase, always summon assistance by
othe rm eans.
Breakdow na ssistanc eb utton
X
To make ac all: press Roadside assistance
cal lb ut ton C .
Thi si nitiates ac al ltot he Mercedes-Benz Cus-
tome rA ssistance Center.
The indicator lamp in Roadside assistanc but-
ton C flashe sw hile the cal lisa ctive. The
Connectin gC all message appears on the
multifunctio nd is play .T he audi oo ut pu ti s
muted.
If ac onnectio nc an be established ,t he Call
Connected message appears in the multifunc-
tio nd is play.
If am obil ep hone network and GP Sr eception
are available ,t he system transfers data to the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center,
for example: R
current location of the vehicle R
vehicl ei de ntificatio nn umber
The display of the multimedia system indicates
tha tac al lisa ctive. During the call, yo uc an
change to the navigatio nm enu by pressing the
NAVI button on the multimedia system ,f or
example.
Voice outpu ti sn ot available in thi sc ase. Av oice connectio ni se stablished between the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
and the vehicl eo ccupants.
From the remote malfunctio nd iagn osis, the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center
can ascertain the nature of the problem
( Y
page 250).
The Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Cen-
ter either send saq uali fied Mercedes-Benz tech-
nician or makes arrangements for your vehicle
to be transported to the neares tM ercedes-Benz
Service Center.
Yo um ay be charge df or service ss uc hasr epair
work and/or towing.
Yo uc an find more informatio nint he separate
mbrace manual.
The system ha sn ot been able to initiate aR oad-
side assistance call, if: R
the R indicator lamp for the Roadside
assistance cal lb ut ton is flashing continu-
ously. R
no voice connectio ntot he Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center wa se stab-
lished.
Thi sc an occu rift he relevant mobil ep hone net-
work is not available ,f or example.
The Call Failed message appears on the mul-
tifunctio nd is play. X
To en dac all: press the v button on the
multifunctio ns teering wheel.
or X
Press the corresponding multimedia system
button for ending ap hone call.
MB Info cal lb utton
X
To make ac all: press MB Info cal lb ut ton C .
Thi si nitiates ac al ltot he Mercedes-Benz Cus-
tome rA ssistance Center.Features 247
Sto wag ea nd featur es Z

quently. Under arduous operatin gc onditions,
the tires must be checked more often. Further
information can be obtained at aq ualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. an authorized Mercedes-
Ben zC enter.
Driving abroad An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service network is
also available in other countries. You can obtain
further information from any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Care
General notes
H Environmental note
Dispose of empty packagin ga nd cleaning
cloths in an environmentally responsible man-
ner.
! For cleanin gy our vehicle, do not use any of
the following: R
dry, rough or hard cloths R
abrasive cleanin ga gentsR
solvents R
cleanin ga gent sc ontainin gs olvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective films
with hard objects, e.g. ar ing or ice scraper.
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surfaces and protective film.
! Do not park your vehicle for al ong period of
time directly after cleaning, particularly after
cleanin gt he wheel rim with wheel cleaner.
Wheel cleaner can lead to the increased cor-
rosion of the brake discs and pads. Therefore,
drive for af ew minutes after cleaning. By
heating up the brakes, the brake discs and
pads dry. The vehicle can then be parked for a
long period of time.
Regular care of your vehicle is ac ondition for
retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care product sa nd cleanin ga gent sr ecom-
mended and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Washing the vehicle and cleaning the
paintwork
Automatic car wash
G WARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after washing
the vehicle. There is ar isk of an accident.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the traffic
condition su ntil full brakin gp ower is restored.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage 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
! Never clean your vehicle in aT ouchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleanin ga gents. These cleanin ga gent sc an
damage the paintwor korp lastic parts.
! Make sure that the automatic transmission
is in position N when washing your vehicle in
at ow-through car wash. The vehicle could be
damaged if the transmission is in another
position.
! Make sure that: R
the side windows and the sliding sunroof
are fully closed. R
the blower is switched off. R
the windshield wiper switch is at position 0 .
The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleanin gitinana utomatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off wax
from the windshield and the wiper blades. This
will preven ts mears and reduce wiping noises
caused by residue on the windshield.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in each country.262
Care
Maintenance and care

i Jumper cable sa nd further informatio nr egardin gj ump-startin gc an be obtaine data ny qualified
specialist workshop.
Towing and tow-starting
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Function sr elevan ttos afety are restricted or
no longer available if: R
th ee ngine is no tr unning.R
th eb rak es ystem or th ep ower steering is
malfunctioning. R
there is am alfunctio nint he voltage supply
or th ev ehicle's electrical system.
If your vehicle is bein gt ow ed, muc hm ore
force may be necessar yt os te er or brake.
Ther eisar isk of an accident.
In such cases, use at ow bar. Before towing,
mak es ure that th es te ering moves freely.
G WARNING
You can no longer steer th ev ehicle if the
steering wheel loc kh as been engaged. There
is ar isk of an accident.
Always switch off th ei gnitio nw hen towing the
vehicle with at ow cable or at ow bar.
G WARNING
When towing or tow-startin ga nother vehicle
and its weight is greater than th ep ermissible
gross weight of your vehicle ,t he :R
th et ow ing eye could detach itselfR
th ev ehicle/trailer combinatio nc ould roll-
over.
Ther eisar isk of an accident.
When towing or tow-startin ga nother vehicle,
its weight shoul dn ot be greater than th ep er-
missible gross weight of your vehicle.
Details on th ep ermissible gross vehicle weight
of your vehicle can be foun dont he vehicle iden-
tification plat e( Y
page 314).
! When Activ eB ra ke Assist ,D istance Pilot
DISTRONIC or th eH OL Df unction is activated, th ev ehicle brakes automatically in certain
situations.
To avoid damage to th ev ehicle ,d eactivate
these systems in th ef ollowing or similar sit-
uations: R
when towing th ev ehicle R
in th ec ar wash
! Mak es ure that th ee lectric parking brak ei s
released. If th ee lectric parking brak eisf aulty,
visi taq ualifie ds pecialist workshop.
! Only secure th et ow rope or to wb ar at the
towing eyes. Otherwise, th ev ehicle coul db e
damaged.
! Do no tu se th et ow ing eyes for recover yp ur-
pose sast hi sc oul dd amage th ev ehicle .Ifi n
doubt ,r ecover th ev ehicle with ac ra ne.
! When towing ,p ull away slowly and
smoothly. If th et ra ctive power is to oh igh ,t he
vehicle sc oul dbed amaged.
! The vehicle can be towed am aximum of
30 miles (50km). The t owing speed of 30 mph
(5 0km/h) must no tbee xceeded.
If th ev ehicle has to be towed mor et ha n
30 miles (50km), th ef ront axle must be raised
or th ee ntire vehicle raise da nd transported.
! Do no tt ow with sling-type equipment .T his
coul dd amage th ev ehicle.
! When towing vehicle sw ith KEYLESS-GO,
use th ek ey instead of th eS ta rt/Sto pb utton.
Otherwise, th ea utomatic transmission may
shif ttop osition P when th ed river' sorf ront -
passenger door are opened, whic hc oul dl ead
to damage to th et ra nsmission.
! Vehicles with automatic transmission must
no tbes ta rted by tow-starting. This coul do th -
erwis ed amage th et ra nsmission.
It is bette rtoh ave th ev ehicle transported than
to have it towed away.
If th ev ehicle can no longer be driven because of
an acciden torb reakdown ,y ou have th ef ollow-
ing options: R
Transportin gt he vehicle.Towing and tow-starting 281
Breakdown assistance Z