Mercedes-Benz 300 TD-TURBO DIESEL 1984, Owner'S Manual

Page: 51 / 97

Starting and Shifting Gears
N " Neutral.
No power is transm itted from the
engine to the rear axle.
When the brakes are released,
the vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed, tow ed or tow -started).
Do not engage “ N” when driving
except when the vehicle is in
danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads, see page 54).
‘ D” Drive.
Autom atic upshifts to to p gear.
Position “ D” affords optim um
driving characteristics under all
normal operating conditions.
'S ” Slope.
Upshift to 3rd gear only. Suitable
fo r medium range up or down
grades.
L" Low.
Upshift to 2nd gear only.
For driving in m ountainous
regions. Since transm ission will
not shift up any further, this gear
selection will make use of the
engine’s braking power.
Important!
Do not exceed the speed lim its fo r
individual gear selections, w hich are
correspondingly indicated by marks
on the speedom eter.
Do not attem pt dow nshifting to a
lower gear (braking effect) unless the
speedom eter needle is below the
speed-lim it-m ark of that particular
gear range. O ve r-re w in g could o th e r­
wise result in damage to the engine.
On slippery road surfaces, it is not
recom m ended to dow nshift in order
to obtain braking action.
Maneuvering
To maneuver in tig h t areas, e.g. when
pulling into a parking space, control
the car speed by gradually releasing
the service brake. A ccelerate gently
and do not pump the accelerator. To
rock a car out of so ft ground (mud or
snow), alternately shift from forward
to reverse, apply only partial throttle.
Trailer operation
Do not allow the engine speed to
d ro p to o low at uphill gradients to
prevent the engine from laboring at
low RPMs. Depending on the degree
of the incline, shift selector lever to
positions “ S ” or “ L " early enough to
maintain engine RPMs w ithin best
torq u e range.
S topping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights,
leave the transm ission engaged and
c o n tro l vehicle with the service brake.
For longer stops with the engine
idling, shift into " N ” or “ P” .
W hen stopping the car on a slope, do
n o t hold it by means of the accelera­
to r but use the service brake. This
avoids unnecessary heat-up of the
transm ission.
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