ESP MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-CLASS 2013 User Guide

nition may also be impaired. There is an
increased risk of injury, possibly even fatal.
Use only seat covers which have been specif-
ically approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz.GWARNING
Sensors to control the airbags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not per-
formed correctly to the doors or door panel-
ling, as well as damaged doors, can lead to
the function of the sensors being impaired.
The airbags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the airbags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. This poses an increased risk
of injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door pan-
elling carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
You should only use seat cover that have been
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
The seat covers must have a special tear
seam for sidebags. Otherwise, the sidebags
cannot deploy correctly and therefore cannot
provide the intended protection in the event
of an accident.
Front sidebags : and rear sidebags ;
deploy next to the outer seat cushions.
When deployed, the sidebags offer additional
protection of the thorax for occupants on the
front seats as well as also of the pelvis for the
vehicle occupants on the side of the vehicle
on which the impact occurs. However, they
do not protect the:
R head
R neck
R arms
The sidebags are deployed:
R on the side on which an impact occurs
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of lateral vehicle deceleration or accelera-
tion, e.g. in a side impact
R independently of the use of the seat belt
R independently of the front airbags
R independently of the belt tensioners
If the vehicle overturns, the sidebags are gen-
erally not deployed. Sidebags are deployed if
the system detects high vehicle deceleration
or acceleration in a lateral direction and
determines that sidebag deployment can
offer additional protection to that provided by
the seat belt.
Windowbags
Windowbags : enhance the level of protec-
tion for the head (but not chest or arms), of
the vehicle occupants on the side of the vehi-
cle on which the impact occurs.
Windowbags : are integrated into the side
of the roof frame and deployed in the area
from the A-pillar to the C-pillar.
Occupant safety45SafetyZProCarManuals.com

Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of
parking position P.
R shift the manual transmission into neutral.
R start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children or animals unattended in the vehicle.
Always keep the key out of reach of children.GWARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there
is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
leave persons (particularly children) unatten-
ded in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is placed in direct
sunlight, the parts could become very hot.
Children could be suffer burns by touching
these parts, in particular on the metallic parts
of the child restraint system. There is a risk of
injury.
If you and your child leave the vehicle, always
make sure that the child restraint system is
not in direct sunlight. Cover it with a blanket,
for example. If the child restraint system has
been exposed to direct sunlight, leave it to
cool down before securing the child in it.
Never leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle.
If a child is travelling in your vehicle, secure
the child using a child restraint system which
is appropriate to the size, age and weight of
the child. In order to correctly secure the child
in the child restraint system, always comply
with the child restraint system manufactur-
er's installation instructions. You should pref-
erably fit the restraint system to a suitable
rear seat. Make sure that the child is secured
for the trip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use
the listed child restraint systems
( Y page 59). You can obtain further infor-
mation about the correct child restraint sys-
tem from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
i It is advisable to use Mercedes-Benz care
products to clean child restraint systems.
You can obtain information about this at
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Child restraint system on the front-
passenger seatGWARNING
If the front-passenger front airbag is not dis-
abled:
R a child secured in a child restraint system
on the front-passenger seat could be seri-
ously or even fatally injured by the front-
passenger airbag deploying. This is espe-
cially a risk if the child is in the immediate
vicinity of the front-passenger front airbag
when it deploys.
R never secure a child on the front-passenger
seat in a rearward-facing child restraint sys-
tem. Only secure a rearward-facing child
restraint system on a suitable rear seat.
R and you secure a forward-facing child
restraint system to the front-passenger
seat, you must move the front-passenger
seat as far back as possible. When doing
so, ensure that the shoulder belt strap from
the belt outlet on the vehicle is routed
towards the front to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. Set the belt
height adjustment so that the belt strap is
routed towards the front along the bottom.
The front-passenger front airbag is not disa-
bled:
R on vehicles without automatic child seat
recognition on the front-passenger seat
R on vehicles with automatic child seat rec-
ognition on the front-passenger seat,
unless a child restraint system with trans-
52Children in the vehicleSafety
ProCarManuals.com

GWARNING
If children are travelling in the vehicle, they
could:
R open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users
R exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are travelling in the
vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
You can activate the following child-proof
locks:
R rear doors ( Y page 63)
R rear side windows ( Y page 63)
Child-proof locks for the rear doors
You secure each door individually with the
child-proof locks on the rear doors. A door
secured with a child-proof lock cannot be
opened from inside the vehicle. When the
vehicle is unlocked, the door can be opened
from the outside.
XTo activate: press the child-proof lock
lever up in the direction of arrow :.XMake sure that the child-proof locks are
working properly.XTo deactivate: press the child-proof lock
lever down in the direction of arrow ;.
Override feature for the rear side win-
dows
XTo activate/deactivate: press button :.
If indicator lamp ; is lit, operation of the
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the driv-
er's door. If indicator lamp ; is off, oper-
ation is possible using the switches in the
rear compartment.
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems overview
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock Braking System)
( Y page 64)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) ( Y page 64)
R COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST (adaptive
Brake Assist and distance warning func-
tion) ( Y page 65)
R Adaptive brake lamps ( Y page 68)
R ESP ®
(E lectronic Stability Program)
( Y page 68)
R EBD ( electronic brake force distribution)
( Y page 70)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE ( Y page 70)
R STEER CONTROL ( Y page 70)
Driving safety systems63SafetyZProCarManuals.com

Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you
are inattentive, the driving safety systems can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. Driving safety sys-
tems are merely aids designed to assist driv-
ing. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed and for
braking in good time. Always adapt your driv-
ing style to suit the prevailing road, weather
and traffic conditions and maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front. Drive care-
fully.
i The driving safety systems described only
work as effectively as possible when there
is adequate contact between the tyres and
the road surface. Pay particular attention
to the information regarding tyres, recom-
mended minimum tyre tread depths etc. in
the "Wheels and tyres" section
( Y page 316).
In wintry driving conditions, always use
winter tyres (M+S tyres) and, if necessary,
snow chains. Only in this way will the driv-
ing safety systems described in this section
work as effectively as possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General notes
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems
( Y page 64).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
If ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp ( Y page 256) and
display messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster ( Y page 227).
ABS works from a speed of about
8 km/hupwards, regardless of road-surface
conditions. ABS works on slippery surfaces,
even when you only brake gently.
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.XTo make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions, and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.
BAS (Brake Assist)
General notes
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
64Driving safety systemsSafety
ProCarManuals.com

Rstrong radar reflections, for example, in
multi-storey car parks
R a narrow vehicle travelling in front, e.g. a
motorcycle
R a vehicle travelling in front on a different
line
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at slow speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
Adaptive brake lamps
Adaptive Brake Assist warns following traffic
in an emergency braking situation:
R by means of flashing brake lamps
R the hazard warning lamps are activated
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly.
In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously. The hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h . You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning button ( Y page 110).
ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 64).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehicle during braking.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 64).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
.
ETS brakes the drive wheels individually if
they spin. This enables you to pull away and
accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example
if the road surface is slippery on one side. In
addition, more drive torque is transferred to
the wheel or wheels with traction.
ETS remains active when you deactivate
ESP ®
.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! When testing the electric parking brake
on a braking dynamometer, switch off the
ignition. Application of the brakes by
ESP ®
may otherwise destroy the brake sys-
tem.
When towing your vehicle with the front axle
raised, observe the notes on
ESP ®
(Y page 310).
ESP ®
is deactivated if the å ESP®
OFF
warning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up continuously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp and the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp are lit contin-
uously, ESP ®
is not available due to a mal-
function.
68Driving safety systemsSafety
ProCarManuals.com

Observe the information on warning lamps
( Y page 258) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
( Y page 227).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ®
General notes
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
XDo not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.XWhen pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.XAdapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP ®
remains in its pre-
viously selected status. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated when
the engine is switched on again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y page 64).
You can select between the following states
of ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilises the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer.
XTo deactivate: (Y page 218).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.XTo activate: (Y page 218).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
R ETS is still active.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Driving safety systems69SafetyZProCarManuals.com

ESP®
trailer stabilisation
General notes
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilised.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilisation will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high centre of gravity can
tip over before ESP ®
can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
lurch, you can only stabilise the vehicle/
trailer combination by depressing the brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation is active above
speeds of about 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General notes
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems
( Y page 64).
GWARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Y page 256) as well as dis-
play messages ( Y page 229).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 181) and
hill start assist ( Y page 147). For further
information, see Driving tips ( Y page 166).
STEER CONTROL
General notes
STEER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
stabilisation.
This steering support is provided in particular
if:
R both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake.
R the vehicle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
If there is an ESP ®
malfunction, you will not
receive any steering support from STEER
CONTROL. Power steering will, however, con-
tinue to function.
70Driving safety systemsSafety
ProCarManuals.com

