2017 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class CABRIOLET ESP

There is a risk of fire and an accident. Releasethe parking brake fully before driving off.
!Do not warm up the engine with the vehicle
stationary. Drive off immediately. Avoid high
engine speeds and driving at full throttle until
the engine has reached its operating temper-
ature.
Only shift the automatic transmission to the
desired drive position when the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
Where possible, avoid spinning the drive
wheels when pulling away on slippery roads.
You could otherwise damage the drive train.
!At low engine oil temperatures under 68 ‡
(+20 †), the maximum engine speed is limi-
ted in order to protect the engine. To protect
the engine and maintain smooth engine oper-
ation, avoid driving at full throttle when the
engine is cold.
Key positions
SmartKey
gTo remove the SmartKey
1Power supply for some consumers, such as
the windshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all consumers)
and drive position
3To start the engine
The SmartKey can be turned in the ignition lock
even if it is not the correct SmartKey for the
vehicle. The ignition is not switched on. The
engine cannot be started.
Start/Stop button
General notes
All vehicles are equipped with a removable
Start/Stop button.
The Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock and the SmartKey must be in the
vehicle.
When you insert the Start/Stop button into the
ignition lock, the system needs approximately
two seconds recognition time. You can then use
the Start/Stop button.
Pressing the Start/Stop button several times in
succession corresponds to the different Smart-
Key positions in the ignition lock. This is only the
case if you are not depressing the brake pedal.
If you depress the brake pedal and press the
Start/Stop button, the engine starts immedi-
ately.
A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the Smart-
Key determines whether a valid SmartKey is in
the vehicle. This occurs, for example, when
starting the engine.
To start the vehicle without actively using the
SmartKey:
Rthe Start/Stop button must be inserted in the
ignition lock.
Rthe SmartKey must be in the vehicle.
Rthe vehicle must not be locked with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO (Ypage 73).
Do not keep the SmartKey:
Rwith electronic devices, e.g. a mobile phone
or another SmartKey.
Rwith metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal foil.
Rinside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
This can affect the functionality of the Smart-
Key.
If you lock the vehicle with the SmartKey's
remote control or with KEYLESS-GO, after a
short time:
Ryou will not be able to switch on the ignition
with the Start/Stop button.
Ryou will not be able to start the engine with the
Start/Stop button until the vehicle is
unlocked again.
If you lock the vehicle centrally using the button
on the front door (
Ypage 78), you can continue
to start the engine with the Start/Stop button.
124Driving
Driving and parking

The engine can be switched off while the vehicle
is in motion by pressing and holding the Start/
Stop button for three seconds. This function
operates independently of the ECO start/stop
automatic engine switch-off function.
Key positions with the Start/Stop button
:Start/Stop button
;Ignition lock
As soon as the ignition is switched on, all the
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster light
up. Warning and indicator lamps: see
(
Ypage 232).
If Start/Stop button :has not yet been
pressed, this corresponds to the SmartKey
being removed from the ignition.
XTo switch on the power supply: press
Start/Stop button :once.
The power supply is switched on. You can now activate the windshield wipers, for example.
The power supply is switched off again if:
Rthe driver's door is opened and
Ryou press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position
XTo switch on the ignition: press Start/Stop
button :twice.
The ignition is switched on.
The ignition is switched off again if:
Ryou do not start the engine within 15 minutes when in this position
Ryou press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position.
The power supply is switched off again if:
Rthe driver's door is opened and
Ryou press Start/Stop button :twice when in
this position
Removing the Start/Stop button
You can remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock and start the vehicle as normal
using the SmartKey.
It is only possible to switch between Start/Stop button mode and SmartKey operation when the
transmission is in position P.
XRemove Start/Stop button :from ignition
lock ;.
You do not have to remove the Start/Stop but-
ton from the ignition lock when you leave the
vehicle. You should, however, always take the
SmartKey with you when leaving the vehicle. As
long as the SmartKey is in the vehicle:
Rthe vehicle can be started using the Start/
Stop button
Rthe electrically powered equipment can be
operated
Starting the engine
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could:
Ropen the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users.
Rget out and disrupt traffic.
Roperate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
Rrelease the parking brake.
Rshifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
RStart 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.
Driving125
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Z

Also make sure that:
Rthe fuel tank is sufficiently filled
Rthe starter battery is sufficiently charged
GWARNING
Limbs could be crushed or trapped if the
engine is started unintentionally during ser-
vice or maintenance work. There is a risk of
injury.
Always secure the engine against uninten-
tional starting before carrying out mainte-
nance or repair work.
Make sure that the engine cannot be started via
your smartphone before carrying out mainte-
nance or repairs. You can prevent an engine
start via your smartphone, for example, if you:
Rswitch on the hazard warning lamps
Rdo not lock the doors
Ropen the hood
Pulling away
General notes
GWARNING
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 pulling
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 (
Ypage 79).
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 you do not depress the brake pedal, the
DIRECT SELECT lever can still be moved but the
parking lock remains engaged.
iUpshifts take place at higher engine speeds
after a cold start. This helps the catalytic con-
verter to reach its operating temperature
more quickly.
Information on the automatic release of the
electric parking brake (
Ypage 143).
Hill start assist
Hill start assist helps you when pulling away for-
wards 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.
GWARNING
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:
Ryou are pulling away on a level road or on a
downhill gradient.
Rthe transmission is in position i.
Rthe electric parking brake is applied.
RESP®is malfunctioning.
ECO start/stop function
Introduction
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
GWARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and
you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
Driving127
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Z

