Page 174 of 458

172 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAutomatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the tachometer display
(
page 167).
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the tachometer display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:
The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.
Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
Page 176 of 458

174 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) CL 55 AMG and CL 65 AMG
When driving in the automatic program
modesC orS, or in the manual program
modeM, you can change the gears
manually on the steering wheel or by using
the gear selector lever (
page 168).The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Left button: downshift
2Right button: upshift
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Page 178 of 458

176 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionManual shift program CL 55 AMG and CL 65 AMG
In the manual program modeM you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 174) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 168).The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the tachometer display
(
page 167).Activating manual shift program
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for the
manual program modeM appears in
the tachometer display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Page 189 of 458

187 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Item
1
Left center air vent, adjustable
2
Left air vent, fixed
3
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for left center air vent
4
Thumbwheel for air temperature
control for center air vents
5
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for right center air vent
6
Right air vent, fixed
7
Right center air vent, adjustable
8
Side defroster vent, fixed
9
Side air vent, adjustable
a
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for side air vent
b
Door air vent
c
Automatic climate control panel
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate con-
trol, the air that enters the passenger com-
partment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold (de-
pending on the set temperature). This may
cause burn or frostbite on unprotected skin
in the immediate area of the air vents. Al-
ways keep sufficient distance between un-
protected parts of the body and the footwell
air vents. If necessary, change the air flow
using the air distribution controls to direct
the air away from the footwell air vents
(page 189).
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the slid-
ers for the center air vents 1, 7, 9
to the middle position.
Page 208 of 458

206 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:
Cruise control and Distronic*, with
which the vehicle can maintain a preset
speed.
ABC with vehicle level control system,
with which you can change vehicle sus-
pension characteristics.
Parktronic*, which serves as a parking
assistant.
For information on the BAS, ABS, and ESP
driving systems, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 80).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.
Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.
Page 212 of 458

210 Controls in detailDriving systems
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject
to the following two conditions:
This device may not cause interfer-
ence, and
this device must accept any inter-
ference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
Warning!
G
Distronic cannot take street and traffic con-
ditions into account. Only use Distronic if
the road, weather and traffic conditions
make it advisable to travel at a steady
speed.
Warning!
G
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on slip-
pery roads. Rapid changes in tire traction
can result in wheel spin and loss of control.
Distronic does not act upon adverse sight
distance conditions. Do not use Distronic
during conditions of fog and heavy rain,
snow or sleet.Warning!
G
Close attention to road and traffic condi-
tions is imperative at all times, regardless of
whether or not Distronic is activated.
Use of Distronic can be dangerous on wind-
ing roads or in heavy traffic because condi-
tions do not allow safe driving at a steady
speed.
Distronic will not react to stationary objects
in the roadway (e.g. a stopped vehicle in a
traffic jam or a disabled vehicle). Distronic
will also not respond to oncoming vehicles.
Switch off Distronic:
when changing from the left to the right
lane if vehicles are moving more slowly
in the left lane
when entering a turn lane or highway off
ramp
in complex driving situations, such as in
highway construction zones
In these situations, Distronic will continue to
maintain the set speed unless deactivated.
Distronic is designed and intended only to
maintain a set speed and keep a set dis-
tance from moving objects in front of it.
Warning!
G
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.
Page 224 of 458
222 Controls in detailDriving systemsVehicle level control
Your vehicle automatically adjusts its ride
height to
reduce fuel consumption
increase vehicle safety
The vehicle chassis ride height is raised or
lowered according to the selected level
setting and to the vehicle speed:
With increasing speed, ride height is re-
duced by up to approximately 0.95 in
(24 mm).
With decreasing speed, the ride height
is again raised to the selected vehicle
level.Select the level 1 and 2 settings only when
required by current driving conditions.
Otherwise
Fuel consumption may increase
Handling may be impairediThese height adjustments are so small
that you may not notice any change.Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury, keep hands
and feet away from wheel housing area, and
stay away from under the vehicle when low-
ering the vehicle chassis.
Page 295 of 458

293 Operation
Tires and wheels
Placard (Example B)
1Vehicle Tire Information placard with
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
Placard (Example B) lists the recommend-
ed cold tire inflation pressures for maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight. The tire
inflation pressures listed apply to the tires
installed as original equipment.Important notes on tire inflation
pressure
Tire temperature and tire inflation pressure
are also increased while driving, depending
on the driving speed and the tire load.
If you will be driving your vehicle at high
speeds of 100 mph (160 km / h) or higher,
where it is legal and conditions allow,
consult the placard on the inside of the fuel
filler flap on how to adjust the cold tire in-
flation pressure. If you do not adjust the
tire inflation pressure, excessive heat can
build up and result in sudden tire failure.Be sure to readjust the tire inflation
pressure for normal driving speeds. You
should wait until the tires are cold before
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Some vehicles may have supplemental tire
pressure information for vehicle loads less
than the maximum loaded vehicle condi-
tion. If such information is provided, it can
be found on the placard located on the in-
side of the fuel filler flap.
Tire inflation pressure changes by approxi-
mately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of
air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire inflation pressure
where the temperature is different from
the outside temperature.
iPlacard (Example B) may list
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures for different vehicle loads.
Warning!
G
If the tire inflation pressure repeatedly
drops:
Check the tires for punctures from
foreign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.