2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-Class 9 speed transmission

Transmission positions
BPark position
Only shift the transmission into
positionPwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary (
Ypage 148). The parking
lock should not be used as a brake
when parking. Always apply the
electronic parking brake in addi-
tion to the parking lock in order to
secure the vehicle.
7G-TRONIC: the key can only be
removed if the transmission is in
position P. If the SmartKey is
removed from the ignition lock, the
selector lever is locked.
7G-TRONIC: in the event of a mal-
function of the vehicle's electron-
ics, the selector lever may lock in
position P. Information on man-
ually releasing the parking lock
(
Ypage 157).
9G-TRONIC: if the key is removed
from the ignition lock, the trans-
mission is locked.
9G-TRONIC: the automatic trans-
mission shifts into Pautomatically,
Rwhen the SmartKey is removed
from the ignition lock
Rwhen the engine is switched off
with the transmission in position
R or Dand one of the doors is
opened
9G-TRONIC: in the event of a mal-
function of the vehicle's electron-
ics, the transmission may lock in
position P. Have the vehicle elec-
tronics checked immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop.
CReverse gear
Only shift the transmission into
position Rwhen the vehicle is sta-
tionary.
ANeutral
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 brake pedal will allow
you to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty:
shift the transmission only to posi-
tion Nif the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program (Ypage 152)
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
(
Ypage 151)
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Automatic transmission151
Driving an d parking
Z

Double-clutch function
Whenshiftin gdown ,th edouble-clutch func-
tion is active regardles sof th ecurrentl yselec -
te ddrive program. The double-clutch function
reduce sload chang ereaction sand is condu-
cive to asport ydrivin gstyle. The soun dgen -
erate dby th edouble-clutch function depend s
on th edrive program selected.
Kickdown
Use kickdown fo rmaximum acceleration .
XDepress theaccelerator peda lbeyond th e
pressure point.
The automatic transmissio nshift sto a
lowe rgear dependin gon th eengin espeed.
XEase of fth eaccelerator peda lonce th e
desire dspeed is reached.
The automatic transmissio nshift sbac kup.
Program selector butto n
General notes
Example: program selecto rbutto n
The program selecto rbutto nallow syou to
choos ebetween differen tdrivin gcharacter-
istics.
XPress program selecto rbutto n: repeat -
edly until th elette rfo rth edesire ddrive
program appears in th emultifunction dis -
play.
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles ,drive program E
is called drive program C.
EEconom y
C Controlle d
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
drivin g
SSpor tSporty drivin gstyle
M ManualManual gear shiftin g
iThe automatic transmissio nswitches to
automatic drive program E(drive program
C in Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
iMercedes-AMG vehicles :when in drive
program Cand under low load ,th eengin e
operates on just four cylinders. Thi sis th e
cas ein city traffic or on acountry road, fo r
example. Thi sreduce sfue lconsumption .
Cylinder shut-off is inactive in drive pro -
grams Sand M,so that th eengin ewill
operat ewit hall eigh tcylinders.
iFurther information about permanen t
drive program M(
Ypage 155).
As well as this permanen tdrive program M,
you can also activat etemporar ydrive pro -
gram M(
Ypage 153).
iForfurther information on th eautomatic
drive program, see (
Ypage 153).
Steering wheel paddle shifter s
:Left-handsteerin gwhee lpaddle shifter
;Right-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddle shifter
In th emanual drive program, you can chang e
gear usin gth esteerin gwhee lpaddle shifters
152Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

or the selector lever (7G-TRONIC)
(
Ypage 153).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 155).
Further information about temporary drive
program M(
Ypage 153).
iThe full range of functions for the steering
wheel paddle shifters is available only once
operating temperature has been reached.
iYou can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S
Drive program E(drive program Con
Mercedes-AMG vehicles) is characterized by
the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe 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 characterized by the fol-
lowing:
Rsporty engine and transmission settings.
Rthe vehicle pulling away in first gear.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
later. the fuel consumption possibly being
higher as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad-
dle shifters or the selector lever (7G-TRONIC).
The transmission must be in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
the Eand Sautomatic drive programs.
iAs well as temporary drive program M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 152).
Further information about permanent drive
program M(
Ypage 155).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 152).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Changing gear (7G-TRONIC)
XTo shift up: press the selector lever to the
right towards D+.
or
XPull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 152).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts up to the next
gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: press the selector lever to
the left towards D–.
or
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 152).
In cases where it is permissible, the auto-
matic transmission shifts down to the next
gear.
Automatic transmission153
Driving and parking
Z

iFor maximum acceleration, push the
selector lever to the left or pull and hold the
left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter until
the transmission shifts to the optimal gear
for the current speed.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto-
matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Changing gear (9G-TRONIC)
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear
down or up, if permitted.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic
transmission automatically shifts up in
order to prevent engine damage.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
iIf the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the auto- matic transmission protects against engine
damage by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting. Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Disarming
If you have activated manual drive program
M , it will remain active for a certain amount of
time. Under certain conditions the minimum
amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of
lateral acceleration, during an overrun phase
or when driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission shifts into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive pro-
gram Myourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel pad-
dle shifter and hold it in place (
Ypage 152).
or
XUse the lever to switch the transmission
position.
or
XUse the program selector button to change
the drive program (
Ypage 152).
Manual drive program Mis deactivated.
The automatic transmission switches into
the automatic drive program that was last
selected, i.e. Eor S.
154Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Manual drive program
General information
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters or the selector lever
(7G-TRONIC). The transmission must be in
position D.
iAs well as this permanent drive program
M, you can also activate temporary drive
program M(
Ypage 153).
Switching on the manual drive program
Manual drive program Mis different from
drive program Swith regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Manual drive program Mcan be selected
using the program selector button. You can
change gear using the steering wheel paddle
shifters or the selector lever in manual drive
program Mif the transmission is in position D.
The selected gear appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 152) repeatedly until Mappears in
the multifunction display.
Changing gear (7G-TRONIC)
XTo shift up: press the selector lever to the
right towards D+.
or
XPull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the next gear.
XTo shift down: press the selector lever to
the left towards D–.
or
XPull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts down to the next gear.
iIf you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission
will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
iFor maximum acceleration, push the
selector lever to the left or pull and hold the
left-hand steering wheel paddle shifter until
the transmission shifts to the optimal gear
for the current speed.
Changing gear (9G-TRONIC)
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
XTo shift down: pull on the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter (
Ypage 152).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
XMaximum acceleration: pull the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
iIf you brake the vehicle or stop without
shifting down, the automatic transmission
will shift down to a gear that will allow the
vehicle to accelerate or pull away again.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
XShift to recommended gear ;according
to gearshift recommendation :when
shown in the multifunction display of the
instrument cluster.
Automatic transmission155
Driving and parking
Z

Mercedes-AMG vehicles
!In manual drive programM, the automatic
transmission does not shift up automati-
cally even when the engine limiting speed
for the current gear is reached. When the
engine limiting speed is reached, the fuel
supply is cut to prevent the engine from
overrevving. Always make sure that the
engine speed does not reach the red area of
the tachometer. There is otherwise a risk of
engine damage.
:Gear indicator
;Upshift indicator
Before the engine speed reaches the red area,
an upshift indicator will be shown in the mul-
tifunction display.
XWhen the UPmessage is shown in the mul-
tifunction display, pull on the right-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
Kickdown
You can also use kickdown for maximum
acceleration in manual drive program M.
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is not possible
to use kickdown in manual drive program M.
Switching off the manual drive program
XPress the program selector button
(
Ypage 152).
156Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

GDANGER
If th eexhaust pipe is blocke dor adequate
ventilation is no tpossible, poisonous gase s
suc has carbon monoxide (CO) may ente rth e
vehicle. This is th ecase, e.g. if th evehicl e
become strapped in snow. There is aris kof
fatal injury.
If you leav eth eengin eor th eauxiliary heating
running, mak esur eth eexhaust pipe and area
around th evehicl eare clear of snow. To
ensur ean adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on th eside of th evehicl ethat is no t
facing int oth ewind.
Hav eyour vehicl ewinter-proofe dat aquali-
fie dspecialist workshop at th eonset of win -
ter.
Drive particularly carefully on slipper yroad
surfaces. Avoid sudde nacceleration ,steering
and brakin gmaneuvers .Do no tuse cruise
control .
If th evehicl ethreaten sto skid or canno tbe
stoppe dwhen moving at low speed:
XShift th etransmission to position N.
The outside temperature indicator is no t
designed to serve as an ice-warnin gdevice
and is therefor eunsuitable for that purpose .
Changes in th eoutside temperature are dis-
played after ashort delay.
Indicate dtemperatures jus tabov eth efreez -
in g poin tdo no tguarantee that th eroad sur -
fac eis free of ice .The road may still be icy,
especially in w
ooded areas or on bridges
.The
vehicl ecould skid if you fail to adapt your
drivin gstyle. Always adapt your drivin gstyle
and drive at aspee dto suit th eprevailing
weather conditions.
You should pay special attention to road con-
dition swhen temperatures are around freez -
in g point.
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsnow
chains, see (
Ypage 311).
Fo rmor einformation on drivin gwit hsummer
tires ,see (
Ypage 310). Observ
eth enote sin th e"Winte roperation "
section (
Ypage 310).
Driving systems
Cruise Control
Genera l notes
Cruisecontrol maintains aconstan troad
spee dfor you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoi dexceedin gth eset speed. On lon gand
steep downhill gradients ,especially if th e
vehicl eis laden ,you mus tselect alower gear
in goo dtime. By doin gso, you will mak euse of
th ebrakin geffec tof th eengine. This relieves
th eload on th ebrak esystem and prevents
th ebrakes from overheating and wearing to o
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
dition smak eit appropriat eto maintai n a
steady spee dfor aprolonged period. You can
store any road spee dabov e20 mph
(30 km/h).
Import ant safety notes
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, cruise
control can neither reduce th eris kof an acci-
den tno roverride th elaws of physics .Cruis e
control canno ttak einto accoun tth eroad ,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruis econtrol
is only an aid. You are responsibl efor th edis-
tance to th evehicl ein front, for vehicl espeed,
for brakin gin goo dtime and for stayin gin
lane.
Do no tuse cruise control :
Rin road and traffic condition swhic hdo no t
allow you to maintai n aconstan tspee de.g.
in heav ytraffic or on windin groad s
Ron slipper yroad surfaces. Braking or accel-
eratin gcould caus eth edrive wheels to lose
traction and th evehicl ecould then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog ,
heav yrain or snow
If there is achang eof drivers, advise th ene w
driver of th espee dstored.
168Driving systems
Driving and parking

Cruise control lever
Cruisecontrol leve r
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
;To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
=To store the current speed or a lower
speed
?To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the status indicator of the
multifunction display:
RUSA only: e.g. CRUISE 55 Miles
RCanada only: e.g. ¯90 Km/h
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining a speed
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
iCruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
iVehicles with manual transmission:
RAlways drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
RChange gear in good time.
RIf possible, do not shift down several
gears at a time.
Storing or calling up a speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever toward
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed
GWARNING
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment until the vehicle has made the necessary
adjustments.
Increase or decrease the set vehicle speed to
a value that the prevailing road conditions and
legal speed limits permit. Otherwise, sudden
and unexpected acceleration or deceleration
of the vehicle could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
Driving systems169
Driving and parking
Z