2003 Mercedes S-Class Owner's Manual - Page 167

Controls in detail Automatic transmission Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place full load on the engine until the operating temperature has been reached. Shift into reverse gear only when the vehicle is stopped. Downshifting Press the button located on the left side of the steering wheel. or Briefly press the selector lever to the right in the D- direction. The transmission shifts to the next lower gear. Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place full load on the engine until the operating temperature has been reached. Shift into reverse gear only when the vehicle is stopped. Warning! Deactivating steering wheel gearshift control Press the program mode selector switch repeatedly until S or C for automatic shift program appears in the tachometer display field. Manual gear shifting is deactivated. ! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended period when driving off on slippery surface. This may cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. i At each engine start, the transmission will go into the last shift program mode selected (S or C). Program mode M is not stored and will not be recalled when engine is restarted. 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. 167