2009 Mercedes SLR McLaren Owner's Manual - Page 175

Controls in detail Automatic transmission Shift program mode selector switch Turn the program mode selector switch to the desired setting. The letter of the desired shift program appears in the right multifunction display. Select C for comfort driving: The vehicle starts out in second gear for gentler starts. This does not apply if full throttle is applied or gear range 1 is selected. 1 Program mode selector switch C Comfort MAN Manual S Sport For comfort driving For manual gear shifting ( page 178) For standard driving Traction and driving stability are improved on icy roads. Upshifts occur earlier even when you give more gas. The engine then operates at lower rpms and the wheels are less likely to spin. Gear selector lever one-touch gearshifting With the gear selector lever in drive position D and driving in shift program C or S, you can limit or extend the gear range. With the MAN shift program activated, you can use the gear selector lever to manually shift the gears. i For information on using the gear selector lever in shift program MAN, see "Manual shift program" ( page 178). ! Allow engine to warm up under low load use. Do not place full load on the engine until the operating temperature has been reached. Shift into reverse gear R or park position P only when the vehicle is stopped. Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an extended period when driving off on slippery road surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. The selected shift program appears in the right multifunction display ( page 117). ! Never change the program when the gear selector lever is out of park position P. This could result in a change of driving characteristics for which you may not be prepared. The following instructions describe operation of the gear selector lever when driving in the shift program C or S. 175