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Sport program and manual mode
Activating the sport program
Push the selector lever to the left out of trans‐
mission position D.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., S1.
The sport program of the transmission is acti‐
vated.
Activating the M/S manual mode
1.Push the selector lever to the left out of
transmission position D.2.Push the selector lever forward or pull it
backward.
Manual mode becomes active and the gear is
changed.
The engaged gear is displayed in the instru‐
ment cluster, e.g., M1.
Once maximum engine speed is attained, M/S
manual mode is automatically upshifted as
needed.
Switching to manual mode
▷To shift down: press the selector lever for‐
ward.▷To shift up: pull the selector lever rear‐
wards.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Not M550d xDrive: Sport automatic
transmission: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
For vehicles with Sport automatic transmis‐
sions, automatic shift operations are not per‐
formed, at maximum engine speed for exam‐
ple, if one of the following conditions is met:▷DSC deactivated.▷TRACTION activated.▷SPORT+ activated.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
M550d xDrive: prevent automatic
upshifting in M/S manual mode
Once maximum engine speed is attained, up‐
shifting is not automatically performed in M/S
manual mode.
In addition, the kickdown is deactivated.
The lowest possible gear is selected by simul‐
taneously operating the kickdown and the left
shift paddle.
However, this effect is not produced via the
shift paddles when switching briefly from
transmission position D to manual mode.
Ending the sport program/manual
mode
Push the selector lever to the right.
D is displayed in the instrument cluster.
Shift paddles
The shift paddles on the steering wheel allow
you to shift gears quickly while keeping both
hands on the steering wheel.
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If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
If the shift paddles are not used and the vehicle
is not accelerated for a certain time, the sys‐
tem switches back into automatic mode if the
selector lever is in transmission position D.▷Shift up: pull right shift paddle.▷Shift down: pull left shift paddle.
Gears will only be shifted at appropriate engine
and road speeds, e.g., downshifting is not pos‐
sible if the engine speed is too high.
The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
Shift lights in the instrument display
The concept Shift lights display the optimum shift point for
sport displays in the multifunction instrument
display. Thus, with a sporty driving style, the
best possible vehicle acceleration is achieved.
Display in the instrument display
▷Current engine speed is displayed in the
tachometer.▷Arrow 1: successive yellow illuminated
fields indicate the upcoming upshift mo‐
ment.▷Arrow 2: fields are illuminated in red. Do
not wait any further to shift.
When the maximum possible speed is
reached, the entire display flashes. When the
maximum speed is exceeded, the supply of
fuel is interrupted in order to protect the en‐
gine. Speeds in this range must be avoided.
Displays in the instrument cluster The transmission position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Sport automatic transmission: launch
Control
The concept
Launch Control enables optimum acceleration
on surfaces with good traction.
Hints Component wear
Do not use Launch Control too often;
otherwise, this may result in premature wear of
components due to the high stress placed on
the vehicle.◀
Did not use Launch Control during the break-
in, refer to page 184, period.
To increase vehicle stability, activate DSC
again as soon as possible.
Requirements
Launch Control is available when the engine is
warmed up, that is, after uninterrupted driving
of at least 6 miles/10 km.
To start with Launch Control do not steer the
steering wheel.
Start with launch controlWhile the engine is running:1. Press button or select with the
Driving Dynamics Control Sport+.
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TRACTION is displayed in the instrument
cluster and the indicator lamp for DSC OFF
lights up.2.Engaging the transmission position S3.With the left foot, forcefully press down on
the brake.4.Press on the accelerator beyond the resist‐
ance point at the full throttle position.
A flag symbol appears in the instrument
cluster.5.The starting engine speed adjusts. Within
3 seconds, release the brake.
Before using Launch Control, allow the trans‐
mission to cool down for approx. 5 minutes.
Launch Control adjusts to the surrounding
conditions, e.g., wet pavement, when used
again.
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DisplaysVehicle equipmentAll standard, country-specific and optional
equipment that is offered in the model series is
described in this chapter. Therefore, equip‐ment is also described that is not available in a
vehicle, e. g., because of the selected optional
equipment or country variant. This also applies
for safety-related functions and systems.
Instrument cluster
Overview, instrument cluster
1Fuel gauge 862Speedometer3Indicator/warning lamps 844Tachometer 865Engine oil temperature 866Electronic displays 807Display/reset miles 87Seite 78ControlsDisplays78
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Overview, instrument cluster with enhanced features1Fuel gauge 862Speedometer3Indicator/warning lamps 844Tachometer 865Engine oil temperature 866Electronic displays 807Display/reset miles 87Seite 79DisplaysControls79
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Electronic displays
Overview, instrument cluster1Miles/trip miles 87
External temperature 87
Time 87
Selection list, e.g., radio 91
Navigation display, see user's manual for
Navigation, Entertainment and Communi‐
cation.
Computer 92Symbol for service need2Transmission display 76
Current fuel consumption 88
Energy recovery 883Service requirements 88
Messages, e.g., Check Control 84
Navigation display, see user's manual for
Navigation, Entertainment and Communi‐
cation.Seite 80ControlsDisplays80
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Overview, instrument cluster with enhanced features1Messages, e.g. Check Control 84
Time 872Range 873Computer 924Navigation display
Service requirements 88Miles/trip miles 875Selection list, such as for the radio 91
Current fuel consumption 88
Energy recovery 88
External temperature 87
Transmission display 76Multifunctional instrument
display
The concept The instrument dispaly is a variable display.
When the driving mode is changed, the ap‐pearance is changed to reflect the new driving
mode. The change of appearance can be de‐
activated in the Control Display.
Some of the displays in the instrument display
may differ from the way they are shown in this
owner's manual.Seite 81DisplaysControls81
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At a glance1Fuel gauge 862Indicator/warning lamps 843Speedometer4Variable displays5Tachometer 86Selection lists 91
ECO PRO displays 1926Oil temperature 867Computer 928Reset miles 87
Switching the change of display on and off
You can set whether the instrument display
automatically changes to the ECO PRO or
SPORT in the display when you switch driving
modes.1."Settings"2."Info display"3."ECO PRO Info"
or"Driving mode view"With Professional Navigation System:
switching zoom function on/off
Switching
You can program whether the current speed is
to appear enlarged in the speedometer.1."Settings"2."Info display"3."Magnifier function"Seite 82ControlsDisplays82
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