automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ CLA 2018 User Guide

Aut oma ti ct ra ns mi ssion
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th ee ng in es pee disa bov et he idlin gs pee d
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
th ev ehicl ec ou ld pull away suddenly. There is
ar is kofana ccident.
When engagin gt ra nsmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress th eb rak ep edal and do
no ts imultaneously accelerate .
G WARNIN G
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off th ee ng ine.
The vehicl em ay rol la way. There is ar is kofa n
accident.
Afte rs witching off th ee ng ine, always switch
to parking position P .P reven tt he parked vehi-
cle from rollin ga way by applyin gt he parking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit hp arking loc k
^
Reverse gear
\\
Neutral
[
Drive
All vehicles (excep tM ercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): th eD IR ECT SELECT lever is on th er ight of
th es te ering column .
Fo ri nformation on th es elector lever in
Mercedes-AM Gv ehicles ( Y
page 132). The DIRECT SELECT lever always return stoi ts
original position .T he curren tt ra nsmission posi-
tion ] , ^ , \\ or [ is shown in th et ra nsmis -
sion position display in th em ultifunction display
( Y
page 130).
Trans mi ssion position and drive pr o-
gram display The curren tt ra nsmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th em ultifunction display.
C
Transmission position D
Gear

Engaging drive position D X
If th et ra nsmission is in position ^ or \\ :
push th eD IR ECT SELECT leve rd own past the
first poin tofr esistance.X
If th et ra nsmission is in position ] :d epress
th eb rak ep edal and push th eD IR ECT SELECT
leve rd own past th ef irst poin tofr esistance.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
]
Park position with parking lock^
Reverse gear\\
Neutral[
Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display The curren tt ra nsmission position and driv ep ro-
gram appear in th em ultifunction display.
C
Transmission position display
D
Drive program display
If th et ra nsmission position display in th em ul-
tifunctio nd isplay is no tw orking ,y ou shoul dp ull
away carefully to check whether th ed esired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should selec tt ra nsmission position [ and
driv ep rogram C or S . Engaging park position P X
When th ev ehicle is stationary, pres sb ut-
ton C .
Engaging revers eg ear R
! Only mov et he automatic transmission to
^ when th ev ehicle is stationary. X
Depres st he brak ea nd keep it pressed.X
Push th es electo rl eve rf orwards past th ef irst
poin tofr esistance.132
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Transmission positions E Park position
Thi sp revents the vehicl ef ro mr olling
away when stopped.
Onl ys hift the transmission to posi-
tion ] when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. The parkin gl oc ks houl dn ot be
used as ab rake when parking.
Alway sa pply the electronic parking
brake in additio ntot he parkin gl oc k
in order to secur et he vehicle.
In the event of am al functio noft he
vehicle's electronics ,t he transmis-
sion ma yl oc kinp osit ion ] .H ave
the vehicl ee le ctronics checked
immediatel yataq uali fied specialist
workshop.
Park position ] is automatically
engaged if: R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe ya nd remove the Smart-
Key R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe yoru si ng the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenge rd oo rR
yo uo pe nt he driver's door when
the vehicl eiss tationar yorw he n
drivin gatav er yl ow spee da nd the
transmission is in position [ or
^
F Revers eg ea r
Onl ys hift the transmission into posi-
tion ^ when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to \\
whil ed riving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwis ebed am -
aged.
No powe rist ransmitted fro mt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wy ou to
mov et he vehicl ef reely, e.g .top us h
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position \\ if the
vehicl eisind an ge rofs kidding ,e .g.
on icy roads.
If yo us wi tch the engine off with the
transmission in position ^ or [ ,
the automatic transmission shifts to
\\ automatically.
! Coasting in neutral \\ may
cause damage to the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Driving tips
Changin gg ea rThe automatic transmission shifts throug ht he
individual gear sa ut omaticall yw he nitisint rans-
mission position [ .T hi sa ut omatic gear shift-
ing behavio risd et ermine db y:R
the selecte dd rive program R
the positio noft he accelerator pedal R
the roa ds peed
Accelerator peda lp ositionYour style of drivin gi nfluences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle :e ar ly upshifts R
mor et hrottle :l at eu ps hiftsAutomati ct ransmission 133
Driving an dp arking Z

