height MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 2012 Owners Manual

Roller blindsee Roller sunblind
Roller sunblind
Rear window .................................. 264
Roof carrier ........................................ 261
Roof lining and carpets (cleaning
guidelines) ......................................... 292
Roof load (maximum) see Technical data
Route
see Route guidance (navigation)
Route guidance (navigation) ............ 202
S
Safety Children in the vehicle .....................55
Child restraint systems ....................55
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) ............................................... 43
Overview of occupant safety
systems ........................................... 36
Safety systems
see Driving safety systems
Seat belts
Adjusting the driver's and front-
passenger seat belt .........................53
Adjusting the height ......................... 53
Belt force limiters ............................ 54
Cleaning ......................................... 292
Correct usage .................................. 51
Emergency Tensioning Devices ........ 54
Fastening ......................................... 52
Important safety guidelines .............50
Releasing ......................................... 53
Safety guidelines ............................. 37
Special seat belt retractor ...............57
Switching belt adjustment on/off
(on-board computer) ......................212
Warning lamp ................................. 241
Warning lamp (function) ................... 53
Seats
Active multicontour seat ..................96
Adjusting (electrically) .....................94
Adjusting the 4-way lumbar
support ............................................ 97
Adjusting the head restraint ............94
Cleaning the cover .........................291
Correct driver's seat position ........... 92
Important safety notes ....................93
Multicontour seat ............................ 96
Seat backrest display message .....238
Seat heating problem ......................98
Seat ventilation problem ..................98
Storing settings (memory
function) ........................................ 102
Switching seat heating on/off .........97
Switching the seat ventilation on/
off .................................................... 98
Sensors (cleaning instructions) ....... 289
Service see ASSYST PLUS service interval
display
Service interval display
Displaying service messages .........285
Hiding service messages ...............285
Notes ............................................. 285
Service messages ..........................284
Service menu (on-board computer) . 208
Service products Brake fluid ..................................... 350
Capacities ...................................... 347
Coolant (engine) ............................ 350
Engine oil ....................................... 349
Fuel ................................................ 347
Important safety notes ..................346
Refrigerant (air-conditioning
system) .......................................... 350
Washer fluid ................................... 351
Settings
Factory (on-board computer) .........212
On-board computer .......................208
Setting the air distribution ............... 124
Setting the airflow ............................ 124
SETUP (on-board computer) ............. 213
Side impact air bag ............................. 41
Side marker lamp (display
message) ............................................ 225
Side windows Convenience closing feature ............87
Convenience opening feature ..........87
Important safety information ...........86
Opening/closing .............................. 86
Problem (malfunction) .....................88
Resetting ......................................... 88Index15

be replaced and their anchoring points must
also be checked.
Only use seat belts which have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to their failure to activate when
necessary.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Correct use of the seat beltsGWARNING
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
R Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any other
way than as described in this section, as
that could result in serious injuries in the
event of an accident.
R Each occupant should wear their seat belt
at all times, because seat belts help reduce
the likelihood of and potential severity of
injuries in accidents, including rollovers.
The integrated restraint system includes
SRS (driver front air bag, driver's side knee
bag, front-passenger front air bag, side
impact air bags, pelvis air bags, window
curtain air bags for the side windows),
Emergency Tensioning Devices, seat belt
force limiters, and front seat knee bolsters.
The system is designed to enhance the
protection offered to properly belted
occupants in certain frontal (front air bags,
driver's side knee bag and ETDs) and side
(side impact air bags, window curtain air
bags, and ETDs) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds and in
certain rollovers (window curtain air bags
and ETDs).
R Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, across your neck or off your shoulder.
In a frontal crash, your body would move
too far forward. That would increase the
chance of head and neck injuries. The seat
belt would also apply too much force to the
ribs or abdomen, which could severely
injure internal organs such as your liver or
spleen.
Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder. It should not
touch the neck. Never pass the shoulder
portion of the seat belt under your arm. For
this purpose, you can adjust the height of
the seat belt outlet.
R Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips and not across the abdomen. If
the lap belt is positioned across your
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in
a crash.
R Never wear seat belts over rigid or
breakable objects in or on your clothing,
such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as
these might cause injuries.
R Make sure the seat belt is always fitted
snugly. Take special care of this when
wearing loose clothing.
R Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt
around a person and another person or
other objects at the same time.
R Seat belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you would not have the full width of
the seat belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted seat belt against your body
could cause injuries.
R Pregnant women should also always use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible on
the hips to avoid any possible pressure on
the abdomen.
R Place the seat backrest in a position that is
as upright as possible.
R Check your seat belt during travel to make
sure it is properly positioned.Occupant safety51SafetyZ

RNever place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
R When using a seat belt to secure infant
restraints, toddler restraints, or children in
booster seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer's instructions.GWARNING
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the seat belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the seat belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to seat
belts. This could impair the effectiveness of
the seat belts.
Fastening seat belts
GWARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriately sized
child restraint system or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see the
"Children in the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
XAdjust the seat and move the backrest to
an almost vertical position ( Y page 92).XPull the seat belt smoothly through belt
sash guide :.XWithout twisting it, guide the shoulder
section of the seat belt across the middle
of your shoulder and the lap section across
your hips.XEngage belt tongue ; in buckle =.
Seat-belt adjustment: if necessary, the
driver's and front-passenger seat belts
automatically adjust to the upper body
( Y page 53).XIf necessary, adjust the seat belt to the
appropriate height ( Y page 53).XIf necessary, pull upwards on the shoulder
section of the seat belt to tighten the belt
across your body.
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor to
securely fasten child restraint systems in the
vehicle. For further information on special
seat belt retractors, see ( Y page 57).
For more information about releasing the seat
belt with release button ?, see "Releasing
seat belts" ( Y page 53).
52Occupant safetySafety

Seat belt adjustment
The seat-belt adjustment function adjusts the
driver's and front-passenger seat belt to the
upper body of the occupants.
The belt strap is tightened slightly when:
R you engage the belt tongue in the belt
buckle and you then turn the SmartKey to
position 2 in the ignition lock.
R the SmartKey is in position 2 in the ignition
lock and you then engage the belt tongue
in the buckle.
The seat-belt adjustment will apply a
retraction force if any slack is detected
between the occupant and the seat belt. Do
not hold on to the seat belt tightly while it is
adjusting. You can switch the seat-belt
adjustment on and off in the on-board
computer ( Y page 212).
The seat-belt adjustment is an integral part of
the PRE-SAFE ®
convenience function. More
information about PRE-SAFE ®
can be found
in the "PRE-SAFE ®
(preventative occupant
protection)" section ( Y page 48).
Belt height adjustment
You can adjust the seat belt height on the
driver's seat and the front-passenger seat.
Adjust the height so that the upper part of the
seat belt is routed across the center of your
shoulder.
XTo raise: slide the belt sash guide upwards.
The belt sash guide engages in various
positions.XTo lower: press and hold belt sash guide
release :.XSlide the belt sash guide downwards.XRelease belt sash guide release : and
make sure that the belt sash guide has
engaged.
Releasing seat belts
XPress release button ?(Y page 52) and
guide belt tongue ; back towards belt
sash guide :.
!
Make sure that the seat belt is fully rolled
up. Otherwise, the seat belt or belt tongue
will be trapped in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This could damage the door,
the door trim panel and the seat belt.
Damaged seat belts can no longer fulfill
their protective function and must be
replaced. Consult an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center.
Belt warning for the driver and front
passenger
Regardless of whether the driver and front
passenger have fastened their seat belts
already, the 7 seat belt warning lamp
lights up for 6 seconds after every engine
start. It then goes out if the driver and the
front passenger have fastened their seat
belts.
If the driver's seat belt is not fastened after
the engine is started, an additional warning
tone will sound. The warning tone goes out
after approximately six seconds or once the
driver's seat belt is fastened.
Occupant safety53SafetyZ

lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 4 5 indicator
lamp is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 4 5 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 4 5 indicator
lamp while driving to make sure the 4
5 indicator lamp is illuminated. If the
4 5 indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you have to place a child in a forward-
facing child restraint on the front passenger
seat, move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint
recommended for the age, size and weight
of the child, and secure child restraint with
the vehicle's seat belt according to the
child seat manufacturer's instructions.GWARNING
Infants and small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. During an
accident, they could be crushed between the
occupant and seat belt.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and/
or the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Position
the shoulder belt across the chest and
shoulder, not face or neck. A booster seat
may be necessary to achieve proper seat belt
positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until
they reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt
fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
If an infant or child is traveling in the vehicle:XSecure the infant or child with an
appropriate infant or child restraint
recommended for the child's age and
weight.XMake sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child's unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. The children
could:
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
56Children in the vehicleSafety

even if the SmartKey is removed from the
ignition lock or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system's
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.GWARNING
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or trunk unless they
are firmly secured in place.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child's risk of injury in the event
of
R strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Special seat belt retractor
All seat belts except the driver's seat belt are
equipped with a special seat belt retractor.
When activated, the special seat belt
retractor ensures the seat belt will not
slacken once the child restraint system has
been secured.
Installing a child restraint system:
XAlways comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.XPull the seat belt smoothly from the inertia
reel.XEngage the seat belt tongue in the belt
buckle.Activating the special seat belt retractor:XPull the seat belt out fully and let the inertia
reel retract it again.
While the seat belt is retracting, you should
hear a ratcheting sound. The special seat
belt retractor is enabled.XPush down on the child restraint system to
take up any slack.
Removing a child restraint system/
deactivating the special seat belt retractor:
XAlways comply with the manufacturer's
installation instructions.XPress the seat belt release button and
guide the belt tongue to the belt outlet.
The special seat belt retractor is
deactivated.GWARNING
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat belt
retractor will be deactivated.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat anchors
in the rear
GWARNING
Children that are too large for a child restraint
must travel in seats using normal seat belts.
Position shoulder belt across the chest and
shoulder, not face or neck.
In order to attain the correct seating position
for children weighing over 41 lb (18 kg), it may
be necessary to use a booster seat until they
reach a height where a normal lap/shoulder
seat belt lies properly across their bodies
without the need for a booster seat.
Install the child restraint system according to
the manufacturer's instructions.
The child restraint system must be installed
firmly on both brackets.
An incorrectly installed child restraint system
can come loose in the event of an accident,
causing the child to be severely or fatally
injured.
Children in the vehicle57SafetyZ

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R do not spill any liquids on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not to be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating
materials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags,
seat covers, child seats or booster seats.
! When you move the seats, make sure that
there are no objects in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise, you could
damage the seats and the objects.
i The head restraints in the front seats are
installed with the NECK-PRO system
( Y page 48). For this reason, it is not
possible to remove the head restraints
from the front seats.
Please contact an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for more information.
i Related topics:
R Rear bench seat through-loading feature
( Y page 259)Adjusting the seats electrically:Head restraint height;Seat cushion angle=Seat height?Seat fore-and-aft adjustmentABackrest angle
i
If PRE-SAFE ®
has been activated, the
front-passenger seat is moved to a better
position if it was previously set unfavorably.
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function ( Y page 102).
i Vehicles with the through-loading
feature: if you fold down a rear seat
backrest, the respective front seat is
moved forwards slightly in order to avoid
contact.
Adjusting the head restraints
Adjusting the head restraints
electrically
XTo adjust the head restraint height: slide
the switch for head restraint adjustment
( Y page 94) up or down in the direction of
the arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints
GWARNING
When folding back the head restraint side
bolsters, do not put your hands between the
94SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

