transmission MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 2008 C216 Owner's Manual

Contents
Seat ventilation* .......................... 376
Head restraints............................. 376
Steering wheel ................................... 379
Steering wheel adjustment........... 379
Heated steering wheel* ............... 380
Mirrors ............................................... 381
Interior rear view mirror ............... 381
Exterior rear view mirrors ............. 381
Power folding exterior rear view
mirrors ......................................... 382
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors ... 383
Activating exterior rear view
mirror parking position ................. 384
Memory function................................ 385
Storing positions into memory ..... 386
Recalling positions from memory . 386
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 387
Fastening the seat belts..................... 388
Proper use of seat belts ............... 390
Lighting .............................................. 391
Exterior lamp switch ..................... 391
High beam .................................... 395
Headlamp cleaning system .......... 395Corner-illuminating lamps ............ 395
Hazard warning flasher ................ 397
Interior lighting............................. 398
Courtesy lighting .......................... 399
Door entry lamps ......................... 399
Trunk lamp ................................... 399
Windshield wipers .............................. 400
Switching on/off windshield
wipers .......................................... 400
Intermittent wiping....................... 401
Single wipe................................... 401
Wiping with windshield
washer fluid.................................. 401
Power windows .................................. 402
Opening and closing
power windows ............................ 402
Summer opening feature.............. 404
Convenience closing feature ........ 404
Driving and parking............................ 406
Starting the engine....................... 406
Driving off .................................... 409
Turn signals .................................. 410
Problems while driving ................. 411
Parking ......................................... 412
Turning off the engine .................. 415
Releasing seat belts ..................... 416Automatic transmission ..................... 417
Gear selector lever....................... 417
Shifting procedure ....................... 420
Transmission positions ................ 421
Driving tips................................... 424
Gear ranges ................................. 426
Automatic shift program .............. 427
Steering wheel gearshift control .. 428
Manual shift program (CL 63 AMG
and CL 65 AMG only) ................... 430
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 433
Instrument cluster ............................. 434
Adjusting instrument cluster
display illumination ...................... 434
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 435
Tachometer .................................. 435
Outside temperature indicator ..... 436
Fuel gauge ................................... 436
Driving systems ................................. 437
Cruise control .............................. 437
DISTRONIC Plus* ......................... 443
Active Body Control (ABC) ........... 461
Parktronic system* ...................... 463
Park Assist* ................................. 467
Advanced Parking Guidance* ...... 471

ContentsAt the gas station............................... 550
Refueling ...................................... 550
Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................ 552
Engine compartment.......................... 553
Hood ............................................ 553
Engine oil...................................... 554
Transmission fluid level ................ 558
Active Body Control (ABC)
fluid level ...................................... 558
Coolant level ................................ 559
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 560
Tires and wheels ................................ 561
Important guidelines .................... 561
Tire care and maintenance ........... 562
Direction of rotation ..................... 564
Loading the vehicle ...................... 564
Recommended tire
inflation pressure ......................... 569
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 571
Tire labeling .................................. 577
Load identification........................ 581
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 581Maximum tire load ....................... 582
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 583
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 583
Tire ply material ........................... 585
Tire and loading terminology ........ 585
Rotating tires ............................... 589
Winter driving .................................... 590
Winter tires .................................. 590
Snow chains ................................. 591
Maintenance ...................................... 592
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 592
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 593
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 594
Vehicle care ....................................... 595
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 595
Practical hints................................. 607
What to do if …? ................................ 608
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 608
Air bag off indicator lamp............. 620
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display.................... 622
Where will I find ...? ........................... 681
First aid kit ................................... 681
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, Minispare wheel .... 681
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 684
Unlocking the vehicle................... 684
Locking the vehicle ...................... 685
Replacing SmartKey batteries ........... 686
Replacing bulbs ................................. 688
Bulbs ............................................ 689
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 691
Replacing bulbs for the
rear lamps .................................... 693
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 694
Placing wiper arms in
vertical position ........................... 694
Removing wiper blades ................ 695
Installing wiper blades ................. 695

29 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Combination switch

High beam


Corner-illuminating lamps


Windshield wipers


Turn signals
395
395
400
410
2
Lever for

Cruise control


DISTRONIC Plus*
438
443
3
Horn
4
Multifunction steering wheel
283
5
Instrument cluster
30
6
Steering wheel gearshift
control
428
7
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
417
Item
Page
8
Control panel with

Front passenger front
air bag off indicator lamp


Vehicle level control
switch


Electronic Stability Pro-
gram (ESP
®) switch


Parktronic*/Park Assist*
deactivation switch


Swivel COMAND display


COMAND/instrument
cluster display
illumination
51
461
72
466,
471
85
85,
434
9
COMAND display
83
a
Overhead control panel
37
b
Automatic climate control
Center console
269,
491
36
Item
Page
c
Glove box lock
510
d
Cover of compartment with

CD/DVD changer


PCMCIA card slot
116
117
e
Control system
32
f
Starter switch
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
365
366
g
Steering wheel adjustment
Heated steering wheel*
379
380
h
Electronic parking brake
412
j
Driver’s door control panel
38
k
Hood lock release
553
l
Night View Assist*
481
m
Exterior lamp switch
391

