Page 169 of 505

168 Controls in detail
Control system
Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the multifunction display you will see the
message, or if available, the caller ID
(name and number):
Press buttons.
You have answered the call. The
duration of the call appears in the
multifunction display.
Ending a call or rejecting an incoming
call
Press buttont.Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
TEL appears in the
multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take several minutes. The
message
Please wait appears in the
multifunction display.
When the message
Please wait
disappears, the phone book has been
loaded.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
multifunction display.
The stored names are displayed in
ascending or descending alphabetical
order.
1Name from the phone book
iIf you press and hold buttonj ork
for longer than one second, the system scrolls
rapidly through the list of names until you re-
lease the button again.
Cancel the quick search mode by pressingt.
Page 170 of 505
169 Controls in detail
Control system
Press buttons.
The system dials the selected phone
number.
If the connection is successful and
this feature is supported by your
network provider, the name of the
party you are calling (if stored in
your phone book) and the duration
of the call will appear in the multi-
function display.
If no connection is made, the
control system stores the dialed
number in the redial memory.Redialing
The control system stores the most
recently dialed phone numbers. This
eliminates the need to search through
your entire phone book.
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the message
TEL appears in the
multifunction display.
Press buttons.
The first number in the redial memory
appears in the multifunction display.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
multifunction display.
Press buttons.
The control system dials the selected
phone number.
iIf you do not want to use the telephone,
press buttont.
Page 171 of 505

170 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 50).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gear selector lever
The gear selector lever is located on the
lower part of the center console.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the catalytic
converter to heat up more quickly to operating
temperature.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between or be-
neath the pedals. You could then no longer
brake or accelerate. This could lead to acci-
dents and injury.
iThe current gear selector lever positionP,
R,N orD appears in the multifunction display
(
page 172).
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171 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:
gear selector lever positionD
(
page 172) with gear ranges
(
page 175)
the selected program mode:
(C/S)(
page 176)
or
(M/C/S) (CLK 63 AMG only)
(
page 181)
the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 174)
the vehicle speedWhen the gear selector lever is in drive
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:
limiting the gear range
changing gears manually
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally a n d w h e n y o u r r i g h t
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!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 park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel when driving off
on slippery road surfaces. This may cause seri-
ous damage to the drivetrain which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 173 of 505
172 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever positions
The current gear selector lever position
appears in the multifunction display.
1Current gear selector lever positionEffect
ìPark position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in park
positionP only when vehicle is
stopped. The park position is not
intended to serve as a brake
when the vehicle is parked.
Rather, the driver should always
set the parking brake in addition
to placing the gear selector lever
in park positionP to secure the
vehicle.
Effect
The SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
park positionP. With the
SmartKey removed, the gear
selector lever is locked in park
positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in park positionP
(
page 412).
íReverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Page 174 of 505

173 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Effect
ëNeutral
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).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engage neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to neu-
tral positionN only if the vehicle
is in danger of skidding, e.g. on
icy roads.
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with gear selector lever in neutral
positionN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
PositionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects. Always
set the parking brake in addition to shifting
to park positionP (
page 52).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could move the
gear selector lever from park positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.
Getting out of your vehicle without taking
the above measurements to secure it is
dangerous.
Page 175 of 505

174 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Working on the vehicle
Warning!G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to park positionP. Otherwise the vehicle
could roll away.
Page 176 of 505

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in program modeC
orS (
page 176), you can select a gear
range for the automatic transmission to
operate within.
Gear selector lever (
page 177):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control*
(
page 179):
You can limit the gear range by pulling the
left gearshift paddle on the steering wheel
gearshift control, and reverse the gear
range limit by pulling the right gearshift
paddle on the steering wheel gearshift
control.The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current gear rangeEffect
ïThe transmission shifts through
sixth gear only.
îThe transmission shifts through
fifth gear only.
éThe transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
Effect
èThe transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
çThe transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving
on steep downgrades
in mountainous regions
under extreme operating
conditions
æThe transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.