XTo remove: pull the head restraint up to
the stop.XPress release catch : and pull the head
restraint out of the guides.XTo re-install: insert the head restraint so
that the notches on the bar are on the left
when viewed in the direction of travel.XPush the head restraint down until you hear
it engage in position.
Adjusting the multicontour seat 5
You can adjust the contour of the driver's seat
so as to provide optimum support for your
back and sides.
:To adjust the thigh cushion;To adjust the backrest contour in the
lumbar region=To adjust the backrest contour in the
upper back region?To adjust the side bolsters of the seat
backrestXMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
Adjusting the active multicontour
seat
The active multicontour seat on the driver's
side automatically adapts the sides of the
backrest to your current driving style. You can
adjust the contour of the seats individually so
as to provide optimum support for your back
and sides.:To adjust the seat cushion length;To switch the dynamic function on or off=To adjust the side bolsters of the seat
backrest?To switch the massage function on or offATo adjust the contour of the backrest to
increase/decrease supportBTo adjust the height/depth of the
backrest contour
Dynamic function
The dynamic function adjusts the air cushions
in the side bolsters of the seat backrests to
ensure ideal lateral support at all times.
You can choose between two different levels.
Level 1 (one
indicator lamp)Standard setting:
slightly increased
lateral support and
slow build-up of air
pressure in the side
bolsters of the seat
backrest.Level 2 (two
indicator lamps)Sport setting:
increased lateral
support and fast
build-up of pressure
in the side bolsters
of the seat backrest.5 Canada only.96SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Adjusting the steering wheel
electrically:To adjust the steering wheel height;To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
i Related topics:
R EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature
( Y page 99)
R Storing settings ( Y page 102)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
The steering-wheel heating heats the leather
areas of the steering wheel.
XMake sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.XTo switch on/off: turn the lever in the
direction of arrow : or ;.
Indicator lamp = lights up or goes out.i The steering wheel heating may switch off
temporarily if:
R the temperature of the vehicle interior is
above 86 °F (30 °C)
R the temperature of the steering wheel is
above 95 °F (35 °C).
Indicator lamp = remains on.
Problems with the steering wheel
heating
If the steering wheel heating indicator lamp
on the lower left lever of the steering column
is flashing, the steering wheel heating has
switched off automatically. The vehicle's
electrical system voltage is too low because
too many electrical consumers are switched
on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers which you
do not need, such as the rear window
defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the
steering wheel heating will switch back on
automatically.
EASY-ENTRY/EXIT system
Important safety notes
The EASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature makes getting
in and out of your vehicle easier.
You can activate and deactivate the EASY-
ENTRY/EXIT feature in the on-board
computer ( Y page 212).
GWARNING
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, move
steering wheel adjustment stalk or press the
memory position switch.
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver's door and
Steering wheel99Seats, steering wheel and mirrorsZ

Rthe steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.
Activating RACE STARTXDepress the brake pedal with your left foot,
and keep it depressed.XTurn the drive program selector clockwise
( Y page 143) until the RS lamp lights up.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel:
Paddle DOWN message.
i
If the conditions for activation are no
longer fulfilled, RACE START is canceled.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START canceled message.
XTo cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle ( Y page 144).
or
XTo confirm: pull the right steering wheel
shift paddle ( Y page 144).
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START available Depress
accelerator message.
i
If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is canceled. The multifunction
display shows the RACE START not
possible See Operator's Manual
message.
XDepress the accelerator pedal fully.
The engine speed increases to
approximately 4000 rpm.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START Release brake to start
message.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within seven seconds, RACE START is
canceled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START canceled message.XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum
acceleration.
The multifunction display shows the RACE
START active message.
RACE START is deactivated when a speed of
approximately 30 mph (Canada: 50 km/h) is
reached. Drive program S+ is activated.
SPORT handling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation
conditions are no longer fulfilled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE START
not possible See Operator's Manual
message.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within
a short period of time, it is only available
again after the vehicle has been driven a
certain distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
Your vehicle regulates its height
automatically. All-round self-leveling ensures
the best possible suspension and constant
ground clearance, even with a laden vehicle.
When you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered
automatically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption.
The following vehicle levels are possible:
R normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about 0.80 in
(20 mm) when compared with the normal
level
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with the
normal level
168Driving systemsDriving and parking