ESP MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class 2015 W218 Owner's Guide

pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP
®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70). G
WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv- ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or per-
formance tests may only be carried out on
a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you operate the vehicle on such a dynamometer, please
consult a qualified workshop. You could
otherwise damage the drive train or the
brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 339) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
ESP ®
is only deactivated if the åwarning
lamp is lit continuously.
If the ÷ warning lamp and the åwarn-
ing lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
not avail-
able due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 277) and display messages which may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 246).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the
÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the ÷ESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP®
was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ®
remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. 76
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
You can deactivate or activate ESP ®
via the
on-board computer (Y page 235).
ESP ®
deactivated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
ESP ®
activated:
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut- ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces. R
traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
is activated.
R SPORT handling mode is activated.
R ESP ®
is deactivated. G
WARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit- uations described in the following. G
WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP ®
in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
R on specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer- ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP ®
requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver. Driving safety systems
77Safety Z

i
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®X
To activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode
SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
X To deactivate ESP ®
:press button :until
the å ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To activate ESP ®
:briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON
ON
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
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 engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur- faces.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Characteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels are able to
spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-faces.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available, it
is also not activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly. EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.78
Driving safety systemsSafety

Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion for driving safety systems (Y page 70).G
WARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
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 a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (Y page 276) as well as dis-
play messages (Y page 248). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 191) and
hill start assist (Y page 152). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
General information i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Y page 70).
PRE ‑SAFE ®
Brake is only available for vehi-
cles with the Driving Assistance package.
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when driv-
ing, the radar sensor system and the camera
system must be switched on and be opera-
tional.
With the help of the radar sensor system and
the camera system, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can
detect obstacles that are in front of your vehi-
cle for an extended period of time.
In addition, pedestrians in the path of your
vehicle can be detected. PRE-SAFE
®
Brake detects pedestrians using
typical characteristics such as the body con-
tours and posture of a person standing
upright.
Observe the restrictions described in the
"Important safety notes" sec-
tion“ (Y page 79).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a collision with a vehicle ahead or a pedestrian, and reduce the effects of such a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a
risk of collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic brak- ing.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake will initially brake your vehi-
cle by a partial application of the brakes if a
danger of collision is detected. There may be
a collision unless you brake yourself. Even
after subsequent full application of the brakes
a collision cannot always be avoided, partic-
ularly when approaching at too high a speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always apply the brakes yourself and try to
take evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always clearly iden-
tify objects and complex traffic conditions.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R not give a warning or intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake, especially if
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake warns you. Terminate the
intervention in a non-critical driving situation. Driving safety systems
79Safety Z

signal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer (Y page 240).
When it is dark, the surround lighting also
comes on if it is activated in the on-board
computer (Y page 239). KEYLESS-GO
General notes Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a KEY- LESS-GO key in the vehicle.
Locking/unlocking centrally You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry
the SmartKey with you. You can combine the functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con-
ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the &button on the SmartKey.
When locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO,
the distance between the SmartKey and the
corresponding door handle must not be
greater than 3 ft (1 m).
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart- Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example:
R when the external door handles are
touched
R when starting the engine
R while the vehicle is in motion X
To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner
surface of the door handle.
X To lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face :.
X Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface ;for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience
closing feature (Y page 98). X
To unlock the trunk lid: pull the handle on
the trunk lid.
The vehicle only unlocks the trunk lid.
Deactivating and activating If you do not intend to use a key for an exten-
ded period of time, you can deactivate the
KEYLESS-GO function of the SmartKey. The
SmartKey will then use very little power,
thereby conserving battery power. For the
purposes of activation/deactivation, the
vehicle must not be nearby.
X To deactivate: press the&button on
the SmartKey twice in rapid succession.
The battery check lamp of the SmartKey
(Y page 87) flashes twice briefly and
lights up once, then KEYLESS-GO is deac-
tivated.
X To activate: press any button on the
SmartKey or insert the SmartKey into the
ignition lock.
KEYLESS-GO and all of its associated fea-
tures are available again. SmartKey
85Opening and closing Z

especially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a
risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
i Opening dimensions of the trunk lid
(Y page 392).
You should preferably place luggage or loads
in the trunk. Observe the loading guidelines
(Y page 286).
Do not leave the SmartKey in the trunk. You
could otherwise lock yourself out.
Vehicles without the trunk lid remote
closing feature: the trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened automatically from outside
R opened automatically from inside
R locked separately
R unlocked with the mechanical key
R opened with the emergency release button
Vehicles with the trunk lid remote closing
feature: the trunk lid can be:
R opened and closed manually from outside
R opened and closed automatically from out-
side
R opened and closed automatically from
inside
R locked separately
R unlocked with the mechanical key
R opened with the emergency release button Trunk lid reversing feature
The trunk lid is equipped with an automatic
reversing feature. It reacts if a solid object
obstructs or restricts the trunk lid during the
closing procedure. The trunk lid opens again
automatically. The automatic reversing fea-
ture is only an aid and is not a substitute for your attentiveness to the trunk lid while it is
closing. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 1/3 in (8 mm) of the closing
movement
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure.
If somebody becomes trapped:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey, or
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door or
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid, or
R pull on the trunk lid handle Opening/closing from outside
Opening X
Press the %button on the SmartKey.
X Pull handle :.
X Raise the trunk lid. Trunk
93Opening and closing Z

Closing
X
Pull the trunk lid down using recess :.
X If necessary, lock the vehicle with the &
button on the SmartKey (Y page 84)or with
KEYLESS-GO (Y page 85).
i If a KEYLESS-GO key is detected in the
trunk, the trunk lid cannot be locked and
will open again. Opening/closing automatically from
outside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the trunk lid. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid.
R pull the trunk lid handle G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
i Opening dimensions of the trunk lid
(Y page 392).
Opening You can open the trunk lid automatically
using the SmartKey or the handle in the trunk
lid.
X Press and hold the Fbutton on the
SmartKey until the trunk lid opens.
or
X If the trunk is unlocked, pull the trunk lid
handle and release it again immediately
(Y page 93).
Closing Example: closing and locking button (vehicle with
the trunk lid remote closing feature and KEYLESS-
GO)
X To close: press closing button :in the
trunk lid. 94
TrunkOpening and closing

Vehicles with trunk lid remote closing
feature and KEYLESS-GO: you can simulta-
neously close the trunk lid and lock the vehi- cle. The KEYLESS-GO key must be in the rear
detection range of the vehicle.
X Press locking button ;in the trunk lid.
If all the doors are closed, the vehicle locks.
i If KEYLESS-GO detects a SmartKey in the
trunk, the trunk lid opens again after it is
closed.
If KEYLESS-GO detects a second SmartKey outside the vehicle, the trunk lid remains
closed. Opening/closing automatically from
inside
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Parts of the body could become trapped dur-
ing automatic closing of the trunk lid. More-
over, people, e.g. children, may be standing in the closing area or may enter the closing area
during the closing process. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the closing area during the closing process.
Use one of the following options to stop the
closing process:
R press the Fbutton on the SmartKey.
R pull or press the remote operating switch
on the driver's door.
R press the closing or locking button on the
trunk lid.
R pull the trunk lid handle G
WARNING
The trunk lid can be automatically opened or
closed even if the SmartKey is not in the vehi- cle. If children are left unsupervised in the
vehicle, they could activate the functions.
There is a risk of injury. When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the
trunk lid is open when the engine is running,
especially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the trunk lid. Never drive with the trunk lid
open.
! The trunk lid swings upwards when
opened. Therefore, make sure that there is
sufficient clearance above the trunk lid.
i Opening dimensions of the trunk lid
(Y page 392).
Opening and closing X
To open: pull remote operating switch for
trunk lid :until the trunk lid opens.
X To close: press remote operating switch
for trunk lid :until the trunk lid is com-
pletely closed.
You can open the trunk lid from the driver's
seat when the vehicle is stationary and
unlocked. Trunk
95Opening and closing Z

Trunk lid emergency release light:
R emergency release button :flashes for
30 minutes after the trunk lid is opened.
R emergency release button :flashes for
60 minutes after the trunk lid is closed. Side windows
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
While opening the side windows, body parts
could become trapped between the side win- dow and the door frame as the side window
moves. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody touches the side win-
dow during the opening procedure. If some-
body becomes trapped, release the switch or pull the switch to close the side window again. G
WARNING
While closing the side windows, body parts in the closing area could become trapped. There is a risk of injury.
When closing make sure that no parts of the
body are in the closing area. If somebody
becomes trapped, release the switch or press
the switch to open the side window again. G
WARNING
If children operate the side windows they
could become trapped, particularly if they are left unsupervised. There is a risk of injury.
Activate the override feature for the rear side
windows. When leaving the vehicle, always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the vehi-
cle. Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Side window reversing feature
The side windows are equipped with an auto- matic reversing feature. If a solid object
blocks or restricts a side window during the
closing process, the side window opens again automatically. However, the automatic
reversing feature is only an aid and does not
relieve you of the responsibility of paying
attention when closing a side window. G
WARNING
The reversing feature does not react:
R to soft, light and thin objects, e.g. small fin-
gers
R over the last 1/6 in(4 mm) of the closing
movement
R during resetting
R when closing the side window again man-
ually immediately after automatic reversing
This means that the reversing feature cannot
prevent someone being trapped in these sit-
uations. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that no body parts are in close
proximity during the closing procedure. If
someone becomes trapped, press the switch to open the side window again. Opening and closing the side win-
dows
The switches for all side windows are located on the driver's door. There is also a switch on
each door for the corresponding side window.
The switches on the driver's door take prec-
edence. :
Front left
; Front right
= Rear right
? Rear left Side windows
97Opening and closing Z

X
Turn the SmartKey to position 1or 2in the
ignition lock.
X To open manually: press and hold the cor-
responding switch.
X To open fully: press the switch beyond the
point of resistance and release it.
Automatic operation is started.
X To close manually: pull and hold the cor-
responding switch.
X To close fully: pull the corresponding
switch beyond the pressure point.
Automatic operation is started.
X To interrupt automatic operation:
press/pull the corresponding switch again.
i If you press/pull the switch beyond the
point of resistance, automatic operation is
started in the corresponding direction. You
can stop automatic operation by pressing/ pulling the switch again.
i You can continue to operate the side win-
dows after you switch off the engine or
remove the SmartKey. This function is
available for up to five minutes or until the
driver's or front-passenger door is opened.
i When the override feature for the side
windows is activated (Y page 69), the side
windows cannot be operated from the rear. Convenience opening
General notes You can ventilate the vehicle before you start
driving. To do this, the SmartKey is used to
carry out the following functions simultane-
ously:
R unlock the vehicle
R open the side windows
R open the sliding sunroof
R switch on the seat ventilation for the driv-
er's seat
i The convenience opening feature can
only be operated using the SmartKey. The SmartKey must be in close proximity to the
vehicle.
i The "convenience opening" feature is also
available on unlocked vehicles.
Convenience opening X
Press and hold the %button until the
side windows and the sliding sunroof are in
the desired position.
X To interrupt convenience opening:
release the %button. Convenience closing feature
Important safety notes Information on the side window reversing fea-
ture (Y page 97). G
WARNING
When the convenience closing feature is oper- ating, parts of the body could become trapped
in the closing area of the side window and the
sliding sunroof. There is a risk of injury.
Observe the complete closing procedure
when the convenience closing feature is oper-
ating. Make sure that no body parts are in
close proximity during the closing procedure.
Proceed as follows if someone is trapped:
With the SmartKey:
X Release the &button.
X Press and hold the %button until the
side windows and the sliding sunroof or the panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel open again.
Using KEYLESS-GO: X Release the sensor surface on the door
handle.
X Pull the door handle immediately and hold
it.
The side windows and the sliding sunroof or
the panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel open. 98
Side windowsOpening and closing