2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK63AMG engine

178 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 switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
Program mode selector switch
(CLK 63 AMG only)
M Manual For manual gear shifting
(
page 182)
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty drivingThe selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
1Selected program mode (comfort,
sport, or manual (CLK 63 AMG only))
!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.
iThe last selected program mode (CorS) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.

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.

180 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 174).
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*
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.
iIf you press on the accelerator when the en-
gine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission
will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected.
iFor information on using the steering wheel
gearshift control in program modeM, see “Man-
ual shift program 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.

181 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gearshift paddles
(example illustration CLK 550)
1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in program modeM)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in program modeM)
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the steering wheel gearshift control
when driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.Limiting gear range
Briefly pull left shift paddle1.
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).Extending gear range
Briefly pull right shift paddle2.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Canceling gear range limit
Pull and hold right shift paddle2
until
D reappears in the multifunction
display (
page 174).
The transmission will shift from the
current gear range directly to gear
rangeD.
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift paddles when the gear selector lever is
in positionP,N orR.
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.
iIf you press on the accelerator when the en-
gine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission
will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected.

182 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shifting into optimal gear range
Pull and hold left shift paddle1.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.
Manual shift program CLK 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 181) or the gear selector
lever.The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
!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.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
page 178).
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.Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
or
Briefly pull right shift paddle2
(
page 181).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.If, instead of the manual program mode
symbol
M, thep symbol appears in the
multifunction display (
page 178), shift to
the next higher gear. The fuel supply will
otherwise be interrupted to prevent the
engine from overrevving.
If you are driving in the manual program
modeM, upshift indicator2 in the multi-
function display advises you to upshift be-
fore the engine reaches the overspeed
range. Thus you can drive at the maximum
engine speed for each gear without over-
revving the engine.
1Gear indicator
2Upshift indicatoriFor information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift program”
(
page 178), “Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting” (
page 179), and “Steering wheel
gearshift control one-touch gearshifting*”
(
page 180).
iThe 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.
!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 28). Otherwise the
engine could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


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.