MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 2008 W219 Service Manual

40 Getting started
Unlocking
Position 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO start/
stop button, the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status 0 (as wit h Sma rtKey re-
moved).
Position 1
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers.Ignition (or position 2)
Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
twice.
This supplies power for all electrical
consumers. All lamps (except high
beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps unless acti-
vated) in the instrument cluster come
on. If a lamp in the instrument cluster
fails to come on when the ignition is
switched on, have it checked and
replaced if necessary. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster remains on after
starting the engine or comes on while
driving, see “Lamps in instrument clus-
ter” (
page 344).For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(
page 39).
iIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button

once again, the ignition (position2) is
switched on

twice, the power supply is again switched offiIf you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power supply is
again switched off.
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps (except high beam
headlamp indicator lamp and turn signal indica-
tor lamps unless activated) in the instrument
cluster come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except high beam headlamp indicator
lamp and turn signal indicator lamps if activated)
should go out when the engine is running. This in-
dicates that the respective systems are opera-
tional.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
Warning!G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and the seat belts are properly po-
sitioned on the body.Warning!G
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 48).
Observe the following points:

Adjust the backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the steer-
ing wheel.

Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The po-
sition should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.

Adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports
the back of the head at eye level.

Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is be-
ing adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

42 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the front doors.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Backrest tilt
3Head restraint height
4Seat height
5Seat cushion tilt
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the power seats can be operated when the
respective door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could re-
sult in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional informa-
tion, see “Children in the vehicle”
(
page 82).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
iThe memory function (page 123) lets you
store the settings for the seat position together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
!When moving the seat, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats, oth-
erwise you could damage the seats.

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow1.
Backrest tilt
Press the switch forward or backward
in direction of arrow2.
Head restraint height
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow3.
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow4.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the switch up or down in
direction of arrow5 until your upper
legs are lightly supported.Head restraint adjusting
Manually adjust the head restraint.
Push or pull on the upper edge of the
head restraint cushion.
iDepending on the set height of the head re-
straint, the seat fore and aft position is automat-
ically pre-set.
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the center
of the head restraint supports the back of
the head at eye level. This will reduce the po-
tential for injury to the head and neck in the
event of an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.

44 Getting started
Adjusting
Comfort head restraint* adjusting
1Head restraint side adjustment
2Head restraint fore and aft adjustmentYou can individually adjust side
cushions1 of the comfort head re-
straints.
Adjusting side cushions
Pull or push sides1 into desired posi-
tion.
Adjusting forward or backward
Pull or push head restraint in direction
of arrow2.
For more information on seats, see “Seats”
(
page 118).
Steering wheel
Warning!G
When folding back the side cushions, never
reach between the side cushion and the
mounting post. You could otherwise be
trapped.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing could cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock your vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the steering wheel adjustment feature can
be operated when the driver’s door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. A child’s unsupervised access to a
vehicle could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.

45 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel adjustment
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the steering column (lower left).
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
Adjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk in direction of arrows1
until a comfortable steering wheel posi-
tion is reached with your arms slightly
bent at the elbow.Adjusting steering column up or down
Move stalk in direction of arrows2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that all the displays (incl. malfunc-
tion and indicator lamps) on the instru-
ment cluster are clearly visible.
Easy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience sub-
menu of the control system (
page 163).
iThe memory function (page 123) lets you
store the setting for the seat position together
with the setting for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk
(
page 45).

Press one of the memory position but-
tons or the memory buttonM
(
page 124).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

46 Getting started
Adjusting
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or

insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 39) once
with the driver’s door closedWith the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1 or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 39) in position 1
iThe last set steering wheel position is stored
when

the ignition is switched off

the position is stored in memory
(
page 123)
iIf the current position for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
The adjustment procedure is briefly interrupted
when the engine is started.
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. All steering wheel adjustment must be
completed before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still
adjusting could cause the driver to lose con-
trol of the vehicle.

47 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 183).
Exterior rear view mirrorsThe buttons are located on the driver’s
door.
1Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
2Adjustment button
3Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
Switch on the ignition (page 38).
Press button3 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button1
for the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror.
Push adjustment button2 up, down,
left or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Activating exte-
rior rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 184).
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 183).Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
!If an exterior rear view mirror was forcibly
pushed forward (hit from the rear) or forcibly
pushed rearward (hit from the front), reposition
it by applying firm pressure until it snaps into
place. The mirror housing is now properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror normally.
iThe memory function (page 123) lets you
store the setting for the seat position together
with the setting for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
At low ambient temperatures, the exterior rear
view mirrors will be heated automatically.

48 Getting started
Driving
Fastening the seat belts
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.
Warning!G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure all of your passengers
are properly restrained, even those sitting in
the rear.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and
position your seat belt greatly increases
your risk of injuries and their likely severity
in an accident. You and your passengers
should always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(
page 76).
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front
seating position. Thus, we strongly recom-
mend that children be placed in the rear
seats. Regardless of seating position, chil-
dren 12 years old and under must be seated
and properly secured in an appropriate in-
fant or toddler restraint, or booster seat rec-
ommended for the size and weight of the
child. For additional information, see “Chil-
dren in the vehicle” (
page 82).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
Warning!G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at
a time.

49 Getting started
Driving
1Belt outlet
2Latch plate
3Release button
4Buckle
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from belt outlet1.
Place the shoulder portion of the belt
across the top of your shoulder and the
lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate2 into buckle4 until
it clicks.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belts provide the best restraint when
the wearer is in a position that is as upright
as possible and the seat belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Warning!G
Read and observe the additional warning
notices printed in the “Safety and security”
section (
page 76).