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
G WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicl em ay ,f or example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is ar isk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicl es tationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicle s( except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the Stop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine Running display message
appears in the multifunction display .Y ou will
only be abl etoc ontinue you rj ourney once the
clutch has coole dd ow na nd the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the Trans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Care display
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicl es tationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicl es tationary on
uphill gradients by: R
depressing the brake pedal R
activating the HOLD function R
engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximu ma cceleration.X
Depress the accelerator peda lb eyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gea rd epending on the engine speed.X
Ease off the accelerator peda lo nce the
desired spee disr eached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manua ld rive program M .
When manua ld rive program M is permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M ( Y
pag e1 38).
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions [ and ^ can help to free up the
vehicl eifitg ets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
spee dtoam aximu mof5m ph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift repeatedly
between transmission positions [ and ^ ,
move the DIRECT SELECT leve rupa nd down
pas tt he point of resistance.
Drive programs
Al lv ehicle s( except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C( Comfort)Drive program C is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicl ed elivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicl ep ulls awa ym ore gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
peda lisd epressed fully. R
the vehicl eh as improved driving stability ,f or
exampl eons lippery road surfaces. R
optima lf uel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicl eisd rive nint he low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likel ytos pin.
Drive program S( Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
sporty engine settings. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points.134
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Drive program I( Individual)In drive progra m I th ef ol lowing properties of th e
drive progra mc an be selected:R
th ed rive (engin ea nd transmissio nm anage-
ment) R
th es uspensio n( vehicles wit hd ampin gs ys-
te morA MG adaptive sport suspensio ns ys-
tem) R
th es te erin gR
th ea vailabilit yoft he ECO start/sto pf unctionR
th ec limat ec ontro l
Information about configurin gd rive progra m I
wit ht he multimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sM anual.
i To permanentl ys elect th eg ear sind rive
progra m I usin gt he steerin gw hee lp addl e
shifters ,s elect th e M (manual) setting fo rt he
drive.
Drive program E( Economy)Drive progra m E is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
comfort-oriented engin es ettings.R
optimal fue lc onsum ption resultin gf ro mt he
automati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gups ooner.R
th ev ehicl ep ulls away mor eg entl yi nf or war d
and revers eg ears, unless th ea ccelerato r
peda lisd epressed fully.R
th ev ehicl eh as improved drivin gs ta bility, fo r
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds urfaces.R
th ea utomati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gu p
sooner. This result sint he vehicl eb ein gd riven
at lowe re ng in es peeds and th ew heel s bein g
l
ess likely to spin .R
glidin gm od eisa ctivated automatically when
engine-internal condition sa re fulfilled and
th ea ccelerato risn ot depressed. At th es am e
time th et ra nsmission’s clutc ho pens and th e
vehicl er olls freely usin gi ts kineti ce ne rgy. As
ar esult great distances can be completed
without th ee ng in eb rak ea nd fue lc onsum p-
tion reduced.
i The availabilit yofg lidin gm od ed epend so n
various factors ,i nc ludin gt he following :R
th ee ng in ea nd transmissio nt em peratureR
th ed ownhill gradien tR
th ev ehicl es peedR
performin gr egular adaptation function s Whe ny ou depress th eb rak ep edal, glidin g
mod eisd eactivated, dependin gonp eda l
pressure.
Whe ny ou activat ec ru ise control or Distanc e
Pilo tD ISTR ONIC, glidin gm od eisn ot availa-
ble.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I( Individual)In drive progra m I th ef ol lowing properties of th e
drive progra mc an be selected: R
th ed rive (engin em anagement)R
th et ra nsmissio nm anagemen tR
th es uspensio n( vehicles wit hA MG adaptive
sport suspensio ns ystem)R
ES P ®
Information about configurin gd rive progra m I
wit ht he multimedia system can be found in th e
Digital Operator' sM anual.
Drive program C( Comfort)Drive progra m C is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
th ev ehicl ed eliver sc omfo rtable, economical
handlin gc ha racteristics .R
th ev ehicl ep ulls away mor eg entl yi nf or war d
and revers eg ears, unless th ea ccelerato r
peda lisd epressed fully. R
th ev ehicl eh as improved drivin gs ta bility, fo r
exampl eons lipper yr oa ds urfaces.R
optimal fue lc onsum ption resultin gf ro mt he
automati ct ra nsmissio ns hiftin gups ooner.
The vehicl eisd riven in th el ow engin es peed
range and th ew heels are less likely to spin .R
glidin gm od eisa vailable. R
th eE CO start/sto pf unction is available.
Drive program S( Sport)
Drive progra m S is characterized by th ef ol low-
ing: R
th ev ehicl ee xh ibits sport yd rivin gc ha racter-
istics . R
th ea utomati ct ra nsmissio ns h ift supl ater.
The fue lc onsum ption possibl yb ein gh igher
as ar esult of th el ater automati ct ra nsmissio n
shift points . R
th es uspensio ne xh ibits stiff springin ga nd
dampin gs etting s( vehicles wit hA IR adaptive
sport suspensio ns ystem) .Automatic transmission 135
Driving an dp ark in g Z

