hey right next to the gear shirt is a W and S button, does anybody know what that does or means?
thanks

 

I have the same on my 97 C180. It stands for summer and winter. Mainly for those areas like Germany with cold winters. "W" allows for the car to start off in second gear and lowers the revs needed for changing up the rest. Here in Australia it's best to keep it in "S" setting. I think "W" may also be suitable if towing.

 

They have now changed it to "S" for sport and "C" for comfort.... I just bought a 2005 c180. It was suggested the C mode be used on steep inclines to help with hill starts --- other than that good for icey roads which we don't get it Australia. S mode, I was advised is more desirable as there is less wear and tear on the engine ---- Just repeating what I was told.

Cheers

 

Winter and Summer driving.

Not sure why, but that's what the dealership said.

 

If everybody would read the manual, we wouldn't have this problem.

The manual clearly describes about them as:

S Standard Mode. Use this mode for all regular driving. The vehicle. . . . .

W Winter/Wet(snow and ice) Mode. The "W" mode helps to improve traction. . . . .

"The gear shifting process occurs at lower vehicle speeds (mph) and lower engine speeds (rpm) than in S program mode."

 

S causes tires to spin sometimes on snow/ice. When u start a car stuck in snow/ice, the tires sometimes start spinning, Doing so in W avoids that. It gives a good traction.

regards