Mercedes-Benz 300 SD-TURBO DIESEL 1983 Owner's Manual page 49

Selector lever positions
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions by means of the selector
lever.
" P" Parking lock.
The parking lock is an additional
safeguard when parking the vehi­
cle. Engage only when the car is
stationary.
" R" Reverse gear.
Shift reverse gear only with the
vehicle at halt.
" 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" when driving except
when the vehicle is in danger of
skidding (e.g. on icy roads). See
page 52.
" D" Drive.
All forward gears are available.
Position " D" affords optimum
driving characteristics under all
normal operating conditions.
" 3" Upshift to 3rd speed only. Suita­
ble for medium range up or
downgrades.
" 2" Upshift to 2nd speed only. For
driving in mountainous regions.
Since transmission will not shift
up any further, this speed selec­
tion can be used to take advan­
tage of the engine's braking
power.
Starting and Shifting Gears
Important!
Do not exceed the speed limits for
individual gear selections, which are
correspondingly indicated by marks
on the speedometer.
Do not attempt downshifting to a
lower gear (braking effect) unless the
speedometer needle is below the
speed-limit-mark of that particular
gear range. Over-rewing could other­
wise result in damage to the engine.
On slippery road surfaces, it is not
recommended to downshift in order
to obtain braking action.