2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS COUPE tow

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
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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Driving systems
134
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving
faster than 30 km/h and ESP ®
is acti-
vated ( Y page 59).
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise
control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Selecting the current or last stored
speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration

or braking could endanger you
or others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated and adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever up 1 for a
higher

speed or down 4 for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to

the last speed stored after you have fin-
ished overtaking. i
Deceleration of the vehicle by means of
the

cruise control lever is assisted by auto-
matic application of the brakes.
On long downhill gradients, the automatic
transmission shifts down as a further meas-
ure.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4 for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Brake.
or Controls
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Driving systems
137
Switching on Distronic, storing the cur-
rent speed and maintaining it If Distronic is not activated after the cruise
control
lever is pressed, you will see the mes-
sage - - - in the multi-function display.
You cannot activate Distronic under the fol-
lowing circumstances:
R if you are driving slower than 30 km/h or
faster than 180 km/h
R when braking
R when you have applied the parking brake
R If ESP ®
is deactivated
R when the selector lever is in position P, R
or N
R for two minutes after the engine is started
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated. The vehicle main-
tains

the stored speed until the distance to
the vehicle in front becomes too small. i
If
you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC override message
appears in the multi-function display. The
distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front
will not then be governed. You will be driv-
ing at the speed you determine by the posi-
tion of the accelerator pedal.
Setting a speed X
Press the cruise control lever up 1 for a
higher

speed or down 4 for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached.
X Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored.
i Distronic
is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal. If you accelerate
briefly to overtake, Distronic adjusts the
vehicle's speed to the last speed stored
after you have finished overtaking.
i Deceleration of the vehicle by means of
the cruise control lever is assisted by auto-
matic application of the brakes. On long
downhill gradients, the automatic trans-
mission shifts down as a further measure. Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments X
For a higher speed: briefly pull the cruise
control lever towards you 3.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pulled
towards you 3 until the desired speed is
reached.
Adjustment in 10 km/h increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4 for a
lower speed.
The last speed stored is increased or
reduced.
Selecting the current or last stored
speed G
Risk of accident
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for
the current situation. Otherwise, sudden
acceleration

or braking could endanger you
or others. Controls
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Driving systems
138
X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Distronic is activated and adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the last speed stored.
Setting the specified minimum distance
for Distronic You can set the specified minimum distance
for Distronic by varying the time span
between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds. This time span
determines the distance that Distronic should
maintain from the vehicle in front, depending
on the road speed. You can read this distance
in the multi-function display.
1
To activate/deactivate the distance warn-
ing function 2
Indicator lamp
3 To adjust the set distance
To adjust the set distance
X To increase: turn thumbwheel 3 towards
¯.
Distronic then maintains a greater distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
X To decrease: turn thumbwheel 3 towards
®.
Distronic then maintains a shorter distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front.
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance required by law to the vehi-
cle in front. Adjust the distance to the
vehicle in front if necessary.
Distance warning function This function warns you when the distance to
the vehicle in front is too small, even when
Distronic is deactivated:
R
The distance warning lamp l in the
instrument cluster lights up.
R An intermittent warning tone may sound. You must apply the brakes yourself in order
to maintain the correct distance to the vehicle
and to avoid a collision. G
Risk of accident
Pay careful attention to the traffic situation
if:
R the l distance warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up
R and/or an intermittent signal sounds
Brake or swerve to avoid the obstacle if
necessary.
i Distronic does not always clearly recog-
nise complex road and traffic conditions.
You may then receive a false distance warn-
ing tone or none at all.
X To activate/deactivate: press button 1.
When the function is activated, indicator
lamp 2 in the button lights up and a loud-
speaker symbol appears in the display.
When the function is deactivated, indicator
lamp 2 in the button goes out and the
loudspeaker symbol disappears from the
multi-function display. Controls
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Driving systems
143
Selecting variable Speedtronic X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2 is on.
If it is on, variable Speedtronic is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 5.
LIM indicator lamp 2 in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic is
selected. G
Risk of accident
If there is a change of drivers, advise the
new driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable Speedtronic if you are
sure that you will not have to accelerate
suddenly to a speed above that stored as
the

limit speed, otherwise you could cause
an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored
if you deactivate variable Speedtronic:
R using the cruise control lever
R if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown)
It is not possible to deactivate variable
Speedtronic by braking. Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the

speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 or down 4.
The current speed is stored. The stored
speed,

e.g. LIM km/h , appears in the multi-
function display.
The segments in the speedometer from the
start of the scale up to the stored speed
light up.
Selecting the current or last stored
speed X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 3.
Adjustment in 10 km/h increments X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up
1 for a higher speed or down 4 for a
lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is set. Press the cruise control lever, up 1 for a higher speed or
down 4 for a lower speed.
Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h
increments X
For a higher speed: briefly pull the cruise
control lever towards you 3.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pulled
towards you 3 until the desired speed is
set.
Deactivating variable Speedtronic There are several ways to deactivate variable
Speedtronic:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 6.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow 5.
LIM

indicator lamp 2 in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is
deactivated.
Cruise control or Distronic* is selected. Controls
* optional
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