Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Operator'S Manual

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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 and
when your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.
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.