automatic transmission MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class COUPE 2016 C217 Owner's Guide

continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles:the automatic
transmission will not shift up to the next
gear when the engine speed is very low.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 163).
The automatic transmission shifts down to the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine dam- age by not shifting down.
Automatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift 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. If manual drive program
Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (
Ypage 163).
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
XUse the program selector button to change
the drive program (
Ypage 163).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches to
the previously activated drive program E
(drive program Con Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) or S.
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
Manual drive program Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 164).
Switching on the manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change
gear using the steering wheel paddle shifters
if the transmission is in position D. You can
see the currently selected drive program and
which gear is engaged in the multifunction
display.
Automatic transmission165
Driving and parking
Z

XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 163) repeatedly untilMappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting
!In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
XWhen message ;appears in the multi-
function display, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
Downshifting
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 163).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear if this is permissible.
Maximum acceleration
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the
optimum gear according to the speed. If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 163) repeatedly until
Cor S
appears in the multifunction display.
166Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.GWARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
Risk of explosion or fire.
XApply the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the engine.
XOpen the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0. This is the same as
the SmartKey having been removed.
or, if the SmartKey is inserted in the ignition lock:
XRemove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
XDo not restart the engine under any circumstances.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap can-
not be opened.The fuel filler flap is not unlocked.
XUnlock the vehicle (Ypage 83).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged.
XUnlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Ypage 85).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jam-
med.
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields.
GWARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
Rstart the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 unsupervised in the vehicle.
170Parking
Driving and parking

!Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
Rthe electric parking brake must be applied.
Rthe transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
Rthe front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents.
Rthe empty vehicle must be secured at the
front axle with a wheel chock or similar, for example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Ra laden vehicle must also be secured at the
rear axle with a wheel chock or similar, for
example, on uphill or downhill gradients.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
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.
Further information if the engine cannot be
switched off as described here (
Ypage 359).
Using the SmartKey
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XTurn the SmartKey to position0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position
Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's door or the
front-passenger door or remove the Smart-
Key from the ignition, the automatic trans-
mission shifts to Pautomatically.
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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
XShift to neutral N.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XRelease the electric parking brake.
XSwitch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Using the Start/Stop button
XApply the electric parking brake.
XShift the transmission to position P.
XPress the Start/Stop button (Ypage 151)
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0: "Key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
If you then open the driver's or front-
passenger door, the automatic transmission
shifts to Pautomatically.
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:
XSwitch on the ignition.
XDepress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
Parking171
Driving and parking
Z

XRemove theStart/Sto pbutto nfrom th e
ignition lock.
XInser tth eSmartKey into th eignition lock.
XShift to neutral N.
XReleas eth ebrak epedal .
XReleas eth eelectric parkin gbrake.
XSwitc hoff th eignition and leav eth eSmart -
Key in th eignition lock.
The engin ecan be switched off in an emer-
gency while th evehicl eis in motion by press-
in g and holdin gth eStart/Sto pbutto nfor
three seconds. This function operate sinde-
pendentl yof th eECO start/sto pautomatic
engin eswitch-off function .
Electricparking brak e
Genera lnotes
GWARNIN G
If you leav echildren unsupervised in th evehi-
cle ,they could set it in motion by, for example:
Rrelease th eparkin gbrake.
Rshift th eautomati ctransmission out of th e
parkin gposition P.
Rstart theengine.
In addition ,they may operate vehicl eequip -
men tand become trapped .There is aris kof
an acciden tand injury.
Whe nleavin gth evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Never
leav echildren unsupervised in th evehicle.
The function of th eelectric parkin gbrak eis
dependen ton th eon-boar dvoltage. If th eon -
boar dvoltag eis low or there is amalfunction
in th esystem, it may no tbe possibl eto apply
th erelease dparkin gbrake.
XIf this is th ecase, only park th evehicl eon
level ground and secure it to preven tit roll-
in g away.
XShift th eautomatic transmission to posi-
tion P. It may no
tbe possibl eto release an applie d
parkin gbrak eif th eon-boar dvoltag eis low or
there is amalfunction in th esystem. Contac t
a qualified specialist workshop .
The electric parkin gbrak eperforms afunc-
tion test at regular intervals while th eengin e
is switched off .The sounds that can be hear d
while th is i
s occurrin gare normal.
Applyin gor releasing manually
XTo engage: push handle :.
Whe nth eelectric parkin gbrak eis applied,
th ered F (USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicato rlamp lights up in th einstru-
men tcluster.
The electric parkin gbrak ecan also be
applie dwhen th eSmartKey is removed.
XTo release: pull handle:.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicato rlamp in th einstrumen tclus -
te rgoe sout .
The electric parkin gbrak ecan only be
released:
Rwhen th eSmartKey is in position 1or 2in
th eignition loc k (
Ypage 151) or
Rif theignition was switched on usin gth e
Start/Sto pbutto n
172Parking
Driving an d parking

