Contents
Instrument cluster ............................. 152
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 152
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 153
Trip odometer .............................. 153
Tachometer .................................. 153
Outside temperature indicator ..... 154
Control system .................................. 155
Multifunction display .................... 155
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 156
Menus .......................................... 158
Standard display menu ................ 161
AMG menu ................................... 161
AUDIO menu ................................ 165
NAV* menu .................................. 167
Distronic* menu........................... 167
Vehicle status message
memory menu .............................. 168
Settings menu .............................. 169
Trip computer menu..................... 183
TEL* menu ................................... 184
Automatic transmission ..................... 187
Gear selector lever ....................... 187
Shifting procedure ....................... 188
Gear selector lever positions ....... 189
Driving tips ................................... 191Gear ranges .................................. 192
Automatic shift program ............... 193
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting ................................... 194
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting E 63 AMG . 195
Manual shift program E 63 AMG ... 197
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ....................... 199
Good visibility ..................................... 200
Headlamp cleaning system* ......... 200
Rear view mirrors .......................... 200
Sun visors ..................................... 203
Roller sunblind in the rear doors* . 204
Rear window defroster .................. 204
Dual-zone automatic climate control . 206
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 211
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 211
Setting the temperature................ 212
Adjusting air distribution............... 213
Adjusting air volume ..................... 214
Front defroster.............................. 214
Maximum cooling MAX COOL
(USA only) ..................................... 216Air recirculation mode .................. 216
Air conditioning ............................ 218
Residual heat and ventilation
(Canada only)................................ 219
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents ...................... 220
4-zone automatic climate control ....... 222
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 227
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode ........... 228
Setting the temperature ............... 229
Adjusting air distribution .............. 230
Adjusting air volume ..................... 231
Front defroster ............................. 231
Maximum cooling MAX COOL
(USA only) ..................................... 232
Air recirculation mode .................. 233
Air conditioning ............................ 235
Residual heat and ventilation
(Canada only)................................ 236
Rear climate control ..................... 237
Contents
At the gas station .............................. 321
Refueling ...................................... 321
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 322
Engine compartment ......................... 324
Hood ............................................ 324
Engine oil ..................................... 326
Transmission fluid level ................ 328
Coolant level ................................ 329
Battery ......................................... 330
Windshield/rear window washer
system and headlamp cleaning
system* ....................................... 331
Tires and wheels ................................ 332
Important guidelines .................... 332
Tire care and maintenance........... 333
Direction of rotation ..................... 335
Loading the vehicle ...................... 335
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 340
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 341
Tire labeling.................................. 349
Load identification ....................... 353
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 353
Maximum tire load ....................... 355Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 355
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 356
Tire ply material ............................ 358
Tire and loading terminology......... 358
Rotating tires ................................ 361
Winter driving ..................................... 363
Winter tires ................................... 363
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 364
Snow chains.................................. 364
Maintenance....................................... 365
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 365
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 367
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 367
Vehicle care........................................ 368
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 368
Practical hints.................................. 377
What to do if … ................................... 378
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 378
Lamp in center console ................ 391
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 394
Where will I find ...? ............................ 430
First aid kit.................................... 430
Vehicle tool kit, jack and spare
wheel ............................................ 430
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 435
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 435
Locking the vehicle ....................... 436
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 437
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 438
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 438
Resetting activated head restraints.... 439
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 440
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* ............................... 440
Replacing bulbs .................................. 442
Bulbs............................................. 442
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 444
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 447
188 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAn 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 189) with gear ranges
(page 192)
the selected program mode:
(C/S)(
page 193)
or
(M/C/S) (E 63 AMG only)
(
page 197)
the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 191)
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 and when your right
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 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.
193 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.Program mode selector switchC Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
Program mode selector switch
(E 63 AMG only)M Manual For manual gear shifting
(
page 197)
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty drivingThe selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current program mode
!
Never change the program mode when the
gear selector lever is out of park positionP. This
could result in a change of driving characteristics
for which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program mode (CorS) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.
194 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission
Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving
(E 63 AMG: for standard 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.
SelectSfor standard driving
(E 63 AMG: for sporty driving):
The vehicle starts out in first gear.
Upshifts occur later.Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting
With the gear selector lever in drive posi-
tion D and driving in program modeC orS,
you can limit or extend the gear range.
If your vehicle is equipped with manual
shift programM, you can use the gear
selector lever to manually shift the gears.
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the gear selector lever when driving
in the automatic program modeC orS.Limiting gear range
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the transmis-
sion (
page 192).
i
For information on using the gear selector
lever in program modeM, see “Manual shift pro-
gram E 63 AMG” (
page 197).
!
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 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.
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.i
To avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting, the transmission will not shift to a lower
gear if the engine’s max. speed would be
exceeded.
195 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Extending gear range
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmis-
sion.
Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display (page 189).
The transmission will shift from the
current gear range directly to gear
rangeD.Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting E 63 AMG
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in program modeC
orS, you can limit or extend the gear
range.
If your vehicle is equipped with manual
shift programM, you can use the steering
wheel gearshift control to manually shift
the gears.
1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in program modeM)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in program modeM)
i
If you press on the accelerator when the en-
gine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission
will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected.
i
For information on using the steering wheel
gearshift control in program modeM, see “Man-
ual shift program E 63 AMG” (
page 197).
!
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 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.
197 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Manual shift program E 63 AMG
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles (
page 195) or the gear selector
lever.The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
Program mode selector switchM Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
page 193).Activating manual shift program
Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the
M for manual pro-
gram modeM appears in the multifunc-
tion 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 drive
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 park 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.
i
For information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift program”
(
page 193), “Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting” (
page 194), and “Steering wheel
gearshift control one-touch gearshifting
E63AMG” (
page 195).
i
The manual program modeM will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with the
manual program modeM selected, the transmis-
sion will go to the automatic program mode
(CorS) when the engine is restarted.
198 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionUpshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
or
Briefly pull right shift paddle2
(page 195).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
If, instead of the manual program mode
symbolM, thep symbol appears in the
multifunction display (
page 193), shift to
the next higher gear. The fuel supply will
otherwise be interrupted to prevent the
engine from overrevving.If you have selected the AMG menu in the
control system and you are driving in the
manual program modeM, upshift
indicator2 in the multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. Thus you
can drive at the maximum engine speed for
each gear without overrevving the engine.
1Gear indicator
2Upshift indicator
Shift to the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be inter-
rupted to prevent the engine from over-
revving.Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or
Briefly pull left shift paddle1
(page 195).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
!
In the manual program modeM, the trans-
mission will not upshift, even if the engine has
reached its overrevving range. Shift up to the
next gear before the engine has reached its over-
revving range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red marking on
the tachometer (
page 26). Otherwise the
engine could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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.i
When you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.