E55K gearchange

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flat6buster

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Sep 8, 2009
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600
Location
Spain
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W222 S350, 911sc
G'day Fast Boys (and girls) of the AMG lounge.

I am slowly coming round to thinking an E55K might just be the perfect all-rounder and present the opportunity for me to substantially reduce my 'fleet'.

I don't want to waste any garage's time though so I wonder if you could answer a nagging doubt/worry I have:

Every Mercedes I have had with flappy paddles/switches on the steering wheel has been a disappointment. They have been linked to the gearbox by string. Pull the paddle/button, the switch has a little thinkypoos, decides it might just send a message to the gearbox to swap cogs, the message is sent, drops off at a coffee shop en route for a latte, has a quick fag, then finally asks the gearbox if it minds swapping cogs. After a minute or so's umm-ing and aaah-ing something finally happens.

Now to date this has occurred on my 320 S211, 420ML, 500ML & my current dreadful E220 S212 that I hate with an undying passion. In fact the paddly/switch stuff is worse & slower than the tippy-toes-tronic on my old S210 E430 (now that was a nice car). OK these are not fast cars so I can just ignore the paddly things. However, on a 475bhp dual carriageway express, if I want to drop a cog or two; or, more likely, if I am coming into a bend fast and want a downshift, I want it now, not next week.

Do AMG reprogramme the shift patterns?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
AMG shifts are quicker

Plus with the enormous torque of the 55K engine, you don't need to change gears much :D

55K has a 5 speed gearbox, so fewer gears to change too.
 
I have never been particularly impressed with the speed of the steering wheel buttons on my E55. Changing up there is at least a second delay, but I've found holding the button on the downshift gets a faster reaction:thumb:
All this is forgiven though when you press down on the throttle!
 
Thank you for replies.....I think I may have to start reducing fleet in anticipation.......
 
I have never been particularly impressed with the speed of the steering wheel buttons on my E55. Changing up there is at least a second delay, but I've found holding the button on the downshift gets a faster reaction:thumb:
All this is forgiven though when you press down on the throttle!

Yes that's a great feature and one I use alot. Also hold down the up shift to force it up gears, as sometimes it holds the lower gear a bit long in case you press the loud pedal again quickly.
 
Make sure the car is in M mode when testing the buttons though.

In my experience (which concurs with my reading it previously in the manual I think) using the buttons (or indeed gear lever) in S or C simply sets the maximum gear (and maybe even minimum - never tried it) that you want the gearbox to not change beyond.

When you change with the buttons e.g. up a gear, you are simply increasing the maximum you want it to change up to and if the car is not ready to change, it will not until it is which makes it seem slower.

Whereas in manual mode, you are controlling the gears as much as is possible (i.e. you can't change it to 5th at 30mph for example) and mine changes fast (not Ferrari double-clutch gearbox-fast but still quick enough!).
 
Gear shifts are faster in an AMG, but whether reaction time from pull/push to shift is any quicker, then I'm less convinced.

A torque converter auto of that generation will never be fast, but at launch the 32/55 shifts were regarded as lightning fast compared to their contemporaries (admittedly there were few genuinely fast automatics back then). Our expectations shift with DSG these days.

I have an Audi with the 8-speed ZF torque converter auto, which can be found in cars from several manufacturers, and the speed of shift (not necessarily reaction) is mind blowing at times, and slow at other times. Impressive piece of engineering.
 
Make sure the car is in M mode when testing the buttons though.

In my experience (which concurs with my reading it previously in the manual I think) using the buttons (or indeed gear lever) in S or C simply sets the maximum gear (and maybe even minimum - never tried it) that you want the gearbox to not change beyond.

When you change with the buttons e.g. up a gear, you are simply increasing the maximum you want it to change up to and if the car is not ready to change, it will not until it is which makes it seem slower.

Whereas in manual mode, you are controlling the gears as much as is possible (i.e. you can't change it to 5th at 30mph for example) and mine changes fast (not Ferrari double-clutch gearbox-fast but still quick enough!).

completely correct
 
Only had my E280 for 3 months now and cannot believe how slow the paddle gear shift is, quite disappointing in fact.

Hence I am now on the search for a high spec late W211 E55. Will be really sad to see the C43 go though...
 
Probably why my upshifts especially seem longer:doh: I've usually got it in S or C:ban:

That's what I thought at first as I was doing the same thing. I thought even my 2001 Alpina B10 V8 auto changed quicker but I seem to remember you could only use the steering wheel buttons in manual mode (or I only used them in manual mode maybe).

In some ways, it would probably easier if they disabled the buttons in all but M mode!

Hence I am now on the search for a high spec late W211 E55.

Mine is not high spec anyway mate. No panoramic, keyless go or distronic. To be honest, I didn't really know what options were available when I went to look but once I laid eyes on the car in the showroom, I didn't give a monkey's either and had a nightmare keeping a poker face!
 
You only need two gears in a '55K AMG anyway, mine could do 90mph in second gear.

Come to think of it, I miss the second and third gears of my E55 very much...
 
i hardly use the manual gearshifts, auto S mode is enough!
 
Mine lives in S all the time too but I do use the paddles to knock it down a couple in preparation to overtake quickly as it responds much quicker and less violently than relying on the auto at the exact moment you want to pull out...sounds much better too :)

Of course there is always the pull the down paddle and hold it trick so it drops as many gears as poss in one move if you want warp drive.
 
I always use manual once it's warmed up. There is a small lag but once you get used to it and modify your timing to suit it works very well.
I much prefer manual, if there was a manual option I'd have it, but I'd take an auto E55 over pretty much a manual anything else... So I go with what I've got :)

-t
 

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