Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Operator's Manual page 81

Selector Lever Positions
500 SL
The automatic gear shifting
process can be adapted to
specific operating conditions
using the selector lever.
P Parking lock.
The parking lock is an additional
safeguard to the parking brake when
parking the vehicle. Engage only
with the car stopped.
Note:
The key can be removed from the
steering lock only
selector lever in position "P".
With the key removed, the
selector lever is locked in
position "P".
R Reverse gear.
Shift to reverse gear only with the
car stopped.
N Neutral.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the rear axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
Do not engage "N" while driving
except to coast when the vehicle is
in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads, see Winter Driving
Instructions in Index).
Important!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for
any other reason with selector lever
in "N", can result in transmission
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
D The transmission automatically
upshifts to 4th gear. Position "D"
provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal
operating conditions.
with the
3 Upshift to 3rd gear only. Suitable for
moderately steep hills.
2 Upshift to 2nd gear only. For
driving in mountainous regions.
Since the transmission does not
shift higher than 2nd gear, this gear
selection will allow use of the
engine's braking power downhill.
B In this position, the engine's
braking effect is utilized by shifting
into 1st gear. Use this position
while descending very steep or
lengthy downgrades and only at
speeds below 40 mph (60 km/h).
Important!
With selector lever in position "D" or
"3", upshifting from 2nd to 3rd gear is
delayed depending on vehicle speed
and engine temperature. This allows
the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperatures.
During the brief warm-up period this
delayed upshift and increased engine
noise might be perceived as
malfunction. However, neither the
engine nor transmission are negatively
affected by this mode of operation.
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