2015 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class automatic transmission

General notes
During a cold start, the engine runs at higher
speeds to enable the catalytic converter to
reach its operating temperature. The sound of the engine may change during this time.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 197).
The transmission position display in the
multifunction display shows
P (Y page 199).
You can start the engine in transmission posi-
tion Pand N.
Starting procedure with the SmartKey To start the engine using the SmartKey
instead of the Start/Stop button, pull the
Start/Stop button out of the ignition lock.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 3in the igni-
tion (Y page 189) lock and release it as
soon as the engine is running.
Starting procedure with the Start/Stop button The Start/Stop button can be used to start
the vehicle manually without inserting the
SmartKey into the ignition lock. The Start/
Stop button must be inserted in the ignition
lock and the SmartKey must be in the vehicle. This mode for starting the engine operates
independently of the ECO start/stop auto-
matic engine start function.
You can start the engine if a valid SmartKey is
in the vehicle. Always take the SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle, even if you only
leave it for a short time. Pay attention to the
important safety notes.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Press the Start/Stop button once
(Y page 189).
The engine starts. Pulling away
General 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.
Depress the accelerator carefully when pull-
ing away.
The vehicle locks centrally once you have
pulled away. The locking knobs in the doors
drop down.
You can open the doors from the inside at any
time.
You can also deactivate the automatic locking feature (Y page 98).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position Pto the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then is the
parking lock released. If the brake pedal is not
depressed, the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the parking lock remains
engaged.
i Upshifts take place at higher engine
speeds after a cold start. This helps the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (Y page 222).
Hill start assist Hill start assist helps you when pulling away
forwards or in reverse on an uphill gradient. It
holds the vehicle for a short time after you
have removed your foot from the brake pedal.
This gives you enough time to move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal and to depress it before the vehicle begins to
roll. 192
DrivingDriving and parking

G
WARNING
After a short time, hill start assist will no lon-
ger brake your vehicle and it could roll away.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Therefore, quickly move your foot from the
brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. Never
leave the vehicle when it is held by hill start
assist.
Hill start assist is not active if: R you are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
R the transmission is in position N.
R the electric parking brake is applied.
R ESP ®
is malfunctioning. ECO start/stop function (all vehicles
except plug-in hybrid)
Introduction This section describes the ECO start/stop
function for all vehicles except PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles. Information on the ECO
start/stop function in PLUG-IN HYBRID vehi-
cles (Y page 288).
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop- ped under certain conditions.
The engine starts automatically when the
driver wants to pull away again. The ECO
start/stop function thereby helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions
of your vehicle.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving. There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away. General notes
:
ECO start/stop display
If the engine has been switched off automat-
ically by the ECO start/stop function, the
è ECO symbol is shown in the multifunc-
tion display.
Every time you switch on the engine using the SmartKey or the Start/Stop button, the ECO
start/stop function is activated.
The ECO start/stop function is only available in drive program E(drive program Con AMG
vehicles).
Automatic engine switch-off If the vehicle is braked to a standstill in
Dor N,
the ECO start/stop function switches off the engine automatically.
The ECO start/stop function is operational
when:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button is lit
green.
R the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system.
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature.
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached.
R the battery is sufficiently charged.
R the system detects that the windshield is
not fogged up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on. Driving
193Driving and parking Z

R
the hood is closed.
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened.
All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is stopped automatically.
The HOLD function can be activated 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.
All vehicles (apart from AMG vehicles):
automatic engine switch-off can take place a
maximum of four times consecutively (initial
stop then repeated three times).
AMG vehicles: times which the engine can
be automatically switched off.
Automatic engine start The engine starts automatically if:
R you switch off the ECO start/stop function
by pressing the ECO button.
R you switch to drive program Sor M.
R in transmission position Dor Nthe brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is
not active.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R you engage reverse gear R.
R you move the transmission out of position
P.
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-
shield when the air-conditioning system is
switched on.
R the battery's condition of charge is too low.
Shifting the transmission to position Pdoes
not start the engine. Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function All vehicles (except AMG vehicles)
X
To deactivate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as the result of a malfunction. The engine will
then not be switched off automatically when
the vehicle stops.
If drive program Sor Mhas been selected, the
ECO start/stop function is always deactiva-
ted.
If you switch on the ECO start/stop function
while drive program Sis selected, the drive
program automatically switches to E.
AMG vehicles 194
DrivingDriving an
d parking

X
To switch off: in drive program C, press
ECO button :.
or X Switch to drive program Sor M
(Y page 200).
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
X To activate: press ECO button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If drive program Sor Mis active, the auto-
matic transmission switches to drive pro-
gram C.
If indicator lamp ;is off, the ECO start/stop
function has been deactivated manually or as the result of a malfunction. The engine will
then not be switched off automatically when
the vehicle stops.
If drive program Sor Mhas been selected, the
ECO start/stop function is always deactiva-
ted.
If you switch on the ECO start/stop function
while drive program Sis selected, the drive
program automatically switches to C. Driving
195Driving an d parking Z

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. 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.
Observe the important safety notes for PLUG-
IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 46).DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of the
steering column. The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to
its original position. The current transmission
position P,R, Nor Dappears in the transmis-
sion position display (Y page 199) in the mul-
tifunction display.
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high or the vehi-
cle is moving, do not shift the automatic
transmission directly from Dto R, from Rto
D or directly to P. The automatic transmis-
sion could otherwise be damaged. j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the Smart-
Key and remove the SmartKey.
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's door.
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic trans
mission
197Driving an d parking Z

X
If the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up past the first point of
resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further infor-
mation on the ECO start/stop function
(Y page 193).
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
R get out and disrupt traffic.
R operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake.
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R Start the engine.
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 or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position Dor R:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to the first point of
resistance.
If the engine has been switched off, the auto- matic transmission automatically shifts to N.If the automatic transmission is to remain in
neutral
N, e.g. for washing the vehicle in car
washes with a towing device, please observe
the following instructions:
Using the SmartKey:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button:
R Make sure that the ignition is switched on.
R When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R Engage park position P.
R Release the brake pedal.
R Pull the Start/Stop button out of the igni-
tion.
R Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
R Switch on the ignition.
R Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
R Shift to neutral N.
R Release the brake pedal.
R If the electric parking brake is engaged,
release it.
R Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever down past the first point of
resistance. 198
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Transmission position display
General notes !
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. For this purpose, we recommend
selecting transmission position Dand auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Cin
AMG vehicles, drive program E+in PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles) or S.
The current transmission position is shown in
the multifunction display.
The arrows in the transmission position dis-
play show how and into which transmission
positions you can change using the DIRECT
SELECT lever.
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles) :
Transmission position
; Gear
= Drive program AMG vehicles :
Transmission position
; Drive program Transmission positions
B Park position
Do not shift the transmission into
position
P(Ypage 220) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are mal-
functioning, the transmission may
be locked in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked imme-
diately at a qualified specialist
workshop. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
199Driving and parking Z

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
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:
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan damage
the drive train. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 200)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(Y page 200)
R the road speed
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 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
This section describes the program selector
button for all vehicles except PLUG-IN
HYBRID vehicles. Information on automatic
drive programs for PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles (Y page 285). X
All vehicles (except AMG vehicles and
PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles): press pro-200
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking