2008 Mercedes CL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 423

Controls in detail Automatic transmission ! DISTRONIC Plus*: The transmission will shift to park position P automatically, only when DISTRONIC Plus brings your vehicle to a standstill, and when it meets at least one of the following conditions at the same time: The engine is turned off. A door opens and the seat belt is not engaged in the buckle. The hood is released. The trunk lid is open while reverse gear R is engaged. The vehicle is parked for an extended period. In addition to shifting to park position P, the electronic parking brake will be engaged automatically. Effect í Reverse gear Shift into reverse gear R only when the vehicle is stopped. ! If you turn off the engine using the SmartKey or the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button, the transmission will shift to neutral position N automatically. If you want the gear position to remain in neutral position N, e.g. when taking the vehicle through an automatic conveyor type car wash or when towing the vehicle, observe the following instructions. Warning! 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 transmission, never shift into neutral position N while driving. If the ESP® is deactivated or malfunctioning: Shift into neutral position N only if the vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g. on icy roads. G i Make it a practice to always shift into park position P before turning off the engine and remove the SmartKey from the starter switch or open a door or when using KEYLESS-GO*, before turning off the engine with the start/stop button and opening a door. When leaving the SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch, do not leave children unattended in the vehicle. It is possible for children to switch on the ignition which could result in unsupervised use of vehicle equipment. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment could result in an accident and/or serious personal injury. 422