Mercedes-Benz S 450 4MATIC Operator's Manual page 435

Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Engage the electronic parking brake.
Shift into park position P.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
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Rocking the vehicle
Rocking the vehicle by shifting between
drive position D and reverse gear R can
help free a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.
The engine control system of this vehicle
electronically limits shifting between drive
position D and reverse gear R to very low
speeds, i.e. approximately 5 mph
(9 km/h). To shift between drive
position D and reverse gear R, move the
gear selector lever past the resistance
point up or down.
Working on the vehicle
Warning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
electronic parking brake and shift to park
position P. Otherwise the vehicle could roll
away.
Hill start assist system
Warning!
The hill start assist system is not designed
to function as an electronic parking brake
and does not prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing when parked on an incline.
Always engage the electronic parking brake
in addition to shifting to park position P.
On uphill grades with a gradient angle of
more than 5°, the hill start assist system
maintains the pressure in the brake sys-
tem for approximately 1 second after you
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have released the brake pedal. Therefore,
you can start off smoothly without the
vehicle moving immediately after releasing
the brake pedal.
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