2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE Owners Manual

Driving and parking
102
Automatic transmission
P
Park position with selector lever lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
X Before starting, make sure P is selected.
i The engine can also be started when the
selector lever is in position N.
Further information about the automatic
transmission (Y page 104).
Starting the engine with the key i
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
You can also use the "touch-start" function.
To do this, turn the key to position 3 and release it immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3 in the ignition lock (Y page 74)
and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2 in the ignition lock (Y page 74).
The q preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the q preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position
3 (Y page 74) and release it.
The engine starts automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm.
Starting the engine with KEYLESS GO* G
Risk of injury
Your vehicle can be started using a valid
KEYLESS GO key*. For this reason, children
should never be left unsupervised in the
vehicle. Always take the KEYLESS GO
key* with you when leaving the vehicle, even if you are only leaving it for a short
time.
The KEYLESS GO button can be used to start
the vehicle without inserting the key in the
ignition lock.
The KEYLESS GO button is on the selector
lever. 1
KEYLESS GO button Controls
* optional
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Driving and parking
103
X
Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
X Petrol engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
The engine starts automatically.
X Diesel engine: press KEYLESS GO button
1 once.
Preglow is activated and the engine starts
automatically.
i You can start the engine without preglow
if the engine is warm:
XPress and hold KEYLESS GO button
1 until the engine is running. Pulling away
! AMG vehicles: at low engine tempera-
tures

(below + 20° C), the maximum engine
speed is limited in order to protect the
engine. Avoid driving at full throttle when
the engine is cold in order to protect the
engine and avoid inconveniences.
! Do not select reverse gear unless the
vehicle is stationary, otherwise the trans-
mission will be damaged. Do not drive at high engine speeds until the
engine

has warmed up. This will protect the
engine.
i The vehicle will lock itself centrally once
you have pulled away. The locking knobs in
the doors drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at
any time.
You can also deactivate the automatic lock-
ing feature ( Y page 127).
i It is only possible to move the selector
lever to the desired position if you depress
the brake pedal. Only then is the selector
lever lock released.
X Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
X Pull the parking brake release handle to
release the parking brake.
X Move the selector lever to position D or R.
i Wait for the shift process to complete
before pulling away.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly. Parking
G
Risk of accident
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary since you
cannot steer the vehicle with the key
removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. They could release the parking
brake. This could lead to a serious or fatal
accident. G
Risk of fire
Make sure that the exhaust system does
not under any circumstances come into
contact with easily ignitable material such
as dry grass or petrol. The material could
otherwise

ignite and set the vehicle on fire. Controls
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Transmission
104
Parking brake
1
Release handle
2 Parking brake
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle 1.
X The 3 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
X To apply: depress parking brake 2 firmly.
The 3 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
i On steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the kerb. Stopping the engine
G
Risk of accident
If the engine is not running, there is no
power assistance for the steering and
brakes. Steering and braking then takes
much more effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the
vehicle, cause an accident and injure your-
self and others.
Do not switch off the engine while driving.
X Move the selector lever to P.
With the key
X Turn the key to position 0 (Y page 74) in
the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
With KEYLESS GO*
X Press and hold the KEYLESS GO button
(Y page 74).
The engine stops and all the lamps in the
instrument cluster go out ( Y page 26). Transmission
G
Risk of accident
The movement of the pedals must not be
impaired in any way. Do not keep any
objects in the driver's footwell. Make sure
that there is sufficient clearance around the
pedals when floormats or carpets are used.
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid. Automatic transmissionControls
* optional
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Transmission
1051
Selector lever position
2 Gearshift program (S/C) or (S/C/M)*
The current shift range and gearshift program
(S/C) or (S/C/M)* appear in the display of
the speedometer.
When the selector lever is in position D, you
can influence the gearshifts made by the
automatic transmission by:
R restricting the shift range
R change gear yourself Selector lever positions
ìPark position
Prevents the vehicle from rolling
away when stopped. Only move the
selector lever to
P when the vehicle
is stationary.
i The key can only be removed
when the selector lever is in posi-
tion P. If the key is removed from
the ignition lock, the selector
lever is locked in position P.
íReverse gear
Only move the selector lever to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
ëNeutral
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
Do not move the selector lever to
N while you are driving. The auto-
matic transmission could other-
wise be damaged.
If ESP®
is deactivated or faulty:
only move the selector lever to N if
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
êDrive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
One-touch gearshifting
When the selector lever is in position D, you
can perform gearshifts yourself, even on vehi-
cles with automatic transmission.
X To shift up: briefly press the selector lever
to the right towards D+ .
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear, depending on the gearshift pro-
Controls
* optional
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Z

