automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 2016 User Guide

Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake. R
shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position PR
Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
G WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
G WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or
parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
General notes
i The catalytic converter is preheated for up
to 30 seconds after a cold start. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P .
The transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display shows P .
i You can start the engine in transmission
position P and N . Starting procedure with the SmartKey
i To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop
button out of the ignition lock. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 3 in the ignition
lock ( Y
page 127 )a nd release it as soon as the
engine is running.
Using KEYLESS-GO to start the engine
i The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle manually without inserting the
SmartKey into the ignition lock. The Start/
Stop button must be inserted in the ignition
lock and the SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
This mode for starting the engine operates
independently of the ECO start/stop auto-
matic engine start function. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed. X
Press the Start/Stop button once
( Y
page 127).
The engine starts.
Pulling away
General notes
G WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is
a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate.
! If a warning tone sounds and the Release
Park. Brake message appears in the multi-
function display, the parking brake is still
applied. Release the parking brake.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pulling
away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have pulled
away. The locking knobs in the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking
feature ( Y
page 207).Driving 129
Driving an d parking Z

It is only possible to shift the transmission from
position P to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. If the brake pedal is not
depressed, the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be
moved but the parking lock remains engaged.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It holds
the vehicle for a short time after you have
removed your foot from the brake pedal. This
gives you enough time to move your foot from
the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll.
G WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if: R
you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient. R
the transmission is in position N .R
the parking brake is applied. R
ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the driver
wants to pull away again. The ECO start/stop
function thereby helps you to reduce the fuel
consumption and emissions of your vehicle. Important safety notes
G WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving.
There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes
C
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the Smartkey or
the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the

R
the system detects that the windshield is not
fogged up when the air-conditioning system is
switched on. R
the hood is closed. R
the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
i All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is stopped automatically.
i The HOLD function can also be activated if
the engine has been switched off automati-
cally. It is then not necessary to continue
applying the brakes during the automatic stop
phase. When you depress the accelerator
pedal, the engine starts automatically and the
braking effect of the HOLD function is deac-
tivated.
i All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
i Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of
consecutive automatic engine switch-offs is
unlimited.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if: R
you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button R
in transmission position D or N the brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active R
you depress the accelerator pedal R
you engage reverse gear RR
you move the transmission out of position PR
you switch to drive program S , S+ or M
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles) R
you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er's door R
the vehicle starts to roll R
the brake system requires this R
the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range R
the system detects moisture on the wind-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on R
the battery's condition of charge is too low
i Shifting the transmission to position P does
not start the engine. Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) X
To deactivate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D goes out.X
To activate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up.
If indicator lamp D is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as
the result of a malfunction. The engine will then
not be switched off automatically when the vehi-
cle stops.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
X
To deactivate: in drive program C , press ECO
button C .
or X
Switch to drive program S , S+ or M
( Y
page 139).
Indicator lamp D goes out.X
To activate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up.
If drive program S , S+ or M is active, the auto-
matic transmission switches to drive program
C . Driving 131
Dr ivi ng an d parking Z

