2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SL CLASS Owners Manual

XRemove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the automatic
transmission in park position P.
With KEYLESS-GO
XPress the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button.
With the driver’s door closed, the starter
switch is now in position 1. With the driver’s
door opened, the starter switch is set to
position 0, same as the SmartKey removed
from the starter switch (Y page 78).
If an acoustic warning sounds, you have tried
to turn off the engine with the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button while the automatic
transmission was not in park position P.
Read and observe messages that may appear
in the multifunction display (Y page 234).
Automatic transmission
Introduction
For information on driving with an automatic
transmission, see “Driving and parking”
(Y page 98).
GWarning!
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the pedals
still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between or
under the pedals. You could then no longer
brake or accelerate. This could lead to
accidents and injury.
! Allow the engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature has
been reached.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the
engine and the drivetrain which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more quickly
to operating temperature.
Gear selector lever
Gearshift pattern for automatic transmission
\000`Park position with gear selector lever lock\000aReverse gear\000_Neutral position\000^Drive positionGWarning!
It is dangerous to shift the automatic
transmission out of park position P or neutral
position N 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 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.
! Only shift the automatic transmission into
reverse gear R or park position P when the
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vehicle is stopped. Otherwise the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
iShifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P is only possible with the
brake pedal depressed.
Only depressing the brake pedal releases
the gear selector lever lock.
iThe current gear selector lever position
corresponds with the current transmission
position.
The current transmission position P, R, N,
or D appears in the right multifunction
display (Y page 104).
There are additional indicators on the cover
of the shifting gate showing the current gear
selector lever position.
The indicators come on when you insert the
SmartKey into the starter switch, and go out
when you remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch.
Shifting procedure
The automatic transmission selects individual
gears automatically, depending onRthe selected gear range (Y page 106)
Rthe selected program mode:
C/S (Y page 106)
or
M (vehicles with AMG Sport Package,
SL 63 AMG and SL 65 AMG only)
(Y page 109)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe vehicle speed
With drive position D selected, you can
influence transmission shifting by
Rlimiting the gear range
Rextending the gear range
Rchanging the gears manually (vehicles with
AMG Sport Package, SL 63 AMG and
SL 65 AMG only)
SL 63 AMG: Double-clutching is active when
downshifting in all program modes. Double-
clutching reduces load-alteration effects and
supports sporty driving. The degree to which
you perceive double-clutching acoustically
varies depending on the selected program
mode.
Transmission positions
The current transmission position appears in
the right multifunction display.
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Effect0045Park position
Shift the automatic transmission
into park position P only when the
vehicle is stopped. The park
position is not intended to serve as
a brake when the vehicle is parked.
Rather, the driver should always
engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting the automatic
transmission into park position P to
secure the vehicle.
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the
gear selector lever in park position
P . With the SmartKey removed from
the starter switch, the gear selector
lever is locked in park position P.
If the vehicle’s electrical system is
malfunctioning, the gear selector
lever could remain locked in park
position P.XHave the vehicle’s electrical
system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.0046Reverse gear
Shift the automatic transmission
into reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped.Effect0044Neutral position
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
transmission, never shift the
automatic transmission into neutral
position N while driving.
Exception: If the ESP ®
is switched
off or malfunctioning, shift the
automatic transmission into neutral
position N if the vehicle is in danger
of skidding.
! Coasting the vehicle, or driving
for any other reason with the
automatic transmission in
neutral position N can result in
transmission damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.003ADrive position
The automatic transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears are
available.
Driving tips
Kickdown
Use the kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
XU.S. vehicles except AMG vehicles:
Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
gear.XCanada vehicles and AMG vehicles:
Depress the accelerator pedal past the
point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
automatic transmission shifts into a lower
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Working on the vehicleGWarning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
parking brake and shift the automatic
transmission into park position P. Otherwise
the vehicle could roll away which could result
in an accident and/or serious personal injury.
Gear ranges
With the automatic transmission in drive
position D and driving in automatic program
mode C or S, you can limit or extend the gear
range, see “One-touch gearshifting”
(Y page 108).
The current gear range appears in the right
multifunction display.
\000FGear range indicator Effect\000@With this selection you can use the
braking effect of the engine.
\0008Allows the use of the engine’s
braking effect when driving
Ron steep downgrades
Rin mountainous regions
Runder extreme operating
conditions
\0007For maximum use of the engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.
Automatic shift program
Program mode selector switch
C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor sporty driving
Program mode selector switch on vehicles withAMG Sport Package.
C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor sporty drivingM ManualFor manual gearshifting
(Y page 109)
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Program mode selector dial on SL 63 AMG
C ComfortFor standard drivingS SportFor sporty drivingS+ Sport PlusFor sporty driving with
shorter shift times
M ManualFor manual gearshifting
(Y page 109)
RS RACE STARTFor optimum
acceleration from a
standing start
iProgram mode RS cannot be selected
while driving. For more information, see
“RACE START (SL 63 AMG)” (Y page 141).
Program mode selector switch on SL 65 AMG
C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor standard drivingM MANUALFor manual gearshifting
(Y page 109)
The current program mode appears in the
right multifunction display.
\000FProgram mode indicator
iSL 63 AMG: In addition, the currently
selected program mode is indicated in red
on the program mode selector dial.