33 At a glance
Control systems
Item
Page
1
Lto cancel Voice
Control
back
306
283
2
$to scroll up
%to scroll down
&to scroll to the right
(to scroll to the left
#to confirm selection
3
Multifunction display
282
4
sto take a call
to dial
to redial
tto end a call
to reject an incoming
call
æto increase volume
çto decrease volume
Fto mute
148,
294
148,
297
Item
Page
5
!to activate Voice
Control
to accept a call
306
148
6
Instrument cluster
illumination
434
7
Swivel COMAND display
85
8
COMAND display illumination
85
9
COMAND display
84
a
CD/DVD changer
116
b
PCMCIA card slot
117
c
Favorite button
259
d
Rear head restraints retract
button
378
e
Program mode selector
switch for:

automatic transmission
shift program


suspension tuning of ABC
427
461
Item
Page
f
Shortcut button for:

CD/DVD


radio
120
99
g
Back button
92
h
Hazard warning flasher
397
j
Seat menu
276
k
Shortcut button for:

telephone*


navigation
137
190
l
COMAND on/off button
84
m
Volume control
94
n
Mute button
94
o
Telephone keypad
140
p
COMAND controller
86

351 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Starter switch positions
Seats
Steering wheel
Mirrors
Memory function
Fastening the seat belts
Lighting
Windshield wipers
Power windowsDriving and parking
Automatic transmission
Instrument cluster
Driving systems
Air vents
Automatic climate control
Trunk
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Loading and storing
Useful features

359 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Find the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or
change its present location immediate-
ly (e.g. place it on the front passenger
seat or insert it in shirt pocket).


If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button, you
can turn it off again with:

the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button


the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in-
serted in the starter switch, when
the automatic transmission is in
park positionP


Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO that is left inside the
vehicle.
Possibility 1: (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, one
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
If you leave the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO behind when exiting and
locking the vehicle, no message
appears in the multifunction display.
Possibility 2: (One SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO in the vehicle, no
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO outside
the vehicle):
When exiting and trying to lock the ve-
hicle, the message “Key Detected In
Vehicle” appears in the multifunction
display. The vehicle will not be locked.Factory setting
1Outside door handle
i
When unlocking or locking the vehicle with
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO an acoustic sig-
nal sounds. The acoustic signal is activated at
the factory. If you wish to deactivate the feature,
or adjust its signal volume, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

365 Controls in detail
Starter switch positions
Starter switch positions
SmartKeyStarter switch
0For removing SmartKey
1Power supply for some electrical con-
sumers
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment 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 re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 608).
3Starting position
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the SmartKey, see “Starting with the
SmartKey” (
page 407).
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. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
i
When you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
!
If you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey and


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open a door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
!
If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be sufficient-
ly charged.


Check the battery and charge it if necessary
(page 702).


Have the vehicle jump-started (
page 707).
To prevent accelerated battery discharge or a
completely discharged battery, always remove
the SmartKey from the starter switch when the
engine is not in operation.

366 Controls in detailStarter switch positionsSmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with the KEYLESS-GO
feature are supplied with a SmartKey with
integrated KEYLESS-GO function and a re-
movable KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
With the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
inserted and the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO present in the vehicle, press-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

without the brake pedal depressed
corresponds to the various starter
switch positions (
page 367)


with the brake pedal firmly depressed
will start the engine (
page 407)
If you wish or should there be a need to in-
sert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in the
starter switch, the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button can be easily removed by pulling it
out of the starter switch.1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
2Starter switch

Insert KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button1 into starter switch 2 (if not
inserted already).The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.

Make sure the automatic transmission
is set to park positionP.

Do not depress the brake pedal.
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button1USA only
2Canada only
i
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
i
The KEYLESS-GO start/stop button does
not need to be removed from the starter switch
when you leave the vehicle. However, always
take the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO with you
when you leave the vehicle. As long as the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is in the vehicle, the
vehicle’s electrical systems can be switched on
or the engine can be started using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
i
When you switch from SmartKey mode back
to KEYLESS-GO mode, the system requires
2 seconds of detection time before you can use
the KEYLESS-GO button as usual.

367 Controls in detail
Starter switch positions
Position 0
Before you press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button, the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status 0 (as with
SmartKey removed).
Position 1
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton once.
This supplies power for some electrical
consumers.Ignition (or position 2)

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton twice.
This supplies power for all electrical
consumers.
All lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment 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 re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 608).
For information on starting the engine us-
ing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button,
see “Starting with KEYLESS-GO*”
(
page 407).
i
If you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button


once again, the ignition (position2) is
switched on


twice, the power supply is again switched off
i
If you now press the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button once, the power supply is
again switched off.
i
When you switch on the ignition, the indica-
tor and warning lamps (except high beam head-
lamp indicator lamp and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning lamps (ex-
cept high beam headlamp indicator lamp and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) should go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational.
!
If you turn off the engine using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and open the
driver’s or passenger door, the transmission will
shift to park positionP automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.

384 Controls in detailMirrorsActivating exterior rear view mirror parking position
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror will be
turned downward to the stored position.
Make sure you have stored a parking
position for the passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror (
page 387).

Make sure the “Lower mirror when re-
versing” function in the “Exterior Mirror
Convenience Settings” submenu of the
COMAND system is selected
(page 262).

Switch on the ignition (
page 365).1Selector switch for right or left exterior
mirror

Press switch1 repeatedly until the
exterior mirror on the front passenger
side is selected.

Shift the automatic transmission in re-
verse gearR.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror will be turned downward to the
stored position.
The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:


when you switch off the ignition


10 seconds after you have put the au-
tomatic transmission out of reverse
gearR


immediately once your vehicle exceeds
a speed of approximately 6 mph
(10 km/h)


immediately when you press button1
for driver’s side exterior rear view mir-
ror.
i
With the automatic transmission in reverse
gear R, the previously selected exterior rear view
mirror is activated.
i
If you adjust the exterior mirrors while they
are in the parking position, the new mirror posi-
tion is stored as a new parking position.