Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 2013 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 172)

Selecting the ideal shift range
X Pull and hold left-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter : until the function is
activated.
Depending on the selected drive program,
the automatic transmission shifts to a gear
which allows ideal acceleration and
deceleration. To do this, the automatic
transmission shifts down one or more
gears.
Manual drive program
Switching on the manual drive program
Manual drive program M is different from
drive program S with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
You can select manual drive program M with
the program selector button or the drive
program selector (AMG vehicles). In manual
drive program M, you can change gear using
the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D. The selected
gear appears in the multifunction display.
X Press the program selector button
repeatedly until M(
Y
page 167) appears in
the multifunction display.
X AMG vehicles: turn the drive program
selector until M(
Y
page 167) appears in the
multifunction display.
Upshifting
X
Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y
page 168).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
Before the engine speed reaches the red
area, an upshift indicator will be shown in
the multifunction display.
: Upshift indicator
; Gear indicator
X
Shift up a gear if upshift symbol : appears
in the multifunction display.
AMG vehicles
!
In manual drive program M, the automatic
transmission does not shift up
automatically 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.
X If the display color of the multifunction
display changes to red and upshift
symbol : appears, shift up a gear.
Downshifting
X
Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y
page 168).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
Maximum acceleration
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter until the transmission selects the
optimum gear according to the speed.
i If 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.
170
Automatic transmission
Driving
and
parking