transmission MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2015 Owner's Manual

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
depress it before the vehicle begins to roll. G
WARNING
After a while, hill start assist no longer holds
the vehicle and it may 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 a
downhill gradient
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, 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.
When pulling away again, the engine starts auto-
matically. 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 :
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you start the engine using the key or the
Start/Stop button.
If the ¤ symbol is shown in green in the mul-
tifunction display, the ECO start/stop function
switches the engine off automatically if the vehi- cle stops moving.
If the ECO start/stop function has been man-
ually deactivated (Y page 143) or a malfunction
has caused the system to be deactivated, the
¤ symbol is not displayed.
Automatic engine switch-off General notes
The ECO start/stop function is operational and
the ¤ symbol is displayed in green in the
multifunction display, if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green
R the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system
R the engine is at normal operating temperature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is not
misted up when the air-conditioning system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If the conditions for automatic engine switch-off
are not all fulfilled, the ¤symbol is shown in
yellow. 142
DrivingDriving and parking

i
All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is switched off automati-
cally.
i The engine can be switched off automati-
cally a maximum of four times (initial stop,
then three subsequent stops) in succession.
The ¤ symbol is shown in yellow in the
multifunction display after the engine has
been started automatically for the fourth
time. When the ¤symbol is shown in
green in the multifunction display, automatic
engine switch-off is again possible.
Vehicles with manual transmission The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X Brake the vehicle.
X Shift to neutral N(follow gearshift instruc-
tion :to engage neutral N, if necessary).
X Release the clutch pedal.
The engine is switched off automatically.
Vehicles with automatic transmission
If the vehicle is braked to a standstill with the
transmission in Dor N, the ECO start/stop func-
tion switches off the engine automatically.
i The HOLD function can be activated if the
engine has been switched off automatically. 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 deactivated.
Automatic engine start General notes
The engine is started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function by
pressing the ECO button
R you engage reverse gear R
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-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Vehicles with manual transmission
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
The engine is started automatically if you:
R depress the clutch pedal fully
R depress the accelerator pedal
Vehicles with automatic transmission The engine is started automatically if you:
R release the brake pedal in transmission posi-
tion Dor Nwhen the HOLD function is not
active
R depress the accelerator pedal
R move the transmission out of position P
i Shifting the transmission to position
Pdoes
not start the engine.
i If you shift the transmission from
Rto D, the
ECO start/stop function is available again
once the ¤symbol reappears in green in
the multifunction display.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function Driving
143Driving an d parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The coolant temperature
display is showing more
than 120 †. The coolant warning lamp may also
be on and a warning tone
may sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 292). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue driving
to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in moun-
tainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting between
5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all the way to the right. Otherwise, you could shift
unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear and dam-
age the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to
overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear 1, 2or3in good time.
This uses the engine's braking effect. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the vehi-
cle is stationary. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the transmission.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left, beyond
the point of resistance, then forwards.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function; see
(Y page 142). 146
Manual transmissionDriving and parking

Gearshift recommendation
X
Shift gear according to gearshift recommen-
dation :when shown in the multifunction
display of the instrument cluster.
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to its
original position. The current transmission posi-
tion P,R, Nor Dappears in the transmission
position display in the multifunction display
(Y page 147).
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display !
If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion Dand drive program Eor S.
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions you can change using the DIRECT SELECT lever. :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display Automatic transmission
147Driving and parking Z

Engaging park position P
!
If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from Dto
R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direction
of arrow P.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
the multifunction display.
Depressing the brake and pushing the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages the park-
ing lock. The transmission is in neutral N.
In order to shift from park position Pdirectly into
R or D:
R depress the brake pedal and
R push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the key or
using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif the HOLD function or DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. Observe the information on
the HOLD function (Y page 178) and on
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 172).
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position Dor N: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first
point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up past the first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(Y page 142). Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position Dor 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 Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
With the key: if you then open the driver's door
or the front-passenger door or remove the key
from the ignition, the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically.
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 key into the ignition lock.
X All vehicles: switch the ignition on.148
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

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 key in the
ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror 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. Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped. Only shift the
transmission into position Pwhen
the vehicle is stationary
(Y page 159).
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
key and remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the
key or using the Start/Stop button
and open the driver's door or front- passenger door
R you open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position Dor R C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary. A 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 Nif
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 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. Gearshifting is determined
by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 150)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 149)
R the driving 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 Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z

Double-clutch function
E 500 only:
when shifting down, the double-
clutch function is active regardless of the cur-
rently selected drive program. The double-
clutch function 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 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.
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all models.
For further information, see (Y page 209).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Manual drive program: depending on the
uphill or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
(Y page 151) in which the engine will run in
the middle of the engine speed range. This
also applies if cruise control, DISTRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated. Program selector button
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving characteris-
tics. All vehicles (except vehicles with dynamic han-
dling package or the AMG sports package):
X Press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. Vehicles with dynamic handling package or the
AMG sports package:
X Press program selector button :.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
i The permanent drive program Mis available
on the following vehicles:
R vehicles with the dynamic handling pack-
age
R vehicles with the AMG Sport package
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 152).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 151). E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
Further information on the automatic drive
program (Y page 151).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. 150
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

Steering wheel gearshift paddles
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel gearshift
paddles :and ;.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(Y page 152).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 151).
i You can only change gear with the steering
wheel gearshift paddles when the transmis-
sion is in position D. Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program
Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R comfort-oriented engine 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 increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
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 drive program S Drive program
Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up later,
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points, the fuel consumption possibly
being higher.
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles. The transmission must be in posi-
tion D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
automatic drive programs Eand S.
i As well as temporary drive program
M, you
can also activate permanent drive program M
(Y page 150).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 152).
Activating X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 151).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle, the automatic transmis- sion switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
gearshift paddle is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear up
or down, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle (Y page 151).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate, the automatic transmis- Automatic transmission
151Driving and parking Z

sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-
vent engine damage.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle (Y page 151).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
i Automatic downshifting occurs when coast-
ing.
Gearshift 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 ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display of the instrument
cluster.
Deactivating If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain 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.
When manual drive program Mis deactivated,
the automatic transmission shifts into the auto- matic drive program that was last selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in place (Y page 151).
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to shift the
transmission position (Y page 147).or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 150).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches into the
automatic drive program that was last selec-
ted. Manual drive program
General notes In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission must
be in position D.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 151).
Activating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 150) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
The manual drive program is only available on
vehicles with the dynamic handling package or
AMG Sports package.
Manual drive program Mdiffers from drive pro-
gram Swith regard to spontaneity, responsive-
ness and the smoothness of the gear changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected using
the program selector button. In manual drive
program M, you can change gear yourself using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles if the trans- mission is in position D. The gear selected is
shown in the multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. 152
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X If relevant gearshift recommendation :
appears in the multifunction display on the
instrument cluster, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle (Y page 151).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear ;.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel gearshift paddle until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum accel-
eration 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.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 150). Automatic transmission
153Driving and parking Z