2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA transmission

When engaging transmission position D or 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 222).
It is only possible to shift the transmission
from position P to the desired position if you
depress the brake pedal. Only then can the
parking lock be deactivated.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): if you do not depress the brake pedal,
the DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved
but the parking lock remains engaged.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you do not
depress the brake pedal, the selector lever
can still be moved but the parking lock
remains engaged.
At transmission fluid temperatures below

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it. X
Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The coolant tempera-
ture gauge shows a
value above 248 ‡
(120 †). The coolant
warning lamp may also
be on and a warning
tone may sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down. X
Check the coolant level ( Y
page 299). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change
the drive program. Depending on the drive
program selected the following vehicle char-
acteristics will change: R
the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement) R
the suspension (vehicles with damping sys-
tem or AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem) R
the steering R
the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion R
the climate control:
Each time you start the engine with the
SmartKey or the Start/Stop button, drive pro-
gram C is activated. For further information
about starting the engine, see ( Y
page 149). X
Press DYNAMIC SELECT button C as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds
the display goes out and the status icon of
the selected drive program appears.
In addition, the current drive program set-
tings are displayed briefly in the Audio 20 or
COMAND display.
i In a few countries, the ECO start/stop
function is deactivated at the factory due to
the available fuel grade. In this case, the
ECO start/stop function is not available in
any drive program, regardless of the display
in the Audio 20 or COMAND display.DYNAMIC SELECT button (all vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles) 155
Driving and parking Z

Available drive programs:
C Comfort Comfortable and econom-
ical driving characteristics
S Spo rt Sporty driving character-
istics
I Indivi dual In dividual settings
E Economy Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Ad dit ional information for drive programs
( Y
page 162).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further
information on the manual drive program
( Y
page 164).
DYNAMIC SELECT controller
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Use the DYNAMIC SE LE CT controller to
change the driv e program. Depending on the
driv e program selected the following vehicle
characteristics will change: R
the driv eR
the transmission management R
ESP ®
R
the suspension (vehicles with AMG adap-
tive sport suspension system) R
the availab ilit y of the ECO start /s top func-
tion R
the availab ilit y of gliding mode
Each time you start the engine wit h the
Sm artKey or the St art /S top button, drive pro-
gram C is activated. For further information
about starting the engine, see ( Y
page 149). X
Turn DYNAMIC SE LE CT controller C as
many times as necessary unt il the desired
driv e program is selected.
The selected driv e program appears in the
multifunction display. After five secon ds
the disp lay goes out and the status icon of
the selected drive program appears.
The driv e program indicator on DYNAMIC
SE LE CT controller C lights up in red.
Available drive programs:
I Indivi dual Indivi dual settings
C Comfort Comfort-oriente d, opt i-
mum-economy engine
and transmission settings
S Spo rt Spo rty engine and trans-
mission settings
S+ Sport Plus Particularly sporty trans-
mission settings
Race
Maximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Additional information for drive programs
( Y
page 162).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel paddle shifters. For further
information on the manual drive program
( Y
page 164).156
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
Driving and parking

Aut oma tic trans mi ssion
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If th e engin e spee d is abov e th e idlin g spee d
and you engage transmission position D or R ,
th e vehicl e could pull away suddenly. There is
a ris k of an accident.
When engagin g transmission position D or R ,
always firmly depress th e brak e pedal and do
no t simultaneously accelerate .
G WARNIN G
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when you switch off th e engine.
The vehicl e may rol l away. There is a ris k of an
accident.
Afte r switching off th e engine, always switch
to parking position P . Preven t th e parked vehi-
cle from rollin g away by applyin g th e parking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit h parking loc k^
Revers e gear\\
Neutral[
Drive
All veh icles (excep t Mercedes-AM G veh i-
cles): th e DIRECT SELECT lever is on th e right
of th e steering column . Fo r information on th e selector lever in
Mercedes-AM G vehicles ( Y
page 159).
The DIRECT SE LE CT lever always return s to
it s original position . The curren t transmission
position P , R , N or D appear s in th e transmis -
sion position display in th e multifunction dis-
play ( Y
page 157).
Trans mi ssion position and drive pr o-
gram display The curren t transmission position and driv e
program appear in th e multifunction display.
C
Transmi ssi on positionD
Gear

]
Park position with parking lock^
Reverse gear\\
Neutral[
Drive X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P .
Transmission position display P is shown in
the multifunction display.
When you have engaged park position P ,
make sure that the transmission position dis-
play shows P in the multifunction display.
You can only engage park position P when the
vehicle is stationary.
Depressing the brake and pushing the
DIRECT SELECT lever up or down disengages
the parking lock. The transmission is in N
neutral.
At transmission fluid temperatures below

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 D or 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 you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position R or D , the automatic
transmission shifts to N automatically.
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 P automati-
cally.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then
open the driver's door or the front-passenger
door, the automatic transmission shifts to P
automatically.
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:
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 electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button: 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 electric parking brake. X
Switch off the ignition and leave the Smart-
Key in the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position R or 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.
Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions
]
Park position with parking lock ^
Reverse gear \\
Neutral [
Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.Automatic transmission 159
Driving and parking Z

C
Transmission position displayD
Drive program display
If the transmission position display in the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should
pull away carefully to check whether the
desired transmission position is engaged.
Ideally, you should select transmission posi-
tion D and drive program C or S .
Engaging park position P
X
When the vehicle is stationary, press but-
ton C . Transmission positions E Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into
position P when the vehicle is sta-
tionary ( Y
page 157). 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.
Park position P is automatically
engaged if: R
you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey and remove the
SmartKey R
you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or using the Start/
Stop button and open the driv-
er's door or front-passenger
door R
the driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driv-
ing at very low speed and the
transmission is in position D or R
F Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position R when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.160
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

D 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.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position R or D , the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can damage
the drive train.
: 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 R
the position of the accelerator pedal 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 Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
G WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi-
cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the Stop Vehicle Shift to P
Leave Engine Running display message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the
clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the Trans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Care display
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator
pedal. Instead, only ever hold the vehicle sta-
tionary on uphill gradients by: R
depressing the brake pedal R
activating the HOLD function R
engaging the electric parking brake
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.Automatic transmission 161
Driving an d parking Z