traction control MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE 2011 Owners Manual

Distance warning signal (warning
lamp)
.................................................. 246
DISTRONIC PLUS Deactivating ................................... 160
Display message ............................ 230
Displays in the multifunctio ndis-
play ................................................ 160
Drivin gtips .................................... 161
Function/notes ............................. 154
Setting the specified minimum
distance ......................................... 159
Warning lamp ................................. 246
Door
Automatic locking ............................ 74
Automatic locking (on-board com-
puter) ............................................. 209
Display message ............................ 235
Emergency locking ........................... 75
Emergency unlocking .......................75
Opening (from the inside) ................74
Door control panel
Overview .......................................... 32
Doors
Important safety notes ....................73
Drinks holder
see Cuph older
Drive program
Automatic ...................................... 139
Manual .......................................... .141
Drive program display ......................136
Drive system Active Blind Spot Assist .................186
Driving on flooded roads ..................151
Driving safety system BAS PLUS (Brake Assist System
PLUS) .............................................. .57
Electronic Brake-force Distribu-
tio n.................................................. 61
ESP ®
(Electroni cStability Pro-
gram) ............................................... 58
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction
System) ........................................... 59
Important safety guidelines .............56
Driving safety systems
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) .......57
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ............................. 61
Adaptive brake lamps ......................58BAS (Brake Assist System)
..............57
Overview .......................................... 56
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake ............................ .61
Driving system
Active Lane Keeping Assist ............189
Active Parking Assist .....................173
Driving systems
Active Driving Assistance pack-
age ................................................. 186
AIRMATIC ...................................... 167
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports sus-
pension (CLS 63 AMG) ..................169
ATTENTION ASSIST ........................177
Blind Spot Assist ............................ 183
Cruise control ................................ 152
Distronic Plu s................................ 154
HOLD function ............................... 165
Lane Keeping Assist ......................185
Lane package ................................ 183
Nigh tView Assist Plus ...................180
Parktroni c...................................... 170
RAC ESTART (AMG vehicles) ..........166
Reversing camera ..........................176
Speed Limi tAssist ......................... 178
Speedtronic ................................... 162
Driving tips ........................................ 138
Braking .......................................... 150
Distronic Plu s................................ 161
Downhill gradients .........................149
Driving on flooded road s................ 151
Wet road surface ........................... 150
Winter ............................................ 151
DVD audio (on-board computer) ......201 E
EASY-ENTRY feature ............................ 92
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 211
EASY-EXIT feature ............................... 92
Activating/deactivating (on-
board computer) ............................ 211
Crash-responsive ............................. 92
EASY-PACK convenience box ...........252
EASY-PACK quickfold ........................2518
Index

If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt yourd riving style to suitt he prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control 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. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more drive
torque is also transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
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 G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides bette rgrip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
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 stabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running. Driving safety systems
59Safety
Z

If the
÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of yourv ehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
X To activate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Otherwise, you should only use SPORT han-
dling mode on designated race circuits. G
Risk of accident
Deactivate SPORT handling mode and acti-
vate ESP ®
as soon as the situations described
above no longer apply. Otherwise, SPORT
handling mode will only be able to stabilise
the vehicle to a limited degree if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels can spin. The
spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip. R
traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
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 stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
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 G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin. 60
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety

If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin. The spin-
ning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available and is
also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available and
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash.Ins uch
situations, ESP ®
will no tstabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluste rlights up.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction. There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weathe
rcondi-
tions.
X To activate: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribu-
tion)
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, the rear wheels can still lock,
e.g. under full braking. This could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident .You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling charac-
teristics. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
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 165) and
hill start assist (Y page 131). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 149). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake (vehicles with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS)
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effect sofsuch a colli-
sion. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z

X
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock or remove it.
X To switch on: press theÌbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ìbutton lights
up.
X To deactivate: press theÌbutton.
The indicator lamp in the Ìbutton goes
out.
i Residual heat is deactivated automati-
cally:
R after about 30 minutes
R when the ignition is switched on
R if the battery voltage drops
R if the coolant temperature is too low Auxiliary heating
Important safety notes G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When operating the auxiliary heating, parts of
the vehicle may become very hot, and highly
inflammable material such as fuels could be
ignited. Operating the auxiliary heating is thus
prohibited at filling station sorwhen your vehi-
cle is being refuelled. You must therefore
switch off the auxiliary heating at filling sta-
tions.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for a longer
distance.
i Switch on the auxiliary heating regularly,
e.g. for about ten minutes every month. The auxiliary heating heats the air in the vehi-
cle interior to the set temperature without
using the heat of the running engine. The aux-
iliary heating is operated directly using the
vehicle's fuel. For this reason, the tank con-
tent must be at least at reserve fuel level to
ensure that the auxiliary heating functions.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation automati-
cally adjusts to changes in temperature and
weather conditions. For this reason, the aux-
iliary heating could switch from ventilation
mode to heating mode or from heating mode
to ventilation mode.
The auxiliary heating switches off automati-
cally after 50 minutes. This time limit can be
altered. To do this, visit a qualified specialist
workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Ben
zService
Centre.
You cannot use the auxiliary ventilation to
cool the vehicle interior to a temperature
lower than the outside temperature.
Before switching on X
Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
X Set the temperature.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated even when the climate control is being
controlled manually. Optimum comfort can
be attained when the system is set to auto-
matic mode. Set the temperature to 22 †.
The auxiliary heating/ventilation can be acti-
vated or deactivated using the remote control
or the button on the centre console.
The on-board computer can be used to spec-
ify up to three departure times, one of which
may be preselected (Y page 210). Operating the climate control system
119Climate control Z

or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain further informa-
tion about this from your Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Tyre traction
G
Risk of accident
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlled at
a certain speed on dry roads, you must reduce
your speed on wet or icy roads to achieve the
same road safety. You could otherwise cause
an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road conditions
at temperatures around freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a thin film of water rapidly forms on
the ice when you brake, considerably reduc-
ing tyre traction. Drive with particular care in
such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R
the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walking
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all
circumstances. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine, the electronics or the trans-
mission. Winter driving
General notes G
Risk of poisoning
If the vehicle becomes trapped in snow,
ensure that snow is kept away from the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle as
long as the engine is running. Otherwise, poi-
sonous carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle, resulting in loss of consciousness and
even death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open
a window slightly on the side of the vehicle
not facing the wind.
At the onset of winter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section .
Slippery road surfaces G
Risk of accident
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could Driving tips
151Driving and parking
Z

