2005 MERCEDES-BENZ CL600 wheel

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.

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.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 169) when you are driving in the
automatic program mode (CorS). Upshifting

Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission
when you are driving in the automatic
program mode (CorS).
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.
The manual program modeM will not
be stored. When the engine is turned
off with the manual program modeM
selected, the transmission will go to
the automatic program mode (CorS)
when the engine is restarted.
The last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.
Warning!
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.

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.

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction
(page 168).
or

Press button1 on the left side of the
steering wheel (
page 174).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction
(page 168).
or

Press button2 on the right side of the
steering wheel (
page 174).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear. Kickdown
The kickdown can also be used for
maximum acceleration when driving in the
manual program modeM.

Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear.

Shift up once the desired speed has
been reached.
Warning!
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.iWhen you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.
iWhen driving at full throttle, the trans-
mission shifts to the next higher gear
when maximum engine speed has been
reached.

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.

189 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls aand8
(page 188) to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).
Increasing/decreasing

Press button a or 8 repeatedly up or
down until the display shows the de-
sired temperature.
The automatic climate control system
will accordingly adjust the interior air
temperature.Adjusting the temperature for center
air vents
When outside temperatures are low, you
can manually raise the air temperature for
the center and side air vents. The
thumbwheel4 is located between the
center air vents (
page 185).
Automatic temperature control

Turn thumbwheel 4 to A.
The indicator lamp above the thumb-
wheel comes on. The temperature is
automatically adjusted to the set value.
Turning on warm air

Turn thumbwheel4 in the direction of
the white marking.
Warm air will enter from the center air
vent.Turning on cooler air

Turn thumbwheel4 in the direction of
the blue marking.
Cooler air will enter from the center air
vent.
Adjusting air distribution
Use the air distribution controlsc and6
(page 188) to separately adjust the air
distribution on each side of the passenger
compartment. The following symbols are
found on the controls:Symbol
Function
h
Directs air through the cen-
ter air vents
d
Directs air to the windows
»
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
c
Directs air to the footwells

197 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Switching ventilation on
Open the storage compartment in front
of the armrest, see “Storage compart-
ment below the front armrest”
(page 234)

Push upper portion of switch.
Switching ventilation off

Open the storage compartment in front
of the armrest, see “Storage compart-
ment below the front armrest”
(page 234)

Push lower portion of switch.Rear passenger compartment adjust-
able air vents
1Left center air vent, adjustable
2Right center air vent adjustable
3Thumbwheel for center air vents with
adjustable booster blowerTo open center air vents and to adjust the
booster blower:

Turn thumbwheel3.
!Do not obstruct the air vent in the stor-
age compartment.iThe compartment can get very warm
due to its confined space. When storing
heat sensitive objects in the compart-
ment, close the air vent while heating
the passenger compartment.
iThe booster blower allows air volume
speed to the rear passenger compart-
ment to be increased at four different
levels.
The temperature at the air vents for
rear passenger compartment1
and2 is the same as at the dashboard
center air vents.