Aut oma tic trans mi ssion
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e engin e spee d is abov e th e idlin g spee d
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
th e vehicl e could pull away suddenly. There is
a ris k of an accident.
When engagin g transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress th e brak e pedal and do
no t simultaneously accelerate .
G WARNIN G
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off th e engine.
The vehicl e may rol l away. There is a ris k of an
accident.
Afte r switching off th e engine, always switch
to parking position P . Preven t th e parked vehi-
cle from rollin g away by applyin g th e parking
brake.
Select or lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit h parking loc k
^
Reverse gear
\\
Neutral
[
Drive Trans mi ssion position and drive pr o-
gram display The curren t transmission position and drive pro -
gram appear in th e multifunction display.
C
Transmission position display D
Drive program display
Additionally, displays next to th e selector lever
mar k th e curren t transmission position .
The indicators ligh t up when th e Smartke y is
inserted int o th e ignition lock. The indicators go
out when th e Smartke y is remove d from th e
ignition lock.
If th e transmission position display in th e mul-
tifunction display is no t working , you should pull
away carefully to chec k whether th e desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position D and drive
program C or S .
Engaging pa rk position P
X
When th e vehicl e is stationary, press but -
to n C .134
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions
]
Par k position wit h parking loc k^
Revers e gear\\
Neutral[
Drive
The DIREC T SELECT lever is on th e right of th e
steerin g column .
The DIREC T SELECT lever always return s to it s
original position . The curren t transmissio n posi-
tion P , R , N or D appears in th e transmissio n
position display in th e multifunction display
( Y
page 135).
Transmission position an d drive pro-
gram display The curren t transmissio n position and drive pro -
gram appear in th e multifunction display.
C
Transmissio n position display
D
Drive program display
The arrows in th e transmissio n position display
sho w how and into whic h transmissio n position s
you can shift usin g th e DIREC T SELECT lever.
If th e transmissio n position display in th e mul-
tifunction display is no t working , you should pull
away carefully to chec k whether th e desire d
transmissio n position is engaged. Ideally, you
should selec t transmissio n position D and drive
program E or S . Engaging park position P
! If th e engin e speed is to o hig h or th e vehicle
is moving, do no t shift th e automatic trans -
missio n directl y from D to R , from R to D or
directl y to P . The automatic transmissio n
could otherwise be damaged .X
Push th e DIREC T SELECT lever in th e direction
of arrow P .
Transmissio n position display P is shown in
th e multifunction display.
Depressing th e brake and pushin g th e DIREC T
SELECT lever up or down disengage s th e park-
in g lock. The transmissio n is in N neutral.
In order to shift from par k position P directl y into
R or D : R
depress th e brake peda l andR
push th e DIREC T SELECT lever up or down
past th e first poin t of resistanc e
Engaging park position P automaticallyPar k position P is automatically engage d if:R
you switch of f th e engin e usin g th e Smartke y
and remov e th e SmartKey R
you switch of f th e engin e usin g th e Smartke y
or usin g th e Start/Sto p butto n and ope n th e
driver's doo r or front-passenger doo rR
th e driver's doo r is opene d when th e vehicle is
stationary or drivin g at ver y low speed and th e
transmissio n is in position D or R
Under certain conditions, th e automatic trans -
missio n shift s automatically to transmissio n
position P if th e HOLD function or DISTRONIC
PLU S is activated. Observ e th e information on
th e HOLD function ( Y
page 165) and on
DISTRONIC PLU S ( Y
page 159).
Engaging reverse gea r R
! Only shift th e automatic transmissio n to R
when th e vehicle is stationary. X
If th e transmissio n is in position D or N : push
th e DIREC T SELECT lever up past th e first
poin t of resistance. X
If th e transmissio n is in position P : depress
th e brake peda l and push th e DIREC T SELECT
lever up past th e first poin t of resistance.
The EC O start/sto p function is no t available
when revers e gear is engaged. Further informa-Automatic transmission 135
Driving and parking Z

tion on the ECO start/stop function
( Y
page 130).
Shifting to neutral N
G WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users. R
get out and disrupt traffic. R
operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake. R
shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position PR
Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children. X
If the transmission is in position D or R : push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the
first point of resistance. X
If the transmission is in position P : depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position R or D , the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to N automatically.
With the Smartkey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the Smartkey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P a utomatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to P .
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N , e.g. when having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing
system: X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock. X
Insert the Smartkey into the ignition lock. X
All vehicles: switch the ignition on. X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed. X
Shift to neutral N .X
Release the brake pedal. X
Release the parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the Smartkey
in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position R or N : push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance. X
If the transmission is in position P : depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever down past the first point of resistance.136
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Transmission positions E Park position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion P when the vehicle is stationary
( Y
page 147). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc-
tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P . Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position P is automatically
engaged if: R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door R
the driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position D or R
F Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion R when the vehicle is stationary. D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission only to position N if
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position R or D , the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can damage
the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D . This automatic gear shifting
behavior is determined by: R
the selected drive program R
the position of the accelerator pedal R
the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle: early upshifts R
more throttle: late upshifts
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
When shifting down, the double-clutch function
is active regardless of the currently selected
drive program. The double-clutch functionAutomatic transmission 137
Driving an d parking Z

