2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Vehicle

430 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionTransmission positions
The current transmission position appears
in the multifunction display.
1Current transmission position!
If the current transmission position does not
appear in the multifunction display due to a
malfunction, for example, make sure that the
automatic transmission is in the desired position
by carefully driving off with the transmission in
drive positionD and program modeS
(
page 436) selected. Do not limit the gear
range.
Effect
ì
Park position
Shift into park positionP only
when vehicle is stopped. The
park position is not intended to
serve as a brake when the vehi-
cle is parked. Rather, the driver
should always engage the elec-
tronic parking brake in addition
to shifting into park positionP to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the automatic
transmission could remain
locked in park positionP.
Have the vehicle checked as
soon as possible by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
SmartKey:
If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey and


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open a front door
the transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine with the
SmartKey alone only will automatically shift the
transmission to neutral positionN.
!
KEYLESS-GO*:
If you turn off the engine using the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button and open a front door, the
transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically.
Keep in mind that turning off the engine using
the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button alone only
will automatically shift the transmission to
neutral positionN.

431 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
!
DISTRONIC Plus*:
The transmission will shift to park positionP
automatically, only when DISTRONIC Plus brings
your vehicle to a standstill, and when it meets at
least one of the following conditions at the same
time:


The engine is turned off.


The driver’s or passenger door opens and
the seat belt is not engaged in the buckle.


The hood is released.


The trunk lid is open while reverse gearR is
engaged.


The vehicle is parked for an extended period
of time.
In addition to shifting to park positionP, the
electronic parking brake will be engaged auto-
matically.
i
Make it a practice to always shift into park
positionP before turning off the engine and


remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or


open a front door
or when using KEYLESS-GO*, before turning off
the engine with the start/stop button and open-
ing a front door.
Effect
í
Reverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only
when the vehicle is stopped.
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never shift into neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Shift into neutral positionN only
if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
Effect

432 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionIf you want the gear position to remain in
neutral positionN, e.g. when taking the
vehicle through an automatic conveyor
type car wash or when towing the vehicle,
observe the following instructions.Vehicles with SmartKey:

With the vehicle at a standstill and the
ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

With the vehicle at a standstill, depress
the brake pedal and keep it pressed.

Shift the automatic transmission to
park positionP.

Release the brake pedal.

Remove the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button from the starter switch
(page 371).

Insert the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
into the starter switch.

With the ignition switched on shift the
automatic transmission to neutral
positionN.

If engaged, manually release the
electronic parking brake (
page 423).

Switch off the ignition and leave the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO in the
starter switch.
!
If you turn off the engine using the
SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button, the transmission will shift to neutral
positionN automatically.
Warning!
G
When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do
not leave children unattended in the vehicle.
It is possible for children to switch on the
ignition which could result in unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use
of vehicle equipment could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason in neutral positionN can result in trans-
mission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!
Observe instructions


when taking the vehicle through an
automatic conveyor type car wash
(page 618)


when towing the vehicle (
page 737)

433 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Effect
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle without shifting
into park positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always engage the electronic parking brake
(page 422) in addition to shifting to park
positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could shift the
automatic transmission out of park
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

434 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionStopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:

Engage the electronic parking brake.

Shift into park positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting between
drive positionD and reverse gearR can
help free a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.
The engine control system of this vehicle
electronically limits shifting between drive
positionD and reverse gearR to very low
speeds, i.e. approximately 5 mph
(9 km/h). To shift between drive
positionD and reverse gearR, move the
gear selector lever past the resistance
point up or down.
Working on the vehicleHill start assist system
On uphill grades with a gradient angle of
more than 5°, the hill start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake sys-
tem for approximately 1 second after you
have released the brake pedal. Therefore,
you can start off smoothly without the
vehicle moving immediately after releasing
the brake pedal.
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, engage the
electronic parking brake and shift to park
positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.
Warning!
G
The hill start assist system is not designed
to function as an electronic parking brake
and does not prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing when parked on an incline.
Always engage the electronic parking brake
in addition to shifting to park positionP.

435 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The hill start assist system is inactive

when starting off on a level road or
downhill grades


with the transmission in neutral
position N


with the electronic parking brake set


if the ESP
® has switched off due to a
malfunction
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
positionD and driving in program mode C
or S (
page 436), you can select a gear
range for the automatic transmission to
operate within.
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the left gearshift button or pulling the left
gearshift paddle on the steering wheel
gearshift control, and reverse the gear
range limit by pressing the right gearshift
button or pulling the right gearshift paddle
on the steering wheel gearshift control
(
page 438).The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current gear range
Effect
ï
The transmission shifts through
sixth gear only (applies to
vehicles with 7-speed automatic
transmission only).
î
The transmission shifts through
fifth gear only (applies to
vehicles with 7-speed automatic
transmission only).
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.

437 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
1Current program mode

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectC for comfort driving (S 63 AMG
and S 65 AMG: 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.SelectS for standard driving
(S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG: sporty driv-
ing):


The vehicle starts out in first gear.


Upshifts occur later.
!
Never change the program mode when the
automatic transmission is out of park positionP.
This could result in a change of driving character-
istics for which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program mode (CorS) is
switched on when the engine is restarted.

438 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control
With drive positionD selected and driving
in program modeC orS, you can limit or
extend the gear range.
If your vehicle is equipped with manual
shift program M, you can use the steering
wheel gearshift control to manually shift
the gears.
Gearshift control buttons1Left shift button: limiting gear range
2Right shift button: extending gear
range
Gearshift control paddles (S 63 AMG and
S65AMGonly)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 program modeC orS.
i
S63AMG and S65AMG only:
For information on using the steering wheel gear-
shift control in program mode M, see “Manual
shift program (S 63 AMG and S 65 AMG only)”
(
page 440).
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
You cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control buttons or paddles when the
transmission in park positionP, neutral
positionN or reverse gearR.