automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS COUPE 2011 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2011, Model line: C-CLASS COUPE, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS COUPE 2011Pages: 373, PDF Size: 8.17 MB
Page 151 of 373

AMG vehicles
Drive progra
mselector with manual drive program C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
S+
SportPlus Extremely sporty driving
style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
RS
RACE
START Optimal vehicle accelera-
tion from a standstill
i
Further information on the automatic
drive program (Y page 148).
X Turn drive program selector :until the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicato rondrive pro-
gram selector :lights up in red.
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i RScannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE START
(Y page 178). Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the automatic drive program, you can
restrict or derestrict the shift range by using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles or the
selector leve r(Ypage 149).
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles or the selector lever (Y page 150).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D. Automatic drive program
Drive program E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles) is characterised by the following:
R comfort-oriented engine and automatic
transmission settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner .This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin. 148
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
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Drive program
S(or, in the case of AMG vehi-
cles, drive programs Sand S+) is character-
ised by the following:
R sporty engine and automatic transmission
settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a resul tofthe later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-
sibly being higher Shift ranges
Introduction When the automatic transmission is in posi-
tion D, it is possible to restrict or derestrict
the shift range (Y page 149).
The shift range selected is shown in the mul-
tifunction display. The automatic transmis-
sion shifts only as far as the selected gear. Driving situations
=
To use the engine's braking effect.
5
To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Restricting the shift range
X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D–.
or X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down
one gear and restricts the shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up
in order to prevent the engine from over-
revving, even if the shift range is restricted.
Derestricting the shift range X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The shift range is derestricted.
Clearing the shift range restriction X
Press and hold the selector lever towards
D+ until Dis shown once more in the mul-
tifunction display.
or
X Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle until Dis shown again in
the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
Selecting the ideal shift range X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D– and hold it in position.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in position.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
gear which allows optimum acceleration Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z
Page 153 of 373

and deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down on
eormore
gears. Manual drive program
Switching on the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mcan be selected
using the program selector or the drive pro-
gram selector button. In manual drive pro-
gram M, you can change gear yourself using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles or the
selector lever if the transmission is in position
D.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 147) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 148) until Mappears in the
multifunction display.
The indicator Mon the drive program selec-
tor lights up in red.
Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 148).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Vehicles with AMG engines
! In manual gearshift program M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the engine limiting
speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting speed is reached,
the fuel supply is cut to prevent the engine
from overrevving. You must make sure that
the engine speed does not reach the red
area of the rev counter. Otherwise, there is
a risk of engine damage. X
Shift up a gear if the colour in the multi-
function display in the speedometer
changes to red and UP appears in the rev
counter.
Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steerin gwheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 148).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts down.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed.
Kickdown i
Vehicles with an AMG engine: it is not
possible to use kickdown in manual drive
program M.
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Switching off the manuald rive program X
Vehicles without the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
progra mselecto rbutton (Y page 147)
repeatedly until Eor Sappears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Vehicles with the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
program selector butto n(Ypage 147). M150
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking
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is no longer shown in the multifunction dis-
play.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 148) until C,Sor S+
appears in the multifunction display. Automatic transmission
151Driving and parking Z
Page 161 of 373

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle when the key is removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could release the parking brake. This
could lead to a serious or fatal accident. G
WARNING
Under no circumstances should the exhaust
system come into contact with flammable
materials such as dry grass or petrol, for
example. Do not park the vehicle on dry grass-
land or harvested grain fields. The hot exhaust
system could otherwise ignite the flammable
material and set the vehicle on fire.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in position Pand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking then requires significantly
greater effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the vehi-
cle, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others. Therefore, do not switch off the engine while
you are driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can only be removed if the trans-
mission is in position P.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 137).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrumen tcluste rgo out.
i When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0, i.e. key removed.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. 158
ParkingDriving and parking
Page 163 of 373

on vehicles with automatic transmission,
select shift range
1,2or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control, SPEEDTRONIC or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
This will use the braking effect of the engine,
so less braking will be required to maintain
the speed. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
Never depress the brake pedal continuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet road surface If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes when brak-
ing for the first time. This may also occur after
the vehicle has been washed.
You have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi-
cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm
up the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion. Limited braking performance on salt
treated roads G
WARNING
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly lon-
ger braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you are
driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
New brake pads/linings G
WARNING
New brake pads/linings only reach their opti-
mum braking effect after several hundred kil-
ometres of driving. Before this optimum brak-
ing effect is reached, you should compensate
for the reduced braking effect by applying
greater pressure when braking. This also
applies after the brake discs or the brake
pads/linings have been replaced.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which correspond to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake pads/linings which have not
been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which are not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety. 160
Driving tipsDriving and parking
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At the onse
tofwinter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 337).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 337).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission :engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicl eunde rcontrol by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 338).Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must
shift to a lower gear in good time or select
shift range 1,2or 3on vehicles with auto-
matic transmission. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine,
which relieves the load on the brake system
and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly. G
WARNING
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you to
drive at a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic
or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.162
Driving systemsDriving and parking
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The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the curren tspeed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the curren tspeed or call up the
last stored speed
? To store the curren tspeed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. Vehicles with the 4-button
multifunction steering wheel: the stored
speed is then permanently displayed in the
status indicator together with the ¯sym-
bol. Vehicles with the 12-button multifunc-
tion steering wheel: the segments from the
stored speed up to the maximum speed light
up in the multifunction display.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected. If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the curren
tspeed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise contro lmaintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but no texces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the curren tspee dorc alling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored spee difyou know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking. Driving systems
163Driving and parking Z
Page 167 of 373

X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The firs ttime cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever to the pres-
sure point, up :for a highe rspeed or
down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking.
Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced. Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise contro llever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you depress the parking brake.
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
intervenes or if you deactivate ESP ®
.
R you shift into neutral in a vehicle with man-
ual transmission while driving or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six sec-
onds.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high and as a result
the engine speed is too low.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving.
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear
a warning tone. You will see the Cruise control off message in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
Important safety notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. It
brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed.164
Driving systemsDriving and parking
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Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments
X
Briefly press the cruise control leve rto the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 171). X
To increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary.
DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer Example: vehicles with automatic transmission
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments
;in the set speed range light
up. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking