2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS automatic transmission

Transmission positions E Park position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion P when the vehicle is stationary
( Y
page 147). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the parking
brake in addition to the parking lock
in order to secure the vehicle.
If the vehicle electronics are malfunc-
tioning, the transmission may be
locked in position P . Have the vehicle
electronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Park position P is automatically
engaged if: R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey and remove the Smart-
Key R
you switch off the engine using the
SmartKey or using the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenger door R
the driver's door is opened when
the vehicle is stationary or driving
at very low speed and the trans-
mission is in position D or R
F Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion R when the vehicle is stationary. 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 only to position N if
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
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 shifting
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
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
When shifting down, the double-clutch function
is active regardless of the currently selected
drive program. The double-clutch functionAutomatic transmission 137
Driving an d parking Z

reduces load change reactions and is conducive
to a sporty driving style. The sound generated 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 D and R
can help to free a vehicle that has become stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine manage-
ment restricts switching between transmission
positions D and R to speeds up to a maximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift back and forth between
transmission positions D and R , move the
DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Program selector button
General notes
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles and
vehicles with AMG sports package) X
Press program selector button C repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display. Vehicles with the AMG Sports package X
Press program selector button C repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving characteris-
tics.
i Further information about permanent drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
As well as this permanent drive program M ,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
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 139).
i The automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program E each time the engine is
started.138
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program selector with manual drive program X
Turn drive program selector C until the
desired drive program appears in the multi-
function display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicator on drive program
selector C lights up in red.
i Further information about permanent drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
As well as this permanent drive program M ,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
C Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S Sport Sporty driving style
S+ SportPlus Particularly 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 139).
i The automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program C each time the engine is
started.
i RS cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE START,
see ( Y
page 165). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters C and D .
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 141).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
i You can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D .
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E Drive program E (drive program C on Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following: R
comfort-oriented engine and automatic trans-
mission 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 accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully. R
the vehicle having improved driving stability,
for example on slippery road surfaces. 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 transmission 139
Driving and parking Z

Aut oma tic drive program SDrive program S (or , in th e cas e of Mercedes-
AM G vehicles, drive program s S and S+ ) is char-
acterize d by th e following:R
sport y engin e and automatic transmission
settings. R
th e automatic transmission shifting up later.
th e fuel consumption possibl y bein g higher as
a result of th e later automatic transmission
shif t points .
Manual drive program M Genera l notesIn this drive program , you can briefl y chang e
gear yourself by usin g th e steering whee l paddl e
shifters. The transmission mus t be in position D .
You can activat e manual drive program M in th e
E and S automatic drive programs.
i As well as temporar y drive program M , you
can also activat e permanen t drive program M
( Y
page 138).
Further information about permanen t drive
program M ( Y
page 141).
Acti va tingX
Shift th e transmission to position D .X
Pull th e lef t or right steering whee l paddl e
shifte r ( Y
page 139).
Manual drive program M is temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and M appear in th e
multifunction display.
Shi ft ing gear s
If you pull on th e lef t or right steering whee l
paddl e shifter, th e automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program M for a limi -
te d amount of time. Dependin g on whic h paddl e
shifte r is pulled , th e automatic transmission
immediately shifts int o th e next gear down or
up, if permitted. X
To shift up : pull th e right-hand steering whee l
paddl e shifte r ( Y
page 139).
The automatic transmission shifts up to th e
next gear .
i If th e maximum engin e spee d on th e cur -
rentl y engage d gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate , th e automatic tra nsmis - s
ion automatically shifts up in order to pre -
ven t engin e damage. X
To shift down : pull on th e left-han d steering
whee l paddl e shifte r ( Y
page 139).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
th e next gear .
i If th e engin e exceeds th e maximum engin e
spee d when shifting down , th e automatic
transmission protect s against engin e damag e
by no t shifting down .
i Automatic down shifting occur s when
coasting .
Shi ft recommendation
The gearshif t recommendation s assist you in
adopting an economical drivin g style. The rec -
ommended gear is shown in th e multifunction
display. X
Shift to recommended gear D according to
gearshif t recommendation C when shown in
th e multifunction display of th e instrumen t
cluster.
Deactivating If you hav e activated manual drive program M , it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain condition s th e minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in th e cas e of lateral
acceleration , during an overrun phas e or when
drivin g on steep terrain .
If manual drive program M has been deactiva-
ted, th e automatic transmission shifts int o th e
automatic drive program that was last selected,
i.e . E or S .
You can also deactivat e manual drive program
M yourself : X
Pull on th e right-hand steering whee l paddl e
shifte r and hold it in plac e ( Y
page 139).
or X
Use th e DIRECT SELECT lever to switch th e
transmission position ( Y
page 135).140
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

