Manumatic shift characteristics
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Manumatic shift characteristics
I got my E500 last week, and the gear selection in sport mode works differently from my SL55, and differently from the way that I'd like it to work.
In the SL55, if I start out in D, tapping the lever to the left twice or tapping the left steering wheel paddle always leaves me with the 3 showing on the dash, and 3rd gear being the highest gear the transmission will select.
In the E500, tapping the lever twice with the transmission in D gives inconsistant results. Sometimes I end up in 3, sometimes in 2, sometimes in 1!
It seems to me that the E500 transmission responds to taps on the lever by dropping down the highest gear selected from the gear that it's actually selected by one for each tap, where the SL55 drops the highest gear that it will select from the selection indicated on the dash by one for each tap.
I like the SL55 approach better, because I can go into a corner that I know is a 3rd gear corner, and get third gear by a number of taps known from the display, where in the E500 I have to intuit whether the transmission has slected the top gear insicated on the display, or a lower one.
Is my E500 transmission working as it's supposed to? If so, is there a reason why it works this way as opposed to the way the SL55 transmission works?
Jim
In the SL55, if I start out in D, tapping the lever to the left twice or tapping the left steering wheel paddle always leaves me with the 3 showing on the dash, and 3rd gear being the highest gear the transmission will select.
In the E500, tapping the lever twice with the transmission in D gives inconsistant results. Sometimes I end up in 3, sometimes in 2, sometimes in 1!
It seems to me that the E500 transmission responds to taps on the lever by dropping down the highest gear selected from the gear that it's actually selected by one for each tap, where the SL55 drops the highest gear that it will select from the selection indicated on the dash by one for each tap.
I like the SL55 approach better, because I can go into a corner that I know is a 3rd gear corner, and get third gear by a number of taps known from the display, where in the E500 I have to intuit whether the transmission has slected the top gear insicated on the display, or a lower one.
Is my E500 transmission working as it's supposed to? If so, is there a reason why it works this way as opposed to the way the SL55 transmission works?
Jim
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From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
As I understand the 7 speed transmission to work in the E500 is that when down shifting accurs, the transmission will pick the next lowest gear according to speed and throttle position.... This transmission has the ability to go from say drive down to third ( lets say out of a tight corner) or from fifth to second etc.... Not sure what tranny is in your SL55 (probably a five speed) but the seven speed is a different animal altogether. Ther is no need to look down to see what gear your in and no need to know.... Just nail it and let the trans do the rest.
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From: San Jose, CA
2004 E500
If you press the shifter to the left and hold it there, its supposed to shift into the "optiimum" gear... for example, it may automatically downshift several gears. This works OK, but I haven't been really thrilled with the manumatic action on the E.... there's a noticeable delay between when you slap the shifter and when the gear change actually occurs... I often find myself hitting it twice or more and shifting too low. It's no SMG or DSG, but then again, it's much smoother and seems to work very well without any manual intervention.
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Originally Posted by HELL ONA HARLEY
Not sure what tranny is in your SL55 (probably a five speed) but the seven speed is a different animal altogether.
Jim
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From: THE NAPA VALLEY, CA
Build date 2-04 E500
Originally Posted by CASL55
The SL55 has a five speed, just like my E500 (it's 4matic, that's why it's a five speed).Jim
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Originally Posted by interpol
If you press the shifter to the left and hold it there, its supposed to shift into the "optiimum" gear... for example, it may automatically downshift several gears.
Jim
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W211
My 03 E500 (5 speed) acts as your SL55 does -- one tap = one gear down. I often do 3 taps to the left from drive to get to 2nd gear before a turn. No guesswork.
I don't suppose you're holding the lever to the left too long?
I don't suppose you're holding the lever to the left too long?
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From: Canada
2004 E500 / 2001 C240
One tap goes one gear down from the current gear (what is your current gear of the 7? Who knows..)..
The thing I would like to see is instead of that S or W or the D (we all know we are in D) mode on the screen it actually showed the gear you were in so that you could double tap to go from 5th to 3rd or single tap from 3rd to 2nd. When I first got the car I found myself shifting into first while moving.. Yuck.
The thing I would like to see is instead of that S or W or the D (we all know we are in D) mode on the screen it actually showed the gear you were in so that you could double tap to go from 5th to 3rd or single tap from 3rd to 2nd. When I first got the car I found myself shifting into first while moving.. Yuck.
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Thread Starter
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Originally Posted by MPTLPTR
I don't suppose you're holding the lever to the left too long?
1) It never happens in the SL55
2) It never happens at highway speeds in the E500, when, if the dash indicator reads D, the thansmission is in 5th; if it reads 4, the transmission is in 4th; etc.
3) It regularly happens going down a hill that occurs on my driveway. I enter the hill with the indicator reading 4, but the transmission is probably in third because I am going slowly and downhill (I think there's a hill sensor). When I tap the lever, the transmission shifts to second.
Jim
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Originally Posted by MPTLPTR
My 03 E500 (5 speed) acts as your SL55 does -- one tap = one gear down.
I wonder why the change. It certainly is not an improvement, to my way of thinking.
Jim
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From: Central California Coast
2004 SL55, 2005 E500 Wagon
Originally Posted by atssystems.com
When I first got the car I found myself shifting into first while moving.. Yuck.
Jim
