2000-2006 Mercedes C Class 4 Door Controls in detail -> Automatic transmission* User Manual
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Controls in detail -> Automatic transmission* for Your Mercedes C Class 4 Door First Generation (2000-2006)

156
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Automatic transmission is standard
equipment on select models and available
as optional equipment on select other
models.
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission see “Automatic
transmission*” (
컄 page 47).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its gear shift program.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:
앫 the gear selector lever
position D (컄 page 160) with
gear ranges 4, 3, 2, 1 (컄 page 159)
앫 the selected program mode:
(C/S) (컄 page 162)
or
(M/C/S) (C 55 AMG only)
(
컄 page 165)
앫 the position of the accelerator
(컄 page 163)
앫 the vehicle speed
i
During the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
157
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
1 Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2 Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C
/
S
)
or (
M
/
C
/
S
) appear in the multifunction
display.
An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
When the gear selector lever is in
position D, you can influence transmission
shifting by:
앫 limiting the gear range
앫 changing gears manually
Warning! G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out of P or N if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
158
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in position D.
Downshifting
왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in the D- direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
컄 page 159).
Upshifting
왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+ direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Canceling gear range limit
왘 Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D+ direction until
D
reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear range D.
Shifting into optimal gear range
왘 Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D- direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning! G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
i
To avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
the D- direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
159
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in position D,
you can limit the transmission’s gear range
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
right (D+).
The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display (
컄 page 157). If you
press on the accelerator when the engine
has reached its rpm limit, the transmission
will upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
Effect
é The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
è The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
Effect
ç The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:
앫 on steep downgrades
앫 in mountainous regions
앫 under extreme operating
conditions
æ The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.
160
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gear selector lever position
Effect
ì Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in position P
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
position P to secure the vehicle.
Effect
The SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
position P. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in position P.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in position P
(
컄 page 340).
í Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
position R only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engage N while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to N
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.
161
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
in N can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning! G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in position P
is dangerous. Also, position P alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (
컄 page 54).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning! G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
position P, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
162
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1 Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
왘 Press program mode selector
switch 1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the multifunction display (
컄 page 157).
Select C for comfort driving:
앫 The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range 1 is selected.
앫 Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
앫 Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!
Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
position P. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program
mode (C or S) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.
163
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
왘 Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
왘 Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
왘 Leave the transmission in gear.
왘 Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling or on an uphill gradient:
왘 Move the gear selector lever to
position P.
왘 Set the parking brake.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
왘 Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
왘 Accelerate gently.
왘 Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Working on the vehicle
Warning! G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to position P. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.
164
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) (C 55 AMG only)
You can change the gears manually on the
steering wheel or by using the gear
selector lever (컄 page 158).
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1 Left button: downshift
2 Right button: upshift
!
Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
i
You cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in position P, N or R.
The manual program mode M will not
be stored. When the engine is turned
off with the manual program mode M
selected, the transmission will go to
the automatic program mode (C or S)
when the engine is restarted.
The last selected program
mode (C or S) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.
165
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Downshifting
왘 Press button 1 on the left side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
The gear range is limited when you are not
driving in the manual program mode M
(
컄 page 159).
When driving in the manual program
mode M (
컄 page 165), the transmission
will shift from the current gear to the next
lower gear (컄 page 166).
Upshifting
왘 Press button 2 on the right side of the
steering wheel.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
The gear range is extended when you are
not driving in the manual program mode M
(
컄 page 159).
When driving in the manual program
mode M (
컄 page 165), the transmission
will shift from the current gear to the next
higher gear (컄 page 167).
Manual shift program (C 55 AMG only)
In the manual program mode M you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (컄 page 164) or by using the gear
selector lever (컄 page 158).
Warning! G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
166
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1 Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
Activating manual shift program
왘 Press program mode selector
switch 1 repeatedly until the
M
for the
manual program mode M appears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program mode M. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in position D. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M
/
C
/
S
) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(컄 page 157).
Downshifting
왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in the D- direction
(컄 page 158).
or
왘 Press button 1 on the left side of the
steering wheel (컄 page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.
Warning! G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
i
When you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.
167
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Upshifting
왘 Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+ direction
(컄 page 158).
or
왘 Press button 2 on the right side of the
steering wheel (컄 page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program mode M is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
왘 Press the program mode selector
switch (컄 page 166) repeatedly
until
C
or
S
appears in the multifunction
display.
or
왘 Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C or S).
The manual program mode M is not
stored.
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
왘 Stop the vehicle.
왘 Move gear selector lever to P.
왘 Turn off the engine.
왘 Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.
왘 Restart the engine.
왘 Move gear selector lever to position D
(for second gear) or R.
왘 Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
!
In the manual program mode M, the
transmission will not upshift, even if
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Shift up to the next gear before
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red
marking on the tachometer
(
컄 page 24). Otherwise the engine
could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty
i
The last selected program
mode (C or S) is switched on when the
engine is restarted in the automatic
program mode.

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