2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C350S automatic transmission

127 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Starting: Depress brake pedal.
Make sure the gearshift lever is in
neutral position (no gear selected).
Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be
started due to the integrated safety
interlock.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off the engine” (
page 134).Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information on how to operate
the gear selector lever, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 127).SmartKey
Starting: Make sure the gear selector
lever is set toP.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off the en-
gine” (
page 134).
iYou can also use the “touch-start” function.
Turn the SmartKey to position 3 and release it
again immediately. The engine then starts
automatically.
iYou can also start the engine with the auto-
matic transmission set to N.

130 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Release the parking brake by pulling on
release handle1.
The indicator lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.Manual transmission
Fully depress the clutch pedal.
Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive in reverse.
Release the brake pedal.
Simultaneously slowly release the
clutch pedal and carefully depress the
accelerator pedal.
!If you hear a warning signal, the red indica-
tor lamp 0 (USA only) or ! (Canada only)
in the instrument cluster flashes and the mes-
sage
Release Parking Brake appears in the
multifunction display when driving off, you have
forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
iAt vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h), the automatic central locking system
engages and the locking knobs in the doors drop
down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 173).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
!Do not run a cold engine at high engine
speeds as this may shorten its service life.
!In order to avoid damage to the transmis-
sion, place the gearshift lever to reverse gear
only when the vehicle is stopped.
!Shift gear in a timely manner and do not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible engine speed for
each gear.
Do not allow the wheels to spin as this could
damage the drive train.

131 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Automatic transmission*
Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever can now be
used.
Release the parking brake by pulling on
release handle1.
The indicator lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Shift automatic transmission toD orR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 311).
Turn signals
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in the
direction of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 26).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out of P or N if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in 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.
iShifting from gear positionP to positionR,
N, or D is only possible with the brake pedal de-
pressed. Without the brake pedal depressed, the
gear selector lever can be moved, but the park-
ing pawl remains engaged, not allowing shifting
to occur.
iWait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
!Shift the automatic transmission toP orR
only when the vehicle is stopped in order to avoid
damaging the transmission.

133 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Parking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering systems. In this case, it is impor-
tant to keep in mind that a considerably
higher degree of effort is necessary to brake
and steer the vehicle.
Warning!G
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into neutral position (no gear
is selected).

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

Automatic transmission*: Move the
gear selector lever to positionP.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 84).

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.


134 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp;(USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster will be illuminated.Turning off the engine
Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.
Automatic transmission*: Place the
gear selector lever in positionP.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
(Canada only) from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake and/or
move the gear selector lever from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
PositionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects. Always set the parking brake in ad-
dition to shifting to positionP (
page 140)
(manual transmission: first or reverse gear
(
page 126).
When parked on an incline, always turn the
front wheels towards the road curb.
Getting out of your vehicle without taking
the above measurements to secure it is
dangerous.
iVehicles with automatic transmission*:
You can switch off the engine with the selector
lever in positionN. However, to secure the vehi-
cle, you need to set the selector lever toP and
apply the parking brake.
The SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
positionP.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (manual transmission: first
or reverse gear).
On slopes, turn the front wheels towards the
road curb.


138 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 131).
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 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 the pedals still have
sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between 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 140).

139 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 140) with gear ranges
(
page 143)

the selected program mode (C/S)
(
page 144)

the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 142)

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.

140 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 426).
íReverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.