Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shifting
behavior is determined by:
R
the selected drive program (
Y
page 146)
R
the position of the accelerator pedal
(
Y
page 146)
R
the road speed
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 automatic 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.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions D and R
can help to free a vehicle that has become stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine manage-
ment restricts switching between transmission
positions D and R to speeds up to a maximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift back and forth between
transmission positions D and R, move the
DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Program selector button
X
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): press program selector button
:
to
change the drive program.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: press program
selector button
:
repeatedly until the letter
for the desired drive program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program selector button influences:
R
the drive program (
Y
page 147)
R
the engine management
On Mercedes-AMG vehicles, drive program E is
called drive program C.
The automatic transmission switches to auto-
matic drive program E (drive program C in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
E Economy
Comfortable, economical
driving
S Sport
Sporty driving style
146
Automatic transmission
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