You should only change the program mode
when the automatic transmission is in park
position P.
Automatic program mode S will not be stored.
When the engine is turned off with the
automatic program mode S selected, the
automatic transmission will go to the
automatic program mode C when the engine
is restarted.
SL 63 AMG: Automatic program mode S+ will
not be stored. When the engine is turned off
with automatic program mode S+ selected,
the automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C when the engine
is restarted.
X All models except SL 63 AMG: Press the
program mode selector switch repeatedly
until the letter of the desired program mode
appears in the right multifunction display.
XSL 63 AMG: Turn the program mode
selector dial until the letter of the desired
program mode appears in the right
multifunction display.
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Selecting program mode C means:
RThe vehicle starts out more gentle, both
forward and reverse, except when driving
off with full throttle.
RTraction and driving stability are improved
on icy roads.
RUpshifts occur earlier even when you give
more gas. The engine then operates at
lower revolutions and the wheels are less
likely to spin.
Selecting program mode S means that
upshifts occur later.
One-touch gearshifting
With the automatic transmission in drive
position D and driving in automatic program
mode C or S, you can limit or extend the gear
range using the gear selector lever or the
steering wheel gearshift control.
SL 63 AMG and SL 65 AMG: For information
on using the gear selector lever or the
steering wheel gearshift control in manual
program mode M, see “Manual shift program”
(Y page 109).
Steering wheel gearshift control (exampleillustration)
iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control when the automatic
transmission is in park position P, neutral
position N, or reverse gear R.
Limiting gear range GWarning!
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.
XBriefly press the gear selector lever to the
left in the D- direction.
or
XBriefly pull left gearshift control \000F.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next lower gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting, the automatic transmission
will not shift into a lower gear if the engine’s
maximum speed would be exceeded.
Extending gear range
XBriefly press the gear selector lever to the
right in the D+ direction.
or
XBriefly pull right gearshift control \000G.
The automatic transmission will shift into
the next higher gear as permitted by the
shift program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the automatic
transmission.
iIf you press on the accelerator pedal
when the engine has reached the
revolution limit of the current gear range,
the automatic transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
Canceling gear range limit
XPress and hold the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+ direction until D
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reappears in the right multifunction
display.
or
XPull and hold right gearshift control \000G until
D reappears in the right multifunction
display.
The automatic transmission will shift from
the current gear range directly into drive
position D.
Shifting into optimal gear range
XPress and hold the gear selector lever to
the left in the D- direction.
or
XPull and hold left gearshift control \000F.
The automatic transmission will select the
gear range suited for optimal acceleration
and deceleration automatically. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Manual shift program
The manual shift program is available on
vehicles with AMG Sport Package, SL 63 AMG
and SL 65 AMG only.
Manual program mode M differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic program modes
S or S+ (SL 63 AMG only).
In manual program mode M, system-
controlled automatic gearshifting is switched
off. You need to change the gears by manually
upshifting or downshifting using the gear
selector lever or the steering wheel gearshift
control.
Program mode selector dial on SL 63 AMG
C ComfortFor standard drivingS SportFor sporty drivingS+ Sport PlusFor sporty driving with
shorter shift times
M ManualFor manual gearshiftingRS RACE STARTFor optimum
acceleration from a
standing start
iProgram mode RS cannot be selected
while driving. For more information, see
“RACE START (SL 63 AMG)” (Y page 141).
iE 63 AMG: In addition, the currently
selected program mode is indicated in red
on the program mode selector dial.
iSL 63 AMG: In addition, the currently
selected program mode is indicated in red
on the program mode selector dial.
Program mode selector switch on SL 65 AMG
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C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor standard drivingM MANUALFor manual gearshifting
Program mode selector switch on vehicles withAMG Sport Package
C ComfortFor comfort drivingS SportFor standard drivingM ManualFor manual gearshifting
The current program mode appears in the
right multifunction display (Y page 107).
For information on automatic program mode
(C or S), see “Automatic shift program”
(Y page 106) and “One-touch gearshifting”
(Y page 108).
Activating manual shift program
X All models except SL 63 AMG: Press the
program mode selector switch repeatedly
until M appears in the right multifunction
display.
XSL 63 AMG: Turn the program mode
selector dial until M appears in the right
multifunction display.
The automatic transmission switches to
manual program mode M. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range is
not limited.
You can change the gears manually with drive
position D selected. You can upshift or
downshift through the gears in succession.
iManual program mode M will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with
manual program mode M selected, the
automatic transmission will go to
automatic program mode C when the
engine is restarted.
Upshifting
! In manual program mode M, the
automatic transmission will not upshift,
even if the engine has reached its
overrevving range. Shift up into the next
gear before the engine has reached its
overrevving range. Make absolutely certain
that the engine speed does not reach the
red marking on the tachometer. Otherwise
the engine could be damaged which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
XBriefly press the gear selector lever to the
right in the D+ direction.
or
XBriefly pull right gearshift control \000G
(Y page 108).
The automatic transmission shifts into the
next higher gear.
Upshift indicator
In manual program mode M, upshift
indicator \000G in the right multifunction display
advises you to upshift before the engine
reaches the overspeed range. In addition,
symbol ^ may appear instead of manual
program mode symbol M in the right
multifunction display. Thus you can drive at
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