Update: Just traveled over 700 miles from Nashville to Hagerstown, MD on a single tank with miles to spare. Averaged 30.3 MPG and 63 MPH (with spurts to 70-75 MPH). Stayed for the most part within the speed limit as Virginia has a rash of police troopers looking to catch holiday drivers.
Update: Just traveled over 700 miles from Nashville to Hagerstown, MD on a single tank with miles to spare. Averaged 30.3 MPG and 63 MPH (with spurts to 70-75 MPH). Stayed for the most part within the speed limit as Virginia has a rash of police troopers looking to catch holiday drivers.
I was just wondering if you have figured out the speed where your car changes to the highest gear (I think this was an S550, that would be 7th gear)? You may need to tap the steering wheel button somewhere at the 55 to 65 mph region (just a guess) to make the tranny change yo 7th gear while it would otherwise stay at 6th. At steady speed with cruise, this would make a noticeable difference for fuel consumption.
I was just wondering if you have figured out the speed where your car changes to the highest gear (I think this was an S550, that would be 7th gear)? You may need to tap the steering wheel button somewhere at the 55 to 65 mph region (just a guess) to make the tranny change yo 7th gear while it would otherwise stay at 6th. At steady speed with cruise, this would make a noticeable difference for fuel consumption.
These high-torque V8's should upshift automatically to 7th gear well before 60mph on flat roads at steady speed.
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2006 ML350 white/ash
2008 C300 Sport mars red/black
2004 986S seal gray metallic/black/black
I down shifted a few times from 7 to 6 when traffic slowed. I think it was around 50 mph that it naturally shifted to 7 on moderate acceleration. The car performed flawlessly. Over 2,200 miles, 28.3 MPG, 55 MPH average (including some downtown, local driving and construction slow downs), and only one large rock chip on the widnshield this morning (thank god for insurance!).
These high-torque V8's should upshift automatically to 7th gear well before 60mph on flat roads at steady speed.
First, note that I'm used to a higher torque engine than the S550, it isn't S600 but S550 has "only" some 400+ Nm torque at 1500 rpm while my engine has 500+ Nm at the same rpm. At that engine speed my engine really has more power (S550 is much more powerful engine but at this low engine speed it gives less power)!
My point was anyway not to compare these two engines but to point that the car hesitates (intentionally) to select the lowest possible gear at low engine rpm (leaves some margin to avoid gear changes if speed is reduced a bit and it leaves the engine to a better rpm if a need to accelerate appears etc. etc.). So there is some car speed for each gear where the car does not automatically up-shift but does if you tap the up-shift button.
Now you were referring to 60 mph. With the Euro rear differential the S500 is revving exactly 1440 rpm at 60 mph. I do not remember from my car the exact shift point by you are right that at this engine speed the car already autonomously selects the highest gear (actually reading MBUSA, it looks like both Euro and US cars have 2.65:1 rear differential ratio).
I down shifted a few times from 7 to 6 when traffic slowed. I think it was around 50 mph that it naturally shifted to 7 on moderate acceleration. The car performed flawlessly. Over 2,200 miles, 28.3 MPG, 55 MPH average (including some downtown, local driving and construction slow downs), and only one large rock chip on the widnshield this morning (thank god for insurance!).
At 50 mph the engine should be running at 1200 rpm. I doubt it would up-shift at moderate acceleration at 1200 rpm, it may not up-shift even at steady speed at 1200 rpm but probably somewhere close to this engine speed. But you should be able to manually up-shift even below 1200.
Anyway, the mileage really appears to be great for such a heavy car and powerful engine.
First, note that I'm used to a higher torque engine than the S550, it isn't S600 but S550 has "only" some 400+ Nm torque at 1500 rpm while my engine has 500+ Nm at the same rpm. At that engine speed my engine really has more power (S550 is much more powerful engine but at this low engine speed it gives less power)!
My point was anyway not to compare these two engines but to point that the car hesitates (intentionally) to select the lowest possible gear at low engine rpm (leaves some margin to avoid gear changes if speed is reduced a bit and it leaves the engine to a better rpm if a need to accelerate appears etc. etc.). So there is some car speed for each gear where the car does not automatically up-shift but does if you tap the up-shift button.
Now you were referring to 60 mph. With the Euro rear differential the S500 is revving exactly 1440 rpm at 60 mph. I do not remember from my car the exact shift point by you are right that at this engine speed the car already autonomously selects the highest gear (actually reading MBUSA, it looks like both Euro and US cars have 2.65:1 rear differential ratio).
Simply put, it's in 7th gear at 60mph cruise, per owner.
Simply put, it's in 7th gear at 60mph cruise, per owner.
I don't have a problem trusting what dbtk states, I would not necessarily believe every other owner stating something about his/her car. In this case the owner stated "I think it was around 50 mph that it naturally shifted to 7...".
Do you have a problem with the calculated engine rpms?
In any case, I'll repeat once more, the point was not the exact speed where the tranny would shift automatically to 7th gear but the fact that there is a speed/engine rpm range where the car keeps the 6th gear while you can make it change to 7th when cruising at steady speed. I'm sure everybody got this minor point already and we can stop arguing about it.
In any case, I'll repeat once more, the point was not the exact speed where the tranny would shift automatically to 7th gear but the fact that there is a speed/engine rpm range where the car keeps the 6th gear while you can make it change to 7th when cruising at steady speed. I'm sure everybody got this minor point already and we can stop arguing about it.
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