automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS ESTATE 2012 User Guide

There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevan tfunctions are only available
with limitations, or no tatall. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect .You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If the parking brake has not been fully
released when driving, the parking brake can:
R overheat and cause a fire
R lose its hold function.
There is a risk of fire and an accident .Release
the parking brake fully before driving off. G
WARNING
Vehicles with HYBRID :ensure tha tyou read
the "HYBRID" supplement. You may otherwise
fail to recognise dangers.
! Warm up the engine quickly. Do not use
the engine's full performance until it has
reached operating temperature.
Only set the automatic transmission to the
respective drive positions when the vehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. Otherwise, you could damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles: at low engine oil temper-
atures (below +20 †), the maximum
engine speed is restricted in order to pro-
tect the engine. To protect the engine and
maintain smooth engine operation, avoid
driving at full throttle when the engine is
cold. Key positions
Key g
To remove the key
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windscreen wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
i If the key does not belong to the vehicle,
it can still be turned in the ignition lock.
However, the ignition will not be switched
on. The engine cannot be started.
KEYLESS-GO General notes
R
Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key together
with:
- electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another key
- metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal film
R Do not keep the KEYLESS-GO key together
in metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
This can affect the functionality of KEY-
LESS-GO.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO are equipped with
a key featuring an integrated KEYLESS-GO
start function and a detachable Start/Stop
button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the key must be in the vehi-
cle. Driving
161Driving and parking Z

30seconds after a cold start. The sound of
the engine may change during this time.
Manual transmission X
Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral N.
i You can only start the engine whe nthe
clutch pedal is fully depressed.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P.
The transmission position displayint he
multifunction display shows P.
i You can also start the engine when the
transmission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the key i
To start the engine using the key instead
of KEYLESS-GO, pull the Start/Stop button
out of the ignition lock.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock
(Y page 161) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
X To startad iesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock
(Y page 161).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrumen tcluster lights up.
X When the %erlischt, den Schlüssel auf
Stellung 3(Ypage 161) and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
i Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion: you can also use the touch-star tfunc-
tion .To do this, turn the key to position
3(Y page 161) and release it immediately.
The engine then starts automatically. Using KEYLESS-GO to startt
he engine G
WARNING
You rvehicle can be started using a valid KEY-
LESS-GO key. For this reason, children should
never be left unsupervised in the vehicle.
Always take the key with you when leaving the
vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for a
short time.
i The Start/Stop button can be used to
start the vehicle manually without inserting
the key into the ignition lock. The key must
be in the vehicle and the Start/Stop button
must be inserted in the ignition lock. This
mode for starting the engine operates inde-
pendently of the ECO start/stop automatic
engine start function.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X To star tapetrol engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 161) once.
The engine starts.
X To start adiesel engine: press the Start/
Stop button (Y page 161) once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts. Pulling away
Manual transmission !
Change gear in good time and avoid spin-
ning the wheels. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the vehicle.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 184).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Slowly release the clutch pedal and gently
depress the accelerato rpedal.
i Follow the shift recommendations in the
multifunction display for an economical
driving style (Y page 170). Driving
163Driving and parking Z

i
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away.T he locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 261).
Automatic transmission 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.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
X Release the parking brake (Y page 184).
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if
you depress the brake pedal. Only then is
the selector lever lock/parking lock
released
i The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away.T he locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature (Y page 261).
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Hill starta
ssist 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 helps you when pulling away
forwards 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.
X Take your foot off the brake pedal.
The vehicle is then held for about a second.
X Pull away.
Hill start assist will not function 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
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. 164
DrivingDriving and parking

X
To switc hon (AMG vehicles): press but-
ton :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If drive pro-
gram S,S+ orMis active, the automatic
transmission switches to drive program C.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 166) are fulfilled, the
¤ symbol is shown in green in the mul-
tifunction display. In addition, the Stop/Start active message is shown in the
AMG menu in the multifunction display.
If conditions for automatic engine switch-
off have not been fulfilled, the (Y page 166)
¤ symbol will be shown in yellow. If this
is the case, the ECO start/stop function is
not available. In addition, the Stop/Startinactive message is shown in the AMG
menu in the multifunction display.
i If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops.
i Every time you switch on the engine using
the key or the Start/Stop button, the ECO
start/stop function is activated.
Automatic engine switch-off Method of operation
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 vehicle is stationary.
R the outside temperature is within the com-
fort range.
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature.
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 conditions for automatic engine switch-off
have not been fulfilled, the ¤symbol will
be shown in yellow.
AMG vehicles: the AMG menu in the multi-
function display additionally shows the Stop/ Start inactive message.
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.
i All vehicles (apart from AMG vehi-
cles): Automatic engine switch-off can
take place a maximum of four times con-
secutively (initial stop then repeated three
times). The ¤symbol is shown in yellow
in the multifunction display after the engine
has been started automatically for the
fourth time. The automatic engine stop is
available again once when the ¤symbol
is shown in green in the multifunction dis-
play.
i AMG vehicles: times which the engine
can be automatically switched off.
i During automatic engine switch-off, the
climate control system only operates at a
reduced capacity. If you require full climate
control capacity, the ECO start/stop func-
tion can be deactivated by pressing the
ECO button (Y page 165).166
DrivingDriving and parking

Vehicles with manual transmission
The ECO start/stop function switches off the
engine automatically at low speeds.
X Brake the vehicle until it comes to a stand-
still.
X Engage neutral N(Ypage 170) (follow
gearshift instruction :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 in trans-
mission position Dor Nand the brake
remains depressed, the ECO start/stop func-
tion switches off the engine automatically.
i You can also activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary if the engine
has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying
the brakes during the automatic stop
phase. Whe nyou depress the accelerator
pedal, the engine starts automatically and
the braking effect of the HOLD function is
deactivated. Depress the accelerator pedal
gently, as the engine must be started first.
Automatic engine start Vehicles with manual transmission
!
Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed. The engine is started automatically if:
R
you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R you fully depress the clutch pedal.
R you switch to drive program S,S+ orM
(AMG vehicles).
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver'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 automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
R you release the brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N, when the HOLD func-
tion is not active.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R you engage reverse gear R.
R you move the transmission out of position
P.
R you switch to drive program S,S+ orM
(AMG vehicles).
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver'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.
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine. Driving
167Driving and parking Z

!
On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is ladenort owing
a trailer, you must shift into gear 1, 2or3
in good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect .This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly. Gear lever
Shifting to neutral (N)
X
Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Move the gear lever to position N:. Neutral N with ECO start/stop func-
tion activated
The engine is switched off, if:
R in neutral N, the vehicle speed is below a
certain threshold and
R the clutch pedal is not depressed.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 165). Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left
beyond the point of resistance and then
forwards.
i The ECO start/stop function is not avail-
able when reverse gear is engaged.
Further information on the ECO start/stop
function (Y page 165). Gearshift recommendation
X
Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :shown in the multifunction
display of the instrumentc luster.
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. 170
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

When engaging transmission position
Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
Vehicles with HYBRID :ensure tha tyou read
the "HYBRID" supplement. You may otherwise
fail to recognise dangers. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions Selector lever in standard vehicles
j
Park position with selector lever lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive Selector lever in AMG vehicles with P button
j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
Example: transmission position display and drive
program display
:
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display. DIRECT SELECTl
ever
Overview of transmission positions P
Park position with parking lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the righ tofthe
steering column.
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current trans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dappears in the
transmission position display
(Y page 171) in the multifunction display. Automatic transmission
171Driving and parking Z

Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
!
If the transmission positio ndisplay in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to chec kwhether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select trans-
mission position Dand drive program Eor
S. Do not restrict the shift range. :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
The current transmission position and drive
program appearint he multifunction display.
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which transmis-
sion positions you can change using the
DIRECT SELECT lever.
Engaging parkp osition P!
If the engine speed is too high, do no tshift
the automatic transmission directly from
D to R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Other-
wise, the automatic transmission could be
damaged.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
i The automatic transmission shifts auto-
matically into park position Pif you:
R open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary with the transmission in
position Dor R
R open the driver's door when driving at
very low speed with the transmission in
position Dor R
This function depends on the date of man-
ufacture of your vehicle. i
Depress the brake and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to disengage the
parking lock. The transmission is in neutral
N.
If you want to shift from park position P
directly to Ror D:
R depress the brake and
R push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or
down past the first point of resistance.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
i The ECO start/stop function is not avail-
able when reverse gear is engaged.
For further information on the ECO start/
stop function, see (Y page 165).
Neutral N with ECO start/stop function
activated The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle is
stationary if the vehicle is braked to a stand-
still in neutral
N.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 164).
Shifting to neutral (N) X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
Drive position D with ECO start/stop
function activated The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle is
braked to a standstill in transmission posi-
tion
D.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 164).172
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Engaging drive position D
X
Push the DIRECT SELECT leve rdown past
the first point of resistance. Transmission positions
B
Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P(Y
page 183) unless the vehicle
is stationary.
Standard vehicles with aselec-
tor lever: you can only remove the
key if the transmission is in posi-
tion P. If the key is removed from
the ignitio nlock, the selector lever
is locked.
Vehicles with aDIRECT SELECT
lever: the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the key
R switch off the engine when in R
or Dand open one of the front
doors C
Reverse gear
Only shif
tthe transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary. A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
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:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
Vehicles with aDIRECT SELECT
lever: if you switch off th eengine
using the key or the Start/Stop
button, the automatic transmission
shifts to neutral Nautomatically.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D.Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R a shift range restriction, if selected
R the selected drive program
E/S, E/S/M or, on AMG vehicles,
C/S/S+/M (Ypage 174)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Automatic transmission
173Driving and parking Z

Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmissio
nshifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
AMG vehicles When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch function
reduces load change reactions and is condu-
cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutchf
unction depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depress the accelerato rpedal 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 atrailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2(Y page 176) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, eve nifcruise control,
DISTRONIC PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC is acti-
vated. Program selector button
General notes Example
:program selector button
X Press progra mselecto rbutton :repeat-
edly until the lette rfor the desired gearshift
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics. E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 175).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. 174
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking