four wheel drive MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 2008 W219 Owner's Manual

174 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in program modeC
orS (
page 175), you can select a gear
range for the automatic transmission to
operate within.
Gear selector lever (
page 176):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control*
(
page 177):
You can limit the gear range by pulling the
left gearshift paddle on the steering wheel
gearshift control, and reverse the gear
range limit by pulling the right gearshift
paddle on the steering wheel gearshift
control.The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current gear rangeEffect
ïThe transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
îThe transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
éThe transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
Effect
èThe transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
çThe transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades

in mountainous regions

under extreme operating
conditions
æThe transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.

277 Operation
Driving instructions
Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires
(
page 328) with a minimum tread depth
of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to make sure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise
appropriate caution.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to prevail-
ing conditions.An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of:

CLS 550
CLS 550 (Sport Package*):
130 mph (210 km/h)

CLS 63 AMG:
155 mph (250 km/h)

CLS 63 AMG (Performance Package*):
186 mph (300 km/h)
The factory equipped tires on your vehicle
may have a tire speed rating above the
maximum speed permitted by the elec-
tronic speed limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle in
the “Technical data” section (
page 438),
for example when purchasing new tires.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
Warning!G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.

305 Operation
Tires and wheels
Restarting the Run Flat Indicator
The tire inflation pressure monitor must be
restarted in the following situations:

If you have changed the tire inflation
pressure

If you have replaced the wheels or tires

If you have installed new wheels or
tires
Using the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or,
if available, the tire inflation pressure
label on the inside of the fuel filler flap,
make sure the tire inflation pressure of
all four tires is correct.
Switch on the ignition (page 38).
Make sure the standard display menu
appears in the multifunction display
(
page 139).
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the following message appears in
the multifunction display:
Run Flat Indicator
Active
Menu: R-Button
Press the reset button (page 27).
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Restart
Run Flat Indicator?
Cancel
Yes
If you wish to confirm activation:
Press buttonæ.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Run Flat Indicator
Restarted
Warning!G
The Run Flat Indicator does not provide a
warning for wrongly selected tire inflation
pressures. Always adjust tire inflation pres-
sure according to the Tire and Loading Infor-
mation placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 296) or, if available, on the tire in-
flation pressure label located on the inside
of the fuel filler flap.
The Run Flat Indicator does not replace reg-
ular checks of the tire inflation pressures
since a gradual pressure loss in more than
one tire cannot be detected by the Run Flat
Indicator.
The Run Flat Indicator is not able to issue a
warning due to a sudden dramatic loss of
tire inflation pressure (e.g. tire blowout
caused by a foreign object). In this case
bring the vehicle to a halt by carefully apply-
ing the brakes and avoiding abrupt steering
maneuvers.
Warning!G
The Run Flat Indicator can only warn you in
a reliable manner if you have set the correct
tire inflation pressures for each tire.
If an incorrect tire inflation pressure was
set, the system will monitor the pressure ac-
cording to the incorrect value.


306 Operation
Tires and wheels
After a certain “learning phase”, the Run
Flat Indicator checks the set pressure val-
ues for all four tires.
If you wish to cancel activation:
Press buttonç.
or
Wait until the message
Restart
Run Flat Indicator?
Cancel
Yes
disappears.Checking tire inflation pressure elec-
tronically with the Tire Pressure Moni-
toring System (TPMS), (USA only)
The TPMS only functions on wheels that
are equipped with the proper electronic
sensors. It monitors the tire inflation pres-
sure, as selected by the driver, in all four
tires. A warning is issued to alert you to a
decrease in pressure in one or more of the
tires.
iThe Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) is equipped with a combination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale in the in-
strument cluster (
page 27). Depending on
how the telltale illuminates, it indicates a low tire
pressure condition or a malfunction in the TPMS
system itself:

If the telltale illuminates continuously, one
or more of your tires is significantly underin-
flated. There is no malfunction in the TPMS.

If the telltale flashes for 60 seconds and
then stays illuminated, the TPMS system
itself is not operating properly.
iThis device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.