If you unlock the vehicle using the emergency
key element, the fuel filler flap will not be
unlocked automatically.XTo unlock the fuel filler flap: insert the
key into the ignition lock.
Removing the emergency key element
XPush release catch : in the direction of
the arrow and at the same time, remove
emergency key element ; from the key.
For further information about:
R unlocking the driver's door ( Y page 83)
R unlocking the boot ( Y page 86)
R locking the vehicle ( Y page 84)
Battery of the key
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Batteries contain toxic and corrosive substan-
ces. If batteries are swallowed, it can result in
severe health problems. There is a risk of fatal
injury.
Keep batteries out of the reach of children. If
a battery is swallowed, seek medical attention
immediately.
HEnvironmental noteBatteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep-arately and disposed of in an
environmentally responsible
recycling system.Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you have
the batteries replaced at a qualified specialist
workshop.
Checking the battery
XPress the & or % button.
The battery is working properly if battery
check lamp : lights up briefly.
The battery is discharged if battery check
lamp : does not light up briefly.XReplace the battery ( Y page 79).
i If the key battery is checked within the
signal reception range of the vehicle, press-
ing the & or % button:
R locks or
R unlocks the vehicle
i You can obtain a battery from any quali-
fied specialist workshop.
78KeyOpening and closing
ProCarManuals.com

XTake the emergency key element out of the
key ( Y page 77).XInsert the emergency key element into the
lock of the driver's door as far as it will go.XTurn the emergency key element anti-
clockwise to position 1.
The door is unlocked.
i On right-hand-drive vehicles, turn the
emergency key element clockwise.
XTurn the emergency key element back and
remove it.XInsert the emergency key element into the
key.
Locking the vehicle (emergency key
element)
If the vehicle can no longer be locked with the
key, use the emergency key element.
XOpen the driver's door.XClose the front-passenger door, the rear
doors and the boot lid.XPress the locking button ( Y page 82).XCheck whether the locking knobs on the
front-passenger door and the rear doors
are still visible. Press down the locking
knobs manually, if necessary ( Y page 82).XClose the driver's door.XTake the emergency key element out of the
key ( Y page 77).XInsert the emergency key element into the
lock of the driver's door as far as it will go.XTurn the emergency key element clockwise
as far as it will go to position 1.
i
On right-hand-drive vehicles, turn the
emergency key element anti-clockwise.
XTurn the emergency key element back and
remove it.XMake sure that the doors and the boot lid
are locked.XInsert the emergency key element into the
key.
i If you lock the vehicle as described above,
the fuel filler flap is not locked. The anti-
theft alarm system is not primed.
Boot
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the boot
lid is open when the engine is running, espe-
cially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk
of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the boot lid. Never drive with the boot lid
open.
GWARNING
If persons (particularly children) are exposed
to heat or cold for a prolonged period, there
is a risk of serious or even fatal injuries. Never
84BootOpening and closing
ProCarManuals.com

Side window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto-
matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts a side window during the
closing process, the side window opens again
automatically. The automatic reversing fea-
ture is however only an aid and is no substi-
tute for your attention when closing a side
window.GWARNING
The reversing function does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 4 mm of the closing movement
R during resetting
R when closing the side window again man-
ually immediately after automatic reversing
This means that the reversing function cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If someone
becomes trapped, press the switch to open
the side window again.
Opening and closing the side win-
dows
The switches for all side windows are located
on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence.
:Front left;Front right=Rear right?Rear left
i The side windows cannot be operated
from the rear when the override feature for
the side windows is activated ( Y page 63).
XTurn the key to position 1 or 2 in the ignition
lock.XTo open: press the corresponding switch.XTo open fully: press the corresponding
switch beyond the point of resistance.
Automatic closing is started.XTo close: pull the corresponding switch.XTo close fully: pull the corresponding
switch beyond the pressure point. Auto-
matic closing is started.XTo interrupt the automatic opening/
closing: press/pull the corresponding
switch again.
i If you press the switch beyond the point
of resistance, an automatic opening/clos-
ing process is started in the corresponding
direction. You can stop automatic opera-
tion by pressing again.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after switching off the engine or
removing the key. This function remains
active for five minutes or until the driver's
or front-passenger door is opened.
Side windows87Opening and closingZProCarManuals.com