Automatic drive program
Drive program C (Comfort) Drive program
Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, for
example on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is available.
R the ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport) Drive program
Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-
istics.
R the automatic transmission shifting up later.
As a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points, the fuel consumption possibly
being higher.
R the suspension exhibits rigid springing and
damping settings
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available.
R if a period of dynamic driving is followed by an
extended phase with a constant accelerator
pedal position, the vehicle shifts up to a
higher gear. This optimises fuel consumption.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus) Drive program
S+is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics.
R the automatic transmission shifting up later.
As a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points, the fuel consumption possibly
being higher.
R the suspension exhibits particularly rigid
springing and damping settings. R
gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available.
R if a period of dynamic driving is followed by an
extended phase with a constant accelerator
pedal position, the vehicle shifts up to a
higher gear. This optimises fuel consumption.
Drive program I (Individual) In drive program
Ithe following properties of the
drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine management)
R the transmission management
R ESP ®
(Y page 57)
R the suspension (Y page 140)
R the position of the exhaust flap
(Y page 106)
Information about configuring drive program I
with the multimedia system can be found in the
Digital Owner's Manual.
Temporary manual drive program General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles. The transmission must be in posi- tion D.
You can activate the temporary manual drive
program in the automatic drive program. The
switching times correspond to the previously
active automatic drive program.
In addition to temporary manual drive program
you can also activate manual mode M
(Y page 115).
Activating X
Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left-hand or right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle (Y page 113).
Temporary manual drive program is activated. Last active drive program :and selected
gear ;appear in the multifunction display. 114
AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sport trans
missionDriving and parking
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle, the automatic transmis-
sion switches to temporary manual drive pro-
gram for a limited amount of time. Depending on which gearshift paddle is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear up or down, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
gearshift paddle (Y page 113).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
If the maximum engine speed on the currently engaged gear is reached and you continue to
accelerate, the automatic transmission auto-
matically shifts up in order to prevent engine
damage.
The automatic transmission will not shift up to
the next gear when the engine speed is very
low.
X To shift down: pull on the left-hand steering
wheel gearshift paddle (Y page 113).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage by not shifting down.
Automatic downshifting occurs when coast-
ing.
When using kickdown, the automatic trans-
mission automatically shifts to a lower gear.
Deactivating If you have activated temporary manual drive
program, 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 of lateral acceleration, during an overrun
phase or when driving on steep terrain.
When temporary manual drive program is deac-
tivated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last selec-
ted. You can also deactivate temporary manual drive
program yourself:
X Pull on the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle and hold it in place (Y page 113).
or
X Use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
change the drive program (Y page 108).
Temporary manual drive program is deactiva-
ted. The automatic transmission switches
into the automatic drive program that was last selected. Manual mode
General notes In manual mode
M, you can permanently change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles. The transmission must be in posi- tion D.
The switching times correspond to the previ-
ously active automatic drive program.
The transmission only shifts down automatically
at low engine speeds depending on the respec- tive gear.
In addition to manual mode M, you can also
activate temporary manual drive program
(Y page 114).
Activating In manual mode
M, you can change gear your-
self using the steering wheel gearshift paddles if the transmission is in position D. The current
drive program and the engaged gear are shown
in the multifunction display.
X Press the M button (Y page 113).
M is shown in the multifunction display and
the indicator lamp on the M button lights up.
Gearshift recommendation The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sport transmission
115Driving and parking Z
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.
Display for shift blocked If the engine speed becomes too high or too low
as a result of changing gear, you cannot change
gear using the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you then pull the left-hand or right-hand steer- ing wheel gearshift paddle, segments :light up
red briefly.
Downshifting X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 113).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear if this is permissible.
X Maximum acceleration: pull the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
If you slow down or stop without shifting down,
the automatic transmission automatically shifts
down.
Deactivating X
Press the M button (Y page 113).
The indicator lamp in the button goes out.
RACE drive program (AMG GT S) The RACE drive program is designed for maxi-
mum performance in terms of shift points and engine speeds. The engine and transmission
should be at normal operating temperature for
the RACE drive program (Y
page 167). Use the
RACE drive program on a closed-off race circuit.
Drive program RACEis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
R all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
R For optimum performance, the transmission
shifts up later and shifts down sooner.
R The multifunction display shows the manual
gearshift program without upshift indicator
(Y page 114).
R the gearshift recommendation gives you
information for slowly warming up the drive
assemblies and for adopting a fuel-efficient
driving style (Y page 115). You can follow the
gearshift recommendations at all times and
change gear accordingly using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. On the basis of the
gearshift recommendation, using the steering wheel gearshift paddles, you can optimise the
drive train and engine operating mode at any
time.
R if you have selected a gear manually, this will
be maintained until the vehicle speed signifi-
cantly increases or decreases.
R If you do not follow the gearshift recommen-
dations, the automatic shift points may result
in high fuel consumption.
R the suspension exhibits particularly rigid
springing and damping settings.
R The transmission shift and response times are
significantly shorter with more aggressive
gear changes. This is particularly the case
when shifting up. The shift strategy is thus
designed to interact dynamically with the
high-revving engine.
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available. 116
AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sport transmissionDriving and parking
In addition, at least one of the following condi-
tions must be fulfilled:
R there is a system malfunction
R the power supply is insufficient
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy period
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off by the ECO start/stop function.
