
146 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Stopping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights, leave the 
transmission in gear and hold vehicle with the service 
brake.
For longer stops with the engine idling, shift into “N” 
or “P” and hold the vehicle with the service brake.
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill gradient, do not 
hold it with the accelerator, use the brake. This avoids 
unnecessary transmission heat build up.
Maneuvering
To maneuver in tight areas, e.g. when pulling into a 
parking space, control the vehicle speed by gradually 
releasing the brakes. Accelerate gently and never 
abruptly step on the accelerator.
To rock a vehicle out of soft ground (mud or snow), 
alternately shift from forward to reverse, while applying 
only slight partial throttle.
Rocking a vehicle free in this manner may cause the 
ABS or traction system malfunction indicator lamp to 
come on. Turn off and restart the engine to clear the 
malfunction indication.
Wa r n i n g !
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector lever 
not fully engaged in position “P” is dangerous. 
Also, when parked on an incline, posi tion “P” alone 
may not prevent your vehicle from moving, 
possibly hitting people or objects.Always set t he parki ng brake in addi tion to sh ifting 
to position “P”, see page 153 for parking brake. When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel 
towards the road curb.Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key 
from the steering lock, and lock the vehicle. Do not 
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with 
access to an u nlocked veh ic le. Ch ildren cou ld m ove 
the gear selector lever from position “P”, which 
could result in an accident or serious injury. 

148 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Dependent on the program mode selector switch 
position “S” or “W” the maximum speed in the 
reverse gear is different. However, it is not 
possible to change the program mode while in 
reverse.
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the engine to the 
drive axle. When the brakes are released, the 
vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed). Do 
not engage “N” while driving except to coast 
when the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on 
icy roads, see page 160 for winter driving 
instructions).
Important!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other 
reason with selector lever in “N” can result in 
transmission damage that is not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Drive
The transmission automatically upshifts through 
5th gear. Position “D” provides optimum driving 
characteristics under all normal operating 
conditions.Gear selection for special circumstances
The transmission gear ranges for special circumstances 
can be selected by pressing the selector lever to the 
right or the left with the selector lever in position “D”.
The gear range currently selected is indicated in the 
instrum ent  clu ster  disp lay.
Briefly press selector lever in the ç direction:
The transmission downshifts, one gear at a time, in the 
order “4”, “3”, “2”, “1”.
Press and hold selector lever in the ç direction:
The selector lever position display will switch to the 
gear range currently selected by the automatic 
transmission.
The transmission will only shift down one gear if the 
gear range currently selected has already shifted to its 
highest possible gear.
Briefly press selector lever in the æ direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range 
to the next higher gear range. If the transmission is 
already in gear range “D”, an additional upshift of one 
gear is possible. 

149 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Press and hold selector lever in the æ direction:
The transmission will shift from the current gear 
directly to gear range “D”.
Important!
With transmission in gear range “D”, “4” or “3”, 
upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear is delayed 
depending on vehicle speed and engine temperature. 
This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more 
q uickly to operating temperatures.
During the brief warm-up period this delayed upshift 
and increased engine noise might be perceived as a 
malfunction. However, neither the engine nor 
transmission are negatively affected by this mode of 
operation.The delayed upshift is effective with vehicle speeds 
below 31 mph (50 km / h) at partial throttle and engine 
temperatures below 95°F (35°C).
To avoid overrevving the engine when the selector lever 
is moved to a lower gear range, the transmission will not 
shift to a lower gear, if the engine’s revolutions per 
minute limit would be exceeded. In this case there will 
be no downshift, even when the vehicle speed reaches 
RPM limit of that gear, e.g. by applying the service 
brakes.
To prevent the engine from laboring at low RPM when 
driving uphill gradients or with your vehicle heavily 
loaded, the automatic transmission will downshift when 
necessary to maintain engine RPM within the best 
torque range.
Wa r n i n g !
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order 
to obtain braking action. This could result in drive 
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your 
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of 
control. 

150 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Gear ranges:
Upshift through 4th gear only. Suitable for 
performance driving.
Upshift through 3rd gear only. Suitable for 
moderately steep hills. Since the transmission 
does not shift higher than 3rd gear, this gear 
selection will allow use of the engine’s braking 
power downhill.Upshift through 2nd gear only. For driving in 
mountainous regions or under extreme operating 
conditions. This gear selection will allow use of 
the engine’s braking power when descending 
steep grades.
Use this position, which makes maximum use of 
the engine’s braking effect, while descending 
very steep or lengthy downgrades and only at 
speeds below 40 mph (60 km / h). 

