steering wheel MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class 2016 W218 User Guide

If the hazardous situation passes without result-
ing in an accident, the original settings are
restored.
Automatic measures after an acci-
dent
Immediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on the
type and severity of the impact:
Rthe hazard warning lamps are activated
Rthe emergency lighting is activated
Rthe vehicle doors are unlocked
Rthe front side windows are lowered
Rvehicles with a memory function: the electri-
cally adjustable steering wheel is raised
Rthe engine is switched off and the fuel supply
is cut off
Rvehicles with mbrace: automatic emergency
call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children secured
in the rear seats are safer than children secured
in the front-passenger seat. For this reason,
Mercedes-Benz strongly advises that you install
a child restraint system on a rear seat. Children
are generally better protected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m)in height is traveling in the
vehicle:
Ralways secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The child restraint system must be appropri-
ate to the age, weight and size of the child
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes in this section in addition to the child
restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions
Rbe sure to observe the instructions and safety
notes on the "Occupant classification system
(OCS)" (
Ypage 49)
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
GWARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.
GWARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro- tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.
Always ensure that all vehicle occupants have
their seat belts fastened correctly and are sitting
properly. Particular attention must be paid to
children.
Observe the safety notes on the seat belt
(
Ypage 43) and the notes on correct use of seat
belts (Ypage 44).
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lbs (18 kg) until they reach a height where a
58Children in the vehicle
Safety

Never leave animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Always secure animals properly during
the journey, e.g. use a suitable animal trans-
port box.
Driving safety systems
Overview of driving safety systems
In this section, you will find information about
the following driving safety systems:
RABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
(Ypage 64)
RBAS ( Brake Assist System) (Ypage 65)
RBAS PLUS ( BrakeAssist System PLUS) with
Cross-Traffic Assist (Ypage 65)
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS
(Ypage 67)
RESP®(Electronic StabilityProgram)
(Ypage 69)
REBD ( Electronic Brake force Distribution)
(Ypage 72)
RADAPTIVE BRAKE (Ypage 72)
RPRE-SAFE®Brake (Ypage 73)
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style or if you are
inattentive, the driving safety systems can nei-
ther reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. Driving safety systems are
merely aids designed to assist driving. You are
responsible for maintaining the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time, and for staying in lane. Always adapt
your driving style to suit the prevailing road and weather conditions and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Drive carefully.
The driving safety systems described only work
as effectively as possible when there is ade-
quate contact between the tires and the road
surface. Please pay special attention to the
notes on tires, recommended minimum tire
tread depths, etc. (
Ypage 301).
In wintry driving conditions, always use winter
tires (M+S tires) and if necessary, snow chains.
Only in this way will the driving safety systems
described in this section work as effectively as
possible.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
General information
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way that
the wheels do not lock when you brake. This
allows you to continue steering the vehicle when
braking.
The ! ABS warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when the ignition is switched
on. It goes out when the engine is running.
ABS works from a speed of about 5 mph
(8 km/h), regardless of road-surface conditions.
ABS works on slippery surfaces, even when you
only brake gently.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 64).
GWARNING
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking. The steerability and braking charac-
teristics may be severely impaired. Addition-
ally, further driving safety systems are deac-
tivated. There is an increased danger of skid-
ding and accidents.
Drive on carefully. Have ABS checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist workshop.
When ABS is malfunctioning, other systems,
including driving safety systems, will also
become inoperative. Observe the information
on the ABS warning lamp (
Ypage 238) and dis-
play messages which may be shown in the
instrument cluster (
Ypage 213).
Braking
XIf ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal vigorously until the braking sit-
uation is over.
XTo make a full brake application: depress
the brake pedal with full force.
If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions, and functions as a reminder to take extra care while driving.
64Driving safety systems
Safety

Deactivating/activating ESP®
(Mercedes‑AM Gvehicles )
Important safet ynotes
You can selec tbetween th efollowin gstates of
ES P®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handlin gmode is activated.
RES P®is deactivated.
GWARNING
Whe nSPORT handlin gmode is activated,
there is agreater ris kof skidding and acci-
dents .
Only activat eSPORT handlin gmode in th esit -
uation sdescribed in th efollowing.
GWARNING
If you deactivat eES P
®,ES P®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle. There is an increase dris k
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivat eES P
®in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing.
!Avoid spinnin gth edriven wheels fo ran
extended period wit hES P®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage th edrivetrain .
In th efollowin gsituations, it may be bette rto
activat eSPORT handlin gmode or deactivat e
ES P
®:
Rwhen usin gsnow chain s
Rin deepsnow
Ron san dor grave l
Ron specially designated roads when th evehi-
cle's own oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desire d
Driving in SPORT handlin gmode or without
ES P
®require san extremely qualified and expe-
rienced driver .
iActivateES P®as soo nas th esituation s
described abov eno longer apply .ES P®will
otherwise no tbe able to stabilize th evehicle if
th evehicle start sto skid or awhee lstart sto
spin.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode: briefly
press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster lights up. The
SPORT handling mod e
messageappears in
th emultifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press butto n:.
The M SPORT handlin gmode warnin g
lamp in th einstrumen tcluster goe sout .
XTo deactivate ESP®:press butto n: until
th eå ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp lights up in
th einstrumen tcluster.
The ÷ OFF
messag eappears in th emulti-
function display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press butto n:.
The å ESP®OF Fwarnin glamp in th e
instrumen tcluster goe sout .The ÷ ESP®
ONmessag eappears in th emultifunction dis -
play.
Characteristics of activate dSPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handlin gmode is activated and on eor
more wheels start to spin, th e÷ ESP®warn -
in glamp in th einstrumen tcluster flashes .ES P®
only stabilize sth evehicle to alimited degree .
Whe nSPORT handlin gmode is activated:
RES P®no longer improves drivin gstability.
REngin etorqu eis no longer limited and th e
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinnin gof th ewheels result sin acutting
action fo rbette rtraction on loose surfaces.
RTraction contro lis still activated.
RES P®still provides suppor twhen you brake
firmly.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible.
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position.
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion.
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly.
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint.
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
Ryou can move your legs freely.
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly.
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the bodyand is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area.
Further related subjects:
RElectrical seat adjustment (Ypage 95)
RAdjusting the steering wheel (Ypage 100)
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 44).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 103).
RStoring the seat, steering wheel and exterior
mirror settings using the memory function
(
Ypage 105).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
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.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection 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 instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 46) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 58).
94Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat heat-
ing should also not be used to dry the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
Rdo 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 passen-
gers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating materi- als, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat covers,
child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when mov-
ing the seats back. There is a risk that the
seats and/or the objects could be damaged.
iThe head restraints in the front seats are
installed with the NECK-PRO system
(
Ypage 55). For this reason, it is not possible
to remove the head restraints from the front
seats.
For more information, contact a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iFurther related subjects:
RRear bench seat through-loading feature
(Ypage 46)
Adjusting the seats
:Head restraint height
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat height
?Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
ABackrest angle
iIf PRE-SAFE®is activated and the front-
passenger seat is in an unfavorable position,
it is moved to a better position.
iYou can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Ypage 105).
iVehicles with the through-loading feature: if
you fold down a rear seat backrest, the
respective front seat is moved forwards
slightly if necessary. This prevents the seats
from colliding.
Seats95
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
You could lose control of your vehicl eif you do
th efollowin gwhile driving:
Radjust th edriver's seat ,head restraint,
steering whee lor mirror s
Rfastenth eseat belt
There is aris kof an accident.
Adjus tth edriver's seat ,head restraint, steer -
ing whee land mirror and faste nyour seat belt
before starting th eengine.
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in th ehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Do no trotate th ehead restraints of th efron tand
rear seats. Otherwise ,you canno tadjust th e
height and angle of th ehead restraints to th e
correc tposition .
Using th efore-and-af tadjustment, adjust th e
head restrain tso that it is as close as possibl eto
your head .
Observ eth eimportant safet ynote sregarding
th eseat s (
Ypage 94).
Adjusting the head restraint height
electri cally
XSlide switch for head restrain theight adjust -
men t: up or down in th edirection of th e
arrow.
Adjusting the luxury head restraints
XTo adjust th esid ebolsters of th ehea d
restraint: push or pull right and/o rleft-han d
side bolste r: intoth edesired position .
XTo adjust theangle of th ehea drestraint:
push or pull th ehead restrain tin th edirection
of arrow ;.
iAdjustth ehead restrain tso that th ebac kof
your head is as close to th ehead restrain tas
possible.
Rear seat head restraints
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
Fo ryour protection ,drive only wit hproperly
positioned head restraints .
Adjus tth ehead restraints so that they are as
close as possibl eto your head .This will
96Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

reduce the potential for injury to the head and
neck in the event of an accident or similar sit-
uation.
Whenever the rear seats are occupied, only
drive the vehicle with the head restraints
installed and engaged. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
Adjusting the rear seat head restraint
angle
XPull or push the top of the head restraint until
it is in the desired position.
Removing and installing the rear seat
head restraints
GWARNING
If the head restraints are not installed or not
adjusted correctly, they cannot provide pro-
tection 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 instal-
led. Before driving off, make sure for every
vehicle occupant that the center of the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
about eye level.
!Make sure that the rear window roller sun-
blind has been retracted before the rear head
restraints are removed. You could otherwise
damage the roller sunblind.
The head restraints can only be removed if the
rear seat folds forward.
XTo remove: press 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
The multicontour seat function is only available
for vehicles in Canada.
: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 back-
rest
You can adjust the contour of the front seat
individually so as to provide optimum support
for your back and sides.
Seats97
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the ignition
lock (Ypage 127).
Adjusting the active multicontour
seat
The active multicontour seat is only available for
the driver's side.
You can adjust the active multicontour seat via
the multimedia system. You can find further
information in the separate multimedia system
operating instructions.
Adjusting the 4-way lumbar support
:To raise the backrest contour
;To soften the backrest contour
=To lower the backrest contour
?To harden the backrest contour
You can adjust the contour of the front seat
backrests individually to provide optimum sup-
port for your back.
Seat heating and seat ventilation
Switching the seat heating on/off
GWARNING
Repeatedly switching on the seat heating can
cause the seat cushion and backrest pads to
become very hot. The health of persons with
limited temperature sensitivity or a limited
ability to react to excessively high tempera-
tures may be affected or they may even suffer
burn-like injuries. There is a risk of injury.
Therefore, do not switch the seat heating on
repeatedly.
Driver's and front-passenger seat
The three red indicator lamps in the button indi-
cate the heating level you have selected.
The system automatically switches down from
level 3to level 2after approximately eight
minutes.
The system automatically switches down from
level 2to level 1after approximately ten
minutes.
The system automatically switches off approx-
imately 20 minutes after it is set to level 1.
XTurn the SmartKey to position1or 2in the
ignition lock (Ypage 127).
XTo switch on: press button:repeatedly
until the desired heating level is set.
XTo switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
Switching the seat ventilation on/off
Driver's and front-passenger seat
The three blue indicator lamps in the buttons
indicate the ventilation level you have selected.
98Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

XTurn the SmartKey to position1or 2in the
ignition lock (Ypage 127).
XTo switch on: press button:repeatedly
until the desired ventilation level is set.
XTo switch off: press button:repeatedly
until all the indicator lamps go out.
iIf the battery voltage is too low, the seat
ventilation may switch off.
iYou can open the side windows and the slid-
ing sunroof using the "Convenience opening"
feature (
Ypage 88). The seat ventilation of
the driver's seat automatically switches to the
highest level.
Seats99
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z

Problems with the seat heating or seat ventilation
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The seat heating or seat
ventilation has switched
off prematurely or can-
not be switched on.The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical consum-
ers are switched on.
XSwitch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as the
rear window defroster or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat heating or seat
ventilation can be switched back on manually.
Steering wheel
Important safety notes
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
Children could injure themselves if they
adjust the steering wheel. 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.
The electrically adjustable steering wheel can
still be adjusted when there is no SmartKey in
the ignition lock.
Adjusting the steering wheel electri-
cally
:To adjust the steering wheel height
;To adjust the steering wheel position (fore-
and-aft adjustment)
iFurther related subjects:
REASY-ENTRY/EXIT feature (Ypage 102)
RStoring settings (Ypage 105)
Steering wheel heating
Switching on/off
100Steering wheel
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors