steering MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class 2014 W218 User Guide

G
WARNING
Air bagsa re designed to reduce the incidence
of injurie sand fatalities in certain situations:
R frontal impacts (driver's and front-
passenger front air bagsa nd knee bags)
R side impacts (sid eimpact air bags, window
curtai nair bags and pelvis air bags)
R rollover (window curtain air bags)
However, no system available today can
completely eliminate injuries and fatalities.
When the air bags are deployed, asmall
amount of powder is released .The powder
generally does not constitute ahealth hazard
and does not indicate that there is afire in the
vehicle. In order to prevent potential
breathing difficulties, you should leave the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have any breathing difficulty but cannot get
out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates,
then get fresh air by opening awindow or
door. G
WARNING
In order to reduce the potential danger of
injuries caused during the deployment of the
front air bags, the driver and front passenger
must always be correctly seated and wear
their seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision, you must always be in the normal
seat position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and make sure
that it is correctly positioned on your body. As the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force,
aproper seating position
and correct positioning of the hands on the
steering wheel will help to keep you at asafe
distance from the air bag. Occupants who are
not wearing their seat belt, are not seated
properly or are too close to the air bag can be
seriously injured or killed by an air bag, as it
inflates with great force instantaneously:
R sit with the seat belt fastened correctly and
in ap osition that is as upright as possible
with your back against the backrest.
R move the driver's seat as far back as
possible, still permittingp roper operation
of vehicle controls. The distance from the
center of the driver's chest to the center of
the air bag cover on the steering wheel
must be at least 10 inches (25 cm). You
should be able to accomplish this by
adjusting the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any difficulties, please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Ben zCenter.
R do not lean your head or chest close to the
steerin gwheel or dashboard.
R only hold the steerin gwheel on the outside.
Placing hands and arms inside the rim can
increase the risk and potential severit yof
hand/arm injury if the driver fron tair bag
inflates.
R adjust the front-passenger seat as far back
as possible from the dashboard when the
seat is occupied.
R occupants, especially children ,should
never place their bodies or lean their heads
in the area of the door where the side
impact air bag inflates .This could result in
serious or fatal injuries should the side
impact air bag be deployed. Always sit as
upright as possible, wear the seat belt
properly and use an appropriately sized
infant restraint,t oddler restraint or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can result
in severe injuries to you or other occupants. Occupant safety
43Safety
Z

If you sell yourv
ehicle, it is important that you
make the buyer aware of this safety
information .Besure to give the buyer this
Operator's Manual.
If the air bags are deployed, you will hear a
bang, and asmall amount of powder may also
be released. Only in rare cases will the bang
affect your hearing. The powder that is
released generally does not constitute a
health hazard and does not indicat ethat there
is af ire in the vehicle. The dust might cause
some temporary breathin gdifficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out
of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
You can also open the window to allow fresh
air to enter the vehicle interior. The 0012SRS
warning lamp lights up.
The air bag installation location sare
identified by the AIR BAG symbol.
The air bags are deployed if the air bag control
unit detects the need for deployment. Only in
the event of such asituation will the air bags
provide their supplemental protection.
If the driver and fron tpassenger do no twear
their seat belts, it is not possible for the air
bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In the event of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, the air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be protected
to the extent possible by aproperly fastened
seat belt. Aproperl yfastened seat beltisa lso
needed to provide the best possible
protection in arollover.
Air bags provide additional protection; they
are not, however, asubstitute for seat belts.
All vehicle occupants must fasten their seat
belts regardless of whether your vehicle is
equipped with air bags or not.
It is important for your safety and that of your
passenger to have deployed air bags replaced
and to have any malfunctioning air bags
repaired. This will help to make sure the air
bags continue to perform their protective function for the vehicle occupants in the
event of
acrash.
i After an air bag has been deployed, have
the vehicle towed to the nearest qualified
specialist workshop, even if your vehicle is
ready to drive.
Front air bags Driver's air bag
001Adeploysinf ront of the
steering wheel; front-passenger front air
bag 0010deploysinf ront of and above the glove
box.
The front air bags increase protection for the
driver's and front passenger's head and
chest.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with ahigh rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the seat belt is being
used
R independently of other air bags in the
vehicle
If the vehicle rolls over, the front air bags are
generally not deployed.
Your vehicle has adaptive, two-stage front air
bags. The air bag control unit evaluates
vehicle deceleration or acceleration in the
event of acollision. In the first deployment
stage, the front air bag is filled with part of the 44
Occupant safetySafety

