2011 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON wheel

R
comfort-oriented engine and automatic
transmissio nsettings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner .This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program S(or, in the case of AMG vehi-
cles, drive programs Sand S+) is character-
ised by the following:
R sporty engine and automatic transmission
settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-
sibly being higher Shift ranges
Introduction When the automatic transmission is in posi-
tion D, it is possible to restrict or derestrict
the shift range (Y page 165).
The shift range selected is shown in the mul-
tifunction display. The automatic transmis-
sion shifts only as far as the selected gear. Shift range
=
To use the engine's braking effect 5
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 4
To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Restricting the shift range
X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The automatic transmission shifts down
one gear and restricts the shift range to the
relevant gear.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
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 prevent the engine from over-
revving, even if the shift range is restricted.
Derestricting the shift range X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The shift range is derestricted. Automatic transmission
165Driving and parking Z

Clearing the shif
trange restriction X
Press and hold the selector leve rtowards
D+ until Dis shown once more in the mul-
tifunction display.
or
X Pull and hold the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle until Dis shown again in
the multifunction display.
The automatic transmission shifts from the
current shift range directly to D.
Selecting the ideal shift range X
Press the selector lever to the left towards
D– and hold it in position.
or
X Pull the left-hand steerin gwheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in position.
The automatic transmission shifts to the
gear which allows optimum acceleration
and deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more
gears. Manual drive program
Switching on the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mcan be selected
using the program selector or the drive pro-
gram selector button. You can change gear
using the steering wheel gearshift paddles or
the selector lever in manual drive program
M if the transmission is in position D.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 163) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 164) until Mappears in the
multifunction display.
The indicator Mon the drive program selec-
tor lights up in red. Upshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the right
towards D+.
or
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 164).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
X Shift up a gear when the ^upshift symbol
appears in the display instead of M.
Vehicles with AMG engines
! In manual gearshift program M, the auto-
matic transmission does not shift up auto-
matically even when the engine limiting
speed for the current gear is reached.
When the engine limiting 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 counter. Otherwise, there is
a risk of engine damage.
X Shift up a gear if the colour in the multi-
function display in the speedometer
changes to red and the UP display message
is shown.
Downshifting X
Briefly press the selector lever to the left
towards D–.
or
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 164).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts down.
i If you desire maximum acceleration, push
the selector lever to the left or pull and hold
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle until the transmission shifts to the opti-
mal gear for the current speed. 166
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Only remove the key from the ignition lock
when the vehicle is stationary, as you cannot
steer the vehicle when the key is removed.
Never leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle. They could release the parking brake. This
could lead to a serious or fatal accident. G
WARNING
Under no circumstances should the exhaust
system come into contact with flammable
materials such as dry grass or petrol, for
example. Do not park the vehicle on dry grass-
land or harvested grain fields. The hot exhaust
system could otherwise ignite the flammable
material and set the vehicle on fire.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied.
R on vehicles with manual transmission,
engage first gear or reverse gear.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in position Pand
the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on steep uphill or downhill gradients, turn
the front wheels towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is not running, there is no power
assistance for the steering and brakes. Steer-
ing and braking then requires significantly
greater effort.
As a result, you might lose control of the vehi-
cle, cause an accident and injure yourself and
others. Therefore, do not switch off the engine while
you are driving.
Vehicles with manual transmission X
Shift to either first gear or reverse gear R.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X Apply the parking brake firmly.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Apply the parking brake firmly.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the key
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
i The key can only be removed if the trans-
mission is in position P.
Using KEYLESS-GO
X Press the Start/Stop button (Y page 153).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrumen tcluster go out.
i When the driver's door is closed, this cor-
responds to key position 1. When the driv-
er's door is open, this corresponds to key
position 0, i.e. key removed.
i The engine can be turned off while the
vehicle is in motion by pressing and holding
the Start/Stop button for three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-
off function. 174
ParkingDriving and parking

Parking brake
X
To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up if the engine is running.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
The J indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out. Parking up the vehicle
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the battery may be damaged
by exhaustive discharge.
X Disconnect the battery (Y page 348) or
connect it to a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, the vehicle may suffer dam-
age as a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice. Driving tips
General driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off G
WARNING
Never switch the engine off while the vehicle
is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake, and you could therefore lose
control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Engine oil
! Vehicles with adiesel particle filter:
If the vehicle is mostly driven for short dis-
tances, it is possible that malfunctions may
occur during the automatic cleaning of the
diesel particle filter. This can lead to engine
damage. Therefore, if you frequently drive
short distances, make sure to drive on
motorways or country roads for 20 minutes
at least every 500 km. Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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. G
WARNING
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking.
Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or, Driving tips
175Driving and parking Z

At the onse
tofwinter, have your vehicle win-
terproofed at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. at a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 359).
Driving with summer tyres Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y
page 359).
Slippery road surfaces G
WARNING
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission :engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicl eunde rcontrol by
using corrective steering.
i For more information on driving with
snow chains, see (Y page 360).Driving systems
Cruise control
Important safety notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a low gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. On vehicles
with automatic transmission, select shift
range 1,2or 3.B y doing so, you will make use of the braking effec
tofthe engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. G
WARNING
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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
WARNING
Cruise control cannot take account of road
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time. G
WARNING
Do not use cruise control
R in traffic conditions that do not allow you to
drive at a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic
or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.178
Driving systemsDriving and parking

The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To switch on or to increase the speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To switch on with the curren tspeed or
with the last stored speed
? To switch on or to reduce the speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. Vehicles with the 4-button
multifunction steering wheel: the stored
speed is then permanently displayed in the
status indicator together with the ¯sym-
bol. Vehicles with the 12-button multifunc-
tion steering wheel: the segments from the
stored speed up to the maximum speed light
up in the multifunction display.
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the curren
tspeed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the 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 contro lmaintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R Always drive at adequate, but no texces-
sive, engine speeds.
R Change gear in good time.
R If possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the curren tspee dorc alling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored spee difyou know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed. Driving systems
179Driving and parking Z

G
WARNING
Never depress the brake peda lcontinuously
while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause
the brakes to rub by applying constant slight
pedal pressure. This causes the brake system
to overheat, increases the braking distance
and can lead to the brakes failing completely. G
WARNING
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.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 183) G
WARNING
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw
hile
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;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 A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
selected. G
WARNING
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to a speed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident. Driving systems
181Driving and parking
Z

You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing 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 to the
pressure point up :or down ?.
The current speed is stored. For five sec-
onds, the multifunction display shows the
stored speed, e.g. Limit 100 km/h .
Vehicles with the 4-button multifunction
steering wheel: the stored speed is perma-
nently displayed in the status indicator,
e.g. LIM 100 km/h .
Vehicles with a 12-button multifunction
steering wheel: on the speedometer, the
segments from the start of the scale up to
the stored speed are lit up.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
Only select a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and whether it is suitable for the
current driving and traffic situation. Other-
wise, sudden braking could endanger you or
others.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =. Making adjustments in 1 km/h incre-
ments
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever to the
pressure point, up :for a higher speed or
down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is
set .Press the cruise control leve rup: for
a higher speed or down ?for a lower
speed.
Making adjustments in 10 km/h incre-
ments
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
beyond the pressure point, up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
beyond the pressure point until the desired
speed is set. Press the cruise control lever
up : for a higher speed or down ?for a
lower speed.
Deactivating variable SPEEDTRONIC
There are several ways to deactivate variable
SPEEDTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is
deactivated.
Cruise control is selected.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is automatically
deactivated:
R if you depress the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown), but
only if your curren tspeed does not differ by
more than 20 km/ hfrom the stored speed. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking