g4benz

Wow, I just tried S Mode (S/C) button in my car for the first time and what a difference. From a stop (red light, etc), the car really launches. It also passes cars on the highway quicker now. I only had the car since April and I guess I didn't get around to trying this. I do have the RennTech tune as well.

BTW, I'm referring to the C/S button which affects the way the transmission shifts (gears)

2 things, I wonder why C is then the default? The S setting doesn't "save" or stay after you restart the car. Does Mercedes not want us to drive in S mode all the time? After the S mode experience, I think I will continue to drive in S mode unless its raining or snowing (NY Weather). Also, I believe the S mode does not "lower" the car, so that's a good thing for me (bumpy roads in NY). The last thing I want to do is ride "low".

There's another button I have called Sport/Comfort as well. I leave that setting on Comfort all the time. I believe putting this setting in Sport does tighten up the suspension and lower the car. Not needed for me.

And the third button (normal vs raised height), I do not think I will use unless I want to raise the car during the winter (snow).

Anyway, contrary to some beliefs, the S mode rocks!! I thought I would share.

BenzV12

Thanks for sharing, I use S mode all the time .For your question why the car don't start in S must have something to do with why the car is starting in ECO mode by default . So, in a nutshell, so called fuel efficiency because most folks think in S mode you consume up more fuel and generally that's true
In S mode, you start in 1st gear as opposed to launching 2nd gear in E mode

jahquan3

I rarely use S cause as you said it definitely packs a punch. Probably more than needed unless someone is asking for a street race. I don't like to switch it while moving so I just leave it in comfort and that is more than enough against most competition.

I do use Sport suspension more then Comfort since it allows us to take turns at a higher speed without the roll/floaty feeling. I feel like Comfort gets a lil to bouncy when cornering.

jahquan3

Also @g4benz not sure if you know but whenever you hit a certain speed (70-80) the vehicle is suppose to automatically switch to Sports suspension for aerodynamic purposes. I forget the exact speed it does it at but it's around 80ish.

g4benz

Yes, I've heard that fuel eff. suffers a bit in S mode. Mine's already at 15-16MPG. The lack of highway driving doesn't help.

g4benz

Yes, I believe it's 93MPH or something. I recall from the manual. True, there's too much traffic around these parts to let the car race. However, I do feel a slight lag that disappears when putting the car in S mode versus C. The lag is noticeable upon launch from a stop. I've read that it is better not to change from S to C and vice versa "while" you are driving. I change it only while it's in P (Park) mode just to be extra safe.

I don't use "Sport" suspension mode because that automatically lowers the vehicle. I'm afraid of potholes, etc.

thefisch

As Benzv12 mentioned, S mode starts from 1st gear whereas C mode starts from 2nd gear. That's the launch difference your feeling. S mode also adjusts the shift points to hold a higher rpm. You can switch while driving without issue.

Airmatic goes into lowered mode when you get to 70mph IIRC from the manual. I leave it in sport airmatic mode all the time anyway. Like the lowered look.

g4benz

Yes, I didn't think I would "feel" the difference between the 2 as many people reportedly haven't.

As per my manual, it's 93MPH:

The vehicle chassis ride height is reduced
automatically

- at a speed exceeding approximately
93 mph (150 km/h)
- with the Sport driving mode set (Sport/Comfort) Button

thefisch

Yes, I just saw that in the 2010 manual online. They must have changed it (the manual at least) in 2011 which is the manual I have. Didn't realize it was different for 2010.

The following vehicle levels are possible:
- normal.
- raised: the vehicle is raised above the normal level by 0.80 in (20 mm).
- lowered: the vehicle is lowered beyond the normal level by 0.40 in (10 mm).
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically:
-at speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
-if you have selected "Sports tuning"

Interesting other difference I noted between the manuals. For the 2010, it says raised mode is 25mm higher (20mm for 2011) and that raised mode goes away at 75mph or if you've driven between 50-75mph for 3 minutes.

I guess they made it easier for the 2011 cars to know when to lower back down.

g4benz

Ha ha, that must be! The chances of me going 93MPH are pretty slim anyway!

thefisch

Maybe they had people who were getting speeding tickets trying to lower the car at 93mph. Lawyers got involved and told them any speeds in the manual needed to be legal in all states.

