MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class 2017 C117 Owner's Manual

Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
All vehicles (excep tMercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theDIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright of
th esteering column .
Fo rinformation on th eselector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gvehicles (
Ypage 131). The DIRECT SELECT lever always return
sto it s
original position .The curren ttransmission posi-
tion P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmission
position display in th emultifunction display
(
Ypage 129).
Trans mission position and drive pr o-
gram display
The curren ttransmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th emultifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program display
The arrows in th etransmission position display
sho whow and int owhic htransmission position s
you can shif tusin gth eDIRECT SELECT lever.
If th etransmission position display in th emul-
tifunction display is no tworking ,you should pull
away carefully to chec kwhether th edesired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position Dand drive
program Eor S.
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom Dto R,from Rto Dor
directl yto P. The automatic transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
XPush th eDIRECT SELECT lever in th edirection
of arrow P.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
th emultifunction display.
When you hav eengage dpark position P,mak e
sur ethat th etransmission position display
shows Pin th emultifunction display.
You can only engage park position Pwhen th e
vehicl eis stationary.
Depressing th ebrak eand pushing th eDIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages th epark -
ing lock. The transmission is in Nneutral.
Automatic transmission12 9
Driving an d parking
Z

At transmission fluid temperatures belowÒ4 ‡
( Ò20†), you can only shift out of park position P
into another transmission position when the
engine is running.
In order to shift from park position Pdirectly into
R or D:
Rdepress the brake pedal and
Rpush the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically
Park position Pis automatically engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
and remove the SmartKey
Ryou switch off the engine using the SmartKey
or using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
Ryou open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif the HOLD function or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the informa-
tion on the HOLD function (
Ypage 156) and on
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Ypage 153).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(
Ypage 125).
Shifting to neutral N
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
XIf the transmission is in position Dor R: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the
first point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to Pautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to Pautomat-
ically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N,e.g. w
hen having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing system:
XVehicles with the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
XInsert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
XAll vehicles: switch the ignition on.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
130Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Engaging drive position D
XIf the transmission is in positionRor N: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance.
XIf the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever down past the first point of resistance.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
jPark position with parking lock
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
:Transmission position display
;Drive program display
If the transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull
away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position Dand drive
program Cor S.
Engaging park position P
XWhen the vehicle is stationary, press but-
ton :.
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
XDepress the brake and keep it pressed.
XPush the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance.
Automatic transmission131
Driving and parking
Z

Transmission positions
BPark position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary.
The parking lock should not be used
as a brake when parking. Always
apply the electronic parking brake in
addition to the parking lock in order
to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc- tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P. Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key
Ryou switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door
Rthe driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary.
ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shifting
behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
132Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
GWARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine Runningdisplay message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the
clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Caredisplay
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by:
Rdepressing the brake pedal
Ractivating the HOLD function
Rengaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program
M(
Ypage 137).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears Dand Rmay help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions Dand R, move
the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rthe vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, for
example on slippery road surfaces.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program Sis characterized by the follow-
ing:
Rsporty engine settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Automatic transmission133
Driving and parking
Z

