2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SLS Owner's Manual

The transmission will remain in neutral
position N for approximately 30 minutes
when you have shifted the transmission to
neutral position N before turning off the
engine.
The transmission remains in neutral
position N even when you open a door.
AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-SPEED
Transmission
Introduction
For information on driving with the AMG
SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-SPEED Transmission, see
“Driving and parking” ( Y page 257).
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.
i During 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 AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT
7-SPEED Transmission
:Button for selecting park position PjPark positionkReverse geariNeutral positionhDrive positionGWarning!
It is dangerous to shift the 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.
! The vehicle must be stopped when you
shift the transmission
R directly between drive position D and
reverse gear R
R directly between reverse gear R and
drive position D
R directly into park position P
Otherwise the transmission could be
damaged.
i Shifting the transmission out of park
position P is only possible with the brake
pedal depressed.
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Without the brake pedal depressed, the
gear selector lever can be moved up or
down, but the parking pawl remains
engaged, not allowing shifting to occur.
i The gear selector lever always returns to
its original position.
The current transmission position P, R , N ,
or D appears in the multifunction display
( Y page 265).
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 into park position PXWith the vehicle at a standstill, press
button : on the gearshift pattern
( Y page 263).
KEYLESS-GO: When you turn off the engine
using the KEYLESS-GO start/stop button and
open a door, the transmission will shift into
park position P automatically.
SmartKey: When you turn off the engine using
the SmartKey, and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch or open a door, the
transmission will shift into park position P
automatically.
i You cancel park position P when you
depress the brake pedal and move the gear
selector lever forward or back past the first
point of resistance. The transmission shifts
into neutral position N.
Shifting into neutral position N
XWith the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal.XMove the gear selector lever forward or
back to the first point of resistance.
i The transmission will remain in neutral
position N for approximately 30 minutes
when you have shifted the transmission to
neutral position N before turning off the
engine. The transmission will shift into park
position P automatically when you open a
door or remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch during this period. The
transmission remains in neutral position
N when the SmartKey is in the starter
switch or when you open a door.
Shifting into reverse gear RXWith the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal.XMove the gear selector lever forward past
the first point of resistance.
Shifting into drive position D
XWith the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal.XMove the gear selector lever back past the
first point of resistance.
Shifting procedure
The transmission selects individual gears
automatically, depending on
R the selected gear range ( Y page 266)
R the selected program mode:
C /S/ S+ /M and RS (Y page 267)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the vehicle speed
With drive position D selected, you can
influence transmission shifting by
R limiting the gear range
R extending the gear range
R changing the gears manually
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.
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Transmission positions
The current transmission position appears in
the multifunction display.:Transmission position indicator
If the current transmission position does not
appear in the multifunction display due to a
malfunction, for example, make sure that the
transmission is in the desired position.
XShift the transmission into drive position
D .XSelect automatic program mode C
( Y page 267).XDo not limit the gear range.XDrive off carefully.EffectBPark position
Shift the 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
electronic parking brake in addition
to shifting the transmission into
park position P to secure the
vehicle.
If the vehicle’s electrical system is
malfunctioning, the transmission
could remain locked in park
position P.XHave the vehicle’s electrical
system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.CReverse gear
Shift the transmission into reverse
gear R only when the vehicle is
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EffectANeutral 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
transmission into neutral position
N while driving.
Exception: If the ESC is switched off
or malfunctioning, shift the
transmission into neutral position
N if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding.
! Coasting the vehicle, or driving
for any other reason with the
transmission in neutral position
N can result in transmission
damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.7Drive position
The transmission shifts
automatically. All forward gears are
available.
Driving tips
Kickdown
Use the kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
XDepress the accelerator pedal past the
point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Working on the vehicle
GWarning!
When working on the vehicle, engage the
electronic parking brake and shift the
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 transmission in drive position D and
driving in automatic program mode C, S , or
S+ , you can limit or extend the gear range,
see “One-touch gearshifting” ( Y page 267).
The current gear range appears in the
multifunction display.