Problems with the engine
ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard.RThere is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
RThere is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
Before attempting to start the engine again:
XTurn the SmartKey back to position gin the ignition lock.
or
XPress the Start/Stop button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster go out.
XTry to start the engine again (Ypage 125). Avoid excessively long
and frequent attempts to start the engine as these will drain the
battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor.The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
XJump-start the vehicle (Ypage 294).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
XTry to start the engine again.
If the engine still does not start:
XConsult a qualified specialist workshop.
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfir-
ing.There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
XOnly depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it.
XHave the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The coolant temperature
gauge shows a value
above 248 ‡ (120 †).The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine is no
longer being cooled sufficiently.
XStop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
XCheck the coolant level (Ypage 276). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and add coolant if necessary.
130Driving
Driving and parking

Automa tic trans mission
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If th eengin espee dis abov eth eidlin gspee d
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
th evehicl ecould pull away suddenly. There is
a ris kof an accident.
When engagin gtransmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress th ebrak epedal and do
no tsimultaneously accelerate .
GWARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off th eengine.
The vehicl emay rol laway. There is aris kof an
accident.
Afte rswitching off th eengine, always switch
to parking position P.Preven tth eparked vehi-
cle from rollin gaway by applyin gth eparking
brake.
DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview oftrans mission positions
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
The DIRECT SELECT lever is on th eright of th e
steering column .
The DIRECT SELECT lever always return sto it s
original position .The curren ttransmission posi-
tion P,R,N or Dappear sin th etransmission position display in th
emultifunction display
(
Ypage 132).
Engaging pa rkposition P
!If th eengin espee dis to ohigh or th evehicl e
is moving ,do no tshif tth eautomatic trans -
mission directl yfrom Dto R,from Rto Dor
directl yto P. The automatic transmission
could otherwise be damaged.
jPark position wit hparking loc k
kReverse gear
iNeutral
hDrive
XPush theDIRECT SELECT lever in th edirection
of arrow P.
Engaging pa rkposition P automatically
Park position Pis automatically engage dif:
Ryou switch off th eengin eusin gth eSmartKey
and remove th eSmartKey
Ryou switch off th eengin eusin gth eSmartKey
or usin gth eStart/Sto pbutto nand open th e
driver's door or front-passenger door
Rth edriver's door is opened when th evehicl eis
stationary or drivin gat ver ylow spee dand th e
transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, th eautomatic trans -
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif th eHOLD function or DISTRONI C
PLU Sis activated. Observ eth einformation on
th eHOLD function (
Ypage 159) and on
DISTRONI CPLU S (Ypage 153).
Engaging reverse gear R
!Only shif tth eautomatic transmission to R
when th evehicl eis stationary.
Automatic transmission13 1
Driving an d parking
Z

:Transmission position
;Gear
=Drive program
The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions
you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
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 position Dand drive
program Eor S.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear in the multifunction display.
:Transmission position
;Drive program
The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions
you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
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 position Dand drive
program Cor S.
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary
(
Ypage 140). The parking lock
should not be used as a brake when
parking. Always apply the electronic
parking brake in addition to the park-
ing lock in order to secure the vehi-
cle.
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.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary.
ANeutral
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 Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Automatic transmission133
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Z

Drivingtips
Changin ggea r
The automatic transmissio nshift sto th eindi-
vidual gear sautomatically when it is in trans -
missio nposition D.Thi sautomatic gear shiftin g
behavio ris determined by:
Rth eselecte ddrive program
Rth eposition of th eaccelerator peda l
Rtheroad speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of drivin ginfluences how th eauto-
matic transmissio nshift sgear :
Rlittlethrottle: early upshift s
Rmore throttle: lateupshift s
Kickdown
Use kickdown fo rmaximum acceleration .
XDepress theaccelerator peda lbeyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio nshift sto alowe r
gear dependin gon th eengin espeed.
XEase of fth eaccelerator peda lonce th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmissio nshift sbac kup.
Rockin gth evehicle free
Rocking th evehicle free by shiftin gbac kand
fort hbetween transmissio nposition sD and R
can hel pto free avehicle that has becom estuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle' sengin emanage-
men trestricts switchin gbetween transmissio n
position sD and Rto speeds up to amaximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift bac kand fort hbetween
transmissio nposition sD and R,move th e
DIREC TSELECT lever up and down past th e
poin tof resistance.
Program selector butto n
XAll vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):press program selecto rbutto n: to
chang eth edrive program.
The selecte ddrive program appears in th e
multifunction display.
XMercedes-AMG vehicles :press program
selecto rbutto n: repeatedly until th elette r
fo rth edesire ddrive program appears in th e
multifunction display.
The program selecto rbutto ninfluences:
Rth edrive program (Ypage 135)
Rtheengin emanagemen t
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles ,drive program Eis
called drive program C.
The automatic transmissio nswitches to auto-
matic drive program E(drive program Cin
Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
E Econom yComfortable ,economical
drivin g
SSpor tSporty drivin gstyle
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles:)Mand the selected gear appear in the
multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive programMfor a limi-
ted amount of time. Depending on which steer- ing wheel paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic
transmission immediately shifts into the next
gear down or up, if permitted.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter (Ypage 135).
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.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Ypage 135).
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 mul-
tifunction display shows the recommended
gear.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :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 Mhas 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:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place (Ypage 135).
or
XUse the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch the
transmission position.
or
XUse the program selector button to change
the drive program (Ypage 134).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated. The
automatic transmission switches to the pre-
viously activated drive program E(drive pro-
gram Con 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 Mis different from drive
program Swith 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 (
Ypage 135).
Switching on the manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
using the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D. You can see the
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking