Mercedes-Benz B-Class 2011, Owner'S Manual

Page: 140 / 329

Transmission positions
B
Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped. Do not
shift the transmission into position
P (
Y
page 144) unless the vehicle
is stationary.
C
Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to R
when the vehicle is stationary.
A
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you
to move the vehicle freely, e.g. to
push it or tow it.
If ESP
® is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to posi-
tion N if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
When you switch off the engine, the
automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts into neutral N.
7
Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gearshift-
ing behaviour is determined by:
R
the selected drive program (
Y
page 137)
R
the position of the accelerator pedal
R
the road speed
Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R
little throttle: early upshifts
R
more throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X
Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Trailer towing
X
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X
Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, select a lower gear (
Y
page 147), even
if cruise control, DISTRONIC PLUS, or
SPEEDTRONIC are activated.
Program selector button
General notes
The program selector button allows you to
choose between drive programs with differ-
ent driving characteristics.
Automatic transmission
137
Driving
and
parking
Z