Mercedes-Benz 450 SL 1980, Owner'S Manual

Page: 41 / 81

Starting and Shifting Gears
“ D” Drive.
All gears are available. The
vehicle starts out in
1
st gear.
Position “ D ” affords optimum
driving characteristics under
all normal operating conditions.
“ S” Slope.
Upshifting to
2
nd gear only.
The vehicle starts out in 1 st
gear. Suitable for moderate
ascents and descents. As the
transm ission shifts up to
2
nd
gear only, this position permits
the utilization of the engine
braking effect. With the selec­
to r lever in position “ S ” and
the accelerator depressed to
full throttle,
1 st gear covers a
w ider speed range than with
the selector lever in position
“ D ” .
“ L” Low.
M aneuvering
To maneuver in restricted area,
e. g. when pulling into a parking
space, control the car speed by
gradually releasing the service
brake. A ccelerate gently and do not
pump the accelerator. To rock a
car out of soft ground (mud or
snow), alternately shift one forw ard
gear range and the reverse gear at
partial throttle.
Trailer operation
Do not allow the engine speed to
drop too low at uphill gradients to
prevent the engine from laboring
at low RPMs. Depending on the
degree of the incline, shift selector
lever to positions “ S ” or “ L ” early
enough to m aintain engine rpms
w ithin best torque range.
Stopping
For brief halts, e. g. at tra ffic lights,
leave the selector lever in a driving
position and control vehicle with
the service brake.
For longer stops with the engine
idling, shift selector lever to posi­
tion “ N ” .
When stopping the car on a slope,
do not hold it by means of the
accelerator but use the brake. This
avoids unnecessary heat-up of the
transm ission.
No upshift, transm ission w ill
remain in 1st gear. For driving
on steep mountain passes, for
trailer operation in m ountai­
nous regions, for driving under
severe operating conditions
and as a braking position on
extremely steep declines.