Mercedes Benz 2007 sl 550 User Manual

Page of 473
174
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Press program mode selector 
switch
1 repeatedly until the letter of 
the desired program mode appears in 
the right multifunction display.
Select for comfort driving:
The vehicle starts out in second 
gear (both forward and reverse) for 
gentler starts. This does not apply if 
full throttle is applied or gear 
range 1 is selected.
Traction and driving stability are 
improved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when 
you give more gas. The engine then 
operates at lower rpms and the 
wheels are less likely to spin.
Gear selector lever one-touch 
gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission, you 
can change the gears manually and limit or 
extend the gear range for automatic 
shifting with the gear selector lever in 
position D and driving in the automatic 
program mode C or S.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to 
the left in the D- direction.
The transmission will shift from the current 
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by 
the shift program. This action simulta-
neously limits the gear range of the 
transmission (
!
Never change the program mode when the 
gear selector lever is out of position P. This could 
result in a change of driving characteristics for 
which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program mode (or S) is 
switched on when the engine is restarted.
!
Allow engine to warm up under low load use. 
Do not place full load on the engine until the op-
erating temperature has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R or parking position P 
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended 
period when driving off on slippery road 
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to 
the drivetrain which is not covered by the 
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift 
in order to obtain braking action. This could 
result in drive wheel slip and reduced 
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not 
prevent this type of loss of control.
i
To avoid overrevving the engine when the 
gear selector lever is moved to the D- direction, 
the transmission will not shift to a lower gear if 
the engine’s max. speed would be exceeded.