SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: Stalling in manual mode
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04 SL55 Black
Stalling in manual mode
I was driving on a nice twisty road today, going downhill, and used the speedshift buttons on the wheel to take the car from D to 3. Tranmission was in SP mode, not M. I came up on another car and needed to slow down, and when doing so the car stalled. This happened twice. Anyone else experience this? I've only got 900 miles on the car, and have refrained from using the speedshift until after the breakin period. Could this be trouble with the tranny, or operator error. I assumed that if the car needed a lower gear it would automatically downshift, is that the case with other cars?
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From: UK
SL55 AMG
Well then, your car is different from mine because the buttons only work in M mode; maybe there's been an update which makes the buttons work in the same way as moving the shift lever left to right.
I can see the engine stalling if you are in true manual mode because as you slow down, the engine revs will drop and it will be up to you to change gear as you slow down, just as you would in a true manual transmission. I'm surprised that if you were in S/W mode that the car did not change to 2 and then 1 as you slowed down.
I can see the engine stalling if you are in true manual mode because as you slow down, the engine revs will drop and it will be up to you to change gear as you slow down, just as you would in a true manual transmission. I'm surprised that if you were in S/W mode that the car did not change to 2 and then 1 as you slowed down.
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From: Southern California, USA
2003 CL55 AMG
For 2004 models, the shify buttons work in any mode....
PErsoanlly I would find this more of a hassle since when turhing I always seem to hit one of the buttons.
I find the M mode a much better system.
PErsoanlly I would find this more of a hassle since when turhing I always seem to hit one of the buttons.
I find the M mode a much better system.
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04 SL55 Black
The car is an 04, built in October, so it may have a different rev of the SW. I definitely used the speed shift buttons mounted on the steering wheel to downshift, and I did not have the car in M mode.
The stalling is very disconcerting, it really threw me for a loop. I'd hate to do that at a much faster rate of speed, as the power steering cut out and it was a chore bringing the 4000+ beast over to the side of the road.
I got no sense of the engine lugging before the stall, there was really no warning at all. I'm going to reproduce this tomorrow on a less challenging section of road, just so I can figure out the exact sequence of events that is causing the stall.
The stalling is very disconcerting, it really threw me for a loop. I'd hate to do that at a much faster rate of speed, as the power steering cut out and it was a chore bringing the 4000+ beast over to the side of the road.
I got no sense of the engine lugging before the stall, there was really no warning at all. I'm going to reproduce this tomorrow on a less challenging section of road, just so I can figure out the exact sequence of events that is causing the stall.
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From: UK
SL55 AMG
Does sound like you have a problem then. I find I leave the gearbox in automatic all the time, with a huge amount of torque available (if less than the SL600), the car is plenty smart enough.
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1951 Caterpiller D6
There is definately a problem. Automatic should not stall at a stop no matter what gear you are in. The torque converter should slip enough to keep the engine running.
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From: San Francisco
I agree with Blue SL and E55AMG99 - there is definitely a problem in your car. When using the buttons in M mode, my '03 SL55 automatically shifts to 1st when I stop for a light if I forget to do it. That can be disconcerting if I don't notice what's happened, since the car won't upshift in M mode as I drive away from the light. All this is to emphasize that stalling the car as you slow down is quite abberational, at least on an '03 model using M mode.
BTW, does anyone know if my software can be updated so that the M buttons on the steering wheel can be used all the time?
BTW, does anyone know if my software can be updated so that the M buttons on the steering wheel can be used all the time?
Last edited by White Knight II; Feb 8, 2004 at 07:07 AM.
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From: SF Bay Area
04 SL55 Black
The car is at the dealer to fix the stalling. They can't figure out what is wrong, and asked to keep it over night so that the service technician could drive it while connected to some diagnostic computer in an effort to recreate the stall. He estimates that they will put 60 miles on the car during this process. It sounds fishy to me, like someone wants to go joy riding in my 500HP toy for an extended period. What do you guys think, ever heard of a service procedure like this?