Applying automatically
The electric parking brakeis automatically
applie dwhen th etransmission is in position P
and :
Rtheengin eis switched off or
Rth edriver is no twearing aseat belt and th e
driver' sdoor is opened
To preven tth eelectric parking brak efrom
bein gautomatically applied, pull handle :.
The electric parking brak eis also engage d
automatically if:
RDISTRONI CPLU Sbrings th evehicl eto a
standstill or
Rth eHOLD function is keepin gth evehicl e
stationary
RActive Parking Assis tis keepin gth evehicl e
stationary
In addition ,at least on eof th efollowin gcon-
dition smus tbe fulfilled :
Rthere isasystem malfunction .
Rthepower suppl yis insufficient.
Rth evehicl eis stationary for alengthy
period.
The red F(USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in th einstrumen tcluste r
lights up.
The electric parking brak eis no tautomati-
call yengage dif th eengin eis switched off by
th eECO start/sto pfunction .
Releasing automatically
The electric parking brak eis release dauto -
matically when all of th efollowin gcondition s
are fulfilled :
Rtheengin eis running.
Rth etransmission is in position Dor R.
Rth eseat belt has been fastened.
Ryou depress th eaccelerato rpedal .
If th eautomatic transmission is in position R,
th etrunk lid mus tbe closed. If your seat belt is no
tfastened, th efollowin g
condition smus tbe fulfilled to automatically
release th eelectric parking brake:
Rth edriver' sdoor is closed.
Ryou hav eshifte dout of transmission posi-
tion Por you hav epreviously driven faste r
than 2mph (3 km/h).
En sure that you do no tdepress th eacceler -
ato rpedal unintentionally. Otherwise the
parking brak ewill be release dand th evehicl e
will start to move.
Eme rgency braking
The vehicl ecan also be braked during an
emergenc yby usin gth eelectric parking
brake.
XWhil edriving ,push handle :of th eelectric
parking brak e (
Ypage 172).
The vehicl eis braked as lon gas you keep
handle :of th eelectric parking brak e
pre ssed. The longer electric parking brak e
handle :is depressed, th egreate rth e
braking force .
During braking :
Rawarning tone sounds
Rth ePlease Releas eParkin gBrake
message appear s
Rthered F (USAonly) or !(Canada
only) indicator lamp in th einstrumen tclus -
te rflashes
When th evehicl ehas been braked to a stand-
still, th eelectric parking brak eis engaged.
Park ing the vehicle for a long period
If you leav eth evehicl eparked for longer than
four weeks, th ebattery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
Parking173
Driving and parking
Z

becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heatingrunning, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise
control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
XShift the transmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (
Ypage 365).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (
Ypage 364).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (
Ypage 364).
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for
innovative driver assistance and safety sys-
tems which enhance comfort and support the driver in critical situations. With these intelli-
gent co-ordinated systems Mercedes-Benz
has set a milestone on the path towards
autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one
well thought out system – for the safety of the
vehicle occupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(
Ypage 67).
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. Change into
a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. This is especially impor-
tant if the vehicle is laden. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z

XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towardsyou :.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ;to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up :or down ;the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): brieflypress the cruise control lever up
:or
down ;to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up :or down ;the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel- erate to overtake, cruise control adjusts
the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
XBriefly press cruise the control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
Driving systems181
Driving and parking
Z

If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, DISTRONIC
PLUS monitors the left lane on left-hand-
drive vehicles or the right lane on right-
hand-drive vehicles.
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS (
Ypage 188).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill at
a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in front. The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion
Pif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up :or
down ;to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up :or down ;the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
186Driving systems
Driving and parking

In the Assistance menu (Ypage 244) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance graphics display.
XSelect the Assistance Graphicfunction
using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 243).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted
:DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
;Vehicle in front, if detected
=Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
?Own vehicle
In the Assistance menu (
Ypage 244) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis-
tance graphics display.
XSelect the Assistance Graphicfunction
using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 243).
You will see the stored speed for about five
seconds when you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS
There are several ways to deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC
PLUSOffmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
iDISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if
the vehicle is automatically secured with
the electric parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
Rthe vehicle has skidded
Ryou activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the
DISTRONIC PLUS Off
message in the multi-
188Driving systems
Driving and parking