Transmission Question "S" or "W"

[MBManInKen]

By the way, this is what it looks like on my car:

gearbox with Winter/Standard setting:

And this is the suspension control button:

 

[MBManInKen]

I was told that S = Sporty and C = Comfort on my C180K.

S revs higher (6k revs), and will during kickdown drop as many gears as possible.

I think the point is that people should not confuse C/S with W/S in terms of functionality, in other words should not assume that the C on C/S equals the W on W/S and so on.

As I said before, driving in S on my W/S equipped car is by no means a statically defined driving experience in terms of shifting etc. The box responds "intelligently" to my driving style, and that is what the manual says it should do. In addition, there is the suspension button as well.

In other words, if I feather the accelerator in S mode on my W/S box, it shifts up quicker then when I press it hard in W mode.

 

[television]

The 722.4-5 was not always a second gear start in W or C but the shift points were higher in S, the bigger engine cars were a second gears start with first gear available on kick down.

On the 722.6 box say on a 140 the shift points are higher in S

Full throttle from 2-3 in W is 117kmh and in S 156kmh

So in general it is on a car by car basis as all shift points are not the same, just because it is a 722.6 do not assume they are the same, as they are not.

 

[glojo]

I think the point is that people should not confuse C/S with W/S in terms of functionality, in other words should not assume that the C on C/S equals the W on W/S and so on.

As I said before, driving in S on my W/S equipped car is by no means a statically defined driving experience in terms of shifting etc. The box responds "intelligently" to my driving style, and that is what the manual says it should do. In addition, there is the suspension button as well.

In other words, if I feather the accelerator in S mode on my W/S box, it shifts up quicker then when I press it hard in W mode.

Like I keep suggesting this subject is a real hot potato and it goes beyond being model specific. I have actually seen an early 320CDI 211 with W/S on the self same button where the 2004 320CDI has C/S. Exactly the same gearbox and exactly the same engine. I have NO idea if there is a difference and am only interested in reading the differing variations. With the manual on my chest I can confirm that as per my earlier post SOME AMG's refer to the C = Comfort, S= Sport and the third is M = Manual. Page 173 of the 2004 E-class manual. It also confirms the kick-down facility whilst in C mode.

Regards
John

 

[television]

I should have said in post 23 that the downshift points are also different in W and S.

 

[blackscooby]

W203 C32 AMG as "W" and "S".
To be honest I use "W" in the wet, just seems nicer to drive.
S mode in the wet often leads to harder kick downs which provoke a bit of rear out action.... so to speak.

 

[MBManInKen]

I was initially a bit baffled why even on the same box, there would be different functions. But then I realised that in the end, this behaviour is largely software defined, so it's actually not that difficult to have different implementations for the same product, based on, well, what's fashionable perhaps?

 

[recycled]

By the way, this is what it looks like on my car:

gearbox with Winter/Standard setting:

And this is the suspension control button:

and you have an airbag off button.
surprising

w = webber mode
s= schumacher mode (ralf )
c=coulthard mode

 

[MBManInKen]

and you have an airbag off button.
surprising

No, that's just a warning lamp. If it's on, the airbag is deactivated (for example when fitting a child seat with the appropriate transponder).

 

[MBManInKen]

I think it's becoming increasingly clear that there are different types of software behaviour deployed, with corresponding buttons and labelling.

In any event, here are some relevant sections from my car's manual, i.e. for a fairly recent drive-by-wire model with W/S labelling.

The transmission shift system automatically adapts to the individual driving style of the driver by adjusting its shift points.
This shift point adjustment is a continuous process which reflects the current operating situation and driving conditions and the driver's requirements.
If operating circumstances change, the automatic transmission reacts by adjusting the gear shift programme.

[...]

Accelerator pedal position
Light throttle = early upshifts
More throttle = later upshifts
Kickdown - depress the accelerator beyond the pressure point = maximum acceleration, shift down to the lowest possible gear.
Release the accelerator pedal as soon as the desired speed has been reached - the transmission will shift back up.

[...]

Programme selection button
You can swap between the W and S programmes by pressing W/S button.
The programme currently selected is indicated in the instrument cluster display.
[...]
S Standard
This position is used in all normal driving conditions.

W Winter
The car pulls away in second gear. When reversing, the car pulls away more sensitively due to a "longer" ratio.
Gear shifts, both up and down, are made at lower road and engine speeds than when the programme selector switch is in the S driving programme, even when the throttle is open.
Gear shifts with the accelerator pedal in the kickdown position are carried out as in the S programme.

 

[haydar]

I think the difference C/S and W/S is to do with the destination country of the car. For example, cars that are destined for hot climates (and hence there is no need 'Winter' mode) have C/S. This is the case for cars officially imported to Pakistan via Mercedes main dealer (which have C/S) compared those cars imported from UK (which have W/S). The MB technicians treat both gearboxes in exactly the same way, so I don't think there is actually any difference between them.

 

[MBManInKen]

See post 17 on this thread...

 

[Glenn Smith]

W and S are not connected to shift points, the gearbox has a seperate higher ratio FIRST gear gear which is selected on the selection of W mode.

The car uses this gear in both forwards and reverse modes and still makes 4 further shifts in forwards mode, each at normal speeds.

Not on mine it doesn't, in w it starts off in second and then 3rd 4th 5th no sixth and the shift points at pedal positions before kickdown switch are at lower rpm's.

 

[vijilants]

C / S is found in the newer mercs . I have a brand new B170 outside and it has C / S.

 

[MBManInKen]

C / S is found in the newer mercs . I have a brand new B170 outside and it has C / S.

Nope .

See previous posts, I had C/S on the W126, while the W140 and my current W220 have W/S. On the other hand, some newer models are using C/S again, or (as per Glojo's post 17 on this thread) have been seen with both of these labels.

The more you look into it, the less straight forward it is - John's right, it's a hot potato...