or X
Use the program selector button to change
the drive program ( Y
page 138).
Manual drive program M is deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches into the
automatic drive program that was last selec-
ted, i.e. E or S .
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles and vehicles with the
AMG sports package)
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 pro-
gram M ( Y
page 140).
Switching on the manual drive program X
Press the program selector button
( Y
page 138) repeatedly until M appears in
the multifunction display. X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: turn the drive pro-
gram selector ( Y
page 139) until M appears in
the multifunction display.
The indicator M on the drive program selector
lights up in red.
Manual drive program M is different from drive
programs S and S+ with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Manual drive program M can be selected using
the drive program selector. In manual drive pro-
gram M , you can change gear using the steering
wheel paddle shifters if the transmission is in
position D . The gear currently selected and
engaged is shown in the multifunction display.
Upshifting X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear. Mercedes-AMG vehicles
! In manual drive program M , the automatic
transmission does not shift up automatically
even when the engine limiting speed for the
current gear is reached. When the engine lim-
iting 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.
C
Gear indicator D
Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the multi-
function display. X
When the UP message appears in the multi-
function display, pull on the right-hand steer-
ing 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 C appears in the multifunction display
on the instrument cluster, pull on the right-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter
( Y
page 139).
The automatic transmission shifts to recom-
mended gear D .Automatic transmission 141
Driving and parking Z

Downshifting X
Pull th e left-han d steerin g whee l paddle
shifter.
The automatic transmissio n shift s down to
th e next gear .
i If you brake th e vehicle or stop without shift -
in g down , th e automatic transmissio n will
shift down to a gear that will allow th e vehicle
to accelerat e or pull away again .
i Fo r maximum acceleration , pull th e left-
han d steerin g whee l paddle shifter until th e
transmissio n selects th e optimum gear fo r
th e curren t speed.
Kickdown You can also use kickdown fo r maximum accel-
eration in manual drive program M .X
Depress th e accelerator peda l beyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio n shift s to a lowe r
gear dependin g on th e engin e speed.X
Shift bac k up once th e desire d speed is
reached.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : it is no t possible to
use kickdown in manual drive program M .
Switchin g off th e manual drive programX
Press th e program selecto r butto n
( Y
page 138).X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : turn th e drive pro -
gram selecto r ( Y
page 139).142
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank Problem
Possible causes/consequences and P Solutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.
G WARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
Risk of explosion or fire. X
Apply the electric parking brake. X
Switch off the engine. X
Remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
or, on vehicles with KEYLESS ‑ GO:X
Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0 . This is the same as the
SmartKey having been removed. X
Do not restart the engine under any circumstances. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The fuel filler flap cannot
be opened. The fuel filler flap is not unlocked. X
Unlock the vehicle ( Y
page 76).
The SmartKey battery is discharged or nearly discharged. X
Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key ( Y
page 78).X
Open the trunk lid. X
Manually unlock the fuel filler flap using the emergency release
( Y
page 145).
The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is jammed. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
Parking
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of the exhaust system or exhaust
gas flow. 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 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 driv-
etrain could be damaged.146
Parking
Driving and parking

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 P and the
Smartkey must be removed from the ignition
lock. R
the front wheels must be turned towards the
curb on steep uphill or downhill gradients.
Switching off the engine
Important safety notes
G WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position N when 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 Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): shift the transmission to position P .
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: when the vehicle
is stationary, press button C .X
With the Smartkey: turn the Smartkey to
position 0 in the ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated. X
With KEYLESS-GO: press the KEYLESS-GO
Start/Stop button ( Y
page 127).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out. When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to Smartkey position 1 . When the
driver's door is open, this corresponds to
Smartkey position 0 : "Smartkey removed".
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position R or D , the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to N automatically.
With the Smartkey: if you then open the driv-
er's door or the front-passenger door or remove
the Smartkey from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P automatically.
With KEYLESS-GO: if you then open the driver's
or front-passenger door, the automatic trans-
mission 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: X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO: remove the
Start/Stop button from the ignition lock. X
Insert the Smartkey into the ignition lock. X
All vehicles: switch the ignition on. 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 Smartkey
in the ignition lock.
The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for about three seconds. This func-
tion 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. Parking 147
Driving and parking Z