Transmission
106gram selected. This also extends the shift
range.
X To shift down: briefly press the selector
lever to the left towards D–.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear, depending on the gear cur-
rently selected. This also restricts the shift
range.
i To prevent the engine from overrevving,
the automatic transmission does not shift
down if you push the selector lever towards
D– while driving at too high a speed.
X To derestrict the shift range: press and
hold the selector lever towards D+ until D
is shown once more in the display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
X To select the most effective shift
range: press and hold the selector lever to
the left towards D–.
The automatic transmission will shift to a
range which allows ideal acceleration and
deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission will shift down one or more
gears. Shift ranges When the selector lever is in position D, it is
possible to restrict or derestrict the shift
range for the automatic transmission.
X Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+ or to the left towards D–.
The shift range selected is shown in the
speedometer display. The automatic trans-
mission shifts only as far as the selected
gear.
i If the maximum engine speed for the shift
range is reached and you continue to accel-
erate, the automatic transmission shifts up
in order to avoid engine overrev even if the
shift range is restricted. Driving situation
è The braking effect of the engine can
be used in this position. ç To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R in mountainous terrain
R in arduous conditions æ To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and long downhill
stretches.
Program selector button
1
Program selector button Controls
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Transmission
107S Sport For all normal driving con-
ditions
C Comfort For comfort mode
!
Only press program selector button 1
when the selector lever is in position P, N
or D.
X Press program selector button 1 repeat-
edly until the letter (C/S) for the desired
gearshift program appears in the speed-
ometer display.
Comfort mode C is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R an increase in traction. This improves the
driving stability of the vehicle on slippery
road surfaces, for example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven at lower
engine speeds and the wheels are less
likely to spin. Driving tips Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R
little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off on the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up. Steering wheel gearshift paddles*
and manual gearshift program*
Steering wheel gearshift paddles It is possible to shift gear using either the
steering wheel gearshift paddles or the selec-
tor lever.
1
Left-hand paddle: to shift down
2 Right-hand paddle: to shift up
Upshifting
X Pull right-hand paddle 2.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. If you are not driving in manual
gearshift program M, then the shift range
will be extended. Controls
* optional
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Transmission
108
Downshifting G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
X Pull left-hand paddle 1.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear. If you are not driving in man-
ual gearshift program M, the shift range will
be restricted.
i When the selector lever is in position P,
N or R, you cannot change gear using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If the manual gearshift program M has been
selected and you restart the engine, the
automatic transmission will switch to an
automatic gearshift program. If the auto-
matic gearshift program S or C has been
selected, the automatic transmission will
resume the relevant gearshift program
when you restart the engine.
Manual gearshift program In the manual gearshift program
M, you can
change gear using the steering wheel gear- shift paddles or the selector lever. The man-
ual gearshift program
M can be selected
using the program selector button. 1
Program selector button S Sport For all normal driving con-
ditions
C Comfort For comfort mode
M Manual For manual gearshifting
X
To activate: press program selector but-
ton 1 repeatedly until M appears in the
display.
If the selector lever is in position D, you can
shift up or down through the gears. The gear
currently selected and engaged is shown in
the display. X
To deactivate: press program selector
button 1 repeatedly until S or C appears
in the display.
Upshifting
X Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+
or
X Pull the right-hand paddle on the steering
wheel (Y page 107).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Vehicles with AMG engines
! In manual gearshift program M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the limiting speed for
the current gear is reached. When the lim-
iting speed is reached, the fuel supply is cut
to prevent the engine from overrevving.
You must make sure that the engine speed
does not reach the red area of the rev coun-
ter. There is otherwise a risk of engine
damage.
X Shift up a gear when the ^ upshift symbol
appears in the display instead of M.Controls
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Instrument cluster
109
When the AMG display is switched on, the
display
colour changes to red and UP appears
next to the gear indicator, instructing you to
shift up.
Downshifting G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. This
could cause the drive wheels to lose their
grip and the vehicle could skid.
X Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D-
or
X Pull the left-hand paddle on the steering
wheel

(Y page 107).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand gearshift paddle until the transmis-
sion selects the optimum gear depending
on the speed. Kickdown
i
It is not possible to use kickdown in the
manual gearshift program M on vehicles
with AMG engines.
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual gearshift program M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
i It is not possible to shift gears using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles during
kickdown. Instrument cluster
Points to remember
You
will find a full overview of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 26). G
Risk of accident
No further messages can be displayed if
there is a malfunction in the instrument
cluster and/or the multi-function display.
This

means that you will not see information
about the driving situation, such as the
speed, outside temperature, warning/indi-
cator lamps, display messages or system
failures. The vehicle's handling character-
istics may be affected. Adjust your driving
style and speed accordingly.
Immediately consult a qualified specialist
workshop which has the necessary special-
ist knowledge and tools to carry out the
work required. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre for this purpose. In particu-
lar, work relevant to safety or on safety-
related systems must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Controls
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