2009 Mercedes SLR McLaren Owner's Manual - Page 177

Controls in detail Automatic transmission Steering wheel gearshift control 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 steering wheel gearshift control to manually shift the gears. The steering wheel gearshift paddles are located on the left and right side of the steering wheel. The following instructions describe operation of the gear selector lever when driving in the shift program C or S. Limiting gear range Warning! G i For information on using the steering wheel gearshift control 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. 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. Steering wheel gearshift paddles 1 Left paddle: limiting gear range or downshift (in shift program MAN) 2 Right paddle: extending gear range or upshift (in shift program MAN) 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 174). i You cannot shift with the steering wheel gearshift paddles when the gear selector lever is in park position P, neutral position N or reverse gear R. 177