2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SL ROADSTER automatic transmission

R
you move the transmission out of position
P
R you switch to drive program S, S+orM
(AMG vehicles)
R you unfasten your seat belt or open the
driver's door
R the vehicle starts to roll
R the brake system requires this
R the temperature in the vehicle interior devi-
ates from the set range
R the system detects moisture on the wind-
screen when the air-conditioning system is
switched on
R the battery's charge status is too low
i Shifting the transmission to position
P
does not start the engine.
i If you shift the transmission from
Rto D,
the ECO start/stop function is available
again once the ¤symbol reappears in
green in the multifunction display.
Deactivating/activating the ECO start/
stop function ECO button
Deactivating (except for AMG vehicles)
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;and the ¤symbol in
the multifunction display go out.
Activating (except for AMG vehicles)
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. If all conditions
for automatic engine switch-off (Y
page 159) are met, the ¤symbol is lit
green in the multifunction display.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 159) are met, the ¤
symbol is lit yellow in the multifunction dis- play. If this is the case, the ECO start/stop
function is not available.
i If indicator lamp
;is off, the ECO start/
stop function has been deactivated man-
ually or as the result of a malfunction. The
engine will then not be switched off auto-
matically when the vehicle stops. ECO button in AMG vehicles
Deactivating (AMG vehicles)
X Press button :in drive program C.
or
X Switch to drive program S,S+ orM
(Y page 168).
Indicator lamp ;and the ¤symbol in
the multifunction display go out.
Activating (AMG vehicles)
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
If drive program S,S+ orMis active, the
automatic transmission switches to drive
program C.
If all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 159) are met, the ¤
symbol is lit green in the multifunction dis- play.
If not all conditions for automatic engine
switch-off (Y page 159) are met, the ¤
symbol is shown in yellow in the multifunc- 160
DrivingDriving and pa
rking

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. The
coolant warning lamp
may also be on and a
warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 565). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. Selector lever
Overview of transmission positions !
If the engine speed is too high or if the
vehicle is rolling, do not shift the transmis- sion directly from Dto R, from Rto Dor
directly to P.
Do not open the driver's door while the
vehicle is in motion. At low speeds in trans-
mission position Dor R, park position Pis
otherwise engaged automatically.
The transmission could be damaged. Selector lever
j
Park position
k Reverse gear Automatic transmission
163Driving and parking Z

i
Neutral
h Drive
When you select a transmission position, the
selector lever subsequently returns to its
original position.
The current transmission position P,R, Nor D
appears in the transmission position display
in the multifunction display.
Engaging park position P X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Press the Pbutton in the centre console.
i Park position Pis released if you:
R depress the brake pedal and
R push the selector lever forwards or back
to the first point of resistance
The transmission shifts to neutral N.
Park position Pis engaged automatically and
the electric parking brake applied:
R if you remove the key from the ignition lock
R if you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's or front- passenger door
R if you open the driver's door while travelling
at low speed in transmission position Dor
R
R when HOLD (Y page 196) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 185) brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary and at least one of the
following conditions is fulfilled:
- the engine is switched off
- the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened
- there is a system malfunction
- the power supply is insufficient
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the selector lever forwards past the
first point of resistance.
i When reverse gear is engaged and the
ECO start/stop function is switched on, the
engine starts up automatically
(Y page 159).
Shifting to neutral N X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the selector lever forwards or back to
the first point of resistance.
i If the vehicle is braked to a standstill when
in neutral Nand the brake pedal is kept
depressed, the ECO start/stop function
switches the engine off automatically
(Y page 159).
Staying in neutral (N) G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children. 164
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

With the key:
R make sure the ignition is switched on.
R when the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R select neutral N.
R release the brake pedal.
R if the electric parking brake is applied,
release it.
R switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
With KEYLESS-GO:
R make sure the ignition is switched on.
R when the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
R engage park position P.
R release the brake pedal.
R remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
R insert the key into the ignition lock.
R switch on the ignition.
R depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
R select neutral N.
R release the brake pedal.
R if the electric parking brake is applied,
release it.
R switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
Shifting to transmission position D X
When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal.
X Push the selector lever back past the first
point of resistance.
i If the vehicle is braked to a standstill when
in transmission position D(Y page 159) and
the brake pedal is kept depressed, the ECO start/stop function switches the engine offautomatically. Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
Display in transmission positions P, R
and N :
Transmission position: currently selected
transmission position will be highlighted
; Drive program (E/S/M)
In addition to drive program ;being shown
in the multifunction display, the currently
selected drive program is indicated in red on
the program selector button.
Display when in transmission position D :
Transmission position
; Gear
= Drive program (E/S)
When you have selected drive program Eor S,
the transmission position is displayed in posi-
tion :. The selected gear is displayed in
position ;. Automatic transmission
165Driving and parking Z

Display when in transmission position D
and drive program M :
Gear
; Drive program (M) Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P (Y page 163) unless the vehicle is
stationary. The parking lock should not be used as a brake when park-
ing. In order to secure the vehicle,
always engage the electric parking brake in addition to the parking
lock.
If the key is removed from the igni-
tion lock, the transmission is
locked.
The automatic transmission shifts
into Pautomatically:
R when the key is removed from
the ignition lock.
R when the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
R or Dand one of the doors is
opened.
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis- sion may lock in position P.
Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. 166
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi- vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
R the selected drive program (Y page 167)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Double-clutch function When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch functionreduces load change reactions and is condu-cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up. Program selector button
Selecting drive programs Program selector button
Program selector button :allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
X Press program selector button :repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift
program appears in the speedometer mul-
tifunction display. Automatic transmission
167Driving and parking Z

R
EEconomy: comfortable, economical
driving
R SSport: sporty driving style
R M Manual: manual gearshifting
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 170).
In addition to permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 169).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Eeach time the
engine is started.
i For further information on the "Automatic
drive program", see (Y page 169).
Drive program for AMG vehicles You can use the drive program selector
switch to choose from a range of different
transmission settings or select the RACE
START drive mode.
X Turn drive program selector :until the
desired drive program appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
The drive program indicator on the drive
program selector lights up red.
R CControlled Efficiency: comfortable
engine and transmission design that pro-
vides for optimum fuel consumption
R SSport: sporty engine and transmission
settings
R S+ SportPlus: extremely sporty engine and
transmission settings R
M Manual: manual gearshifting
R RS driving mode RACE START: optimum
acceleration dynamics from a standstill (SL 63 AMG only)
i Further information about permanent
drive program M(Y page 170).
In addition to permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 169).
i The automatic transmission switches to
automatic drive program Ceach time the
engine is started.
i RS
cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE
START, see (Y page 198).
AMG button (SETUP) You can save and call up the following pre-
settings with the AMG button:
R Drive program (Y page 168)
R Suspension settings X
To store: press and hold AMG button :
until you hear a tone.
X To call up: press AMG button :.
The stored drive program is selected.
X To display: briefly press AMG button :.
The multifunction display shows SETUP in
the AMG menu (Y page 244).168
Automatic transmissionDriving an
d parking

Steering wheel gearshift paddles
:
Left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
; Right-hand steering wheel gearshift pad-
dle
In the manual drive program, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles (Y page 169).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Ypage 170).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(Ypage 169).
i The full range of functions of the steering
wheel gearshift paddles is available only
once the operating temperature is reached.
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddles when the trans-
mission is in position D.Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S Drive program
Eis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R comfort-orientated engine and transmis-
sion settings
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the accel-
erator pedal is depressed fully R
increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example.
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program Sis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the vehicle pulling away in first gear
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption pos-sibly being higher
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles. The transmission must be
in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
i In addition to temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro- gram M(Y page 167).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 170).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel gearshift
paddle (Y page 169).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
gearshift paddle, the automatic transmission switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which Automatic transmission
169Driving and parking Z