Drive programI(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin eand transmissio nmanage-
ment)
Rth esuspensio n(vehicles wit hdampin gsys-
te m or AM Gadaptive sport suspensio nsys-
tem)
Rth esteerin g
Rtheavailabilit yof th eECO start/sto pfunction
Rth eclimat econtrol
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
iTo permanentl yselect th egear sin drive
progra mIusin gth esteerin gwhee lpaddl e
shifters ,select th eM (manual) setting fo rth e
drive.
Drive program E(Economy)
Drive progra mEis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rcomfort-oriented engin esettings.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
Rth evehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Rth eautomati ctransmissio nshiftin gup
sooner. This result sin th evehicl ebein gdriven
at lowe ren gin
es
peeds and th ewheels bein g
less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis activated automatically when
engine-internal condition sare fulfilled and
th eaccelerato ris no tdepressed. At th esam e
time th etransmission’s clutc hopens and th e
vehicl erolls freely usin gits kineti cenergy. As
a result great distances can be completed
without th eengin ebrak eand fue lconsump-
tion reduced.
iThe availabilit yof glidin gmod edepend son
various factors ,includin gth efollowing :
Rtheengin eand transmissio ntemperature
Rth edownhill gradien t
Rthevehicl espeed
Rperformin gregular adaptation function sWhe
nyou depress th ebrak epedal, glidin g
mod eis deactivated, dependin gon peda l
pressure.
Whe nyou activat ecruise control or Distanc e
Pilo tDISTRONIC, glidin gmod eis no tavaila-
ble.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program I(Individual)
In drive progra mIth efollowing properties of th e
drive progra mcan be selected:
Rthedrive (engin emanagement)
Rth etransmissio nmanagemen t
Rthesuspensio n(vehicles wit hAM Gadaptive
sport suspensio nsystem)
RES P®
Information about configurin gdrive progra mI
wit hth emultimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sManual.
Drive program C(Comfort)
Drive progra mCis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl edeliver scomfortable, economical
handlin gcharacteristics .
Rthevehicl epulls away mor egentl yin forwar d
and revers egears, unless th eaccelerato r
peda lis depressed fully.
Rth evehicl ehas improved drivin gstability, fo r
exampl eon slipper yroa dsurfaces.
Roptimal fue lconsumption resultin gfrom th e
automati ctransmissio nshiftin gup sooner.
The vehicl eis driven in th elow engin espeed
range and th ewheels are less likely to spin .
Rglidingmod eis available.
Rth eECO start/sto pfunction is available.
Drive program S(Sport)
Drive progra mSis characterized by th efollow-
ing:
Rth evehicl eexhibits sport ydrivin gcharacter-
istics .
Rtheautomati ctransmissio nshift sup later.
The fue lconsumption possibl ybein ghigher
as aresult of th elater automati ctransmissio n
shift points .
Rthesuspensio nexhibits stiff springin gand
dampin gsetting s(vehicles wit hAI R adaptive
sport suspensio nsystem) .
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive programS+is characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rthe vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles with
AMG adaptive sport suspension system).
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
adaptive sport suspension system)
The RACE drive program is characterized by the
following:
Rthe vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
Rall vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
Rthe fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Rthe suspension exhibits particularly hard
springing and damping settings.
Rgliding mode is not available.
Rthe ECO start/stop function is not available.
Manual gear shifting
General notes
You can change gear yourself using the steering wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
Depending on which steering wheel paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down or
up, if permitted. Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
to use manual shift-
ing, you have two options:
Rtemporary setting
Rpermanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-
function display will show the current gear
instead of transmission position D.
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting
XTo activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position D.
XPull steering wheel paddle shifter :or;.
Temporary setting will be active for a certain
amount of time. Under certain conditions the
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the
case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun
phase or when driving on steep terrain.
XTo deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;and hold it in place.
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change
the drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram.
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
XTo activate:shift the selector lever to posi-
tion P.
XPress button :.
XTo deactivate: press button:.
or
XIf position D (automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro-
gram I: shift to drive program Iwith the
DYNAMIC SELECT controller.
Shifting gears
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise a risk of engine damage.
XTo shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter ;.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):
if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up in order to
prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter :.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
!The automatic transmission does not shift
up automatically even when the engine limit-
ing speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display.
XShift to recommended gear:when mes-
sage ;is shown in the multifunction display.
Kickdown
XFor maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XShift back up once the desired speed is
reached. During kickdown, you cannot shift gears using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:
it is only possible to
use kickdown in temporary manual drive pro-
gram M. When manual drive program Mis per-
manently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Problems with the transmission
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear.The transmission is losing oil.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger shifts into all of the
gears.
Reverse gear can no lon-
ger be engaged.The transmission is in emergency mode.
XStop the vehicle.
XShift the transmission to positionP.
XSwitch off the engine.
XWait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
XShift the transmission to positionD.
XHave the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, open flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refueling.
GWARNING
Fuel is poisonous and hazardous to health.
There is a risk of injury.
Refueling137
Driving and parking
Z

You must make sure that fuel does not comeinto contact with your skin, eyes or clothing
and that it is not swallowed. Do not inhale fuel
vapors. Keep fuel away from children.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
RWash away fuel from skin immediately
using soap and water.
RIf fuel comes into contact with your eyes,
immediately rinse them thoroughly with
clean water. Seek medical assistance with-
out delay.
RIf fuel is swallowed, seek medical assis-
tance without delay. Do not induce vomit-
ing.
RImmediately change out of clothing which
has come into contact with fuel.
GWARNING
Electrostatic buildup can create sparks and
ignite fuel vapors. There is a risk of fire and
explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening
the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. Any existing electrostatic buildup is
thereby discharged.
!Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Do not switch on the ignition
if you accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel system. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel could
result in damage to the fuel system and the
engine. Notify a qualified specialist workshop
and have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
!Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
!Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
!Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel can.
The fuel lines and/or the fuel injection system
could otherwise be blocked by particles from
the fuel can. Do not get into the vehicle again during the refu-
eling process. Otherwise, electrostatic charge
could build up again.
If you overfill the fuel tank, fuel could spray out
when the fuel pump nozzle is removed.
For further information on fuel and fuel quality
(
Ypage 309).
Refueling
General information
Pay attention to the important safety notes
(Ypage 137).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked/locked automat-
ically when you unlock/lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey.
The position of the fuel filler cap is displayed
æ in the instrument cluster. The arrow on the
filling pump indicates the side of the vehicle.
Opening the fuel filler flap
:To open the fuel filler flap
;Tire pressure table
=To insert the fuel filler cap
?Instruction label for fuel type to be refueled
XSwitch off the engine.
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
or, in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-function
or KEYLESS‑ GO
XOpen the driver's door.
The vehicle electronics now have status 0.
This is the same as the SmartKey having been
removed.
XPress the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
138Refueling
Driving and parking