:Gear range indicatorEffect=With this selection you can use the
braking effect of the engine.5Allows the use of the engine’s
braking effect when driving
R on steep downgrades
R in mountainous regions
R under extreme operating
conditions4For maximum use of the engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.266AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-SPEED TransmissionControls in detail
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Automatic shift program
Program mode selector dial
C ComfortFor standard drivingS SportFor sporty drivingS+ Sport PlusFor sporty driving with
shorter shift times
M ManualFor manual gearshifting
(Y page 268)
RS RACE STARTFor optimum
acceleration from a
standing start
iProgram mode RS cannot be selected
while driving. For more information, see
“RACE START” (Y page 292).
The current program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
:Program mode indicator
iIn 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 transmission is in park position P.
Automatic program mode S or S+ will not be
stored. When the engine is turned off with the
automatic program mode S or S+ selected,
the transmission will go to the automatic
program mode C when the engine is
restarted.
XTurn the program mode selector dial until
the letter of the desired program mode
appears in the multifunction display.
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 transmission in drive position D and
driving in automatic program mode C, S, or
S+, you can limit or extend the gear range
using the gear selector lever or the steering
wheel gearshift control.
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 268).
Steering wheel gearshift control
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iYou cannot shift with the steering wheel
gearshift control when the 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 pull left gearshift control :.
or
XMove the gear selector lever forward briefly
( Y page 263).
The transmission will shift into the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission.
i To avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting, the transmission will not shift
into a lower gear if the engine’s maximum
speed would be exceeded.
Extending gear range
XBriefly pull right gearshift control ;.
or
XMove the gear selector lever back briefly
( Y page 263).
The transmission will shift into the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmission.
i If you press on the accelerator pedal
when the engine has reached the
revolution limit of the current gear range,
the transmission will upshift beyond any
gear range limit selected.
Canceling gear range limitXPull and hold right gearshift control ; until
the gear range indicator disappears from
the multifunction display.
or
XMove the gear selector lever back and hold
it there until the numeral for the current
gear disappears from the multifunction
display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly into drive position D.
Shifting into optimal gear range
XPull and hold left gearshift control :.
or
XMove the gear selector lever forward and
hold it there.
The 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
Manual program mode M differs with regard
to spontaneity, response time, and shifting
smoothness from automatic program modes
S or S+.
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.
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Program mode selector dial
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” (Y page 292).
iIn addition, the currently selected
program mode is indicated in red on the
program mode selector dial.
The current program mode appears in the
multifunction display (Y page 267).
For information on automatic program mode
(C, S, or S+), see “Automatic shift program”
(Y page 267) and “One-touch gearshifting”
(Y page 267).
Activating manual shift program
XTurn the program mode selector dial until
M appears in the multifunction display. In
addition, M is indicated in red on the
program mode selector dial.
The 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
transmission will go to automatic program
mode C when the engine is restarted.
Upshifting
! In manual program mode M, the
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.
XMove the gear selector lever back briefly
(Y page 263).
or
XBriefly pull right gearshift control ;
(Y page 267).
The transmission shifts into the next higher
gear.
Upshift indicator
In manual program mode M, the upshift
indicator 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.
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The white segments : and the yellow
segment ; come on in succession from left
to right.
The optimal moment to upshift is reached
when the red segments = come on and the
message up appears in the multifunction
display:
XShift the transmission from current gear
into the next higher gear.
The fuel supply will otherwise be
interrupted to prevent the engine from
overrevving.
Downshifting
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.
XMove the gear selector lever forward briefly
(Y page 263).
or
XBriefly pull left gearshift control :
(Y page 267).
The transmission shifts into the next lower
gear.
iWhen you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down into a gear from which you can
easily accelerate or take off.
Kickdown
Using the kickdown while driving in manual
program mode M is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
XTurn the program mode selector dial until
C or S appears in the multifunction display.
or
XRestart the engine.
The transmission will go to automatic
program mode C.
Manual program mode M is not stored.
AMG button (SETUP)
You can select a preset driving program
(SETUP) and store it using the AMG button.
XStoring: Press and hold AMG button :
until an acoustic signal sounds.
XSelecting: Press AMG button :.
The selected driving program is selected.
XDisplaying: Press AMG button : briefly.
In the multifunction display, the SETUP
appears in the AMG menu (Y page 288).
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 R can be selected.
XStop the vehicle in a safe location.XShift the transmission into park position P.XTurn off the engine.XWait at least 10 seconds before restarting.XRestart the engine.XShift the transmission into drive position
D (for second gear) or reverse gear R.
XHave the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
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