2012 MERCEDES-BENZ GLK SUV automatic transmission

depressed with the transmission in position
D or N.
i If you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the ¤symbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
i You can also activate the HOLD function
when the vehicle is stationary if the engine
has been switched off automatically. It is
then not necessary to continue applying
the brakes during the automatic stop
phase. When you depress the accelerator
pedal, the engine starts automatically and
the braking effect of the HOLD function is
deactivated. Depress the accelerator pedal
gently, as the engine must be started first.
Automatic engine start The engine is started automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
Vehicles with manual transmission
The engine is started automatically if:
R you depress the clutch pedal
R you depress the accelerator pedal
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal
is depressed. Vehicles with automatic transmission
The engine is started automatically if:
R
you release the brakes when in transmis-
sion position Dor N
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you engage reverse gear R
R you move the transmission out of position
P
i Shifting the transmission to position P
does not start the engine.
i If you shift the transmission from Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again as soon as the ¤symbol reap-
pears in the multifunction display. 152
DrivingDriving and parking

Neutral N with ECO start/stop func-
tion activated
The engine is switched off if:
R in neutral N, the vehicle speed is below a
certain threshold and
R the clutch pedal is not depressed.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function, see (Y page 150). Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
i The ECO start/stop function is not avail-
able when reverse gear is engaged.
For further information on the ECO start/
stop function, see ( Ypage 150).
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left
beyond the point of resistance and then
forwards. Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display. X
Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :shown in the multifunction
display of the instrument cluster. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor
R, the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There
is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do
not simultaneously accelerate. DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column.
P
Park position with parking lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive
i The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns
to its original position. The current trans-
mission position P,R, Nor Dappears in the
transmission position display
(Y page 156) in the multifunction display. Automatic transmission
155Driving and parking Z

Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
i The arrows in the transmission position
display show how and into which transmis-
sion positions you can change using the
DIRECT SELECT lever.
! If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select trans-
mission position Dand drive program Eor
S. Do not restrict the shift range.
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.
Engaging park position P X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
i The automatic transmission shifts into
park position Pautomatically:
R if you open the driver's door while the
vehicle is stationary in transmission posi-
tion Dor R
R if you open the door while travelling at
very low speeds in transmission position
D or R
i Depressing the brake and pushing the
DIRECT SELECT lever up or down disen- gages the parking lock. The transmission is
in
Nneutral.
In order to shift from park position P
directly into Ror D:
R depress the brake pedal and
R push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or
down past the first point of resistance
! If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from
D to R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Other-
wise, the automatic transmission could be
damaged.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open one of the front doors
R the HOLD (Y page 186) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 178) function brake your
vehicle until it is stationary and at least one
of the following conditions is fulfilled:
- there is a system malfunction.
- the vehicle is on a steep uphill or downhill
gradient. The electric parking brake is
then also engaged.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R when the vehicle is stationary.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
Neutral N with ECO start/stop function
activated The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if:
R
the vehicle is braked until stationary while
in neutral Nand
R you continue to apply the brakes. 156
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

For further information on the ECO start/stop
function ( Ypage 150).
Shifting to neutral (N) X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
to the first point of resistance.
Drive position D with ECO start/stop
function activated The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if:
R the vehicle is braked until stationary while
in transmission position Dand
R you continue to apply the brakes.
For further information on the ECO start/stop
function ( Ypage 150).
Engaging drive position D X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance. Transmission positions
B
Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P(Y
page 164) unless the vehicle
is stationary.
The automatic transmission shifts
to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the key
R switch off the engine when in R
or Dand open one of the front
doors. C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. A
Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available. Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R a shift range restriction, if selected
R the selected drive program
E/S, E/S/M orM(Y page 158)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R
little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Automatic transmission
157Driving and parking Z

Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Towing a trailer X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3or
2(Y page 159)depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, even if cruise control or
SPEEDTRONIC is activated. Program selector button
General notes The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics. Program selector button Program selector button on vehicles without the
"dynamic handling package with sports mode"
Program selector button on vehicles with the
"dynamic handling package with sports mode"
E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gearshifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 159).
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started. 158
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the automatic drive program, you can
restrict or expand the shift range by using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles
(Y page 159).
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles (Y page 160).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D.Automatic drive program
Drive program Eis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-oriented engine and automatic
transmission settings
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 Shift ranges
Introduction When the automatic transmission is in posi-
tion
D, it is possible to restrict or expand the
shift range (Y page 159).
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
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. Automatic transmission
159Driving and parking Z

Extending the shift range
X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle.
The shift range is derestricted.
Clearing the shift range restriction 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
Pull the left-hand steering wheel 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
Activating the manual drive program Manual drive program
Mcan be selected
using the program selector button. In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles if the
transmission is in position D. The gear selec-
ted is shown in the multifunction display.
X Press the program selector button
(Y page 158) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 159).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 159).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel gearshift paddle until
the transmission selects the optimum gear
for the current speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program
M.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Deactivating the manual drive program X
Vehicles without the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
program selector button (Y page 158)
repeatedly until Eor Sappears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X Vehicles with the dynamic handling
package with sports mode: press the
program selector button (Y page 158).M
is no longer shown in the multifunction dis-
play. 160
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If flammable materials such as leaves, grass
or twigs are exposed to prolonged contact to
parts of the exhaust system that heat up, they
could ignite. There is a risk of fire.
Park the vehicle so that no flammable mate-
rials come into contact with parts of the vehi-
cle which are hot. Take particular care not to
park on dry grassland or harvested grain
fields. G
WARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driving,
safety-relevant functions are only available
with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,
for example, the power steering and the brake
boosting effect. You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk
of an accident.
Do not switch off the ignition while driving. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
the parking position P
R starting the engine.
They could also operate the vehicle's equip-
ment. There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! A moving vehicle can lead to damage to
the vehicle or damage to the drive train.
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 uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of
an accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake.
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 Firmly depress the parking brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission X
Firmly depress the parking brake.
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.164
ParkingDriving and parking