W vs S, When do you use it?
10-30-2011, 10:46 PM
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Black 2000 E320 4Matic
W vs S, When do you use it?
W vs S. I'm referring to the Winter and Summer (Standard) settings our W210's have on our cars. I'm wondering what do you guys use it other than Winter and Summer, does it improve gas mileage? Easier on the engine? I dunno, lets hear what you guys have to say!
Last edited by E320User; 10-30-2011 at 10:50 PM.
10-30-2011, 11:59 PM
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2001 E320 - RIP
hey man... are you getting snow up there yet!...i rarely use W (except when my daughter has mistakenly pushed the button and it's getting crummy mpg!), it is mostly for getting a bit more rpm/torque when needed - on the one day of snowfall and freezing conditions we get down here or during the tornado season downpours ... when you switch to W, you'll notice that the gears change on higher rpm, not so good for mpg, but does give some extra power in the gear before it upshifts.... i drive in S majority/all of the time except in slippery/wet/snow conditions when i want some extra traction in the lower gears, then i switch to W .... since i've driven a manual car for most of my driving years, i tend switch to manual shifting if i want to have more control of up/down shift and drive by the rpm.
Last edited by kbad; 10-31-2011 at 12:14 AM.
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thenothingblack (06-28-2022)
10-31-2011, 07:32 PM
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hey man... are you getting snow up there yet!...i rarely use W (except when my daughter has mistakenly pushed the button and it's getting crummy mpg!), it is mostly for getting a bit more rpm/torque when needed - on the one day of snowfall and freezing conditions we get down here or during the tornado season downpours ... when you switch to W, you'll notice that the gears change on higher rpm, not so good for mpg, but does give some extra power in the gear before it upshifts.... i drive in S majority/all of the time except in slippery/wet/snow conditions when i want some extra traction in the lower gears, then i switch to W .... since i've driven a manual car for most of my driving years, i tend switch to manual shifting if i want to have more control of up/down shift and drive by the rpm.
Fabio Daniel
10-31-2011, 07:47 PM
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what Fabio D said, I never use W anymore, with the 4-matic it does not make much of a difference. The I first got the car I thought W would get me better mpg but I have not noticed enough difference to make it worth it.
10-31-2011, 10:39 PM
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S gives the best MPG
W for snow,mud,sand,etc.
Dedicated real snow tires and W mode are the way to travel in a w210 in snow and ice. That or chain up.
Or as mentioned 4matic and snows
Dedicated real snow tires and W mode are the way to travel in a w210 in snow and ice. That or chain up.
Or as mentioned 4matic and snows
11-01-2011, 01:02 AM
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Black 2000 E320 4Matic
Where I am now there is no snow yet (surprisingly, usually the whole city is blanketed with a foot of snow in September) but I still drive with the W on - mainly because my BMW had a regular driving and a sport mode and what the regular driving did was it would start from 2nd gear and would keep the rpm's at lower levels to preserve gas, which is what the W does on our cars.
But if I switch it to S, sport, standard or whichever you wanna call it it becomes noticeably quicker :o
Does it damage, ruin or affect the transmission negatively in anyway if you keep it in W for extended periods of time? I'd assume Mercedes Benz would have let us know if it did but I'm curious if anyone has any ideas or any experiences
Oh btw Ohlord thanks a lot for the help with the AC, I did fix it according to your instructions and now it works perfectly
unfortunately its getting colder n colder and now I'm using the heater function now!
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11-02-2011, 12:41 AM
#8
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To the contrary
W decreases MPG. It is proven that properly accelerated (not jack rabbit) a car using all its gears to move off at a pace that gets it into the high gear and to its most fuel efficient speed is best.
W moves you away in lower rpm 2 nd gear and reduced shift points,not the best for maximum MPG.
Neither of what you did with either cars preserved fuel.
BMW or MBZ.
Hypermilers have known the trick of getting to the most economical speed for years. Use all your gears,use them with judicious throttle,and S will always beat w.
Glad whatever I did helped your A/C issue. Run the A/C on low every few weeks for a few minutes to keep the seals oiled up and ready for next summer
W moves you away in lower rpm 2 nd gear and reduced shift points,not the best for maximum MPG.
Neither of what you did with either cars preserved fuel.
BMW or MBZ.
Hypermilers have known the trick of getting to the most economical speed for years. Use all your gears,use them with judicious throttle,and S will always beat w.
Glad whatever I did helped your A/C issue. Run the A/C on low every few weeks for a few minutes to keep the seals oiled up and ready for next summer
11-10-2011, 02:50 PM
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2000 E320 Wgn & 1979 280SE
W or S?
2000 E320 Wgn 2wd - When winter arrives in Colorado I swap out the rears for studded snows that I keep mounted on a spare set or rims. When it gets slippery the wife and I both feel more comfortable leaving the shift mode in "S" and turn the ESC off. ESC tends to mask "road feel". We both grew up in New England so we know what slippery roads are all about. We like having control.
11-14-2011, 05:27 PM
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For the life of my car it has mostly been in W.Many years ago I did a few tanks on W and a few tanks on S. It got better milage on W so that is why I use it in W. I do go to S every once in a while just to make sure it works in S.
11-14-2011, 07:18 PM
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98 Brilliant Silver E320 Wagon
Starting out in 2nd gear (W setting) puts an unnecessary strain on the transmission. Even if you perceive you are getting better mileage the potential transmission repairs will cost far more.
