Manual transmission
Introduction
For information on driving with a manual
transmission, see “Driving and parking”
(Y page 101).
GWarning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between or
under the pedals. You could then no longer
brake or accelerate. This could lead to
accidents and injury.
GWarning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
parking brake and shift the manual
transmission into 1st gear or reverse gear R.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
! Allow the engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature has
been reached.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the
engine and the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Gearshift lever
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
kReverse gear1 to 6Forward gearsGWarning!
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.
! When you are shifting the manual
transmission into the 5th or 6th gear,
make sure you move the gearshift lever to
the right. Otherwise, you could accidentally
shift into the 3rd or 4th gear and damage
the manual transmission.
Downshifting gears leading to overrevving
the engine can result in engine damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill by
using the clutch pedal. The clutch may be
damaged which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
! Avoid driving at excessive engine speeds.
This may result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Shift gear in a timely manner.
Manual transmission107Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 107Z
Shifting into reverse gear R
! Only shift the manual transmission into
reverse gear R when the vehicle is stopped.
Otherwise the manual transmission could
be damaged.
XStop the vehicle completely.XFully depress the clutch pedal.XShift the manual transmission into the
neutral position (no gear selected).
XMove the gearshift lever to the left until you
feel a certain resistance.
XPush the gearshift lever past this resistance
and hold.
XMove the gearshift lever forward to select
reverse gear R.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
For information on driving with an automatic
transmission, see “Driving and parking”
(Y page 101).
GWarning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between or
under the pedals. You could then no longer
brake or accelerate. This could lead to
accidents and injury.
! Allow the engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature has
been reached.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the
engine and the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more quickly
to operating temperature.
Gear selector lever
Gearshift pattern for automatic transmission
jPark position with gear selector lever lockkReverse geariNeutral positionhDrive positionGWarning!
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of park position P or neutral
position N if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
! Only shift the automatic transmission into
reverse gear R or park position P when the
vehicle is stopped. Otherwise the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
108Automatic transmissionControls in detail
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 108
iShifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P is only possible with the
brake pedal depressed.
Only depressing the brake pedal releases
the gear selector lever lock.
iThe current gear selector lever position
corresponds with the current transmission
position.
The current transmission position P, R, N,
or D appears in the multifunction display
(Y page 109).
There are additional indicators on the cover
of the shifting gate showing the current gear
selector lever position.
The indicators come on when you insert the
SmartKey into the starter switch, and go out
when you remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects individual
gears automatically, depending onRthe selected gear range (Y page 111)
Rthe selected program mode:
C/S (Y page 111)
or
M (vehicles with dynamic handling package
and C 63 AMG only) (Y page 113)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe vehicle speed
With drive position D selected, you can
influence transmission shifting by
Rlimiting the gear range
Rextending the gear range
Rchanging the gears manually (vehicles with
dynamic handling package and C 63 AMG
only)
C 63 AMG:
Double-clutching is active when downshifting
in all program modes. Double-clutching
reduces load-alteration effects and supports
sporty driving. The degree to which you
perceive double-clutching acoustically varies
depending on the selected program mode.
Transmission positions
The current transmission position appears in
the multifunction display.
:Transmission position indicator Automatic transmission109Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 109Z
EffectBPark position
Shift the automatic transmission
into park position P only when the
vehicle is stopped. The park position
is not intended to serve as a brake
when the vehicle is parked. Rather,
the driver should always engage the
parking brake in addition to shifting
the automatic transmission into
park position P to secure the
vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in park position P.
With the SmartKey removed from
the starter switch, the gear selector
lever is locked in park position P.
If the vehicle’s electrical system is
malfunctioning, the gear selector
lever could remain locked in park
position P. To unlock the gear
selector lever manually, see
“Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever” ( Y page 311).CReverse gear
Shift the automatic transmission
into reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped.EffectANeutral position
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
transmission, never shift the
automatic transmission into neutral
position N while driving.
Exception: If the ESP ®
is switched
off or malfunctioning, shift the
automatic transmission into neutral
position N if the vehicle is in danger
of skidding.
! Coasting the vehicle, or driving
for any other reason with the
automatic transmission in neutral
position N can result in
transmission damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.7Drive position
The automatic transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears are
available.
Driving tips
Kickdown
Use the kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
XU.S. vehicles except AMG vehicles:
Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.XCanada vehicles and AMG vehicles:
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.110Automatic transmissionControls in detail
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 110
Working on the vehicleGWarning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
parking brake and shift the automatic
transmission into park position P. Otherwise
the vehicle could roll away which could result
in an accident and/or serious personal injury.
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
position D and driving in automatic program
mode C or S, you can limit or extend the gear
range, see “One-touch gearshifting”
(Y page 112).
The current gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
:Gear range indicator Effect=With this selection you can use the
braking effect of the engine.
5Allows the use of the engine’s
braking effect when driving
Ron steep downgrades
Rin mountainous regions
Runder extreme operating
conditions
4For maximum use of the engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.
