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They are in the 2019+ with the digital cockpit. Current gear is front and center with the Supersport layout for example. I believe the other layouts show the current gear as well, but I never use them. Although, I'm in manual mode in this picture, the current gear is still there in automatic mode. In manual mode it also shows the next higher and lower gear next to it and grays them out if they can't be selected based on the current rpm. Kind of a neat visual touch.
They are in the 2019+ with the digital cockpit. Current gear is front and center with the Supersport layout for example. I believe the other layouts show the current gear as well, but I never use them. Although, I'm in manual mode in this picture, the current gear is still there in automatic mode. In manual mode it also shows the next higher and lower gear next to it and grays them out if they can't be selected based on the current rpm. Kind of a neat visual touch.
Thanks
So FL prior to 2019 won’t show gears in automatic?
So FL prior to 2019 won’t show gears in automatic?
You mean the PFL? Prior to 2019 there is no FL. All FL are 2019 onward. The PFL only had an analog cluster with a smaller display between the gauges and judging from the PFL owners that posted earlier it doesn't show the current gear in D when the transmission is shifting automatically, I'm assuming it's showing it if you temporarily use the paddles w/o permanently changing to M. I don't actually recall. It may show it if you bring up the AMG Performances display in the center. The 2019 could also still be had with the analog cluster, and I don't know if they show the gear, but I believe starting in 2020 the digital cluster became standard. I can only confidently speak for the digital cluster pictured above. I don't know if the analog cluster in the PFL and FL show the current gear at all times, but the digital cluster shows the gear in D automatic, temporary manual mode and permanent manual mode.
EDIT: Perhaps just to make it more clear, there are three shift modes to consider.
1. D with automatic shifting
2. D with temporary paddle shifting
3. M with permanent paddle shifting
Pretty sure all models show the current gear in the latter two cases, but from the sounds of it the analog cluster in the PFL and FL don't show the current gear in the first case or perhaps only if you bring up one of the AMG Performance displays. The digital cluster in the FL shows the current gear in all three cases, at least with the SuperSport layout. Have to double-check the other layouts one of these days.
Last edited by superswiss; Aug 18, 2021 at 01:20 PM.
It was pure curiosity. I perfectly understand gears are shown when in M mode so you know where you are…
But honestly, I don’t see the point on showing gears when in D, as when I drive automatic I don’t really care what the car is doing 🤓
Sometimes the car will be in 6th gear at 2000 rpms and you know a incline is coming and you downshift. Another is knowing if you are in second gear and going on an incline and you want to shift to first before the car does so it don't wear out the clutches revving to 2500 rpms in second gear taking off.
This transmission is clunky and will have a harsh shift hear or there when the car realizes it's in 5th gear and needs to downshift going 30mph on a curvy uphill road. By doing it yourself saves that harsh downshift at light throttle.
I only drive with amg performance on the dash and the car starts that way since I bought it so can't tell you if it's there on other modes but in amg mode it's there in all driving modes.
Last edited by skratch77; Aug 18, 2021 at 01:58 PM.
Sometimes the car will be in 6th gear at 2000 rpms and you know a incline is coming and you downshift. Another is knowing if you are in second gear and going on an incline and you want to shift to first before the car does so it don't wear out the clutches revving to 2500 rpms in second gear taking off.
This transmission is clunky and will have a harsh shift hear or there when the car realizes it's in 5th gear and needs to downshift going 30mph on a curvy uphill road. By doing it yourself saves that harsh downshift at light throttle.
I only drive with amg performance on the dash and the car starts that way since I bought it so can't tell you if it's there on other modes but in amg mode it's there in all driving modes.
But honestly, I don’t see the point on showing gears when in D, as when I drive automatic I don’t really care what the car is doing 🤓
There's actually quite a bit of value in seeing the current gear in automatic mode, so you can anticipate what the transmission is going to do when you step on the throttle and if you might wanna manually downshift beforehand, and you can smooth out things coming to a stop. Also you know exactly what gear you are starting with when you decide to start manually shifting. Not seeing the current gear in automatic mode was one of my biggest pet peeves with my prior Audi RS5. For some reason Audi decided to disable it on US spec cars. EU spec cars showed the current gear. It was one of the most common coding mods folks did to enable it on US spec cars, but it required VCDS and I didn't wanna spend that kind of money just to enable the current gear display. I regularly check what gear the transmission is in in automatic mode and control my throttle inputs accordingly. At least the 9-MCT can be controlled very nicely with the throttle and you can get it to downshift one or a couple of gears with just the right throttle input before you give it more throttle. One of the things I dislike about automatic transmissions is when they are reactive and realize they are in the wrong gear and then first downshift and sometimes downshift too many gears, so I rather either manually downshift in the right gear or I use the throttle to get it do downshift the right number of gears before I accelerate fully.
Last edited by superswiss; Aug 18, 2021 at 03:50 PM.
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