2012-2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS (W218) Fuse Box Locations and Fuse Chart

Last updated: October 28, 2026

In this guide (9 sections)

1. Where are the fuses located on my Mercedes-Benz CLS?
2. Fuse Guide Applications
3. Interior Fuse Box
4. Engine Compartment Fuse Box, Front SAM Control Unit N10/1
5. Trunk Fuse Box, Rear SAM Control Unit N10/2
6. Wiring Diagrams
7. What Type of Fuse Do I Need to Replace a Blown One?
8. When the Fuse Is Good and the Circuit Is Still Dead
9. Download the Complete W218 Fuse List

Are you looking for the fuse box location in your 2012-2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS? There are several fuse box panels on your CLS, shown in the pictures below. A list of fuse assignments is provided for each fuse box. Each fuse slot has a number next to it, which you can match with the numbers below.

Where are the fuses located on my Mercedes-Benz CLS?

• Interior fuse box: on the driver’s side end of the dashboard.
• Engine bay fuse box: the front SAM control unit, N10/1.
• Trunk fuse box: the rear SAM control unit, N10/2.

Fuse Guide Applications

Model:	CLS 250, CLS 350, CLS 300, CLS 550, CLS 63 AMG
Years:	2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Chassis:	218
Make:	Mercedes-Benz

If you have the earlier car, use the 2006 to 2011 CLS fuse chart instead. The W218 is built on the same platform as the W212, so the W212 E-Class fuse chart is a useful cross reference.

Interior Fuse Box

The interior fuse box is located on the side of the dash. You will find the fuse box at the driver’s (left) side of the dash. A plastic cover can easily be removed. Use a Dash Trim Removal Tool to avoid damaging the dashboard.

The diagram above marks the 5 amp fuse for the ignition lock. For the rest of the interior fuse assignments, use the downloadable fuse guide at the end of this page.

Engine Compartment Fuse Box, Front SAM Control Unit N10/1

The fuse box in the engine bay contains fuses 1 through 36 and several relays listed below. The fuse box is located on the driver’s side of the engine compartment. Remove the fuse box panel cover to access these fuses. This is the Front SAM control unit, also known as the N10/1 control unit. When several unrelated circuits on one box fail together and the fuses test good, the module itself is the suspect; our SAM module guide covers how that failure shows up.

Fuse	Function	Ampere
1	Distronic Plus, Stability Control, ESP	25
2	Door Control Unit, Left Front	30
3	Door control unit, Right Front	30
4	Fuel System	7.5
5	Instrument Cluster, Rear SAM Control Unit, Rear Fuses, and Relays	7.5
6	Engine Control Unit CDI or ME	10
7	Starter Relay, Circuit 50	20
8	SRS, Air Bag, Supplemental Restraint System	7.5
9	Glove Compartment Outlet 12-volt socket	15
10	Wiper Motor	30
11	Audio, Comand	7.5
12	Air Conditioner, Upper control panel, Suspension / AIRmatic	7.5
13	Steering Column, Camera	7.5
14	ESP, Distronic Plus, Stability Program Control	7.5
15	Airbag, SRS, Restraint System	7.5
16	–	–
17	Sunroof	30
18	Clock	7.5
19	Ignition Lock	20
20	ESP Stability Control	40
21	Stop Lamp Switch, Child seat recognition for the front passenger seat	7.5
22	Engine Fan blower motor	15
23	Rear SAM fuse and relay control unit	20
24	–	–
25	Engine ME Control	15
26	Radio, CD Changer, Audio 20, DVD, Navigation, COMAND	20
27	Engine Electronics, Ignition Lock	7.5
28	Instrument cluster	7.5
29	Right front headlight assembly	10
30	Left front headlight assembly	10
31	Horn	15
32	–	–
33	Automatic Transmission Control Unit	10
34	Distronic Plus	7.5
35	–	–
36	Night View Assist Control Unit	7.5

Relays in the front SAM:

• Relay J: circuit 15
• Relay K: terminal 15R relay
• Relay L: wiper park heater
• Relay M: circuit 50
• Relay O: engine circuit, horn
• Relay P: not used
• Relay Q: backup
• Relay R: circuit 87

Trunk Fuse Box, Rear SAM Control Unit N10/2

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class W218 also has a fuse box in the trunk. To access these fuses, you need to remove the cover, which is usually a carpet cover. This is the rear SAM control module, N10/2.

Fuse	Purpose	Ampere Rating
37	Head Restraint for driver and passenger, NECK PRO,	7.5
38	Not used	–
39	Door control unit. Left rear.	30
40	Not used	–
41	Door control unit. Right rear	30
42	Fuel Pump	20
43	Not used	–
44	Power seats adjust, Memory, Passenger	30
45	Power seats adjust, Memory, Driver	30
46	Antenna for Keyless Go, FM, AM Radio, Alarm Siren, Tow away protection	7.5
47	Not used	–
48	Not used	–
49	Rear window heater, defrost	40
50	Emergency Tensioner, Front Right	50
51	Emergency Tensioner, Front, Left	50
52	Not used	–
53	Not used	–
54	Not used	–
55	Not used	–
56	Not used	–
57	Not used	–
58	Not used	–
59	Distronic Plus, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active lane-keeping assist, Monitor (video & radar) control unit	7.5
60	Seat pump/ motor for multi-contour seat	7.5
61	Remote trunk lid closing	40
62	Front seat adjustment and memory. Driver seat control unit.	25
63	Seat heater. For rear seats	25
64	Front seat adjustment and memory. Passenger seat control unit.	25
65	Heated steering wheel.	7.5
66	Air Conditioner blower motor, rear.	7.5
67	Sound System Amplifier	40
68	AIRmatic	15
69	Sound system, a bass speaker in the rear	25
70	TPMS Tire pressure monitor N88	5
71	Power outlet, cigarette lighter	15
72	–	–
73	Diagnostic Port, OBD II	5
74	Keyless Go, Keyfob Remote	15
75	Stationary Heater, Ventilation Function	20
76	Power Outlet, Rear Center Console	15
77	Weight sensing system, Navigation	7.5
78	Media Interface	7.5
79	Distronic Plus, Active Blind Spot, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Video and radar system monitoring	5
80	Active Parking Assist, Parktronic	5
81	Telephony, Antenna Amplifier, phone connector	5
82	Front seat ventilation, Seat Heating	10
83	TELE Air Emergency Call, Toll Collection, Navigation	7.5
84	Backup camera, Reverse camera	5
85	TV Tuner, COMAND	7.5
86	Not used	–
87	Tele AID Emergency	7.5
88	Intelligent servo for DIRECT Select	15
89	Not used	15
90	BlueTec Diesel exhaust treatment, AdBlue	40

Wiring Diagrams

• Wiring information and wire colors for the Mercedes-Benz CLS W218 (external link, copyright DirectWire)

What Type of Fuse Do I Need to Replace a Blown One?

When replacing blown fuses, use the same ampere rating fuse. The fuse rating is written on the fuse. You can verify that you are using the correct fuse by ensuring the fuse colors for the blown fuse and the new fuse match. This indicates the same ampere rating. Your Mercedes-Benz uses standard automotive blade fuses, and a blade fuse assortment is worth keeping in the car. A box of 100 fuses that include all the different ampere ratings you need costs less than $20 on Amazon.

When the Fuse Is Good and the Circuit Is Still Dead

On the W218, the front and rear SAM units do more than hold fuses. They switch most of the lighting, wiper and comfort circuits and log faults when an output is shorted or open. If a fuse checks good and the circuit still does nothing, read N10/1, N10/2 and the module that owns the circuit for stored codes before you buy parts. A Mercedes capable scanner such as the UCAN-II Pro reads those fault memories and shows live input and output status, which tells you whether the problem is in the wiring, the load or the module.

Download the Complete W218 Fuse List

Download: 2012-2016 Mercedes-Benz CLS W218 Fuse and Relay Box Location Diagram MercedesMedic