warning light MERCEDES-BENZ CLS63AMG 2008 W219 Owner's Manual

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 63
Occupant safety................................... 64
Air bags .......................................... 66
Occupant Classification System ..... 71
Seat belts ....................................... 76
Preventive occupant safety
(PRE-SAFE
®) ................................... 80
Active head restraints .................... 81
Children in the vehicle .................... 82
Blocking of
rear door window operation ........... 87
Panic alarm .......................................... 88
Activating ....................................... 88
Deactivating ................................... 88
Driving safety systems ......................... 89
ABS ................................................ 89
BAS ................................................ 90
Adaptive Brake ............................... 91
EBP................................................. 92
ESP
®............................................... 92
Anti-theft systems................................ 97
Immobilizer..................................... 97
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 97
Controls in detail............................... 99
Locking and unlocking ....................... 100
SmartKey ..................................... 100
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 103
Checking batteries in the
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* .............................. 108
Loss of the SmartKey or
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 108
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 108
Opening the trunk ........................ 109
Closing the trunk.......................... 111
Trunk emergency release ............. 114
Valet locking ................................ 115
Automatic central locking ............ 116
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 116
Seats ................................................ 118
Front seat active head restraints . 118
Rear seat head restraints ............. 118
Lumbar support............................ 119
Multicontour seat* ....................... 120
Seat heating* ............................... 121
Seat ventilation* .......................... 122Memory function ............................... 123
Storing positions into memory ..... 124
Recalling positions from memory. 124
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 125
Lighting ............................................. 126
Exterior lamp switch .................... 126
Combination switch ..................... 130
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamps* (CLS 550 with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps only).......... 130
Hazard warning flasher ................ 132
Interior lighting in the front .......... 133
Interior lighting in the rear ........... 134
Door entry lamps ......................... 135
Trunk lamp ................................... 135
Instrument cluster ............................. 136
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 136
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 137
Resetting trip odometer ............... 137
Tachometer.................................. 138
Outside temperature indicator ..... 138
Control system .................................. 139
Multifunction display.................... 139
Multifunction steering wheel........ 140

10 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
This Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper proce-
dures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures.The Opera-
tor’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet are
important documents and should be kept
with the vehicle.Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty

Emission System Warranty

Emission Performance Warranty

California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only)

State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws)

15 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
Trademarks:

ESP® and PRE-SAFE® are registered
trademarks of DaimlerChrysler.

HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.
The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term defini-
tions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.

37 Getting started
Unlocking
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 100).
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
With the KEYLESS-GO function, you can
lock and unlock the vehicle without using
the remote control buttons on the
SmartKey and start the engine without in-
serting the SmartKey in the starter switch. Pull an outside door handle.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic signal sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Get in the vehicle.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 103).
iOpening a door causes the window on that
door to open slightly. They will return to the up
position when the door is closed.
!The side windows will not open or close if
the battery is discharged or the windows are cov-
ered with ice. As a result, you may no longer be
able to properly close the door. Do not attempt
to force the door shut. Doing so may damage the
door or the side window. Correct the condition
that prevents the windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO must be outside the vehicle, no fur-
ther than approximately 3 feet (1 meter) away
from the door.
iOpening a door causes the window on that
door to open slightly. They will return to the up
position when the door is closed.
!The side windows will not open or close if
the battery is discharged or the windows are cov-
ered with ice. As a result, you may no longer be
able to properly close the door. Do not attempt
to force the door shut. Doing so may damage the
door or the side window. Correct the condition
that prevents the windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.

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.

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.

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.

59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!G
If you have selected the Comfort suspension
tuning (
page 230), the vehicle lowers
slightly when it is locked. You should there-
fore make sure that no one is standing near
the wheel arches or lying underneath the ve-
hicle when it is being locked. Otherwise,
personal injury could result.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury, or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain, as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button.

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
!If you have selected the Comfort suspen-
sion tuning (
page 230), the vehicle lowers
slightly when you lock it within approximately
60 seconds after switching off the engine. When
parking, make sure that your vehicle cannot
come into contact with other objects, such as a
curb, while lowering. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the vehi-
cle’s brake lights do not light up when the
parking brake is engaged.

60 Getting started
Parking and locking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the warn-
ing lamp; (USA only) or3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(
page 55).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 126).
Turning off engine
Shift the automatic transmission to
positionP (
page 171).
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake and/or move the gear selec-
tor lever from positionP, either of which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, when parked on an in-
cline, positionP alone may not prevent your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 171).
On slopes, turn the front wheels towards the
road curb.

62 Getting started
Parking and locking
Locking with the SmartKey
After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(
page 36).
With the trunk and all doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 106).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 100).
Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button
After exiting the vehicle, press lock
button1 at the outside door handle or
on the trunk lid.
With the trunk and all doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 106).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 100).
iIf you hear a warning signal you have forgot-
ten to switch off the low beam headlamps or the
parking lamps before opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message
Switch Off Lights or
Remove Key
appears in the multifunction dis-
play remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch or switch off the automatic headlamp
mode.
!Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.