151 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Program mode selector switch
The transmission is provided with a selector switch for 
Standard “S” and Winter / Wet (snow and ice) “W” 
program modes.SStandard mode
Press switch on symbol “S”. Use this mode for all 
regular driving.
The vehicle starts out in 1st gear.
Accelerator Operation:
Fa st  o n  =  d e p re s s i ng  t h e  a c c e l e r a to r  p e d a l  q u i ck ly  
(not into kickdown position) while driving 
continuously, rather than depressing the 
accelerator pedal in the usual manner, will cause 
the automatic transmission to shift down into a 
lower gear. This gear shifting process is 
dependent on the current vehicle speed.
Fast off = there will be no upshift when releasing 
the accelerator pedal quickly, e.g. using the 
engine’s braking power during performance 
driving.
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yy
P27.60-2102-26 

152 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
WWinter / Wet (snow and ice) mode
Press switch on symbol “W”. The vehicle starts 
out in 2nd gear, except with selector lever in 1st 
gear, or with accelerator pedal in kick-down 
position.
The “W” mode helps to improve traction and 
driving stability of the vehicle.
The gear shifting process occurs at lower vehicle 
and engine speeds than in the “S” program mode.
Caution!
Never change the program mode when the selector lever 
is out of position “P”. It could result in a change of 
driving characteristics for which you may not be 
prepared.
Important!
Always be certain of the program mode selected since 
the vehicle driving characteristics change with the 
selection of the program mode.
Dependent on the program mode selector switch 
position “S” or “W” and the gear selector lever in 
position “R”, the ratio of power transmission changes.Emergency Operation
(Limp Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens, or the transmission no 
longer shifts, the transmission is most likely operating 
in Limp Home Mode which engages when there is a 
malfunction of the transmission. This condition may be 
accompanied by the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction 
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster coming on.
In this mode only the 2nd gear or reverse gear can be 
activated.
To engage 2nd gear or reverse:
1.Stop the vehicle.
2.Move selector lever to position “P”.
3.Turn off the engine.
4.Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5.Restart the engine.
6.Move sel ector lever to position “D”  (for 2nd gear), or 
move selector lever to position “R” (for reverse gear).
Have the transmission checked at your authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible. 

154 Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – Save Fuel
Fue l consumption, to a  g rea t ex tent, depends on driv ing  
habits and operating conditions. 
To save fuel you should:
•keep tires at the recommended inflation pressures,
•remove unnecessary loads,
•allow engine to warm up under low load use,
•avoid frequent acceleration and deceleration,
•have all maintenance work performed at regular 
intervals by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driving in cold 
weather, in stop-and-go traffic, on short trips and in hilly 
country.Drinking and driving
Pedals
Wa r n i n g !
Drinking or taking drugs and driving can be a very 
dangerous combination. Even a small amount of 
alcohol or drugs can affect your reflexes, 
perceptions and judgement.The possibility of a serious or even fatal accident is 
sharply increased when you drink or take drugs 
and drive.Please don‘t drink or take drugs and drive or allow 
anyone to drive after drinking or taking drugs.Wa r n i n g !
Keep driver‘s foot area clear at all times. Objects 
stored in this area may impair pedal movement. 

155 Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Power assistance
BrakesThe condition of the parking brake system is checked 
each time the vehicle is in the shop for the required 
maintenance service.
If the parking brake is released and the brake warning 
lamp in the instrument cluster stays on, the brake f luid 
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may be the 
reason for low brake f luid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected at an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Al l checks and  service work on the  brake system shoul d 
be carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid recommended by 
Mercedes-Benz.
Wa r n i n g !
When the engine is not running, the brake and 
steering systems are without power assistance. 
Under these circumstances, a much greater effort is 
necessary to stop or steer the vehicle.Wa r n i n g !
After driving in heavy rain for some time without 
applying the brakes or through water deep enough 
to wet brake components, the first braking action 
may be somewhat reduced and increased pedal 
pressure may be necessary to obtain expected 
braking effect. Be sure to maintain a safe distance 
from vehicles in front.Resting your foot on the brake pedal will cause 
excessive and premature wear of the brake pads.It can also result in the brakes overheating thereby 
significantly reducing their effectiveness. It may 
not be possible to stop the vehicle in sufficient time 
to avoid an accident.
Wa r n i n g !
If other than recommended brake pads are 
installed, or other than recommended brake fluid 
is used, t he braking properties of th e vehic le can be 
degraded to an extent that safe braking is 
substantially impaired. This could result in an 
accident.