MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE 2012 Owners Manual

R
you pull th ecruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away, and th efront-
passenger doo rorone of the rea rdoors is
open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear awarning tone. You will see the DIS‐TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains description
sofcertain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles travelling on
adifferent line DISTRONIC PLUS may not detec
tvehicles
travelling on adifferent line. The distance to
the vehicle in fron twill be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle cuttin
gin. The distanc etothis vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width
.The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Obstructions and stationary vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turn sacorner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS will not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect
vehicles that are crossing your lane. Activat-
ing DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with
crossing traffic, for example, could cause
your vehicle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away ,especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvrin gonsteep slopes
R when waiting in traffic The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effec tiscancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or your seat belt
is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the transmission is in position D,Ror N.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing).
X Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

Deactivating th
eHOLDf unction G
WARNING
Never get out of th evehicle when th eHOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function mus tnever be operated
or deactivated by apassenger or from outside
th ev ehicle.
The HOLD function doe snot replac ethe park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effec tofthe HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is amalfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the batter yorthe fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the batter yisdisconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerat eand the transmission is in
position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position P.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until ëdis-
appears from the multifunction display.
R you activat eDISTRONIC PLUS.
When the HOLD function is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion Pif:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened. R
as ystem fault occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient. RACE START
Important safety notes G
WARNING
RACE START is only available when SPORT
handling mode is activated. SPORT handling
mode will only be able to stabilise the vehicle
to alimited degree if the vehicle start stoskid
or aw heel start stospin. The vehicle is there-
fore harder to control at the threshold range.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
RACE START should only be used on closed
off circuits. Always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
i RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from astanding start .The precondition for
this is asuitable high-grip road surface.
Activation conditions You can activat
eRACE START if:
R the doors are closed.
R the engine is running and it has reached an
operatin gtemperature of approximately
80 †. This is the case when the engine oil
temperature in the multifunction display
stops flashing.
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 66).
R the steerin gwheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot).
R the transmission is in position D.180
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Activating RACE START
X
Depress th ebrak epedal wit hyour left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Turn the drive program selector clockwise
(Y page 151) until the RSlamp lights up.
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START cancelled message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steerin gwheel shift
paddle (Y page 152).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steerin gwheel
shift paddle (Y page 152).
The RACE START available Depress accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal fully within two seconds, RACE
START is cancelled. The RACE START not
possible See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed rises to approximately
3500 rpm.
The RACE START Release brake to start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within five seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The RACE START cancelled mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE START active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches aspeed of approximately 50 km/h. Drive program
S+is activated. SPORT han-
dling mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE START
not possible See Owner's Manual mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until acertain distance has been driven. AIRMATIC
Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If you have selected "Comfort tuning", the
vehicle will be lowered if you lock it within
60 seconds of the engine being switched off.
Make sure, therefore, that nobody is in the
vicinit yofthe wheel housing or under the
vehicle when you lock the vehicle. Otherwise,
limbs could become trapped.
! The vehicle is lowered by about 15 mm if:
R you have selected "Comfort tuning"
R you switch off the engine and
R you lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that
it does not make contact with the kerb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Your vehicle regulates its height automati-
cally. All-round level control ensures the best
possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with aladen vehicle. When
you drive fast, the vehicle is lowered auto-
matically to improve driving safety and to
reduce fuel consumption. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z

The following vehicle levels are possible:
R
normal
R raised: the vehicle is raised by about
25 mm when compared with the normal
level.
R lowered: the vehicle is lowered by about
10 mm when compared with the normal
level.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can
be set manually.
The "Lowered" vehicle level is set automati-
cally:
R at speeds above 140 km/h
R if you have selected "Comfort tuning"
(Y page 182) and then lock the vehicle
within 60 seconds of the engine being
switched off
R if you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Y page 182)
Setting the vehicle level G
WARNING
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinit yofthe
wheel housing or under the vehicle while low-
ering the vehicle when it is stationary. Other-
wise, limbs could become trapped.
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road
surfaces and "Raised" for driving with snow
chains or on particularly poor road surfaces.
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level X
Start the engine. If indicator lamp
;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle
height is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle rising message appears in
the display.
The "Raised level" setting is cancelled if you:
R drive at aspeed over approximately
120 km/h
R drive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 80 km/h.
The "Raised Level" remains saved when you
are not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the norma llevel
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R
your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection ,i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the key from the ignition lock. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Sportst
uning The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing asporty
driving style, e.g. on winding countryr oads.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selec-
ted "Sports tuning".
The AIRMATIC SPORT message appears in
the multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer amore
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway.
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp =lights up. You have selec-
ted "Comfort tuning".
The AIRMATIC COMFORT message appears
in the multifunction display. AMG RIDE CONTROL sportss
uspen-
sion
General notes i
AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension
is available for the CLS 63 AMG model. Vehicle level The vehicle automatically sets the vehicle
level at the rear axle. Rear axle level control
ensures the best possible suspension and
that the ground clearance remains constant
even when the vehicle is loaded. This
improves driving safety and fuel consump-
tion.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously.T
his improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition,e .g. bumps
R your individual selection of Sport, Spor t+
or Comfort
If you select Sport or Sport +mode and
restart the engine, the suspension setting
revert stoComfort mode.
Sport mode :
Mode selector button
; Button for storing, calling up and display-
ing the selected mode
= Sport +mode indicator lamp
? Sport mode indicator lamp
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road. Driving systems
183Driving and parking Z

