What exactly is the C# or S# shift mode (after paddle is touched)?
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2016 C63S
What exactly is the C# or S# shift mode (after paddle is touched)?
Sorry if this was in the manual and I missed it. What exactly is the point of the numbered shifting mode that engages after the car is in C or S and a paddle is touched?
I've noticed a few things:
- The car seems to lock into the selected gear, but, it will still upshift if necessary (i.e. won't bounce off redline)
- If the was in, for example S5, and you came to a stop, the car would upshift normally back through the gears once you got going again...acting the same as if it was in standard S mode.
- The # of the indicated gear sometimes seems to act like a "ceiling" of the highest gear it will upshift to (again, unless redline is going to be reached). What I mean by this is, if the car was in S3, and came to a stop, after getting moving again, it would shift 1 -> 2 -> 3, and then kind of hang in three unless it HAD to shift.
Am I missing anything else? The third point above, if I'm correct, would be really useful for spirited back road driving, when not in M. You could "cap" the transmission in 3rd or 4th gear, and just let it do its thing, knowing it won't try and upshift to 5th or 6th, necessitating a kick down after the next corner.
I've noticed a few things:
- The car seems to lock into the selected gear, but, it will still upshift if necessary (i.e. won't bounce off redline)
- If the was in, for example S5, and you came to a stop, the car would upshift normally back through the gears once you got going again...acting the same as if it was in standard S mode.
- The # of the indicated gear sometimes seems to act like a "ceiling" of the highest gear it will upshift to (again, unless redline is going to be reached). What I mean by this is, if the car was in S3, and came to a stop, after getting moving again, it would shift 1 -> 2 -> 3, and then kind of hang in three unless it HAD to shift.
Am I missing anything else? The third point above, if I'm correct, would be really useful for spirited back road driving, when not in M. You could "cap" the transmission in 3rd or 4th gear, and just let it do its thing, knowing it won't try and upshift to 5th or 6th, necessitating a kick down after the next corner.
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Current: 2019 M5 Donnington Gray, 2021 GLE53 Diamond White Met. Previous: 2010 C63, 2012 E550 Coupe
You are correct in your assumption. The number shown becomes the highest gear that the car will shift to. If you stop, the car wil go through 1,2,3... up to the number shown.
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2016 C63S
Thanks. One more thing I'm confused about though. Someone on here recommended that, for optimal track acceleration, put the car in S and pull the left paddle to have it enter S1. Then the car would "shift at higher rpm", but, according to the theory above, the car wouldn't shift past 1. I guess the key is, it's still not pure M mode. It WILL shift up EVENTUALLY. So maybe it does hold off on the upshift until higher RPM's, in the S# mode?
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Vivid Racing '09 C63 AMG
Another trick is if you hold the left/downshift paddle or the shifter knob to the left, it doesn't just shift down one gear, it'll shift down to the lowest possible gear for overtaking or revving high.
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MB
Thanks. One more thing I'm confused about though. Someone on here recommended that, for optimal track acceleration, put the car in S and pull the left paddle to have it enter S1. Then the car would "shift at higher rpm", but, according to the theory above, the car wouldn't shift past 1. I guess the key is, it's still not pure M mode. It WILL shift up EVENTUALLY. So maybe it does hold off on the upshift until higher RPM's, in the S# mode?
I'm not sure on this but I think S mode has a slightly higher redline than C mode. And if I recall correctly, you can use the D1, D2, D3, etc. in C or S mode. So, C1, C2, C3, etc, or S1, S2, S3...
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MB
