2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG engine

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).

166 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Activating manual shift program
Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the
M for manual
program modeM appears in the multi-
function display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in drive
positionD. You can upshift or downshift
through the gears in succession.Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
or
Briefly pull right shift paddle2
(
page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
If, instead of the manual program mode
symbol
M, thep symbol appears in the
multifunction display (
page 161), shift to
the next higher gear. The fuel supply will
otherwise be interrupted to prevent the
engine from overrevving.If you have selected the AMG menu in the
control system and you are driving in the
manual program modeM, upshift
indicator2 in the multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. Thus you
can drive at the maximum engine speed for
each gear without overrevving the engine.
1Gear indicator
2Upshift indicator
Shift to the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be
interrupted to prevent the engine
from overrevving.
iThe manual program modeM will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with the
manual program modeM selected, the transmis-
sion will go to the automatic program mode
(CorS) when the engine is restarted.
!In the manual program modeM, the trans-
mission will not upshift, even if the engine has
reached its overrevving range. Shift up to the
next gear before the engine has reached its over-
revving range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red marking on
the tachometer (
page 26). Otherwise the
engine could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

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.

174 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel
The climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. The system
cools or heats the interior depending on
the selected interior temperature and the
current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the interior through the air distribu-
tion system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/Cmode is deactivated
(
page 174).
Item
1Temperature control, left side
2Air volume control, climate control
on/off
3Air distribution control
4Temperature control, right side
5Rear window defroster (page 170)
6Front defroster
7AC cooling on/off,
Residual heat/ventilation
8Air recirculation
Warning!G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature).
This may cause burns or frostbite to unpro-
tected skin in the immediate area of the air
vents. Always keep sufficient distance
between unprotected parts of the body and
the air vents. If necessary, use the air
distribution controls (
page 174) to direct
the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of un-
protected skin.
Warning!G
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before
its scheduled replacement interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air volume to
the interior and the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others. Have a clogged filter replaced as
soon as possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

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.

181 Controls in detail
Climate control
Set air volume control2 (page 177)
to position5.
The ventilation operates with maximum
blower speed.
Turn temperature controls1and4
(
page 174) completely counterclock-
wise to their end stops.
The lowest temperature for both sides
is set.
Residual engine heat utilization
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Switch off the ignition (page 37).
Press button9 (page 174).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button9 (page 174) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iWhen the vehicle’s interior has cooled down
enough, reduce the air volume and increase the
air temperature to comfortable settings if
desired.
iHow long the system will provide heating
depends on

the coolant temperature

the temperature set by the operator
The blower will run at speed setting1 regardless
of the air distribution control setting.
iThe residual heat is automatically turned off

when the ignition is switched on (page 37)

after about 30 minutes

if the battery voltage drops

184 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
The automatic climate control is oper-
ational whenever the engine is running.
You can operate the automatic climate
control system in either the automatic or
manual mode. The system cools or heats
the interior depending on the selected
interior temperature and the current
outside temperature.Item
1Air volume control, manual
2Air distribution and air volume
(automatic mode)
3Front defroster
4Temperature control, left, raising
5Automatic climate control on/off
(complete system)
6Temperature control, right, raising
7Rear window defroster
8Air distribution control, manual
9Residual heat/ventilation
aAC cooling on/off
bTemperature control, right, lowering
cTemperature control, left, lowering
dAir recirculation
eDisplay
Warning!G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 184) to
direct the air to air vents in the vehicle
interior that are not in the immediate area of
unprotected skin.