2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 automatic transmission

Contents
Standard display menu ................ 147
AMG menu ................................... 148
AUDIO menu ................................ 151
Navi* menu .................................. 153
Vehicle status
message memory menu ............... 154
Settings menu .............................. 155
Trip computer menu..................... 167
TEL* menu ................................... 169
Automatic transmission ..................... 172
Gear selector lever ....................... 172
Shifting procedure ....................... 173
Gear selector lever positions ....... 174
Driving tips ................................... 176
Gear ranges ................................. 177
Automatic shift program .............. 178
Gear selector lever
one-touch gearshifting ................. 179
Steering wheel gearshift
control one-touch gearshifting* ... 180
Manual shift program
CLK 63 AMG ................................ 182
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ...................... 184Good visibility ..................................... 185
Headlamp cleaning system* ......... 185
Rear view mirrors.......................... 185
Sun visors ..................................... 187
Rear window sunshade*
(CLK coupe: Canada only) ............. 188
Rear window defroster .................. 189
Climate control ................................... 190
Deactivating the climate control
system .......................................... 193
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 193
Setting the temperature................ 194
Adjusting air distribution............... 194
Adjusting air volume ..................... 195
Front defroster.............................. 195
Air recirculation mode .................. 196
Air conditioning............................. 198
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 199
Automatic climate control .................. 200
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 203
Operating the automatic climate
control system
in automatic mode ........................ 203Setting the temperature ............... 204
Adjusting air distribution .............. 205
Adjusting air volume ..................... 206
Front defroster ............................. 206
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 207
Air recirculation mode .................. 207
Charcoal filter ............................... 209
Air conditioning ............................ 210
Residual heat and ventilation*
(Canada only)................................ 211
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents ...................... 212
Audio system...................................... 213
Audio and telephone*, operation .. 213
Operating safety ........................... 213
Sound system* ............................. 213
Operating and display elements ... 214
Button and soft key operation ...... 216
Operation...................................... 216
Radio operation ............................ 221
Satellite radio* ............................. 225
CD mode....................................... 229
GSM network phones ................... 236
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 242
Emergency calls “911” ................. 248

32 At a glance
Center console
Lower part
CLK cabriolet
ItemPage
1Ashtray
Cigarette lighter289
290
2KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button39
3Cup holder287
4Storage compartment
with cup holder
and
telephone* compartment
in center armrest.287
288
287
5Soft top switch
(CLK cabriolet)260
6Program mode selector
switch for automatic trans-
mission

Automatic shift program

Manual shift program
(CLK 63 AMG cabriolet)
178
182
7Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission172

51 Getting started
Driving
The seat belt presenter slides back:

right after you push the latch plate1
into buckle3 and hear it click.

after approximately 60 seconds if you
do not push latch plate 1 into
buckle3.

if your door is opened.

if you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position 0.

if you release a front seat backrest and
fold it forward.
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 172).
Warning!G
The seat belt presenter must be retracted
while the vehicle is in motion. Only when the
seat belt presenter is retracted can the seat
belt be properly positioned on the body and
protect the occupant as intended.
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause
unconsciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open.

54 Getting started
Driving
Release the parking brake by pulling on
release handle1.
The indicator lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the clock
goes out.
Driving
Depress the brake pedal.
Move gear selector lever to
positionDorR.
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.
iWait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
!If you hear a warning signal 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 (
page 53).
iAt vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h), the automatic central locking system
engages and the locking knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 166).
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.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
!Place the gear selector lever in
positionRorP only when the vehicle is stopped
in order to avoid damaging the transmission.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the en-
gine.
CLK 63 AMG:
At low engine temperatures below +68°F
(+20°C), the engine’s maximum speed is
restricted in order to protect it from damage.
Avoid driving your vehicle at full speed when the
engine is cold to prevent premature engine wear
and/or diminished comfort.


99 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Climate control
Automatic climate control
Audio system
Power windows
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* (Coupe)
Soft top (Cabriolet)
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

172 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 51).
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 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 174).

173 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 174) with gear ranges
(
page 177)

the selected program mode (C/S)
(
page 178)
or
(M/C/S) (CLK 63 AMG only)
(
page 182)

the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 176)

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 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.

174 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 429).
íReverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.