R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program S+ is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later. R
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points. R
the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles with
AMG adaptive sport suspension system). R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program RACE (vehicle sw ith AMG
adaptive sport suspension system) The RACE drive program is characterized by the
following: R
the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack. R
all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later. R
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
ar esult of the later automatic transmission
shift points. R
the suspension exhibits particularly hard
springing and damping settings. R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Manual gear shifting
General notes You can change gear yourself using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position [ to do this.
Depending on which steering wheel paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down or
up, if permitted. Mercedes-AMG vehicles: to use manual shift-
ing, you have two options: R
temporary setting R
permanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-
function display will show the current gear
instead of transmission position [ .
If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporar ys etting X
To activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position [ . X
Pull steering wheel paddle shifter C or D .
Temporary setting will be active for ac ertain
amount of time. Under certain conditions the
minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the
case of lateral acceleration, during an overrun
phase or when driving on steep terrain. X
To deactivate: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D and hold it in place.
or X
Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
use the DYNAMI CS ELECT button to change
the drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram.136
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Permanent setting (Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) X
To activate: shift the selector lever to [ .X
Press button C .X
To deactivate: press button C .
or X
If position D( automatic transmission) is
selected for the transmission in drive pro-
gram I :s hift to drive program I with the
DYNAMI CS ELECT controller.
Shifting gears
! Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut to
prevent the engine from overrevving. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise ar isk of engine damage.
X
To shift up: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter D .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts up in order to
prevent engine damage. X
To shift down: pull steering wheel paddle
shifter C .
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Automatic down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protect sa gainst engine damage
by not shifting down.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshift recommendation C when shown in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
! In manual mode, the automatic transmis-
sion does not shift up automatically 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. Always
make sure that the engine speed does not
reach the red area of the tachometer. There is
otherwise ar isk of engine damage.Automatic transmission 137
Driving and parking Z

