2008 Mercedes SL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 182
2008 Mercedes SL-Class Manual
Page 182 highlights
Controls in detail Automatic transmission Limiting gear range Warning! Extending gear range G Briefly pull right shift paddle 2. The transmission will shift to the next higher gear as permitted by the shift program. This action simultaneously extends the gear range of the transmission. On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order to obtain braking action. This could result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle's ABS will not prevent this type of loss of control. Gearshift paddles (example illustration) i If you press on the accelerator when the engine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected. 1 Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or downshift (in MANUAL program mode) 2 Right shift paddle: extending gear range or upshift (in MANUAL program mode) Briefly pull left shift paddle 1. The transmission will shift to the next lower gear as permitted by the shift program. This action simultaneously limits the gear range of the transmission ( page 176). i You cannot shift with the steering wheel gearshift paddles when the gear selector lever is in position P, N or R. The following instructions describe operation of the steering wheel gearshift control when driving in the automatic program mode C or S. i To avoid overrevving the engine when downshifting, the transmission will not shift to a lower gear if the engine's max. speed would be exceeded. 181