Holding the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients
G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactiva-
ted. This interrupts the power transmission.
The vehicle may, for example, roll back-
wards 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'
Stop Vehicle Shift to 'P'
Leave Engine Running
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
Trans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Care
Overheated Drive on with Care
display
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary
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.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible
to use kickdown in the automatic drive pro-
gram and the temporary manual drive program
M. When manual drive program M is perma-
nently activated, kickdown is not possible.
For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M (
Y
page 142).
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting back and forth between transmission
positions
h
and
k
can help to free up the
vehicle if it gets stuck in mud or snow. The
vehicle's engine management system limits
the speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h)
when shifting back and forth. To shift repeat-
edly between transmission positions
h
and
k
, move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and
down past the point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles)
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program C is characterized by the follow-
ing:
R
the vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics.
R
the vehicle pulls 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.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing:
R
sporty engine settings.
R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R
the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
R
the steering
138
Automatic transmission
Driv
ing
and
parking