Select this mod
ewhene mploying asporty
driving style ,e.g. on winding country roads.
X Press button :once.
Indicato rlamp ?light sup. You have selec-
te dS port mode.
The AMG Rid eContro lSPORT message
appear sinthemultifunction display.
Sport +mode
The ver yfirms etting of the suspension tuning
in Sport +mode ensures the best possible
contact with the road. Select this mode only
when driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps =and ?are off:
X Press button :twice.
Indicator lamps =and ?light up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
If indicator lamp ?lights up:
X Press button :once.
Secondi ndicator lamp =lights up. You
have selected Sport +mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT + message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In comfor tmode, the driving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you prefer amore
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of motorway.
X Press button :repeatedly until indicator
lamps =and ?go out.
You have selected Comfort mode.
The AMG Ride Control COMFORT mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Storing and calling up settings
Once the suspension tuning and drive pro-
gram have been selected, you can store and
call up your settings using AMG button ;.X
To store: press AMG button ;until you
hear atone.
X To call up: press AMG button ;.
The stored suspension tuninga nd drive
program are selected.
X To display: briefly press AMG button ;.
Your selection appears in the multifunction
display. 4MATIC (permanent all-wheel drive)
G
WARNING
4MATIC cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast.
If ad rive wheel spins due to insufficien tgrip:
R only depress the accelerator peda lasfar as
necessary when pulling away.
R accelerate less when driving.
R adapt yourd riving style to suitr oad and
traffic conditions.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground
or be fully raised. Observe the instructions
for towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+ Styres), wit hsnow
chain sifnecessary.
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manentl ydriven .Together wit hESP®
,it
improves th etraction of your vehicl ewhen-
eve rad rive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip. 184
Driving systemsDriving and parking

PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes G
WARNING
PARKTRONIC is only an aid and may not
detect all obstacles. It is not asubstitute for
attentive driving.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger
yourself and others. G
WARNING
Make sure that no persons or animals are in
the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they
could be injured.
PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It indicates visuallya nd
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift the transmission to position D,Ror N
R release the parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
PARKTRONIC monitorst he area around your
vehicle using six sensors in the front bumper
and four sensors in the rear bumper.
Range of the sensors General notes
!
When parking, pay particular attention to
objectsa bove or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objectsw hen
they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objectsw hich absorb ultrasonic sources. Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash,
alorry's compressed-air brakes
or ap neumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on
uneven terrain. :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-han dside
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Cleant he sensors regularly,t aking
care not to scratchord amage them
(Y page 304). Example: side view Driving systems
185Driving and parking Z

Example: top view
Front sensors
Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rea
rsensors Centre Approx
.120 cm Corners Approx
.80cm Minimum distance
Centre Approx
.20cm Corners Approx
.15cm If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and awarn-
ing tone sounds. If th edistanc efalls below
the minimum, the distanc emay no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays sho
wthe distance
between th esensor sand th eobstacle. The
warning display for the fron tarea is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment.
The warning display for each side of the vehi-
cle is divided into five yellow and two red seg-
ments. PARKTRONIC is operational if yellow
segments showing operational readiness =
light up. Transmission
position Warning display
D
Front area activated
R,
Nor the vehicle
is rolling back-
wards Reara
nd front areas
activated P
No area
sactivated One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approache
sanobstacle, depending on the
vehicle's distance from the obstacle.
From the:
R sixth segment onwards, you willh earan
intermitten twarnin gtonef or approx-
imately two seconds.
R sevent hsegment onwards, you will hear a
warning tonef or approximately two sec-
onds. This indicates that you have now
reached the minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC :
Indicator lamp
; To deactivate/activate PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Park Assist is then also
deactivated.
i PARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the key to position 2in the
ignition lock. 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Problems with PARKTRONIC
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displaysa
re lit.
You also hear awarning
tone for approximately
two seconds.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20 seconds,
and the indicator lamp
in the PARKTRONIC
button lights up. PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
X
If problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at aqualified
specialist workshop. Only the red segments
in the PARKTRONIC
warning displaysa
re lit.
PARKTRONIC is deacti-
vated after approx-
imately 20seconds. The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
X
Cleant he PARKTRONIC sensors (Y page 304).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or
ultrasound waves.
X
See if PARKTRONIC functions in adifferent location. Active Parking Assist
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid and may
sometimes recommendp arking spaces that
are not suitable for parking. For example,
these might be spaces where parking is pro-
hibited, driveways, unsuitable surfaces, etc.
Active Parking Assist measures the parking
space as you drive past it. Any later changes
to the parking space are not taken into
account. For instance, this may be the case
when the vehicle parked in front of or behind
the space changes its position or when an
obstacle is moved into the parking space.
Active Parking Assist does not relieve you of
the responsibility of paying attention. If you
rely solely on Active Parking Assist, you could cause an accident and injure yourself and oth-
ers.
You are always responsible for safety and
must continue to pay attention to your imme-
diate surroundings when parking and
manoeuvring.
G
WARNING
Objectsl ocated above the height range of
Active Parking Assist will not be detected
when the parking space is measured. These
are not taken into account when the parking
procedure is calculated, e. g. overhanging
loads, tail sections or loading ramps of goods
vehicles. In some circumstances, Active Park-
ing Assist may therefore guide you into the
parking space too early. This may lead to a
collision. For this reason, you should avoid
using Active Parking Assist in such situations. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z