CLS55 automatic gearbox range vs CLK500 range - different tiptronic input method?

[philnewmerc]

Hello. My new to me CLS55 has a quirk I noticed (confirmed by the manual so it's not a fault). In my previous CLK500 when I was accelerating and lets say the car was up to 3rd gear I could nudge the lever left twice and '3' would appear on the dash to indicate the range was limited to 3 so it would stay in 3 (unless in kickdown etc). And if I was accelerating down a slip road but didn't want the car to change up when I eased off I'd nudge left twice till it said '3'. Then hold a nudge to the right to go back to the full range in D when required. However, in the CLS55 this is different. I was accelerating moderately and nudged the lever left twice to limit the range to 3 so it wouldn't change up when I eased off as I usually did in the CLK, but instead it went into 1st and 6000 rpm. Oops! I quickly changed up again. The thing is this way of controlling the gear range seems illogical because I now cannot limit the range without first changing down a gear - but what if I am happy with the gear I'm in and want it to stay in that gear, is that possible to achieve? E.g. I am accelerating and the car is in 3rd and I want it to not change up, what do I do? Nudging left to go into 2nd then right to go into 3rd would do it I suppose, but that seems mad. I must have this wrong, do I? Cheers.

 

[SL03WLY]

Does it do the same if you press the up or downshift buttons? or in manual mode?

 

[whitenemesis]

You have 'proper' manual mode in the CLS55. Select M and you can hold on to gears as you wish. Pressing the button on the rear of the steering wheel will change up and down (within reason, the transmission will not under or over rev the engine)
It happened more than once in my CLS55 that I accidentally touched the down shift button when negotiating a tight roundabout only to exit in a very nice drift as the box down-shifted and the power came in!
The AMG Speedshift transmission does behave differently from auto boxes in non-AMG models

 

[philnewmerc]

Does it do the same if you press the up or downshift buttons? or in manual mode?

I suppose the answer is to select M mode and change manually. But I really like the old way because I can just select 3 and let the auto gearbox change up as usual then stop changing up while I tackle some traffic or bend or whatever, then back to D once I have finished. In the CLS I don't think that is an option - I have to decide to go full manual. This is ok but in S or C mode it is irritating tbh as there is effective no way to limit the g/box range while on the road because it will try to change down instead of limiting the range (could be done at a traffic light I assume). Seems a backward step to me. (Still in love with the car, am just nit-picking)

 

[whitenemesis]

From the CLS55 owner's handbook

 

[philnewmerc]

Yeah, so like it says, if you want to limit the range to 1-3 or 1-4 or whatever then first you are forced to down shift even tho you only want to limit the range. So if you in town trundling along in 3rd and you want to limit the range to 1-3 then actually you have to down shift to 2 then nudge right to give 3 in the display. Seems odd to me.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yeah, so like it says, if you want to limit the range to 1-3 or 1-4 or whatever then first you are forced to down shift even tho you only want to limit the range. So if you in town trundling along in 3rd and you want to limit the range to 1-3 then actually you have to down shift to 2 then nudge right to give 3 in the display. Seems odd to me.

From memory. nudging the selector left whilst in D mode should downshift one ratio - there should be no need to nudge left twice, then left.

Nudging and holding left will shift down to whichever ratio will offer maximum acceleration. Holding right will return to fully automatic shifting.

 

[alexanderfoti]

You might have the start of a failing selector module. It shouldnt go from D to 1 and hit the limiter with one left nudge.

That is the behaviour of holding the lever to the left for 2+s.

 

[philnewmerc]

No its not failing, it's standard. All I'm highlighting is that (it's easier to give an example) if you are driving a CLK500 or older merc or other auto and are in 3rd and want to stay in 3rd you nudge left twice to move the indicator from D to 4 to 3. Now the car will not go above 3rd, it is in 1-3 range. If in the CLS and in 3rd gear how do you limit the range to 1-3 as above? I don't think you can without going to 2 then back to 3...

 

[alexanderfoti]

Yes but d to one clio left shouldn't go to 6000rpm


Therr are so many variant codings and options on the programming you'd be surprised.

Just cycle into manual mode, and it will stay on the gear it's currently in

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I don't think Mercedes expected anyone to drive in the way you describe. Typically the “range” would be used only by exception.

For example to limit road speed when driving down long and/or steep hills, and especially when towing. Holding a higher ratio increases the effect of engine braking, and reduces the need to use the brakes and therefore likelihood that the brakes will overheat or fade.

Another example would be to ensure that the engine is operating at the right engine speed for higher torque. Again this is especially important when towing as it reduces the likelihood of continuous up and down shifts to deal alight gradients, with slow shifts exacerbating the issue.

Both examples really affect earlier and more basic automatic transmissions which could not sense the need to hold a gear when in Drive mode, and did not have a manual mode and so the driver could not control the timing of up and downshifts in these exceptional situations.

Whilst it’s a traditional torque converter automatic, the transmission in the noughties 32/55 models do have a manual mode, and so the “fully automatic but lock out lower ratios” feature is not required. Furthermore, with the exception of ML 55 they were not type approved to tow anyway.

 

[BlackC55]

I am sure it shouldn't do that. Has it had a gearbox map?

 

[philnewmerc]

Yes but d to one clio left shouldn't go to 6000rpm


Therr are so many variant codings and options on the programming you'd be surprised.

Just cycle into manual mode, and it will stay on the gear it's currently in

The car had got into third gear and I nudged twice left thinking that would go from D to 4 to 3 as it would do in previous models. Actually what it does is go from 3 to 2 to 1 and scream its head off. It is perfectly normal according to the manual that it works like that. I just find it a little inconvenient because now I have to go into m mode to hold the gear which is slightly more fiddly... Nitpicking!

 

[Lenny63]

If I'm reasding this right , you were in 3rd in 'D' and nudged left paddle twice which moved it to 1st? This is how mine would operate , as you're effectively telling the box to go up 2 gears. Doesn't sound faulty to me.
Get a mapped TCU for it, much sharper in general and manual mode is a lot more fun !

 

[philnewmerc]

If I'm reasding this right , you were in 3rd in 'D' and nudged left paddle twice which moved it to 1st? This is how mine would operate , as you're effectively telling the box to go up 2 gears. Doesn't sound faulty to me.
Get a mapped TCU for it, much sharper in general and manual mode is a lot more fun !

No it's not faulty, it is just a different gearbox control method to the last 3 Mercs I've had. I have to say driving in manual mode is lovely. It is great being able to enjoy the torque and it not changing down in kickdown. But though the changes are fast enough, the gap between requesting a change and it doing it is a bit too long... would a remap help that?

 

[Lenny63]

Yes it does

 

[philnewmerc]

Any downsides or risks? Cheers