2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SL600 Owner's Manual

160 Controls in detailControl systemRejecting a call
If you do not wish to receive the call, you
can choose to reject it. 
Press button t.
You have rejected the call. The caller
receives a busy signal.
Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the right multifunction display you will then
see the message:

Press button s.
You have answered the call. In the right
multifunction display you see the
length of the call.Ending a call

Press button t.
You have ended the call. In the right
multifunction display you will again see
the standby message.
Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the left
multifunction display.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the standby message.

Press button j or k.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
right multifunction display you will see
the message
Please wait!
.
When the message
Please wait!
dis-
appears, the phone book has been
loaded.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
right multifunction display.
The stored names are displayed in
ascending or descending alphabetical
order.iIf you press and hold j or k for
longer than one second, the system
scrolls rapidly through the list of names
until you release the button again.
Cancel the quick search mode by
pressing t.

161 Controls in detail
Control system

Press button s.
The system dials the selected phone
number.


If the connection is successful, the
name of the party you called and the
duration of the call will appear in the
display.


If no connection is made, the control
system stores the dialed number in the
redial memory. Redialing
The control system stores the most recent-
ly dialed phone numbers. This eliminates
the need to search through your entire
phone book.

Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the left
multifunction display.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the standby message.

Press button s.
In the right multifunction display you
see the first number in the redial mem-
ory.

Press button j or k repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
right multifunction display.

Press button s.
The control system dials the selected
phone number.

162 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionFor more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 49).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its shift program.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

the gear selector lever
positionD(
page 164) with
gear ranges (page 167)


the selected program mode:
(C/S) (
page 168)
or
(MANUAL/C/S) (SL 55 AMG and
SL 65 AMG only) (
page 173)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 166)


the vehicle speed
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.

163 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) or
(
M/C/S) appear in the right multifunction
display.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP 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.

164 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 59).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could move the
gear selector lever from positionP, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

166 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionDriving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:

Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling and/or on a hill:

Set the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.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.
Working on the vehicleWarning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.

167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic shift
programC orS (
page 168), you can
select a gear range for the automatic
transmission to operate within:
Gear selector lever (page 169):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control
(
page 170):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the respective downshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control, and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the respective upshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control.The selected gear range appears in the
right multifunction display (
page 163). If
you press on the accelerator when the
engine has reached its rpm limit, the trans-
mission will upshift beyond any gear range
limit selected.
Effect
ï
The transmission shifts through
sixth gear only (applies to
vehicles with 7-speed automatic
transmission only).
î
The transmission shifts through
fifth gear only (applies to
vehicles with 7-speed automatic
transmission only).
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
Effect
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
ç
The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates in
first gear only.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.