Arrie

Man,
If it was harmful to change between sport and comfort while driving the change would not be possible to happen driving. You would get a message in the cluster saying operation not possible when car is in motion or something like that.

The mode change is just a program change for the shift spots, that's all.

ph350

The fuel mileage is calculated with the car in Comfort mode(second gear) and ECO engaged. Without it defaulting to these settings the fuel consumption numbers would be worse. Mercedes is really only trying to maximize the mpg numbers that we would see on the window sticker.

jahquan3

Lol 93mph does sound a bit high. I consider myself a pretty fast driver and I only go 93 every few days or so. Now 70-80mph is a daily occurrence. It just feels like anything above 90 makes you stand out for a ticket.

g4benz

lol - Mercedes drivers drive real slow around these parts, and it's not even the "older" folks that do it....

it's the same with porsches lamborghinis etc..whenever I see a car like that..it is going below speed limit..

I guess people do not want to screw up their cars or whatever..

channey

I've been having an issue with my 2015 E350 Sport when driving in E mode. Regardless of E or S mode being selected, my car always starts out in 1st gear (it shows as "D1" in the display). When this happens in E mode, the transmission jerks when transitioning through gears 1 thru 3. When I presented this to my dealership, the head technician tried to bs me and said that when the display reads "D1" while in E mode, it's really in 2nd gear. I told him that was nonsense and that you can watch the tachometer to see it shift thru all 7 gears. He then said it's always supposed to start in D1 regardless of which mode is selected, just the shift points are different between the two modes.

Well, I was back at the dealership today, and I told them that the last two loaner cars that I had driven (a 2015 GLK350 & a 2015 E350 Lux) always started in D2 when in E mode and that mine should as well. We test drove my car so he could see, then we test drove one of their loaner cars which was also a 2015 E350 Sport. As it turned out, their E350 Sport also starts out in D1 mode, so now they're saying that only the Sports trim models are designed to work that way. If that is true, then my opinion is that MB screwed up the transmission programming in their Sports models.

If any 2015 E350 Sport owners read this, I'd like to get some confirmation either way.

Royce118

Confirmed that mine starts in D1 regardless of modes being selected.

thefisch

I read somewhere that they changed the starting gear for E/C mode to 1st gear in 2012 or 2013 with the newer tranny.

jahquan3

What did they say about the jerk when transitioning between gears 1-3?

channey

They said it felt "normal" to them.

aaacsdai

I wonder if this has something to do with the new transmission maintenance interval mentioned in another thread. I have a MY 11 E350 and always change from E to S at any speed when someone gives me and my girl the look.

Johnny Rad

That's a jerky thing to say.

channey

Considering my car is less than 3 months old with only 4500 miles on it, I don't think maintenance interval figures into it.

Ed99

I have my suspension on sport most of the time. I like the stiffer tighten ride. Better on cornering and it feels it hugs the road better. Because I lowered it with links, my car can really take a corner now. I keep it at C mode most of the time unless I want to unleash some growl and power. S mode is a significant difference in power. If you have an after market exhaust, you can really feel and hear the power difference.

Poomobile

Does anyone notice brake pedal difference when in "E" over "S"?

I posted a thread in the cls forum on how my brake pedal has an intermittent stickiness...and almost what is like a dead spot. Changed to "S" mode today and the problem goes away...very weird.

Here is my post:

Brake pedal problem
Just moved to a 2015 cls550 from a 2010 e550...just getting used to the change but car seems very nice.

I noticed that my brake pedal has a bit of...not sure how to explain it...but it's like a bit of a gap when you push down. Maybe like a quarter inch before it starts engaging the brake. The problem is that it is intermittent. Usually happens after driving for a few minutes without touching the brake. It is very noticeable when using the hold feature at a stop light.

Is this normal? Anyone experience this? Any fix? I'm worried this will be a "normal behaviour" when I bring it in to dealer. It is really annoying!

https://mbworld.org/forums/cls-coupe...l-problem.html