2010 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS63AMG automatic transmission

G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with
you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
release the parking brake and/or shift the
automatic transmission out of park position
P, either of which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury. X
Releasing: Pull on release handle :.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning lamp
$ (USA only) or J (Canada only) in
the instrument cluster goes out.
X Engaging: Step on parking brake
pedal ; firmly.
When the engine is running, the brake
warning lamp $ (USA only) or J
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
comes on. Turning off the engine
G
Warning!
Do not turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. With the engine
not running, there is no power assistance for
the brake and steering systems. In this case,
it is important to keep in mind that a
considerably higher degree of effort is
necessary to brake and steer the vehicle. X
Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
X Engage the parking brake.
i Always engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting the automatic
transmission into park position P.
With SmartKey X
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position 0.
X Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the automatic
transmission in park position P.
With KEYLESS-GO X
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
With the driver’s door closed, the starter
switch is now in position 1. With the driver’s
door opened, the starter switch is set to
position 0, same as the SmartKey removed
from the starter switch (Y page 76).
If an acoustic warning sounds, you have tried
to turn off the engine with the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button while the automatic
transmission was not in park position P.
Read and observe messages that may appear
in the multifunction display ( Y page 235). Automatic transmission
Introduction
For information on driving with an automatic
transmission, see “Driving and parking”
(Y page 96). G
Warning!
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 Automatic transmission
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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.
i During 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
j
Park position with gear selector lever lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral position
h Drive position G
Warning!
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.
i Shifting 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.
i The 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 103).
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 on
R the selected gear range ( Y page 104)
R the selected program mode:
C/S (Y page 105)
or 102
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M (CLS 63 AMG only) (
Y page 107)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the vehicle speed
With drive position D selected, you can
influence transmission shifting by
R limiting the gear range
R extending the gear range
R changing the gears manually (CLS 63 AMG
only)
CLS 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 Effect
B
Park 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 263). C
Reverse gear
Shift the automatic transmission
into reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped. Automatic transmission
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Effect
A
Neutral 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. 7
Drive position
The automatic transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears are
available.
Driving tips
Kickdown Use the kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
X
U.S. vehicles except AMG vehicles:
Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
X Canada 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. Working on the vehicle G
Warning!
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 105).
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.
5
Allows the use of the engine’s
braking effect when driving
R
on steep downgrades
R in mountainous regions
R under extreme operating
conditions 4
For maximum use of the engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.104
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Automatic shift program
Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For sporty driving
Program mode selector switch on CLS 63 AMG
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
M Manual For manual gearshifting The current program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
:
Program mode indicator
You should only change the program mode
when the automatic transmission is in park
position P.
Automatic program mode S will not be stored.
When the engine is turned off with the
automatic program mode S selected, the
automatic transmission will go to the
automatic program mode C when the engine
is restarted.
X Press the program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the desired
program mode appears in the multifunction
display.
Selecting program mode C means:
R The vehicle starts out more gentle, both
forward and reverse, except when driving
off with full throttle.
R Traction and driving stability are improved
on icy roads.
R Upshifts occur earlier even when you give
more gas. The engine then operates at
lower revolutions and the wheels are less
likely to spin.
Selecting program mode S means that
upshifts occur later. One-touch gearshifting
With the automatic transmission in drive
position D and driving in automatic program Automatic transmission
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mode
C or S, you can limit or extend the gear
range using the gear selector lever or the
steering wheel gearshift control.
Steering wheel gearshift control is available
on vehicles with AMG Sport Package and on
CLS 63 AMG only.
CLS 63 AMG: For information on using the
gear selector lever or the steering wheel
gearshift control in manual program mode
M, see “Manual shift program”
(Y page 107). Steering wheel gearshift control (example
illustration)
i
You cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control when the automatic
transmission is in park position P, neutral
position N, or reverse gear R.
Limiting gear range G
Warning!
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.
X Briefly press the gear selector lever to the
left in the D- direction.
or
X Briefly pull left gearshift control :.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next lower gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously limits the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
i 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.
Extending gear range X
Briefly press the gear selector lever to the
right in the D+ direction.
or
X Briefly pull right gearshift control ;.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next higher gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
i If you press on the accelerator pedal
when the engine has reached the
revolution limit of the current gear range,
the automatic transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
Canceling gear range limit X
Press and hold the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+ direction until D
reappears in the multifunction display.
or
X Pull and hold right gearshift control ; until
D reappears in the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission will shift from
the current gear range directly into drive
position D.
Shifting into optimal gear range X
Press and hold the gear selector lever to
the left in the D- direction.
or
X Pull and hold left gearshift control :.
The automatic transmission will select the
gear range suited for optimal acceleration
and deceleration automatically. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears. 106
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Manual shift program
The manual shift program is available on
CLS 63 AMG only.
Manual program mode M differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic program mode
S.
In manual program mode M, system-
controlled automatic gearshifting is switched
off. You need to change the gears by manually
upshifting or downshifting using the gear
selector lever or the steering wheel gearshift
control. Program mode selector switch on CLS 63 AMG
C Comfort For standard driving
S Sport For sporty driving
M Manual For manual gearshifting
The current program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
Y page 105).
For information on automatic program mode
(C or S), see “Automatic shift program”
(Y page 105) and “One-touch gearshifting”
(Y page 105).
Activating manual shift program X
Press the program mode selector switch
repeatedly until M appears in the
multifunction display.
The automatic transmission switches to
manual program mode M. Automatic shifting is switched off. The gear range is
not limited.
You can change the gears manually with drive
position D selected. You can upshift or
downshift through the gears in succession.
i Manual program mode M will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with
manual program mode M selected, the
automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C when the
engine is restarted.
Upshifting !
In manual program mode M, the
automatic transmission will not upshift,
even if the engine has reached its
overrevving range. Shift up into the next
gear before the engine has reached its
overrevving range. Make absolutely certain
that the engine speed does not reach the
red marking on the tachometer. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
X Briefly press the gear selector lever to the
right in the D+ direction.
or
X Briefly pull right gearshift control ;
(Y page 106).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next higher gear.
Upshift indicator In manual program mode
M, upshift
indicator ; in the multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. In addition,
symbol ^ may appear instead of manual Automatic transmission
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program mode symbol
M in the multifunction
display. Thus you can drive at the maximum
engine speed for each gear without
overrevving the engine.
X Shift 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 G
Warning!
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.
X Briefly press the gear selector lever to the
left in the D- direction.
or
X Briefly pull left gearshift control :
(Y page 106).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next lower gear.
i For 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.
i When you brake or stop, the automatic
transmission shifts down into a gear from
which you can easily accelerate or take off.
Kickdown Using the kickdown while driving in manual
program mode
M is not possible. Deactivating manual shift program X
Press the program mode selector switch
repeatedly until C or S appears in the
multifunction display.
or
X Restart the engine.
The automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C.
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.
X Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
X Shift the automatic transmission into park
position P.
X Turn off the engine.
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting.
X Restart the engine.
X Shift the automatic transmission into drive
position D

(for second gear) or reverse gear
R.
X Have the automatic transmission checked
at

an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible. Instrument cluster
Introduction
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “Instrument cluster”
(Y page 28). 108
Instrument cluster
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