308 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire inflation warnings
If the system detects a significant loss of
tire inflation pressure in one or more than
one tire, a message appears in the multi-
function display.
Example illustration
In addition, a warning signal sounds.Restarting the TPMS
The TPMS must be restarted when you
have adjusted the tire inflation pressure to
a new level (e.g. because of different load
or driving conditions). The TPMS is then
recalibrated to the current tire inflation
pressures.
Using the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 296) or, if available, the sup-
plemental tire inflation pressure
information on the inside of the fuel fill-
er flap (
page 283), make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of in-
compatible replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or alternate
tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue
to function properly.
iIf a condition causing the TPMS to malfunc-
tion develops, it may take up to 10 minutes for
the system to signal a malfunction using the
TPMS telltale flashing and illumination se-
quence.
The telltale extinguishes after a few minutes driv-
ing if the malfunction has been corrected.
iOperating radio transmission equipment
(e.g. wireless headsets, two-way radios) in or
near the vehicle could cause the TPMS to mal-
function.
Warning!G
It is the driver’s responsibility to calibrate
the TPMS on the recommended cold infla-
tion pressure. Underinflated tires affect the
ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
might lose control over the vehicle.


309 Operation
Tires and wheels
Switch on the ignition (page 38).
Press buttonè orÿ on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the standard display menu ap-
pears in the multifunction display
(
page 139).
Press thej or kbutton repeat-
edly until you see the flowing message:
Tire Pressure
Monitor Active
Menu: R-Button
Press the reset button (page 27).
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Restart
tire pressure
monitor?
Cancel
Yes
Press the æbutton.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Tire Pressure
Monitor
Restarted
After driving a few minutes the current
tire inflation pressure values are ac-
cepted as reference pressures and
then monitored.
If you wish to cancel activation:
Press the çbutton.Checking tire inflation pressure elec-
tronically with the Advanced Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System* (Advanced
TPMS*), (Canada only)
The TPMS only functions on wheels that
are equipped with the proper electronic
sensors. It monitors the tire inflation pres-
sure, as selected by the driver, in all four
tires. A warning is issued to alert you to a
decrease in pressure in one or more of the
tires.
iRestart the TPMS after adjusting the tire in-
flation pressure to the inflation pressure recom-
mended for the vehicle operating condition. Tire
pressure should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Observe the recommended tire inflation pres-
sure on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B-pillar (
page 296). Some
vehicles may have supplemental tire inflation
pressure information for driving at high speeds
(
page 302) or for vehicle loads less than the
maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 302). If such information is provided, it
can be found on the inside of the fuel filler flap
(
page 283).
iThis device complies with RSS-210 of Indus-
try Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference re-
ceived, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.

312 Operation
Tires and wheels
If you want to set new reference values
manually:
Using the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B-pillar or,
if available, the supplemental tire infla-
tion pressure information on the inside
of the fuel filler flap, make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is cor-
rect.
Press buttonè orÿ on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the standard display menu ap-
pears in the multifunction display
(
page 145).
Press thej or kbutton repeat-
edly until you see the current inflation
pressures for each tire appear in the
multifunction display or the following
message appears in the multifunction
display:
Tire pressure
is only displayed
after driving for
a few minutes
Press the reset button (page 27).
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Restart
tire pressure
monitor?
Cancel
Yes
Press the æbutton.
The following message will appear in
the multifunction display:
Tire Pressure
Monitor
Restarted
After driving a few minutes the system
verifies that the current tire inflation
pressures are within the system’s
specified range. Afterwards the current
tire inflation pressures are accepted as
reference pressures and then moni-
tored.
If you wish to cancel activation:
Press the çbutton.
iRestart the TPMS after adjusting the tire in-
flation pressure to the inflation pressure recom-
mended for the vehicle operating condition. Tire
pressure should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Observe the recommended tire inflation pres-
sure on the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B-pillar (
page 296). Some
vehicles may have supplemental tire inflation
pressure information for driving at high speeds
(
page 302) or for vehicle loads less than the
maximum loaded vehicle condition. If such infor-
mation is provided, it can be found on the inside
of the fuel filler flap.

438 Technical data
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. Tires approved by
Mercedes-Benz are developed to provide best
possible performance in conjunction with the
driving safety systems on your vehicle such as
ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially developed for your
vehicle and tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz can be identified by finding the
following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires

MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires with limited run-flat characteristics)
original equipment tires
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iFor information on driving with MOExtended
tires, see “MOExtended system*” (
page 313).
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the re-
sult.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. A placard with the recommended tire in-
flation pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire inflation pressure information for driving at
high speeds (
page 302) or for vehicle loads
less than the maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 302). If such information is provided, it
can be found on the placard located on the in-
side of the fuel filler flap. The tire inflation pressure should be checked
regularly and should only be adjusted on cold
tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s maintenance
recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Appearance Package,
AMG Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle
with winter tires approved for your vehicle model
may also require the purchase of two or four
wheel rims of the recommended size for use with
these winter tires. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for more information.