warning MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS 2013 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2013, Model line: CLA-CLASS, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS 2013Pages: 352, PDF Size: 5.64 MB
Page 170 of 352

Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( Y page 318).
Driving with summer tyres
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section ( Y page 318).
Slippery road surfaces
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in
an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XVehicles with manual transmission:
shift to neutral.XVehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.XTry to bring the vehicle under control by
using corrective steering.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. You
should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see ( Y page 319).
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need
to have selected manual drive program
M (Y page 156). By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in the
lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
168Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
Page 172 of 352

Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speedGWARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
XPress the cruise control lever up : for a
higher speed or down ? for a lower speed.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.XRelease the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.XTo adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : or down ? to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.XTo adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: press the cruise control lever
briefly up : or down ? beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
XBrake
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ; in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R the vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six seconds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position N while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise
control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
170Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
Page 174 of 352

Storing the current speed
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.XBriefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
The current speed is stored. For five sec-
onds, the multifunction display shows the
stored speed, e.g. Limit 100 km/h.
The segments in the speedometer light up
from the start of the scale up to the stored
speed.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the
vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.XTo adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up : to the pressure point for a
higher speed, or down ? for a lower speed.
or
XKeep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up : for
a higher speed or down ? for a lower
speed.XTo adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up : past the pressure point fora higher speed, or down ? for a lower
speed.
or
XKeep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ? for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
It is not possible to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC by braking.
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
XBriefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ; in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Vehicles with manual transmission:
SPEEDTRONIC switches off if you shift to a
higher gear and as a result, the engine speed
is too low.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine.
Kickdown
Switching SPEEDTRONIC to passive
If you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the pressure point (kickdown), SPEED-
TRONIC is switched to passive. The following
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play: SPEEDTRONIC passive .
You can then exceed the stored speed.
SPEEDTRONIC is activated again if you:
172Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
Page 175 of 352

Rdrive slower than the stored speed without
kickdown
R set a new speed or
R call up the last speed stored again
The SPEEDTRONIC passive message in the
multifunction display disappears.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC
You can use the on-board computer to limit
the speed permanently to a value between
160 km/h (e.g. for driving on winter tyres) and
the maximum speed ( Y page 223).
Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it
appears in the multifunction display.
Permanent SPEEDTRONIC remains active,
even if variable SPEEDTRONIC is deactivated.
You cannot exceed the stored limit speed,
even if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown).
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
note of this when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. Without your intervention, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a collision. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately to
increase the distance to the vehicle driving in
front, or take evasive action, provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in the range
between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notesGWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Driving systems173Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
Page 177 of 352

Selecting DISTRONIC PLUSXCheck whether LIM indicator lamp = is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.XIf it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp = in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from P to D or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and the rear
doors must be closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS function must be
selected with the cruise control lever
( Y page 175).
ActivatingXBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ? or press it up : or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.XKeep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down A until the desired speed
is set.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS inactive
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set
is 30 km/h.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ? or press it up : or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
Driving systems175Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
Page 178 of 352

XBriefly pull the cruise control lever
( Y page 174) towards you ?.XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling away and driving
i The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving
on a different line from another vehicle. The
vehicle then brakes automatically. There is
a risk of an accident. Be ready to brake at
all times.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
XIf you want to pull away with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.XBriefly pull the cruise control lever
( Y page 174) towards you ?.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your vehi-
cle accelerates to the set speed.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehi-
cle. In this way, the distance you have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style when you have selected the S or M driv-
ing program ( Y page 155). Acceleration
behind the vehicle in front or to the set speed
is then noticeably more dynamic. If you have
selected the E driving program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is rec-
ommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 70 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the respective turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i When you change lanes, DISTRONIC
PLUS monitors the left lane for left-hand-
drive vehicles and the right lane for right-
hand-drive vehicles.
StoppingGWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
176Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
Page 181 of 352

Rthe vehicle is skidding
R you activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐
TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster
Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments ; in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front,
segments ; between speed of the vehicle in
front = and stored speed : light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated:Vehicle in front, if detected;Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front=Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable?Own vehicleXSelect the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
( Y page 217).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
:Vehicle in front, if detected;Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable=Own vehicle?DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)XSelect the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
( Y page 217).Driving systems179Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
Page 183 of 352

detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally.
HOLD function
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function ( Y page 182).
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
R the vehicle is stationary.
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 if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the electric parking brake is released.
R the transmission is in position D, R or N on
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Driving systems181Driving and parkingZProCarManuals.com
Page 184 of 352

Activating the HOLD functionXMake sure that the activation conditions
are met.XDepress the brake pedal.XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until : appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position D or R.
R the transmission is in position P on vehicles
with automatic transmission.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until : disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If a fault occurs, then the transmission may
be shifted into position P automatically.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The Brake immediately message can also
appear in the multifunction display.XImmediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
A horn will sound at regular intervals if you
turn off the engine, take off your seat belt or
open the driver's door when the HOLD func-
tion is activated. The horn alerts you to the
fact that the HOLD function is still activated.
If you attempt to lock the vehicle, the tone
becomes louder. The vehicle cannot be
locked until you have deactivated the HOLD
function.
i Once you have switched off the engine,
you cannot restart it until you have deacti-
vated the HOLD function.
PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
182Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com
Page 186 of 352

Rear sensorsCentreApprox. 120 cmCornersApprox. 80 cm
Minimum distance
CentreApprox. 20 cmCornersApprox. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn-
ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
Warning display for the front area
:Segments on the left-hand side of the
vehicle;Segments on the right-hand side of the
vehicle=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The gear lever position or the transmission
position of the automatic transmission and
the direction in which the vehicle is rolling
determine which warning display is active
when the engine is running.
Manual transmission:Gear lever posi-
tionWarning displayForwards gear
or
NeutralFront area activatedReverse gear , or
the vehicle is rolling
backwardsRear and front areas
activated
Automatic transmission:
Transmission
positionWarning displayDFront area activatedR , N or the vehicle
is rolling back-
wardsRear and front areas
activatedPNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you will hear an
intermittent warning tone for approx-
imately two seconds.
R seventh segment onwards, you will hear a
warning tone for approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
184Driving systemsDriving and parking
ProCarManuals.com