Automatic shift program
Program mode selector switch
C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor sporty driving
Program mode selector switch on C 63 AMG
C ComfortFor standard drivingS SportFor sporty drivingM ManualFor manual gearshiftingAutomatic transmission111Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 111Z
Upshift indicator (C 63 AMG only)
In manual program mode M, upshift
indicator ; in the multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. Thus you can
drive at the maximum engine speed for each
gear without overrevving the engine.
XShift the automatic transmission from
current gear : into the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be
interrupted to prevent the engine from
overrevving.
Downshifting
GWarning!
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.
XBriefly press the gear selector lever to the
left in the D- direction.
or
XBriefly pull left gearshift control :
(Y page 112).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next lower gear.
iVehicles with dynamic handling package:
To avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting, the automatic transmission
will not shift into a lower gear if the engine’s
maximum speed would be exceeded.
iFor maximum acceleration, press and
hold the gear selector lever to the left in the
D- direction or pull and hold the left
gearshift control. Depending on the engine
speed the automatic transmission selects
the optimal gear for maximum
acceleration.
iWhen you brake or stop, the automatic
transmission shifts down into a gear from
which you can easily accelerate or take off.
Kickdown
AMG vehicles: Using the kickdown while
driving in manual program mode M is not
possible.
All vehicles except AMG vehicles: You can
also use the kickdown while driving in manual
program mode M when you want maximum
acceleration.
XU.S. vehicles: Fully depress the
accelerator pedal.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
XCanada vehicles: Depress the accelerator
pedal past the point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
iYou cannot shift with the gear selector
lever or the steering wheel gearshift control
when using the kickdown.
Automatic transmission115Controls in detail204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 115Z
Deactivating manual shift programXVehicles with dynamic handling package:
Press the program mode selector switch
once more.
The last selected automatic program mode
C or S appears in the multifunction display.
or
XRestart the engine.
The automatic transmission will go to the
last selected automatic program mode ( C
or S).XC 63 AMG: Press the program mode
selector switch repeatedly until C or S
appears in the multifunction display.
or
XRestart the engine.
The automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode ( C or S).
Manual program mode M is not stored.
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less
responsive or sluggish or the automatic
transmission no longer shifts, the automatic
transmission is most likely operating in limp-
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear R
can be selected.
XStop the vehicle in a safe location.XShift the automatic transmission into park
position P.XTurn off the engine.XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting.XRestart the engine.XShift the automatic transmission into drive
position D (for second gear) or reverse gear
R .XHave the automatic transmission checked
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.Transfer case
This section applies to vehicles equipped with
all-wheel drive (4MATIC) only. Both the front
and rear axles are powered at all times when
the vehicle is being operated.
! Only conduct operational or performance
tests on a two-axle dynamometer. If such
tests are necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. You could
otherwise seriously damage the brake
system or the transfer case which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
! Because the ESP ®
operates
automatically, the engine and ignition must
be shut off (SmartKey in starter switch
position 0 or 1 or KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button in position 0 or 1) when the parking
brake is being tested on a brake test
dynamometer.
Active braking action through the ESP ®
may otherwise seriously damage the brake
system which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Instrument cluster
Introduction
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
( Y page 28).
GWarning!
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicator lamps
116Instrument clusterControls in detail
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 116
Sending DTMF tones
iThis function is not possible with all
mobile phones.
Answering machines or other devices can be
controlled via DTMF tones, e.g. for remote
query functions.
XTransmitting individual characters:
During a call select the required
characters.
or
XPress the corresponding button on the
audio control unit.
Every selected character is transmitted
immediately.
XTransmitting a phone number of a
phone book entry as a sequence of
characters: Select Name.
XSelect the desired phone book entry.
The entry is transmitted immediately as a
sequence of characters.
XSwitching back to call display: Select
Back.
Driving systems
Introduction
This section describes the following driving
systems of your vehicle:
RCruise control
RHill-start assist system
RAll-wheel drive (4MATIC)
RDynamic handling package with sport
driving mode
RParktronic system, Canada only
RRear view camera
The driving safety systems ABS, Adaptive
Brake, BAS, EBP and ESP® are described in
the “Safety and security” section
(Y page 60).
Cruise control
The cruise control maintains the speed you
set for your vehicle automatically.
The use of the cruise control is recommended
for driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time.
The currently set speed or last set speed
(“Resume” function) appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
5 seconds. The corresponding cruise control
speed segments : from the selected speed
to the vehicle maximum speed in the
multifunction display are illuminated.
GWarning!
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road, traffic,
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a constant speed.
RThe use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy
traffic because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a constant speed.
RThe use of the cruise control can be
dangerous on slippery roads. Rapid
changes in tire traction can result in wheel
spin and loss of control.
RDeactivate the cruise control when driving
in fog.
180Driving systemsControls in detail
204_AKB; 5; 23, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T17:54:06+02:00 - Seite 180