Releasing automatically The electric parking brake of your vehicle is
released automatically when all the following
conditions are fulfilled:
R the engine is running
R the transmission is in position Dor R
R the seat belt is fastened
R you depress the accelerator pedal
If the transmission is in position R, the tailgate
must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled for the electric park- ing brake to be released automatically:
R the driver's door is closed
R you are shifting from transmission position P
or you have previously driven at speeds
greater than 3 km/h
Ensure that you do not depress the accelerator
pedal unintentionally. Otherwise, the parking
brake will be released and the vehicle will start
to move.
Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an emer-
gency by using the electric parking brake.
X While driving, push handle :of the electric
parking brake (Y page 121).
The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
handle :of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer electric parking brake
handle :is depressed, the greater the brak-
ing force. During braking:
R a warning tone sounds
R the Release parking brake
Release parking brake display mes-
sage appears
R the red !indicator lamp on the instrument
cluster flashes
When the vehicle has been braked to a stand-
still, the electric parking brake is applied. Parking up the vehicle
General notes If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer than
six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
X Contact a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Charge retention of the on-board elec-
trical system battery The battery may drain if the vehicle is left sta-
tionary for long periods. In this case, Mercedes- Benz recommends attaching the trickle charger
to the 12 V socket in the luggage compartment. A trickle charger can be obtained from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, for example.
X Switch the ignition off.
X Open the tailgate. 122
ParkingDriving and parking
X
Connect the cable provided in the luggage
compartment to the trickle charger.
X Connect the trickle charger to 12 V socket :.
Consult the manufacturer's operating instruc- tions on how to do so.
The tailgate can be closed, even if a trickle
charger is connected. Make sure that the con-
nector for both the connector cables is outside
of the vehicle.
The connector can then separate if the vehicle is
moved, even if you forget to disconnect the con- nector cables. This prevents damaging the
cables and the trickle charger.
A trickle charger connected to 12 V socket :
only maintains the current charge level of the
vehicle's electrical system battery. If the vehi-
cle's electrical system battery is discharged, it
needs to be charged with a battery charger. Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes 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.
Drive sensibly – save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel:
X The tyres should always be inflated to the rec-
ommended tyre pressure.
X Remove unnecessary loads.
X Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.
X Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the Ser-
vice Booklet or by the service interval display.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in
cold weather, in stop-start traffic, on short jour- neys and in hilly terrain. Brakes
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Shift to a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle.
This also applies if cruise control, DISTRONIC
PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are activated.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so less braking will be required to maintain the
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness.
To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed while paying attention to the traffic con-
ditions. This improves the grip of the brakes. Driving tips
123Driving and parking Z
Wet road surfaces
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle
washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can
increase the braking distance considerably.
Observe the following rules when driving on salt- treated roads:
R in order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to
the traffic conditions.
R carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake discs and brake pads/
linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends only fitting the following brake discs and
brake pads/linings:
R brake discs that have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz
R brake pads/linings that have been approved
by Mercedes-Benz or that are of an equivalent
standard of quality
Other brake discs or brake pads/linings can
compromise the safety of your vehicle. Always replace all brake discs and brake pads/
linings on an axle at the same time. Always fit
new brake pads/linings when replacing brake
discs.
The vehicle is equipped with lightweight brake
discs to which the wheel assembly with rim and threaded connection is matched.
The use of brake discs other than those
approved by Mercedes-Benz may alter track
width and is subject to approval, if applicable.
Shock-type loads when handling the brake
discs, such as when changing wheels, can lead
to a reduction in comfort when driving with light-
weight brake discs. Avoid shock-type loads on
the lightweight brake discs, particularly on the
brake plate.
AMG high-performance and ceramic
brakes The AMG brake systems are designed for heavy
loads. This may lead to noise when braking. This
is dependent on:
R speed
R braking force
R environmental conditions, such as tempera-
ture and humidity
The wear of individual brake system compo-
nents such as the brake pads/linings or brake
discs depends on individual driving style and
operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a mile-
age (service life) that will be valid under all cir-
cumstances. An aggressive driving style will
lead to high wear. You can obtain more infor-
mation on this from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking
effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal. Always be aware of this and adapt your
driving and braking accordingly during the run-
ning-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in correspond-
ingly high brake wear. Observe the brake wear
warning lamp in the instrument cluster and note
any brake status messages in the multifunction
display. If you regularly drive at high speeds, it is particularly important to have the brake system
checked and maintained regularly. 124
Driving tipsDriving and parking
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. Change into a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. Take particular note of this when driv-
ing a laden vehicle. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store anyroad speed above 30 km/h.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or re-calling the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for five seconds. In addition, the
ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display. In the
speedometer, the segments between the stored
speed and the maximum speed light up.
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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing 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 auto-
matically 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 126
Driving syste
msDriving and parking
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R you apply the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that you
do not exceed the set speed. Shift to a lower
gear in good time on long and steep downhill
gradients. Take particular note of this when driv-
ing a laden vehicle. By doing so, you will make
use of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and pre-
vents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. SPEED-
TRONIC cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEEDTRONIC is only an
aid. You are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in
good time and for staying in lane.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
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 restrictions,
e.g. when driving with winter tyres fitted
(Y page 130)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed stored. Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the last
stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower speed
A To switch between cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
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/h while the
engine is running.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC 128
Driving systemsDriving and parking