2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL65AMG Owner's Manual

168 Controls in detail
Control system
Fuel consumption statistics since start
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
multifunction display:
From Start.
1Distance driven since start
2Average speed since start
3Time elapsed since start
4Average fuel consumption since startFuel consumption since last reset
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
multifunction display:
From Reset.
1Distance driven since last reset
2Average speed since last reset
3Time elapsed since last reset
4Average fuel consumption since last
resetResetting fuel consumption statistics
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see the reading that you want
to reset in the left multifunction dis-
play.
Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 27) until
the value is reset to
0.
iAll statistics stored since the last engine
start will be reset approximately 4 hours after
the SmartKey in the starter switch is turned to
position0 or removed from the starter switch.
Resetting will not occur if you turn the SmartKey
back to position1 or2 within this time period.
iThe fuel consumption statistics reset
automatically to
0 when either of the following
values is exceeded:

distance covered: 100 000 miles

time elapsed: 10 000 hours

169 Controls in detail
Control system
Distance to empty
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
trip computer menu.
Press button j or k repeatedly
until you see this message in the left
multifunction display:
Range.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the calculated range based on
the current fuel tank level.
TEL* menu
You can use the functions in the
TEL menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and COMAND.
Press button ÿ or è on the
steering wheel repeatedly until the
TELmenu appears in the left multi-
function display.iIf only very little fuel is left in the tank, a
vehicle at the fuel pump is shown instead of the
range.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a
vehicle.
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.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system,
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.

170 Controls in detail
Control system
Which messages will appear in the right
multifunction display depends on whether
your telephone is switched on or off:

If the telephone is off, the message in
the multifunction display is:
TEL OFF.

If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the right mul-
tifunction display is empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network,
READY is indicated in the right
multifunction display.

This standby message indicates that
your telephone is ready for use and you
can operate it using the control
system.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 or, if available, the
caller ID (name and number):
Press button s.
You have answered the call.
The duration of the call appears in the
right multifunction display.Ending a call or rejecting an incoming
call
Press button t.
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 the
TEL menu appears in the left
multifunction display.
In the right multifunction display you
will see the standby message.

171 Controls in detail
Control system
Press button j or k.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take several minutes. In the
right multifunction display the message
Please Wait appears.
When the message
Please Wait
disappears, 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.
Press button s.
The system dials the selected phone
number.

If the connection is successful and this
feature is supported by your network
provider, the name of the party you are
calling (if stored in your phone book)
and the duration of the call will appear
in the multifunction display.

If no connection is made, the control
system stores the dialed number in the
redial memory. Redialing
The control system stores the most
recently dialed phone numbers. This elimi-
nates the need to search through your
entire phone book.
Press button ÿ or è repeatedly
until the
TEL menu appears 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.
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
button t.

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).

173 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:

gear selector lever positionD
(
page 174) with gear ranges
(
page 176)

the selected program mode:
(C/S) (
page 177)
or
(MANUAL/C/S) (SL 55 AMG and
SL 65 AMG only) (
page 182)

the position of the accelerator pedal
(
page 175)

the vehicle speedWhen the gear selector lever is in drive
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 of park positionP or neutral
positionN 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 a n d w h e n y o u r r i g h t
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 park 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.

174 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear selector lever positions
The current gear selector lever position
appears in the right multifunction display.
1Current gear selector lever positionEffect
ìPark position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in park
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 park positionP to secure the
vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
park positionP. With the
SmartKey removed, the gear
selector lever is locked in park
positionP.
Effect
íReverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
ëNeutral
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 engage neutral
positionN while driving.
If the ESP
® is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to neu-
tral positionN only if the vehicle
is in danger of skidding, e.g. on
icy roads.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Driving 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.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Effect
êDrive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears
are available.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with gear selector lever in neutral
positionN 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 park
positionP is dangerous. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or capa-
ble of preventing your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (
page 63).
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 park positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or
serious personal injury.