tota
lavailable propellant gas, thereby
reducing the risk of injury .Ifthe ai rbag
control uni trecognize swithi naf ew
milliseconds tha tthe vehicle is being braked
or accelerated faster than originally
predicted, the front air bag is filled with the
maximum amount of propellant gas available.
The deployment of the front-passenger front
air bag is also influenced by the weight
category of the front passenger, which is
determined by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS) (Y page 47).
The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
(predicted at the start of the impact) for
second-stage inflation of the front-passenger
front air bag. In the second stage, the front
air bags are inflated with the maximum
amount of propellant gas available.
The front air bags are not deployed in
situations where alow impact severity is
predicted. You will then be protected by the
fastened seat belt.
The front-passenger front air bag will only
deploy if:
R the system, based on the OCS weight
sensor readings, detectst hat the front-
passenger seat is occupied
R the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF indicator
lamp on the center console is not lit
(Y page 47)
R the air bag control unit predicts ahigh
impact severity
Knee bags Driver's knee bag
001Adeploysu nderneath the
steering column and front-passenger knee
bag 0010underneath the glove box. They
deploy together with the front air bags. They
are designed to operate together with the
front air bags in frontal impacts if certain
thresholds are exceeded. The knee bags
operate at best in conjunction with correctly
positioned and fastened seat belts.
Knee bags provide increased protection for
the driver and front passenger against the risk
of:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries
Side impact air bags G
WARNING
Using unsuitable seat covers could restrict or
even prevent deployment of the air bags
integrated into the seats. Consequently, the
air bags cannot protect vehicle occupants as
they are designed to do. In addition, the
function of the air bag deactivation system
could be restricted. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
You should only use seat covers that have
been approved for the respective seat by
Mercedes-Benz. G
WARNING
Sensors to control the air bags are located in
the doors. Modifications or work not
performed correctly to the doors or door
paneling, as well as damaged doors, can lead
to the function of the sensors being impaired.
The air bags might therefore not function
properly any more. Consequently, the air bags
cannot protect vehicle occupants as they are
designed to do. There is an increased risk of
injury.
Never modify the doors or parts of the doors.
Always have work on the doors or door
paneling carried out at aqualified specialist
workshop. Occupant safety
45Safety Z

X
To activate/deactivate: press button0010.
If indicator lamp 001Ais lit, operatio nofthe
rear side windows is disabled. Operation is
only possible using the switches in the
driver's door. If indicator lamp 001Ais off,
operation is possible using the switches in
the rear compartment. Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
R ABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(Y page 66)
R BAS ( Brake Assist System) (Y page 67)
R BAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System Plus)
(Y page 67)
R ESP ®
(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Y page 68)
R EBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Y page 71)
R ADAPTIVE BRAKE (Y page 72)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 72) Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or
become distracted, the driving safety
systems can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
Driving safety systems are merely aids
designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front,f
or vehicle speed and for braking in
good time. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road, weather and traffic
conditionsa nd maintain asafe distanc efrom
th ev ehicle in front. Drive carefully.
i The driving safety systems describe donly
work as effectivel yaspossible when there
is adequat econtac tbetween th etires and
th er oad surface. Pleas epay special
attentio ntothenote sont ires,
recommende dminimu mtire tread depths,
etc .(Ypage 334).
In wintry drivin gconditions, always use
winter tires (M+S tires) and if necessary,
sno wchains. Only in this way will the
drivin gsafet ysystems described in this
section work as effectively as possible. ABS (Anti-lock Brakin
gSystem)
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Importan tsafet ynotes"
sectio n(Ypage 66). G
WARNING
If ABSisf aulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
Additionally, further driving safety systems
are deactivated. There is an increased danger
of skidding and accidents.
Drive on carefully.H ave ABS checked
immediately at aqualified specialist
workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (Y page 267) and
displaym essages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (Y page 238).
ABS regulates brake pressure in such away
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the
vehicle when braking. 66
Driving safety systemsSafety

Deactivating/activating ESP
®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode G
WARNING
Whe nSPORT handling mode is activated,
there is agreater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activat eSPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following. X
To activate: briefly press button 001A.
The 0005 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
SPORT handling mode is designed for
driving on designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and
understeering characteristics are desired.
Drivin ginSPORT handling mode requires
an extremely qualified and experienced
driver who is able to cope with these critical
driving conditions.
X To deactivate: briefly press button 001A.
The 0005 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started. It may be best to activat
eSPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 0011ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is only restricted to alimited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinnin gwheels produce a
cutting effect for better traction.
Vehicles with ECO start/stop function: the
ECO start/stop function switches the engine
off automatically when the vehicle comes to
as top. The engine start sautomatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status. For
example, if ESP ®
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ® G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
,E SP ®
no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations
described in the following.
! Avoid spinnin gthe driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain. 70
Driving safety systemsSafety

