I think I am reading different things in the manual about the C/S button. One page tells me one thing and another something different...

I know that the usage is different in the "S" class versus the "E" class...

Is there any agreement on what setting does what?

 

Comfort and Speed

I believe when you have it on C, the car will skip 1st and go from 2nd gear and so on, as where with the S, the car will shift from 1st and up. To my understanding driving in C iwill also result in better gas mileage.

 

C = car will start in 2nd gear, slower, better on gas mileage (+/- 2-5mpg)
S = car will start in 1st gear, faster, not as good on gas mileage (+/- 2-5mpg)

 

In the 07 and later S class, in addition to the above, the S setting slightly firms up the airmatic shocks for a more sport ride.

 

Does it affect the ride height at all?
I was under the impression it did.

 

I don't think so. I do believe that at higher speeds the car(S550) is slightly lowered for better fuel economy.

 

If I remember correctly, Airmatic shocks only affect the ride height. They do not have any control over the firmness of the shock absorbers.

 

Do you actually mean shocks when you state "Arimatic shocks"? Airmatic shocks have no spring function but the airmatic airbag does.

Height is adjusted via the air volume pumped to the rubber airbag.

Airmatic shocks have controlled damping function too, electrically controlled via the control unit.

It is true that the W221 does not go lower when in S-mode. It only does it at speed. The speed points however change from C to S (or M).

 

The standard suspension in a S550 is a Airmatic semi active suspension that lets you choose between comfort and sport. The ADS optimizes ride and handling by adjusting each wheels shock absorber rate.

So it does firm things up a bit when you have it in sport.

 

I love this board as I'm always learning something (and need to correct my previous post on this tread). I Googled " Mercedes airmatic" and found this from Automobile Magazine.

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...lass/ride.html


"There is a switch on the console to select from Sport, Comfort, and Manual modes. Comfort is the standard program, while Sport holds gears longer and downshifts more readily. Manual prevents automatic downshifts, while Sport and Comfort still allow kickdown shifts even if you've selected a gear yourself with the buttons. U.S. cars, however, will offer only Sport and Comfort-no Manual.

The Sport and Manual modes have two other effects: they quicken the throttle response and stiffen the air-spring suspension. The S-class again uses Mercedes's Airmatic air suspension and adaptive damping. The setup delivers a plush ride overall, but when cornering on bad pavement, we can feel bumps transmitted through to the steering column, which strikes us as rather un-Mercedes-like."

So thanks to ALL for helping me learn, and I apologize for stating incorrect info....