Automatic Transmission - Mercedes-Benz SL 320 Operator's Manual

Automatic Transmission

The automatic transmission
selects individual gears auto-
matically, dependent upon
• Selector lever position
• Accelerator position
• Vehicle speed
Important!
When parking the car or before
working on the vehicle with the engine
running, firmly depress the parking
brake pedal and shift the selector lever
into "P".
Driving
The selector lever is automatically
locked while in position "P". To move
the selector lever out of position "P",
the service brake pedal must be firmly
depressed before the shift lock will
release.
Shift selector lever to the desired
driving position only when the engine
is idling and the service brake is
applied. Do not release
the brake until ready to drive. The
vehicle may otherwise start creeping
when the selector lever is in drive or
reverse position.
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the selector
lever out of "P" or "N" if the
engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not on the
brake pedal, the car could
accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of
the car and hit someone or some-
thing. Only shift info gear when the
engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.
Important!
After selecting any driving position
from "N" or "P", wait a moment to
allow the gear to fully engage before
accelerating, especially when the
engine is cold
Accelerator position
Partial throttle = early upshifting =
normal acceleration
Full throttle = later upshifting = rapid
acceleration
Kickdown (depressing the accelerator
beyond full throttle) = downshifting to
next lowest gear = maximum
acceleration. Once the desired speed is
attained, ease up on the accelerator -
the transmission shifts up again
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