reduces load change reactions and is conducive
to a sporty driving style. The sound generated by
the double-clutch function depends on the drive
program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration: X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed. X
Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions D and R
can help to free a vehicle that has become stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine manage-
ment restricts switching between transmission
positions D and R to speeds up to a maximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift back and forth between
transmission positions D and R , move the
DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Program selector button
General notes
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles and
vehicles with AMG sports package) X
Press program selector button C repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display. Vehicles with the AMG Sports package X
Press program selector button C repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving characteris-
tics.
i Further information about permanent drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
As well as this permanent drive program M ,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
E Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S Sport Sporty driving style
M Manual Manual gear shifting
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see ( Y
page 139).
i The automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program E each time the engine is
started.138
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program selector with manual drive program X
Turn drive program selector C until the
desired drive program appears in the multi-
function display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicator on drive program
selector C lights up in red.
i Further information about permanent drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
As well as this permanent drive program M ,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
C Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S Sport Sporty driving style
S+ SportPlus Particularly sporty driving
style
M Manual Manual gear shifting
RS RACE
START Optimal vehicle accelera-
tion from a standstill
i For further information on the automatic
drive program, see ( Y
page 139).
i The automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program C each time the engine is
started.
i RS cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE START,
see ( Y
page 165). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters C and D .
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 141).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
i You can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D .
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program E (drive program C on Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following: R
comfort-oriented engine and automatic trans-
mission 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 accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully. R
the vehicle having improved driving stability,
for example on slippery road surfaces. 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.Automatic transmission 139
Driving and parking Z

Aut oma tic drive program SDrive program S (or , in th e cas e of Mercedes-
AM G vehicles, drive program s S and S+ ) is char-
acterize d by th e following:R
sport y engin e and automatic transmission
settings. R
th e automatic transmission shifting up later.
th e fuel consumption possibl y bein g higher as
a result of th e later automatic transmission
shif t points .
Manual drive program M Genera l notesIn this drive program , you can briefl y chang e
gear yourself by usin g th e steering whee l paddl e
shifters. The transmission mus t be in position D .
You can activat e manual drive program M in th e
E and S automatic drive programs.
i As well as temporar y drive program M , you
can also activat e permanen t drive program M
( Y
page 138).
Further information about permanen t drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
Acti va tingX
Shift th e transmission to position D .X
Pull th e lef t or right steering whee l paddl e
shifte r ( Y
page 139).
Manual drive program M is temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and M appear in th e
multifunction display.
Shi ft ing gear s
If you pull on th e lef t or right steering whee l
paddl e shifter, th e automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program M for a limi -
te d amount of time. Dependin g on whic h paddl e
shifte r is pulled , th e automatic transmission
immediately shifts int o th e next gear down or
up, if permitted. X
To shift up : pull th e right-hand steering whee l
paddl e shifte r ( Y
page 139).
The automatic transmission shifts up to th e
next gear .
i If th e maximum engin e spee d on th e cur -
rentl y engage d gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate , th e automatic tra nsmis - s
ion automatically shifts up in order to pre -
ven t engin e damage. X
To shift down : pull on th e left-han d steering
whee l paddl e shifte r ( Y
page 139).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
th e next gear .
i If th e engin e exceeds th e maximum engin e
spee d when shifting down , th e automatic
transmission protect s against engin e damag e
by no t shifting down .
i Automatic down shifting occur s when
coasting .
Shi ft recommendation
The gearshif t recommendation s assist you in
adopting an economical drivin g style. The rec -
ommended gear is shown in th e multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshif t recommendation C when shown in
th e multifunction display of th e instrumen t
cluster.
Deactivating If you hav e activated manual drive program M , it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain condition s th e minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in th e cas e of lateral
acceleration , during an overrun phas e or when
drivin g on steep terrain .
If manual drive program M has been deactiva-
ted, th e automatic transmission shifts int o th e
automatic drive program that was last selected,
i.e . E or S .
You can also deactivat e manual drive program
M yourself : X
Pull on th e right-hand steering whee l paddl e
shifte r and hold it in plac e ( Y
page 139).
or X
Use th e DIRECT SELECT lever to switch th e
transmission position ( Y
page 135).140
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking