Mercedes-Benz 300 D 1984 Owner's Manual page 49

'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, towed 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 52).
D" Drive.
A utom atic upshifts to top 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 mountainous regions.
Since transm ission will not shift
up any further, this gear selec­
tion will make use of the engine's
braking power.
Important!
Do not exceed the speed limits for
individual gear selections, w hich are
correspondingly indicated by marks
on the speedom eter.
Do not attem pt dow nshifting to a
low er gear (braking effect) unless the
speedom eter needle is below the
speed-lim it-m ark of that particular
gear range. O ver-rew ing could other­
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. Accelerate gently
and do not pump the accelerator. To
rock a car out of soft ground (mud or
snow), alternately shift from forward
to reverse, apply only partial throttle.
S tartin g and Shifting G ears
Trailer operation
Do not allow the engine speed to
drop to o low at uphill gradients to
prevent the engine from laboring at
low RPMs. Depending on the degree
o f the incline, shift selector lever to
positions " S" or " L" early enough to
maintain engine RPMs w ithin best
torque range.
S topping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights,
leave the transm ission engaged and
control vehicle with the service brake.
For longer stops with the engine
idling, shift into " N" or " P" .
When stopping the car on a slope, do
not hold it by means of the accelera­
to r but use the service brake. This
avoids unnecessary heat-up of the
transm ission.
47