automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class 2016 C117 Owner's Guide

Braking
Important safety notes
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.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you to
take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. For this, you need to have selected
manual drive program M. This helps you to
avoid overheating the brakes and wearing
them out excessively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive
train. This type of damage is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz warranty.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive
program Mis temporarily activated: the auto-
matic transmission may switch to the last
active automatic drive program Eor S. The
automatic transmission may shift to a higher
gear. This can reduce the engine's braking
effect.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed 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 depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RIn order to prevent any salt build-up, apply
the brakes occasionally while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Driving tips175
Driving an d parking
Z

becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heatingrunning, 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 your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
XTry to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
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 con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 331).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 330).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (
Ypage 330).
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. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. You need to have previously selec-
ted manual gearshifting M(
Ypage 164). 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 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
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 the road,
traffic and weather 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
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen 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.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking

Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate cruise control
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph(30 km/h).
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
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 =.
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 speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
Driving systems179
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press the cruise control lever up:or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
iCruise 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 =.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Rthe vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
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 to avoid exceeding the set speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. 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. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop- ped or parked vehicles
Roncoming 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.
180Driving systems
Driving and parking

Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
ATo set the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RActive Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromPto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed. Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you
?, up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
XKeep the cruise control lever pressed up :
or down Auntil 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.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC
PLUSPassivemes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle
in front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine by
the position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set is
20 mph (30 km/h).
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling away and driving
The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a different line from another vehicle. The vehi-
cle then brakes automatically. 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
DISTRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever 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.
182Driving systems
Driving and parking

When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tionPif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed
:To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To store the current speed or a lower
speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): brieflypress the cruise control lever up
:or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 mph (1 km/ h)increments.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?to the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 185).
iMake sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary.
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

XTo increase:turn control=in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
XTo decrease: turn control=in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary
If you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you will
see the DISTRONIC
PLUSOffmessage in the
multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
Rthe vehicle is skidding
Ryou activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds.
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 and there
are no vehicles detected in front, 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.
iFor 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
In the Assistance menu (
Ypage 219) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance display.
Driving systems185
Driving an d parking
Z

Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving th evehicle, it can still rol laway
despit ebein gbraked by th eHOLD function if:
Rthere is amalfunction in th esystem or in
th evoltag esupply.
Rth eHOLD function has been deactivated by
pressin gth eaccelerato rpedal or th ebrak e
pedal ,e.g. by avehicl eoccupant .
Rtheelectrical system in th eengin ecom-
partment, th ebattery or th efuses have
been tampered with.
Rth ebattery is disconnected
Ther eis aris kof an accident.
If you wish to exit th evehicle, always tur noff
th eHOLD function and secure th evehicl e
against rollin gaway.
!If DI ST RONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automat i-
cally incertain situations.
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DI STRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion inthe fol lowing or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen to wing the vehicle
Rinthe car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function
(
Ypage 188).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle isstationary
Rthe engine isrunning or if ithas been auto-
matical ly switched off bythe ECO start/
stop function
Rthe driver's door isclosed or your seat belt
is fastened
Rthe electr icparking brake is released
RDIST RONIC PLUS isdeactivated
Rthe transmission isin position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the act ivation cond itions
are met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
unt il: appears inthe multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function isact ivat ed. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depr essing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait brie fly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function isdeactivated automat i-
cally if:
Ryou accelerate. On vehicles with automat ic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in posit ionDor R.
Rthe transmission is inposit ionPon vehicles
wit h automat ictransmission.
Ryou depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure unt il: disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
Ryou act ivate DI STRONIC PLU S.
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electr ic
parking brake.
iAfter a time, the electr icparking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the servic e
brake.
188Driving systems
Driving and parking

When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tionPif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
Start-off assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you use start-off assist, individual wheels
may start to spin and the vehicle may skid. If
ESP
®is deactivated, there is a greater danger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure
that no persons or obstacles are in the vicinity
of the vehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration from a standstill. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface is required, along with the tires
and vehicle being in proper operating condi-
tion.
Do not activate start-off assist on public
roads.
Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (
Ypage 65).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP
®(Ypage 69).
Activating start-off assist
XDeactivate ESP®(Ypage 219).
XTurn the steering wheel to the straight-
ahead position.
XDepress the brake pedal firmly with your
left foot and keep the brake pedal
depressed.
XShift the transmission to position D.
XUse the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the Sdrive program (
Ypage 155).
XQuickly depress the accelerator pedal fully.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the acceleration
process has ended. ESP®will otherwise not
be able to stabilize the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
Canceling start-off assist
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
XReactivate ESP.
RACE START (AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
iRACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated and used on dedicated road circuits, out-
side of public road use.
iRACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles.
GWARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tires may
start to spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP
®mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tires and vehicle being in proper operating
condition.
Driving systems189
Driving and parking
Z

dampers. The damping characteristics adapt
to the current operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface conditions
Rthe drive program selected
Rthe vehicle level setting
The drive program can be set using the
DYNAMIC SELECT button (
Ypage 155).
Selecting Comfort mode
In the Comfort drive program, the driving
characteristics of your vehicle are more com-
fortable. Therefore, select this mode if you
favor a more comfortable driving style. Also
select the Comfortdrive program when driv-
ing fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :
(
Ypage 155) as many times as necessary
until the Comfort drive program is selec-
ted.
Selecting Sport mode
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
the Sport drive program ensures even better
contact with the road. Select this drive pro-
gram when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
XPress DYNAMIC SELECT button :
(
Ypage 155) as many times as necessary
until the Sportdrive program is selected.
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.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park-
ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
!When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars.
PARKTRONIC does not detect such objects
when they are in the immediate vicinity of
the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle
or the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and other
objects that absorb ultrasonic waves.
Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic
car wash, the compressed-air brakes on a
truck or a pneumatic drill could cause
PARKTRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically when
you:
Rswitch on the ignition
Rshift the transmission to position D,Ror N
Rrelease the electric parking brake
Range of the sensors
General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take objects into con-
sideration that are:
Rbelow the detection range, e.g. people, ani-
mals or objects.
Rabove the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, truck overhangs or loading
ramps.
192Driving systems
Driving and parking