X
To deactivate: press button001Aunti lthe
0009 ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The 0011OFF message appear
sinthe
multifunctio ndisplay.
Deactivate ESP ®
when drivin gon
designated roads when the vehicle's own
oversteerin gand understeering
characteristics are desired. Drivin gwithout
ESP ®
require sanextremely qualified and
experienced drive rwho is able to cope with
these critical driving conditions.
X To activate: briefly press button 001A.
The 0009 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrumentc luster goes out. The 0011ON message appears in the multifunction
display.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or mor ewheels
start to spin ,the 0011 ESP®
warnin glamp in
the instrumen tcluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
It may be best to deactivat eESP®
in the
followin gsituations:
R when using sno wchains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
If you deactivat eESP®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves drivin gstability.
R traction control is still activated. R
PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brak efirmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brak efirmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin .The spinning
wheels produce acuttin geffect for better
traction.
Vehicles with ECO start/stop function: the
ECO start/stop function switches the engine
off automatically when the vehicle comes to
as top. The engine starts automatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected status. For
example, if ESP ®
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 66). G
WARNING
If EBD has malfunctioned, the rear wheels can
still lock, e.g. under full braking. This
increases 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 aqualified
specialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 267) as well as
displaym essages (Y page 240).
EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking. Driving safety systems
71Safety Z

Useful information
..............................98
Correct driver's seat position ............98
Seats .................................................... 99
Steering wheel .................................. 106
Mirrors ............................................... 109
Memor yfunction .............................. 112 97Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please not ethat your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related system sand functions.
i Read the information on qualified
specialist workshops: (Y page 26).Correct driver's seat position
G
WARNING
You could lose contro lofyour vehicle if you
do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver' sseat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R faste nthe seat belt
There is arisk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel and mirror and fasten your
seat belt before startingt he engine. X
Observe the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (Y page 99).
X Make sure that seat 0024is adjusted
properly.
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 100)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
R you are as far away from the driver's air bag
as possible.
R you are sitting in anormal upright position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly.
R you have moved the backrest to an almost
vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so that
your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is
adjusted properly.
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by
the center of the head restraint.
X Observe the safety guidelines on steering
wheel adjustment (Y page 106).
X Make sure that steering wheel 001Ais
adjusted properly.
Adjustingt he steering wheel electrically
(Y page 106)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the
instrumentc luster clearly.
X Observe the safet yguideline sfor seat belts
(Y page 55).
X Check whether you have fastened seat
belt 0010properly (Y page 56). 98
Correct driver'
sseat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

The seat belt should:
R
fit snugly across your body
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder
R be routed in your pelvic area across the hip
joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view
mirror and the exterior mirrors in such a
way that you have agood view of road and
traffic conditions (Y page 109).
X Vehicles with amemor yfunction: save
the seat, steerin gwheel and exterior mirror
settings with the memory function
(Y page 112). Seats
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is arisk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, alway stake the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you
do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steerin gwheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is arisk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steerin gwheel and mirror and fasten your
seat belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupant scould be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjustmen
tbutton sand become trapped.
Ther eisar iskofi njury.
While moving the seats, make sure tha tyour
hands or other body parts do not get under
the lever assembly of the seat adjustment
system. G
WARNING
When you adjust aseat, you or other vehicle
occupant scould become trapped, e.g. on the
seat guide rail. There is arisk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting aseat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat. G
WARNING
If head restraints are not installed and
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide
protection as intended. There is an increased
risk of injury in the head and neck area, e.g.
in the event of an accident or when braking.
Always drive with the head restraints
installed. Befor edriving off, make sure for
every vehicle occupant that the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at about eye level. G
WARNING
The seat belt does not offer the intended level
of protection if the backrest is not in the
upright position .When braking or in the event
of an accident, you could slide underneath the
seat belt and sustain abdomen or neck
injuries, for example. This poses an increased
risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Adjust the seat properly before beginning
your journey. Always make sure that the seat
is in the upright position. G
WARNING
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained on the rear
seats than on the front-passenger seat. Thus,
we strongly recommendt hat children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and Seats
99Seats, steering wheela nd mirrors
Z

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.
Ac hild'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.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquidiss pilled 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 be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objectsont he
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.
! Make sure that there are no objectsint he
footwell or behind the seats when resetting
the seats. There is arisk that the seats
and/or the objectsc ould be damaged.
i The head restraintsint he front seats are
installed with the NECK-PRO system
(Y page 53). For this reason, it is not
possible to remove the head restraints
from the front seats.
For more information ,contact aqualified
specialist workshop.
i Further related subjects: Adjusting the seats
001A
Head restraint height
0010 Seat cushion angle
0024 Seat height
0021 Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
001E Backrest angle
i If PRE-SAFE ®
is triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to abetter
position if it was previously in an
unfavorable position.
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 112).
i Vehicles with the through-loading
feature: if you fold down arear seat
backrest, the respective front seat is
moved forwards slightly in order to avoid
contact. Adjusting the head restraints
Important safety notes G
WARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you
do the following while driving:
R adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is arisk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel and mirror and fasten your
seat belt before startingt he engine.100
SeatsSeats, steering wheela
nd mirrors