2015 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class automatic transmission

AMG vehicles
When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec- ted drive program. The double-clutch functionreduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic 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.
Rocking the vehicle free Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions Dand R
can help to free a vehicle that has become
stuck in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine
management restricts switching between
transmission positions Dand Rto speeds up
to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission posi-
tions Dand R, move the DIRECT SELECT lever
up and down past the point of resistance. Program selector button
General notes All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and vehicles with
the Sports package AMG)
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired drive
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play. Vehicles with the AMG Sports package
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired drive
program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 165).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 164). 162
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

E
Economy Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Manual gear shifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 164).
i The automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started.
AMG vehicles Drive program selector with manual drive program
X Turn drive program selector :until the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicator on drive pro-
gram selector :lights up in red.
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 165).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 164). C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
S+
SportPlus Extremely sporty driving
style M
Manual Manual gear shifting
RS
RACE
START Optimal vehicle accelera-
tion from a standstill
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 164).
i The automatic transmission shifts to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i RS
cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE
START, see (Y page 192). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters :and ;.
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 165).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Y page 164).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D. Automatic transmission
163Driving and parking Z

Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program
E(drive program Con MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
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.
Automatic drive program S Drive program
S(or, in the case of AMG vehi-
cles, drive programs Sand S+) is character-
ized by the following:
R sporty engine and automatic transmission
settings.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later.
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis- sion shift points.
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters. The transmission must be in posi-tion D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs. i
As well as temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro- gram M(Y page 162).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 165).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 163).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear down or up, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Y page 163).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (Y page 163).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next 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 Automatic down shifting occurs when
coasting. 164
Automatic trans
missionDriving and parking

Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program
M, it will remain active for a certain amount of time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case oflateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (Y page 163).
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position (Y page 158).
or
X Use the program selector button to change
the drive program (Y page 162).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S. Manual drive program (AMG vehicles
and vehicles with Sports package
AMG)
General information In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must
be in position D.
i As well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(Y page 164).
Switching on the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 162) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 163) until Mappears in the
multifunction display.
The indicator Mon the drive program selec-
tor lights up in red.
Manual drive program Mis different from
drive programs Sand S+with regard to spon-
taneity, responsiveness and smoothness of
gear changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected
using the drive program selector. In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel paddle shifters if the trans-
mission is in position D. The gear currently
selected and engaged is shown in the multi-
function display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
AMG vehicles !
In manual drive program
M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati- Automatic transmission
165Driving and parking Z

cally 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. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of engine damage. :
Gear indicator
; Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area, an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
X When the UP
UP message appears in the mul-
tifunction display, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
Shift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X If corresponding gearshift recommenda-
tion :appears in the multifunction display
on the instrument cluster, pull on the right- hand steering wheel paddle shifter
(Y page 163).
The automatic transmission shifts to rec-
ommended gear ;. Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission
will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter 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 automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
X Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
i AMG vehicles:
it is not possible to use
kickdown in manual drive program M.
Switching off the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
(Y page 162).
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector (Y page 163).166
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
! Always secure the vehicle correctly
against rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle
or its drivetrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against rolling away unintentionally:
R the parking brake must be applied.
R the transmission must be in position Pand
the SmartKey must be removed from the
ignition lock.
R the front wheels must be turned towards
the curb on steep uphill or downhill gradi-
ents. 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 automatic transmission X
Apply the parking brake firmly.
X All vehicles (except AMG vehicles): shift
the transmission to position P. X
AMG vehicles: when the vehicle is station-
ary, press button :.
X With the SmartKey: turn the SmartKey to
position 0in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
X With KEYLESS-GO: press the KEYLESS-
GO Start/Stop button (Y page 150).
The engine stops and all the indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster go out.
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: "Key removed".
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
With the SmartKey: if you then open the
driver's door or the front-passenger door or
remove the SmartKey from the ignition, the
automatic transmission shifts to Pautomati-
cally.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driv-
er's or front-passenger door, the automatic
transmission shifts to P.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing system: Parking
171Driving and parking Z

Using the SmartKey:
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Using KEYLESS-GO:
X Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
X Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
The engine can be switched off while the vehi-
cle is in motion by pressing and holding the
Start/Stop button for about three seconds.
This function operates independently of the
ECO start/stop automatic engine switch-off
function. Parking brake
G
WARNING
If you must brake the vehicle with the parking brake, the braking distance is considerably
longer and the wheels could lock. There is an
increased danger of skidding and accidents.
Only use the parking brake to brake the vehi- cle when the service brake is faulty. Do not
apply the parking brake too firmly. If the
wheels lock, release the parking brake until
the wheels begin turning again. G
WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi- cle, they could set it in motion by, for example:
R release the parking brake.
R shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P.
R start the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. There is a risk of
an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. If you brake the vehicle with the parking
brake, the brake lamps will not light up.
X To apply: depress parking brake ;firmly.
When the engine is running, the $(USA
only) or J(Canada only) indicator lamp
lights up in the instrument cluster.
X To release: depress the brake pedal and
keep it depressed.
X Pull release handle :.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the $(USA only) or
J (Canada only) indicator lamp goes out
in the instrument cluster. Parking the vehicle for a long period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging. 172
ParkingDriving and parking

Have your vehicle winter-proofed at a quali-
fied specialist workshop at the onset of win-
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road
surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering
and braking maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Shift the transmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges. The vehicle could skid if you fail to adapt your
driving style. Always adapt your driving style
and drive at a speed to suit the prevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
ditions when temperatures are around freez-
ing point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see (Y page 347).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see (Y page 346).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"
section (Y page 346). Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for
innovative driver assistance and safety sys-
tems which enhance comfort and support the driver in critical situations. With these intelli-
gent co-ordinated systems Mercedes-Benz
has set a milestone on the path towards
autonomous driving. Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one
well thought out system – for the safety of the vehicle occupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems
(Y page 70). Cruise Control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must shift to a lower gear
in time. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You canstore any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking