Automatic Transmission - Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Owner'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 and 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
position only when the engine is idling
normally 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 something.
Only shift into gear when the engine
is idling normally.
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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