2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG automatic transmission

Contents
Instrument cluster ............................. 140
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 140
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 141
Resetting trip odometer ............... 141
Tachometer .................................. 142
Outside temperature indicator ..... 142
Control system .................................. 143
Multifunction display .................... 143
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 144
Menus .......................................... 146
Standard display menu ................ 149
AMG menu ................................... 150
AUDIO menu ................................ 153
NAV menu .................................... 155
Distronic* menu........................... 156
Vehicle status message memory
menu ............................................ 156
Settings menu .............................. 157
Trip computer menu..................... 167
TEL* menu ................................... 169Automatic transmission...................... 172
Gear selector lever........................ 172
Shifting procedure ........................ 173
Gear selector lever positions ........ 174
Driving tips.................................... 175
Gear ranges .................................. 176
Automatic shift program ............... 177
Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting ................................... 179
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* ................ 180
Manual shift program
(SL55AMGandSL65AMG only) 182
Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode) ....................... 184
Good visibility ..................................... 185
Headlamp cleaning system ........... 185
Rear view mirrors .......................... 185
Sun visors ..................................... 186
Rear window defroster .................. 187Automatic climate control .................. 188
Deactivating the automatic
climate control system ................. 191
Operating the automatic
climate control system in
automatic mode............................ 192
Setting the temperature ............... 193
Adjusting air distribution .............. 194
Adjusting air volume ..................... 195
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 195
Front defroster ............................. 195
Air recirculation mode .................. 196
Air conditioning ............................ 198
Residual heat and ventilation........ 199
Ventilated glove box ..................... 200

32 At a glance
Center console
Lower partItemPage
1Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission172
2Parktronic system*
deactivation switch233
3Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment49
4ABC suspension tuning
button232
5Tow-away alarm switch100
6Retractable hardtop switch204
Roll bar buttons83
ItemPage
7ABC vehicle level control
button230
8ESP® switch93
9Thumbwheel for setting
following distance for
Distronic*226
aDistance warning function*
on/off switch229
bProgram mode selector
switch for automatic
transmission182

53 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
P Park position with gear selector lever
lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 172).Starting with the SmartKey
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to P.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 40).
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see “Turning off with
the SmartKey” (
page 64).
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open.
iYou can also use the “touch-start” function.
Turn the SmartKey to position3 and release it
again immediately. The engine then starts auto-
matically.

56 Getting started
Driving
Driving off
Depress the brake pedal.
Place the gear selector lever in
positionD orR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.After a cold start, the transmission en-
gages at a higher revolution. This allows
the catalytic converter to reach its operat-
ing temperature earlier.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in 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.
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.
!In order to avoid damage to the
transmission:

Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.

Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orR only when the vehicle is stopped.
!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release Parking Brake appears in
the multifunction display when driving off, you
have forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 55).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
You can deactivate the automatic locking using
the control system (
page 166).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.

103 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Power windows
Retractable hardtop
Driving systems
Useful features

143 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon
as the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button is in
position 1. The control system enables
you to

call up information about your vehicle

change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control
system to find out when your vehicle is
next due for service, to set the language
for messages in the instrument cluster
display, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
The multifunction display consists of the
display fields in the speedometer and the
tachometer. In its default state, the left
multifunction display shows the main
odometer and the outside temperature,
while the trip odometer appears in the
right multifunction display. This default
setting is referred to as the standard
display.
1Main odometer
2Outside temperature
3Current gear selector lever position
4Trip odometer
5Automatic transmission program mode
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just
30 mph (approximately 50 km/h), your
vehicle is covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.

149 Controls in detail
Control system
Standard display menu
1Main odometer
2Outside temperature
3Current gear selector lever position
4Trip odometer
5Automatic transmission program mode
Press button è or ÿ repeatedly
until you see the standard display
menu in the multifunction display.You can modify the standard display menu.
Instead of outside temperature 2, you
can choose the digital speedometer to be
displayed in the left multifunction display
by changing the setting in the
Select
Display
function of the Inst. Cluster
submenu (
page 161).
Press button k or jto select
the functions in the standard display
menu.
The following functions are available:Calling up digital speedometer or out-
side temperature
Press button k or juntil the
digital speedometer or, depending on
the chosen setting, the outside temper-
ature appears in the right multifunction
display.
FunctionPage
Calling up digital speedometer or
outside temperature149
Calling up maintenance service
indicator332
Checking tire inflation pressure302
Checking engine oil level*284
iIf you have selected the digital speedometer
for the standard display (
page 161), select the
outside temperature display here.

172 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
For more information on driving with an
automatic transmission, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 53).
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.
Gear selector lever
The gear selector lever is located on the
lower part of the center console.
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the catalytic
converter to heat up more quickly to operating
temperature.
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.
iThe current gear selector lever
positionP,R,N orD appears in the right
multifunction display (
page 174).