shift MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class 2015 W222 User Guide

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip- ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (Y page 29). Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
The sensor system of some driving and driv-
ing safety systems adjusts automatically
while a certain distance is being driven after
the vehicle has been delivered or after
repairs. Full system effectiveness is not
reached until the end of this teach-in proce-
dure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
R You should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this period.
R When shifting gears manually, upshift in
good time, before the tachometer needle
reaches Ôof the way to the red area of the
tachometer. R
Do not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the point of resistance (kick-
down).
R All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): ide-
ally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program E.
Additional breaking-in notes for AMG vehi-
cles:
R Do not drive faster than 85 mph
(140 km/ h)for the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km).
R Only allow the engine to reach a maximum
engine speed of 4,500 rpm briefly.
R Change gear in good time.
R Ideally, for the first 1,000 miles (1,500 km),
drive in program C.
After 1000 mile s(1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and accelerate
the vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on
breaking in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Always observe the respective speed limits. Driving
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another. 188
DrivingDriving and parking

G
WARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct usage of the pedals, e.g.:
R shoes with thick soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
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-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. 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.
! Do not warm up the engine with the vehi-
cle stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid high engine speeds and driving at full throt-
tle until the engine has reached its operat-
ing temperature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to
the desired drive position when the vehicle is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery
roads. You could otherwise damage the
drive train.
! AMG vehicles:
at low engine oil temper-
atures below 68 ‡ (+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.
Observe the important safety notes for PLUG-
IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 46). Key positions
SmartKey g
To remove the SmartKey
1 Power supply for some consumers, such
as the windshield wipers
2 Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3 To start the engine
The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition
lock even if it is not the correct SmartKey for
the vehicle. The ignition is not switched on.
The engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button General notes
All vehicles are equipped with a removable
Start/Stop button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in the
vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into
the ignition lock, the system needs approx-
imately two seconds recognition time. You
can then use the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times
in succession corresponds to the different Driving
189Driving and parking Z

X
To switch on the ignition: press Start/
Stop button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
The ignition is switched off when:
R the driver's door is opened and
R you press Start/Stop button :once when
in this position =
Start/Stop button USA
? Start/Stop button Canada
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from
the ignition lock and start the vehicle as nor-
mal using the SmartKey.
It is only possible to switch between Start/
Stop button mode and SmartKey operation
when the transmission is in position P.
X Remove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop
button from the ignition lock when you leave
the vehicle. You should, however, always take the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehi-
cle. As long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
R the vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
R the electrically powered equipment can be
operated Starting the engine
Important safety notes 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 P
R 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.
! Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine. Driving
191Driving an d parking Z

General notes
During a cold start, the engine runs at higher
speeds to enable the catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature. The sound of the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 197).
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows
P (Y page 199).
You can start the engine in transmission posi-
tion Pand N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of the Start/Stop button, pull the
Start/Stop button out of the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion (Y page 189) lock and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
Starting procedure with the Start/Stop button 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.
You can start the engine if a valid SmartKey is
in the vehicle. Always take the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle, even if you only
leave it for a short time. Pay attention to the
important safety notes.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button once
(Y page 189).
The engine starts. Pulling away
General 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.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing 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 98).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the
parking lock released. 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 converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (Y page 222).
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 to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll. 192
DrivingDriving and parking

R
the hood is closed.
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is stopped automatically.
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.
All vehicles (apart from AMG vehicles):
automatic engine switch-off can take place a
maximum of four times consecutively (initial
stop then repeated three times).
AMG vehicles: times which the engine can
be automatically switched off.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
R you switch to drive program Sor M.
R in transmission position Dor Nthe brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function 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 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-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on.
R the battery's condition of charge is too low.
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes
not start the engine. Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If indicator lamp ;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 vehicle stops.
If drive program Sor Mhas been selected, the
ECO start/stop function is always deactiva-
ted.
If you switch on the ECO start/stop function
while drive program Sis selected, the drive
program automatically switches to E.
AMG vehicles 194
DrivingDriving an
d parking

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.
Observe the important safety notes for PLUG-
IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 46).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
position P,R, Nor Dappears in the transmis-
sion position display (Y page 199) in the mul-
tifunction display.
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the vehi-
cle is moving, do not shift the automatic
transmission directly from Dto R, from Rto
D or directly to P. The automatic transmis-
sion could otherwise be damaged. j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the Smart-
Key and remove the SmartKey.
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's door.
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic trans
mission
197Driving an d parking Z

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 infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function
(Y page 193).
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 P
R 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 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
resistance.
If the engine has been switched off, the auto- matic transmission automatically shifts to N.If the automatic transmission is to remain in
neutral
N, e.g. for washing the vehicle in car
washes with a towing device, please observe
the following instructions:
Using the SmartKey:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Engage park position P.
R Release the brake pedal.
R Pull the Start/Stop button out of the igni-
tion.
R Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
R Switch on the ignition.
R Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
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. 198
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Transmission position display
General notes !
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. For this purpose, we recommend
selecting transmission position Dand auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Cin
AMG vehicles, drive program E+in PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles) or S.
The current transmission position is shown in
the multifunction display.
The arrows in the transmission position dis-
play show how and into which transmission
positions you can change using the DIRECT
SELECT lever.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles) :
Transmission position
; Gear
= Drive program AMG vehicles :
Transmission position
; Drive program Transmission positions
B Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position
P(Ypage 220) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
199Driving and parking Z

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 to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan damage
the drive train. 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. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 200)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 200)
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 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 Dand R
can help to free a vehicle that has become
stuck in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine
management restricts switching between
transmission positions Dand Rto speeds up
to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission posi-
tions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT lever
up and down past the point of resistance. Program selector button
This section describes the program selector
button for all vehicles except PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles. Information on automatic
drive programs for PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 285). X
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles): press pro-200
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

gram selector button
:to change the
drive program.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. X
AMG vehicles: press program selector
button :repeatedly until the letter of the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The program selector button influences: R the drive program (Y page 202)
R the engine management
In AMG vehicles, drive program Eis called
drive program C.
When the engine is started, the automatic
transmission always switches to automatic
drive program E(drive program Cin AMG
vehicles).
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles) E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
You can also activate manual drive program
M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(Y page 202). In manual drive program M,
you can briefly change gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle shifters. AMG vehicles C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
Permanent drive program
Mis only available
for AMG vehicles.
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 203).
You can also activate manual drive program
M using the steering wheel paddle shifters
(Y page 202). In manual drive program M,
you can briefly change gear yourself by using
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see (Y page 202). Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can activate manual drive program
Min
the E(C in AMG vehicles) and Sautomatic
drive programs using steering wheel paddle
shifters :and ;(Ypage 202). In manual
drive program M, you can briefly change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters.
AMG vehicles: you can also activate manual
drive program Mwith the program selector
button (Y page 203). In manual drive pro-
gram M, you can permanently change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. Automatic transmission
201Driving and parking Z