Befor et he engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be show nint he multi-
function display. X
Shift to recommende dg ear C whe nm es-
sage D is show nint he multifunction display.
Kickdown X
For maximum acceleration, depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to al ower
gea rd epending on the engine speed.X
Shift back up once the desire ds peed is
reached. During kickdown, yo uc annot shift gears using
the steering wheel paddl es hifters.
If yo ua pply ful lt hrottle ,t he automatic trans-
missio ns hifts up to the next gea rw he nt he
maximum engine speed is reached .T hi sp re-
vents the engine from overrevving.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in temporary manual drive pro-
gram M .W he nm anual drive program M is per-
manently activated, kickdown is not possible.
Problems with the transmission Problem
Possible causes/consequence sa nd P Solutions
The transmission has
problem ss hifting gear. The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checke dataq uali fied specialist workshop
immediately.
The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no lon-
ger shifts into al loft he
gears.
Revers eg ea rc an no lon-
ger be engaged. The transmission is in emergency mode. X
Stop the vehicle. X
Shift the transmission to position ] .X
Switch off the engine. X
Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine. X
Shift the transmission to position [ .X
Have the transmission checke dataq uali fied specialist workshop
immediately.
Refueling
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Fue lish ighly flammable. If yo uh andle fuel
incorrectly ,t here is ar is koff ire and explo-
sion. You mus ta void fire ,o pe nf lames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and ,ifa ppli cable, the auxiliary heating before
refueling.
G WARNING
Fue lisp oisonou sa nd hazardou stoh ealth.
There is ar isk of injury.138
Refueling
Drivin ga nd parking

Parking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is ar isk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example: R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is ar isk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away .O therwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally: R
the electric parking brake must be applied. R
the transmission must be in position ] and
the transmission position display must show
] in the multifunction display. R
the SmartKey must be removed from the igni-
tion lock. R
on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away .T here is ar isk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P .P revent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
Automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake. X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): shift the transmission to position ] .
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: press button C .X
With the SmartKey : turn the SmartKey to
position Z in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. X
With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button ( Y
page 122).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrumen tc luster go out.
If the driver's door is closed, this is the same
as key position G .Ift he driver's door is open,
this is the same as key position Z ,i .e. the
SmartKey having been removed.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position ^ or [ ,t he automatic trans-
mission shifts to \\ automatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove Parking 141
Driving and parking Z

the SmartKe yf ro mt he ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to ] automatically.
With the Start/Sto pb utton: if yo ut he no pe n
the driver's door or the front-passenge rd oo r,
the automatic transmission shifts to ] auto-
matically.
If yo uw an tt he automatic transmission to
remai ninn eutral \\ ,e .g .w he nh av in gt he vehi-
cle cleane dinana ut omatic car wash with a
towing system: X
Vehicle sw it ht he Start-Sto pb utton:
remove the Start-Stop button fro mt he igni-
tio nl oc k.X
Insert the SmartKe yi nto the ignition lock.X
Al lv eh icles: switch the ignition on.X
Depres st he brake peda la nd kee pi t
depressed. X
Engage neutral \\ .X
Releas et he brake pedal.X
Releas et he electri cp ar king brake.X
Switch off the ignition and leav et he SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
Electric parking brake
General notes
G WARNING
If yo ul eave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle ,t he yc ould se titinm otion by ,f or example:R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission ou toft he
parking position P .R
start the engine.
In addition, the ym ay operate vehicl ee quip-
ment and become trapped .T here is ar is ko f
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKe yw it hy ou and lock the vehicle. Never
leav ec hildren unsupervised in the vehicle. The functio noft he electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
boar dv oltag eisl ow or there is am al functio ni n
the system, it ma yn ot be possibl etoa pply the
release dp ar king brake. X
If thi sist he case, onl yp ar kt he vehicl eo n
level ground and secur eittop revent it rolling
away. X
Shift the automatic transmission to position
] .
It ma yn ot be possibl etor elease an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltag eisl ow or
there is am al functio nint he system. Contact a
qualified specialis tw or kshop.
The electric parking brake performs af un ction
tes tatr egular intervals whil et he engine is
switched off .T he sound st ha tc an be he ar dw hile
thi siso ccurring ar en ormal.
Applyin gorr eleasing manually
X
To engage: push handle C .
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp lights up in the instru-
ment cluster.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can also be applied
when the SmartKe yisr emoved.X
To release: pull handle C .
The red I (USA only) or $ (Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
goes out.
Th ee le ctric parking brake can onl yb e
released: R
if the SmartKe yisinp osit ion G or H in
the ignition lock ( Y
page 122 )o rR
if the ignition wa ss wi tched on using the
Start/Stop button142
Parking
Driving an dp arking