Automatic Transmission - Mercedes-Benz 350 SDL Owner's Manual

Automatic Transmission

The automatic transmission selects in­
dividual gears automatically, depend­
ent upon selector lever position,
vehicle speed and accelerator posi­
tion.
Important!
When parking the car and before
working on the vehicle with the engine
running, firmly depress the parking
brake pedal and shift the selector
lever into "P".
Warning!
Keep driver's foot area clear at all
times. Objects stored in this area
may impair pedal movement.
Driving
The selector lever is automatically
locked while in position "P". To move
the selector lever out of position "P",
the service brake pedal must be firmly
depressed before the shift lock will
release.
Shift selector lever to the desired
driving position only when the engine
is idling and the service brake is
applied. Do not release the brake until
ready to drive. The vehicle may
otherwise start creeping when the
selector lever is in drive or reverse
position.
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the selector
lever out of "P" or "N" if the
engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not on the
brake pedal, the car could
accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of
the car and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normal­
ly-
Test the brakes briefly after driving off.
Perform this procedure only when the
road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been
reached.
When starting off on a slippery
surface, do not allow one driving
wheel to spin for an extended period.
Accelerator position
Partial throttle = early upshifting =
normal acceleration.
Full throttle = later upshifting = rapid
acceleration.
Depressing the accelerator beyond
full throttle to kickdown position
means downshifting to the next lower
gear and thereby increasing accelera­
tion. If you ease up on the accelerator
after having attained the desired
speed, the transmission will shift up
again.