Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL 1988, Owner'S Manual

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Selector lever positions
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.
“ P” Parking lock.
The parking lock is an addi­
tional safeguard to the parking
brake when parking the vehicle.
Engage only with the car
stopped.
“ R” Reverse gear.
Shift to reverse gear only with
the car stopped.
“ N” Neutral.
No power is transmitted from
the engine to the rear axle.
When the brakes are released,
the vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed, towed or tow-started).
Do not engage “ N” while driving
except when the vehicle is in
danger of skidding (e.g. on icy
roads, see page 18).
“ D” Drive.
Automatic upshifting to top gear.
Position “ D" affords optimum
driving characteristics under all
normal operating conditions.
“3” Upshift to 3rd gear only. Suitable
for medium range up or down­
grades.
“2” Upshift to 2nd gear only. For
driving in mountainous regions.
Since transmission will not shift
up further, this gear selection
will make use of the engine’s
braking power.
“B” In this position, the engine’s
braking effect is utilized while
descending steep or lengthy
downgrades. Use this position
only below 60 km/h (40 mph).
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Drivi
ng