BM2BZ

i think most of us have the same problem .

BenzMan369

Thank you for understanding and sharing my pain.

Benzcrazy23

sorry for bumping an old thread, but I just bought my 2012 E350C with AMG package.
I notice that every time I switch from S to E , that car goes back to E automatically after I turn it off and start it again, is this normal or should it remain in S mode until I manually switch it back to E ??

Thanks

eNNCity

The car will ALWAYS start in Econ mode. There is no way to set Sport as the default. This traces back to the fact that MB MPG ratings are based on Econ mode.

Benzcrazy23

this makes much more sense now....Thank you very much for your reply.

I thought there was something wrong with my car........hahahaha

hx_guy

Do you guys actually notice a difference in how the car drives between E and S? I swear they seem the same to me (E350 Bluetec).

Benzcrazy23

I haven't driven my car enough to give you an honest opinion, so I will reserve my opinion until I put more miles on my car.

perhaps someone that has had their car longer can answer your question.

K-A

Mercedes' "Sport" mode is basically a marketing driven joke. It's the laziest and most non-comprehensive interpretation of a "Sports" mode that you'll find. Which is why it's hard to even notice a difference. Many bonafide engineering-driven Sport modes out there are so different from their "normal" modes that you can't even stay in Sport mode long enough, due to the complete change of aggressive character.

Arrie

The only thing the S vs. E mode does is that with S it starts with the first gear from the stop. Helps in city traffic. They also claim the gear shift rev points are higher with S-mode but I really don't see this. It is more dictated by the gas pedal position...with the 550 under the hood I really don't need to worry about this at all. Mine goes when I ask it to go...


But I used to drive a 350 and it made a difference between E vs. S as with the smaller engine it takes off from stop better in S-mode.

For highway long distance driving it does not make any difference at all between the modes. Trust me, I do a lot of this. MPG is the same.

Tjdehya

If you drive like grandma in E or S then there wont be any difference. If you drive agressively then you will see a difference between the two.

eNNCity

The other day I switched from Sport to Econ while I was on the freeway and made sure I kept my foot the same on the pedal. I noticed the RPM drop a bit once I switched to E. Switching from E to S or vice versa can have a difference if you are using it properly to suit your driving style.

Arrie

On a freeway it made rpm to drop from S to E? What speed were you driving on the freeway? If you were at higher than about 55 mph you may have a problem with your car. These things go to the highest gear at around 50 mph or even lower depending on driving conditions. At a freeway driving it should make no difference between S and E in the gear selector.

michaelcrawford

I'm a newbie, and I tried to do my due diligence and search the GLK forum but no luck. Just purchased a 2011 GLK 4matic with 31,000 kms. Only had the car for a week and love it.

Last night I wanted to switch to "S" Sport Mode and was unable to...the gas tank was almost empty so I thought maybe this was a feature to prevent me from burning too much fuel. I filled up this morning and it still won't switch to "S" Sport Mode.

jahquan3

Great topic. I definitely feel like there is a huge difference between S and E. I also feel like whenever I reset the TCU that it's a huge difference. To add to the OP, I rarely switch on the fly unless, I see someone asking for it. Then I try to give my batmobile the best chance possible to make them reconsider next time. Typically I ride in E and only S when taunted or just wanting to move a little more.

cc16177

I find there is definitely a difference it just depends what type of driving i'm doing.

When i'm cruising on the highway for 2-4 hours at a time I keep it in E. If i'm in busier traffic and want to be able to change lanes quickly i'll use S.

From a stop, I find there's little difference other than it going to first gear rather than second so often i'll just use the paddles to put it in first gear in E.

Alex.currie44

Totally agree. Every one of my 10 MB cars had tranmission mode change capability and it is fine.
What you have to realize is that the change affects when the tranmission shifts.
In economy it shifts earlier to keep revs down and conserve fuel. In Sport the revs are sustained to higher numbers to improve acceleration.
Depending on transmission and set up, E also starts the car in 2nd gear to help control wheel spin on slippery surfaces.
The G7 transmission also starts in a higher ratio reverse in C (yes the G7 has 2 reverse gears).

C280 Sport

I keep my car in (E) Mode always. Unless I want to put it into (S) mode I only do so on the starting of my car when I am in Park.

Alex.currie44

As do many, you need to understand that what you are doing only interfaces with the transmission in selection of which gear it start off in.
E will start the car rolling in 2nd gear and the ECU will shift the transmission at lower revs to conserve fuel.
If your car has the G7 transmission E will also select the taller gear ratio in reverse to ease reversing in slippery conditions.
Switching between E and S changes shift points to conserve fuel or to provide more power but it is still using the same gears.
By changing from E to S and back to E will do nothing to put your transmission at risk. It is not a mechanical shift.
You can start out in E and switch to S in the middle of an upshift sequence and all you will feel is power longer between shifts and differences in RPM.
Every one the 10 MB I have owned (except perhaps a B class I had for 5 months) had an E or S setting for the transmission and changing back and forth has never caused me grieve.
I just returned from a 900 km trip across Vancouver Island on a road which is hilly and twisty where I was changing between C (aka E) and S on my CLA45 AMG. Seamless shifts in either range.
There is nothing to be concerned about. Read the manual that came with your car.

SteveE400

I guess one's choice of transmission mode may also be affected by the engine in their auto. I have the 3.0L twin turbo (E400), and it is faster than most of the cars around me even when driving in E mode. Yes, it pulls away from stop in 2nd gear, but with all the torque the TT V-6 has from idle on up, it almost doesn't matter. Yes, it is even more responsive and is faster in S mode, but much of the time I just don't need it. Leaning on the throttle in the fat part of the car's torque curve is just so satisfying. . .

The G Man

Alex.currie44, I agree, its nothing more than a transmission program change. The transmission might down shift one gear when you put it in sport mode while in motion, but otherwise, no harm done. In the Mercedes that have the airmatic suspension, the owner's manual advise the driver not to change mode while in motion due to the ride height change which can cause the car to be unstable at high speed, but that's just the Mercedes' lawyers talking, I have done it many times with issues.

Alex.currie44

When you want to have some fun, try a drag with a CLA45 AMG.
Most powerful 4 cylinder 2 L in production.
My 2015 is 355 hp, 332 ft. lb of torque at 2250 RPM power to weight ration of 9.6 lb/hp 0-100kph in 4.2 sec.
My bet? It will beat your C300 in either transmission setting.

Alex.currie44

I have to agree it is legalese.
If they knowingly put a car out that would be destabilized by letting air out of the bags they would be open to law suits if it was proved and accident occured due to changing suspension setting. Ask VW what happens when you do dumb stuff.

SteveE400

Not sure who you're addressing. If me, I don't have a C300. Also, I was not referring to being able to drive away from all of the other hyper-capable cars coming from MB. My comment was that with the E400 I can drive away from all the "ordinary" cars and many of the common performance cars.


Would I race a CLA45 AMG? Seriously? I've learned quite a bit about the various models coming from MB and AMG, and I wouldn't presume to be able to beat any of the AMG cars. There just usually aren't any in traffic with me, so I wasn't thinking about them.


No "trash talk" intended. Just havin' fun. . .

jahquan3

A Ford Fiesta could probably beat a C300 in either setting LMAO. Nah jk

Tonycpa

It's perfectly fine to switch the tranny from sport to economy or vice versa while driving.