Activating/deactivating the rada
rsensor
system
i You must deactivate the radar sensor sys-
tem in certain countries and near radio
telescope facilities. Further information
(Y page 327).
Vehicles with a navigation system: the radar
sensor system is deactivated automatically if
you are close to radio telescope facilities.
The following systems are switched off when
the radar sensor system is deactivated:
R DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 154)
R BAS PLUS (Y page 57)
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 61)
R Blind Spo tAssist (Y page 183)
R Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 186)
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
X Press the 9or: button to select
Radar sensor (See Owner's Man.): .
You will see the selected setting: on or
off .
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Heating menu Auxiliary heating departure time
This function is only available on vehicles with
auxiliary heating (Y
page 119).
In the Heating submenu, you can select a
stored departure time or change a departure
time.
The auxiliary heating timer function calcu-
lates the switch-on time according to the out-
side temperature so that the vehicle is pre-
heated by the departure time. When the
departure time is reached, the auxiliary heat-
ing continues to heat for a further five
minutes and then switches off. The auxiliary
heating adopts the THERMATIC or THERMA-
TRONIC temperature setting. You can switch off the auxiliary heating by
using the remote control or the auxiliary heat-
ing button on the centre console. G
Risk of poisoning
Exhaust fumes are produced when the auxili-
ary heating is in operation. Inhaling these
exhaust fumes can be poisonous. You should
therefore switch off the auxiliary heating in
confined spaces without an extraction sys-
tem, e.g. a garage. G
Risk of fire
When operating the auxiliary heating parts of
the vehicle can get very hot. Make sure that
the exhaust system does not under any cir-
cumstances come into contact with easily
ignitable material such as dry grass or fuels.
The material could otherwise ignite and set
the vehicle alight. Choose your parking spot
accordingly.
Operating the auxiliary heating is thus pro-
hibited at filling stations or when your vehicle
is being refuelled.Y ou must therefore switch
off the auxiliary heating at filling stations.
! Operating the auxiliary heating/ventila-
tion draws on the vehicle battery. After you
have heated or ventilated the vehicle a
maximum of two times, drive for a longer
distance.
i Switch the auxiliary heating on regularly
once a month for about ten minutes.
Selecting the departure time or deactivat-
ing a selected departure time
X Press the =or; button on the steer-
ing wheel to select the Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Heating submenu.
X Press the abutton to confirm.
You will see the selected setting.
X Press the abutton to confirm. 210
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
֌!
The yellow ESP
®
and
ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps and the yellow
ABS warning lamp are
lit while the engine is
running. A warning tone
also sounds. G
Risk of accident
EBD is faulty. Therefore, ABS,B AS, BAS PLUS, ESP®
, PRE-SAFE ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function, hill start assist and the
adaptive brake lights, for example, are not available either.
The brake system continue sto function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. J֌!
The red brake warning
lamp, the yellow ESP
®
and ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps and the yellow
ABS warning lamp are
lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of accident
ABS and ESP ®
are faulty. Therefore, BAS, BAS PLUS, EBD,
PRE-SAFE ®
,P RE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function, hill start assist
and the adaptive brake lights, for example, are no tavailable either
due to a malfunction.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visi taqualified specialist workshop. ÷
The yellow ESP
®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because ther eis a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when
pulling away.
X Release the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 58).242
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

Tyre tread
G
Ris
kofa ccident
Bear in mind that:
R tyre grip decreases rapidly on wet roads
when the tread depth is less than 3mm.
Thus, you should replace tyres that have
insufficient tread.
R winter tyres should be replaced when the
tread depth is 4mmorless as they no lon-
ger provide adequate grip.
R the tread on a tyre may not wear evenly.
Thus, you should regularly check the tread
depth and the condition of the tread across
the entire width of all tyres. If necessary,
turn the fron twheels to full lock in order to
inspect the tyre tread more easily.
Otherwise, you could lose control of the vehi-
cle and cause an accident due to the reduced
grip of the tyres on the road. Notes on selecting, fitting and replac-
ing tyres
R Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R After fittingn ew tyres, run them in at mod-
erate speeds for the first 100 km, as they
only reach their full performance after this
distance.
R Do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth, as this significantly reduces
the traction on wet roads (aquaplaning).
R Replace the tyres after six years at the lat-
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the emergency spare wheel/spare wheel. MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat
characteristics)
MOExtended tyres (tyres with run-flat char-
acteristics) allow you to continue driving the vehicle even when one or more tyres lose all
air pressure.
MOExtended tyres may only be used in con-
junction with the activated tyre pressure loss
warning system or with the activated tyre
pressure monitor and on wheels specifically
tested by Mercedes-Benz.
i Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory.
It is therefore recommended that you addi-
tionally equip your vehicle with the TIREFIT
kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-
flat properties, e.g. winter tyres. You can
obtain a TIREFIT kit from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, for example.
You will find notes on driving with a flat tyre
in the "Breakdown assistance" section
(Y page 289). Winter operation
Please bear the following in mind
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre, at the onset of winter.
Observe the notes in the "Changing a wheel"
section (Y page 309). Driving with summer tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, summer tyres
lose elasticity and therefore traction and
braking power –change the tyres on your
vehicle to M+S tyres. Using summer tyres at
very cold temperatures could cause tears to
form, thereby damaging them permanently.
Mercedes-Ben zcannot accept responsibility
for this type of damage. M+S tyres
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres
or all-season tyres. Both types of tyre are
identified by the M+S marking. Winter operation
303Wheels and tyres Z