2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG wheel

164 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift paddles (example illustration
vehicles with AMG-Sport Package*)
1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in program modeM)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in program modeM)
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the steering wheel gearshift control
when driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.Limiting gear range
Briefly pull left shift paddle1.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the transmis-
sion (
page 160).Extending gear range
Briefly pull right shift paddle2.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmis-
sion.
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift paddles when the gear selector lever is
in positionP,N orR.
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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting, the transmission will not shift to a lower
gear if the engine’s max. speed would be
exceeded.
iIf you press on the accelerator when the
engine has reached its rpm limit, the trans-
mission will upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Canceling gear range limit
Pull and hold right shift paddle2
until
D reappears in the multifunction
display (
page 157).
The transmission will shift from the
current gear range directly to gear
rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Pull and hold left shift paddle1.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.
Manual shift program*
Manual shift program is available on
vehicles with AMG-Sport Package* and
SLK 55 AMG only.
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles (
page 164) or the gear selector
lever.The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
page 161).
!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.
iFor information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift program”
(
page 161), “Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting” (
page 162), and “Steering wheel
gearshift control one-touch gearshifting*”
(
page 163).

167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or
Briefly pull left shift paddle1
(
page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 165) repeatedly
until
CorS appears in the multifunction
display.
or
Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less
responsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission is most
likely operating in limp-home (emergency
operation) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be selected.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionD (for second gear) or
positionR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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.
iWhen you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.

173 Controls in detail
Climate control
Item
1Right center air vent, adjustable
2Thumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable right center air
vents
3Right center air vent, fixed
4Right side defroster air vent, fixed
5Right side air vent, adjustable
6Thumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable right side air vent
7Climate control panel
Item
8Left center air vent, fixed
9Thumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable left center air
vents
aLeft center air vent, adjustable
bThumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable left side air vent
cLeft side air vent, adjustable
dLeft side defroster air vent, fixed
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the sliders
for center air vents and side air vents to the
middle position.

176 Controls in detail
Climate control
Decreasing
Turn temperature control
1and/or4 (
page 174) slightly
counterclockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control3
(
page 174) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
control:
Turn the air distribution control to the
desired symbol (
page 174).
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air dis-
tribution.Opening the center air vents
Turn thumbwheels2and9
(
page 172) upward to the first stop.
Center air vents1,3,8anda are
open.
Turn thumbwheels2and9
(
page 172) upward all the way.
Only center air vents1anda are
open.
Closing the center air vents
Turn thumbwheels2and9
(
page 172) downward all the way.
Center air vents1,3,8anda are
closed.
Opening and closing side air vents
Turn thumbwheels6andb
(
page 172) in the required direction.
Side air vents5andc are open or
closed.
SymbolFunction
aDirects air through the
center and side air vents
ZDirects air to the wind-
shield and through the side
air vents
bDirects air into the entire
vehicle interior
YDirects air to the footwells
and through the side air
vents
iYou can also turn the control to a position
between two symbols.

180 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air conditioning
The cooling function, only operational
when the engine is running, cools the
vehicle interior down to the selected
temperature. The cooling function also
dehumidifies the air in the vehicle interior,
thus preventing the windows from
fogging up.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press button9 (page 174).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The cooling function switches off
after a short delay.
Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
Press button9 (page 174) again.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.Maximum cooling
Turn thumbwheels2and9
(
page 172) upwards to the first stop.
The fixed center air vents3and8
(
page 172) and the adjustable air
vents1anda (
page 172) are
open.
For draft-free ventilation, move the
sliders for the center air vents
1anda (
page 172) to the middle
position.
Turn thumbwheels6andb
(
page 172) for the adjustable side air
vents5andc (
page 172) to the
fully open position.
Set air distribution control3
(
page 176) to positiona.
The air distribution directs the air
through the center and side air vents.
Warning!G
If you turn off the cooling function, the inte-
rior air is not dried. The windows can fog up
more quickly. Window fogging may impair
visibility and endanger you and others.
iCondensation may drip from underneath the
vehicle. This is normal and not an indication of a
malfunction.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Item
1Cockpit air vent (depending on
vehicle production date)
2Thumbwheel for air volume control
for cockpit air vent (depending on
vehicle production date)
3Right center air vent, adjustable
4Thumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable right center air
vents
5Right center air vent, fixed
6Right side defroster air vent, fixed
7Right side air vent, adjustable
8Thumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable right side air vent
Item
9Automatic climate control panel
aLeft center air vent, fixed
bThumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable left center air
vents
cLeft center air vent, adjustable
dThumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable left side air vent
eLeft side air vent, adjustable
fLeft side defroster air vent, fixed
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the sliders
for center air vents and side air vents to the
middle position.

188 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Opening the cockpit air vent and center
air vents
Center air vents
Turn thumbwheels 4and b
(
page 182) to the first stop.
Center air vents 3,5,a andcare
open.
Turn thumbwheels4 andb
(
page 182) upward all the way.
Only center air vents3andc are
open.
Cockpit air vent (depending on vehicle
production date)
Turn thumbwheel 2 (page 182)
upward all the way.
Cockpit air vent1 is open.Closing the cockpit air vent and center
air vents
Center air vents
Turn thumbwheels4andb
(
page 182) downward.
Center air vents 3,5,a andc are
closed.
Cockpit air vent (depending on vehicle
production date)
Turn thumbwheels2 (page 182)
downward.
Cockpit air vent1 is closed.
Opening and closing side air vents
Turn thumbwheels8andd
(
page 182) in the corresponding
direction.
Side air vents7ande are open or
closed.
Adjusting air volume
Use buttonU (
page 184) for auto-
matic mode or air volume control1
(
page 184) to adjust air volume
manually.
Eleven blower speeds are available.
Turn air volume control1
(
page 184) to the desired position.
The indicator lamp on buttonU
(
page 184) goes out.
The automatic operation of air volume
switches off.