phs

I just finished my first 1500Km of "break in" and started to drive in the "S" mode. The car is suppose to remember the last mode you drove in before you turn the engine off and lock in the SAME mode when you restart the engine. That's what's supposed to happen (like my C350 MY2008). However, I find that on starting the engine, it always default back to the "C" mode everytime, even when it was in the "S" mode I was driving in before. Any opinion, insight or solution?

EnigmaAW

interesting, mine stays in "s" all the time?

B-alan-ce

My thought is, thats a defect. I recall reading a different behavior than yours in the Drivers manual. Look it up and then ask them to correct it if you dont like.

That said, I'm interested to know if there is a noticable gas consumption savings when in C over S. Personally, I prefer to use S. But when I hit the highways maybe it's better to stop the car and flip to C first. Anyone got any feedback there.

Also, the drivers manual suggests stopping the car first and then flipping between C and S. Is this really damaging to an MB if not followed. Or if I slide into Neutral first and then flip, will that do any long term damage also? All comments are welcome.

NYCGLK

hmm mine stays in S too

I don't think there's meaningful difference in fuel consumption between S and C. If there is any noticeable difference it's prolly due to person driving harder in S.

Also should not make any difference on a highway. Once you are in the 7th gear it doesn't matter how fast it upshifts.

Jaydeath

on my other MBs I switch between S and C without stopping and have never had a problem. It is possible that it takes the car actually stopping to take effect, not that it would cause an issue

phs

Got it from the horse's mouth, so to say. I have a friend working in the technical advisor department of MB Canada. He told me that my car was the 15th car manufactured after MB Canada has chosen to switch the default to C mode for fuel economy reason. That is, from now on, all GLK, at least in Canada, will be delivered with default to C mode everytime you restart your car. Sounds like a software change, which I believe can be "overrode" by MB servicing department, if you know people, that is.

BTW, I have been driving my C350 4matic over the last year changing between the S mode and the C mode on the fly without any problem. I am doing that in my GLK too. I think this is more of a safety issue rather than an engineering issue. Stand to be corrected until I get more info from the "horse's mouth" again.

NYCGLK

that sux, I hate when things default back to what car manufacturer thinks is better, thankfully this doesn't affect me but still.

It's like Audi with its "drive select", what’s the point of having it if you have to program it every time you drive, I'd never use it because of this.

On the upside C and S are not very different. GLK needs S+ for some spirited drives.

ctrider

FYI, I picked up my 2010 C300 4matic last Thursday and mine also defaults to Comfort mode when I start the car, even if I switch it to S.

Dreamka

Thanks for the info.

Mine is Canadian model and it "C" is factory setting when I restart an engine everytime.

silberrosa

My understanding is this is a worldwide change going forward. The effort is to save fuel and it is supposed to be worth .3L/100km. Not sure what this means in mpg but this appears to be something which will be on nearly all MB models going forward.

MFA

I just got my GLK, have not tried the S mode, but looking at the owner manual it states that it will remember the last setting. If you manual says the same I suggest take it to the dealer to change. I assume it will simply be a software update.

phs

According to the source that I have, the initial batch of cars manufactured after the switch to default C mode still come with the old manual. The updated manual should be coming soon or may even be available in some later runs already. This again I can only speak for Canada.

MB_Owner

Difference of about ½ mile per gallon.

TXGLK

I ordered mine at the end of april and received it on July 1st. Mine converts back to c mode as well when the engine is turned off. (US spec glk)

billyt

mind ordered in Apr, delivered to me at the end of Jun, it stays at S after restart. it's so much more fun and sporty to stay in the S. I got 12.7L/100 km during the break in period, and now i got about 13.1L/100 km in staying in S all time.

ben-c

There's no need to stop the car to change tranny modes. I've been doin it on the fly at all speeds on Bimmers and Benzes with no ill effect. All it does is run a different shift pattern, there's no mechanical change that takes place which requires the vehicle to be at a stop!

MB_Owner

That's what the M-B technician told me as well when we picked ours up at the Germany delivery location in Sindelfingen on Thursday. I asked why p. 99 of the Operator's Manual said the transmission needs to be Park before changing modes and he said it's to keep a noticeably hard shift from occurring if you change modes while while accelerating. He recommended just lifting off the accelerator for a couple seconds while changing modes and then continuing as normal.

I forgot to ask him if the Sport Mode also alters shock settings as well as the transmission shift points. And haven't gotten through the book yet to see what it says.

Lastly, he confirmed that a "silent" change has occurred in the Program Mode programming...US spec vehicles now revert to "C" mode when the vehicle is shut off and SmartKey removed. Edition B (see back cover) of the Operator's Manual will reflect this change. Some technical language in the way the forthcoming US corporate fuel economy averages will be computed and M-B wants the default mode to be "C" which will help increase their corporate fuel average a bit.

phs

Official memo just came out from MB Canada that from now on the norm for all MB cars is defaulting to C mode on start up, period. Apparently this has created quite an uproar of protest from new MB owners, but then it has always been the general autocratic policy of MB anyway. I wonder if MB owners would have the solidarity to join force in petitioning for a change in this feature which should only be a software issue? Any opinion?

Jaydeath

Is it that difficult to push a button if you'd like to drive a bit more aggressively? Why not just be happy that MB is trying to be a bit more responsible. I'd also have to say that you're in the minority with this complaint. I assure you that a huge percentage of MB owners could not care less which mode their cars are in, let alone be able to tell the difference.

Baby G

+1 I personally don't really care. If I want in S, its a click away. Come on folk get a grip eh... it takes less than a second to initate it in to S mode...

phs

Wonder how you draw such a conclusion?

MB_Owner

Well, not a single person in this thread of GLK enthusiasts has come on line as being adamantly opposed since I reported this "silent" or unannounced change (further up in the thread) to US-spec vehicles. And now you reference a Canadian document saying the same applies to your versions.

Consequently, I suspect Jaydeath's "minority" comment isn't far off the mark. People just want to be assured there's nothing 'wrong' with their vehicle. And as I further quoted a Sindelfingen delivery technician, edition B of the Operator's Manual will take care of that. Perhaps in conjunction with the "x" version supposedly cutting in when the Bremen plant returns from their yearly August block vacation period and production resumes?

NYCGLK

While I got somewhat lucky and mine doesn't default to C, I think it's annoying if it would default to mode I don't want to use. Why then bother having S mode and forcing ppl to use C. Would I care enough to take any further actions? nah I'd just drive in C.

Jaydeath

I am able to draw that conclusion because as I've stated in other posts, I am family friends with the owners of one of the biggest MB dealers in the US. We are given a lot of inside information, and I know that nobody has yet complained to the service department about this new change. MB is not forcing you to drive in C mode! Press a button if you'd really like to drive in S, it's not so difficult. If anything take it from me, I'm a little speed demon who races my other cars, this is a GLK!!!

NYCGLK

It's not that it's hard to switch to C or that GLK even needs S mode. To me it would be annoying to have a driving setting that I have to set every time I drive. I would stop using S mode, so imo MB is forcing you to be in C mode.

I agree tho S mode doesn't make the car any sportier or faster, and on real roads you don't need to. CL550 had to pass me 3 times whenever there was a stretch of road, driving on public roads has its art and doesn't require anything much faster than a Civic, so GLK does just fine.