Page 191 of 498

190 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionDownshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or
Briefly press button2 on the left side
of the steering wheel (
page 186).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 188) repeatedly until
Cor
S appears in the multifunction
display.
or
Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less re-
sponsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission is most
likely operating in limp-home (emergency
operation) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be selected.
Stop the vehicle.
Move gear selector lever toP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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.
Page 440 of 498

439 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Front of vehicle
1Cover on right side of front bumper
To remove cover:
Press mark on cover in direction of ar-
row.
Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approximately
9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (if
equipped) (
page 95).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (page 122).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iThe selector lever will remain locked in
positionP and the SmartKey will not
turn in the starter switch if the battery
is disconnected or discharged. For
more information see “Battery”
(page 431) or “Jump starting”
(page 435).
Manual unlocking of the transmission
selector lever (
page 404).
Page 477 of 498

476 Technical termsPower train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing:
Engine
Clutch/torque converter
Transmission
Transfer case*
Drive shaft
Axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 333)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
operationC.
CLS 55 AMG with steering wheel gear-
shift control and manual shift program:
in addition to S and C (for sporty S or
comfortable C operation), you can use
M for manual shift program.
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 333)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 333)
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, air bags and
child restraint systems. As indepen-
dent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.Rim
(
page 333)
RON
(Research O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Electro-hydraulic brake system
Electronically controlled hydraulic
braking system for increased braking
safety and comfort.
Sidewall
(
page 333)
Page 481 of 498

480 IndexAutomatic transmission 176
Accelerator position 180
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) 190
Gear ranges 181
Gear selector lever position 178
Gear shifting malfunctions 190
Kickdown 180
Kickdown, manual shift program
(CLS 55 AMG) 190
Manual shift program mode
(CLS 55 AMG) 188
Manual shifting 183
One-touch gearshifting 183
Program mode selector switch 182
Selector lever position 176
Starting the engine 49
Winter program mode 182B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 78
Compatible child seats 471
Self-test 79
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system 471
Backrest
Seat, multicontour* 126
Seat, power 40
Backup lamps
Messages in display 387
Bar 332
BAS 86, 472
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 408
Checking battery condition 102
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Checking 109
Battery
Jump starting 435Battery, vehicle 431
Charging 433
Disconnecting 432
Messages in display 369, 373
Reconnecting 434
Removing 433
Bead 332
Bi-Xenon headlamps* 472
Block heater* (Canada only) 337
Brake assist system (BAS) 472
Brake fluid 291
Messages in display 377
Brake lamp
Messages in display 387
Brake pads
Message in display 374
Brakes
Warning lamp 354
Break-in period 278
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs