2016 MERCEDES-BENZ S CLASS automatic transmission

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 func-
tion for all vehicles except PLUG-IN HYBRID
vehicles. Information on the ECO start/stop
function on PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles
( Y
page 252).
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stopped
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
C
ECO start/stop display
The ECO start/stop function is activated when-
ever you switch on the engine using the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button.
If the engine has been switched off automati-
cally by the ECO start/stop function, the

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 (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): automatic engine switch-off can take
place a maximum of four times in a row (initial
stop, then three subsequent stops).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the number of con-
secutive automatic engine switch-offs is unlimi-
ted.
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 S or MR
in transmission position D or N the brake
pedal is released and the HOLD function is not
active R
you depress the accelerator pedal R
you engage reverse gear RR
you move the transmission out of position PR
you unfasten your seat belt or open the driv-
er'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 P does not
start the engine. Deactivating or activating the ECO
start/stop function All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles) X
To deactivate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D goes out.X
To activate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up.
If indicator lamp D 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 vehi-
cle stops.
If drive program S or M has been selected, the
ECO start/stop function is always deactivated.
If you switch on the ECO start/stop function
while drive program S is selected, the drive pro-
gram automatically switches to E .
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
X
To deactivate: in drive program C , press ECO
button C .
or X
Switch to drive program S or M ( Y
page 173).
Indicator lamp D goes out.Driving 167
Dr ivi ng an d parking Z

X
To activate: press ECO button C .
Indicator lamp D lights up.
If drive program S or M is active, the auto-
matic transmission switches to drive program
C .
If indicator lamp D 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 vehi-
cle stops.
If drive program S or M has been selected, the
ECO start/stop function is always deactivated.
If you switch on the ECO start/stop function
while drive program S is selected, the drive pro-
gram automatically switches to C .168
Driving
Driving an d 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.
Observ e th e important safet y note s for PLUG-I N
HYBRID vehicles ( Y
page 42).
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of trans mi ssion positions
]
Park position wit h parking loc k
^
Reverse gear
\\
Neutral
[
Drive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on th e right of th e
steering column . The DIRECT SELECT lever always return s to it s
original position . The curren t transmission posi-
tion P , R , N or D appear s in th e transmission
position display ( Y
page 172) in th e multifunc-
tion display.
Engaging pa rk position P
! If th e engin e spee d is to o high or th e vehicl e
is moving , do no t shif t th e automatic trans -
mission directl y from D to R , from R to D or
directl y to P . The automatic transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
]
Park position wit h parking loc k^
Reverse gear \\
Neutral [
Drive X
Push th e DIRECT SELECT lever in th e direction
of arrow P .
Engaging pa rk position P automaticallyPark position P is automatically engage d if:R
you switch off th e engin e usin g th e SmartKey
and remove th e SmartKey R
you switch off th e engin e usin g th e SmartKey
or usin g th e Start/Sto p butto n and open th e
driver's door or front-passenger door R
th e driver's door is opened when th e vehicl e is
stationary or drivin g at ver y low spee d and th e
transmission is in position D or R
Under certain conditions, th e automatic trans -
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position P if th e HOLD function or DISTRONI C
PLU S is activated. Observ e th e information on
th e HOLD function ( Y
page 209) and on
DISTRONI C PLU S ( Y
page 203).170
Automatic transmission
Driving an d parking

Engaging reverse gear R
! Only shift the automatic transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary. X
If the transmission is in position D or 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 informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
( Y
page 166).
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 PR
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 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 resist-
ance.
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 the Start/Stop button: if you t hen open
t
he driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to P automat-
ically.
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 SmartKey
in the ignition lock.
With the Start/Stop button: X
Remove the Start/Stop button from the igni-
tion 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 SmartKey
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.Automatic transmission 171
Driving and parking Z

Drivin g tips
Changin g gea rThe automatic transmissio n shift s to th e indi-
vidual gear s automatically when it is in trans -
missio n position D . Thi s automatic gear shiftin g
behavio r is determined by:R
th e selecte d drive program ( Y
page 173)R
th e position of th e accelerator peda l
( Y
page 173) R
th e road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your style of drivin g influences how th e auto-
matic transmissio n shift s gear :R
littl e throttle: early upshift sR
more throttle: lat e upshift s
Kickdown Use kickdown fo r maximum acceleration .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
Ease of f th e accelerator peda l once th e
desire d speed is reached.
The automatic transmissio n shift s bac k up.
Rockin g th e vehicle freeRocking th e vehicle free by shiftin g bac k and
fort h between transmissio n position s D and R
can hel p to free a vehicle that has becom e stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle' s engin e manage-
men t restricts switchin g between transmissio n
position s D and R to speeds up to a maximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift bac k and fort h between
transmissio n position s D and R , move th e
DIREC T SELECT lever up and down past th e
poin t of resistance.
Program selector butto n
Thi s section describes th e program selecto r but -
to n fo r all vehicles except PLUG-I N HYBRID vehi-
cles. Information on automatic drive programs
fo r PLUG-I N HYBRID vehicles ( Y
page 250). X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles an d PLUG-IN HYBRID) : press program
selecto r butto n C to chang e th e drive pro -
gram.
The selecte d drive program appears in th e
multifunction display.
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles : press program
selecto r butto n C repeatedly until th e lette r
fo r th e desire d drive program appears in th e
multifunction display.
The program selecto r butto n influences:R
th e drive program ( Y
page 174)R
th e engin e managemen t
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles , drive program E is
called drive program C .
The automatic transmissio n switches to auto-
matic drive program E (drive program C in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles
an d PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles )
E Econom y Comfortable , economical
drivin g
S Spor t Sporty drivin g styleAutomatic transmission 173
Driving and parking Z

You can also activate manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
( Y
page 174). In manual drive program M , you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
C Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S Sport Sporty driving style
M Manual Manual gear shifting
Permanent drive program M is only available for
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M ( Y
page 175).
You can also activate manual drive program M
using the steering wheel paddle shifters
( Y
page 174). In manual drive program M , you
can briefly change gear yourself by using the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
For further information on the automatic drive
program, see ( Y
page 174).
Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can activate manual drive program M in the
E ( C in AMG vehicles) and S automatic drive
programs using steering wheel paddle shift-
ers C and D ( Y
page 174). In manual drive
program M , you can briefly change gear yourself
by using the steering wheel paddle shifters.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you can also activate
manual drive program M with the program
selector button ( Y
page 175). In manual drive
program M , you can permanently change gear
yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. 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 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 drive program S Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
sporty engine settings. R
the vehicle pulling away in first gear. R
the automatic transmission shifting up later.
the fuel consumption possibly being higher as
a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position D .
You can activate manual drive program M in the
E ( C in Mercedes-AMG vehicles) and S auto-
matic drive programs.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: as well as temporary
drive program M , you can also activate perma-
nent drive program M . Further information
about permanent drive program M
( Y
page 175).
Activating X
Shift the transmission to position D .X
Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter ( Y
page 174).
Manual drive program M is temporarily acti-
vated.174
Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: )M and the selected gear appear in the
multifunction display.
Further information on activating manual drive
program M on PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles
( Y
page 250).
Shifting gears If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program M for a limi-
ted amount of time. Depending on which paddle
shifter is pulled, the automatic transmission
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 174).
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.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: 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 paddle shifter ( Y
page 174).
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 down shifting occurs when coast-
ing.
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 D according to
gearshift recommendation C 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 of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program M has been deactiva-
ted, the automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last selected.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself: X
Pull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place ( Y
page 174).
or X
Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or X
Use the program selector button to change
the drive program ( Y
page 173).
Manual drive program M is deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches to the pre-
viously activated drive program E (drive pro-
gram C on Mercedes-AMG vehicles) or S .
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
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 .
Manual drive program M is different from drive
program S with regard to spontaneity, respon-
siveness and smoothness of gear changes.
As well as this permanent drive program M , you
can also activate temporary drive program
M ( Y
page 174).Automatic transmission 175
Driving and parking Z