2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK63AMG ECO mode

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in drive
positionD and driving in program modeC
orS (
page 178), you can select a gear
range for the automatic transmission to
operate within.
Gear selector lever (
page 179):
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 180):
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.

179 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving
(CLK 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
(CLK 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 177).
iFor information on using the gear selector
lever in program modeM, see “Manual shift pro-
gram CLK 63 AMG” (
page 182).
!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.
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.
iTo 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.

184 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
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 181).
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 182) repeatedly
until
CorS 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 in a safe location.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionD (for second gear) or
positionR.
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 transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.

192 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. You can oper-
ate the climate control system in either the
automatic or manual mode. The system
cools or heats the interior depending on
the selected interior temperature and the
current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/C mode is deactivated
(
page 198).
Warning!G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature).
This may cause burns or frostbite on unpro-
tected skin in the immediate area of the air
vents. Always keep sufficient distance be-
tween unprotected parts of the body and the
air vents. If necessary, use the air distribu-
tion control (
page 191) to direct the air to
air vents in the vehicle interior that are not
in the immediate area of unprotected skin.
Warning!G
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before
its scheduled replacement interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume to
the interior and the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others. Have a clogged filter replaced as
soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iKeep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing objects on the
air flow-through exhaust slots below the rear
window.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the in-
terior before driving off, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 253). The climate control will
then adjust the interior temperature to the set
value much faster.

202 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the automatic climate control sys-
tem in either the automatic or manual
mode. The system cools or heats the inte-
rior depending on the selected interior
temperature and the current outside
temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if theA/C mode is deactivated
(
page 210).
Warning!G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 201) to
direct the air to air vents in the vehicle inte-
rior that are not in the immediate area of un-
protected skin.
Warning!G
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before
its scheduled interval. A clogged filter will
reduce the air volume to the interior and the
windows could fog up, impairing visibility
and endangering you and others. Have a
clogged filter replaced as soon as possible
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iKeep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing objects on the
air flow-through exhaust slots below the rear
window.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the in-
terior before driving off, see “Summer opening
feature” (
page 253). The automatic climate
control will then adjust the interior temperature
to the set value much faster.

217 Controls in detail
Audio system
Press + or– soft key to increase or de-
crease tone level accordingly.
or
Press RES soft key briefly to reset bass
tones to their center level.
The radio switches back to the stan-
dard radio menu eight seconds after
the last soft key is pressed.
Adjusting treble
Press O button repeatedly until
TREBLE appears in the display.
Press + or– soft key to increase or de-
crease tone level accordingly.
or
Press RES soft key briefly to reset treble
tones to their center level.
The radio switches back to the stan-
dard radio menu eight seconds after
the last soft key is pressed.
Sound system*
You can either program the sound settings
manually (
page 216) or choose settings
via preset sound characteristics.
You can select from among the following
settings:

STANDARD: conventional stereo sound.

SURROUND: the sound is set for better
three-dimensional acoustic character-
istics.

SPEECH: the sound is optimized for the
spoken word.
Press O button repeatedly until
STANDARD, SURROUND or SPEECH appears
in the display.
Press X or Y soft key repeatedly
until the desired sound setting has
been reached.
The sound is set accordingly.
or
Press RES soft key briefly.
The sound setting is reset depending
on the sound source activated.

Radio mode: STANDARD

CD/AUX mode: SURROUND

Telephone: SPEECH
The radio switches back to the stan-
dard radio menu eight seconds after
the last soft key is pressed.

218 Controls in detail
Audio system
Returning sound functions to factory
settings
Press O button to call up settings
menu in the display.
Press RES soft key briefly; the respec-
tive sound function is reset to its center
level.
or
Press and hold RES soft key until RESET
appears in the display.
The sound settings for bass and treble
are returned to their center level and
the volume is set to a predefined level.
Vehicles with sound system*:
The sound setting is reset depending
on the sound source activated.

Radio mode: STANDARD

CD/AUX mode: SURROUND

Telephone: SPEECH
The radio switches back to the stan-
dard radio menu four seconds after the
last soft key is pressed.
Adjusting volume distribution
Call up fader and balance functions by
pressing the P button.
Fader
Press P button repeatedly until
FADER appears in the display.
Press V or W soft key.The volume is distributed accordingly
between the front and rear of the vehi-
cle.
or
Press RES soft key briefly.
The fader is reset to its center level.
The radio switches back to the stan-
dard radio menu eight seconds after
the last soft key is pressed.
Adjusting balance
Press P button repeatedly until
BALANCE appears in the display.

220 Controls in detail
Audio system
Calling up AUX mode
Press and hold Q button until AUX
appears in the display.
The device connected with the external
audio source cinch-connector is heard,
provided it is switched to playback.
You can adjust the volume (
page 216),
the sound settings (
page 216) and the
volume distribution (
page 218) for the
AUX input.
The following settings can be made in the
audio AUX mode:

Volume (page 216)

Sound settings (page 216)

Volume distribution (page 218)Canceling AUX mode
Press any audio source button.
The AUX mode is canceled.
Warning!G
Only operate an external audio source (AUX)
when the vehicle is stationary. There is a risk
of accident by being distracted from road
and traffic conditions if you operate an ex-
ternal audio source (AUX) while the vehicle
is in motion.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Warning!G
Due to the different volumes of the external
audio sources, system messages (e.g. traffic
and navigation announcements) may be
much louder. You may need to disable these
system messages or adjust the volume of
these messages manually.
iPlease refer to the relevant manufacturers
operating instruction for the external audio
source device.
iThe volume of external audio sources is ex-
tremely variable. It is possible that a device con-
nected as an external audio source will sound
quieter or louder in the vehicle or that the usual
maximum volume cannot be achieved. On cer-
tain devices the volume can be set separately. In
this case, start at a moderate volume and in-
crease it slowly. In this way, you can determine
whether the system is capable of playback with-
out distortion, even at high volume.