Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2014 Owner's Manual page 199

Automatic transmission
196
Neutral
A
Do not shift the transmission to N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
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
shift the transmission to position N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch off the engine using
the key or the Start/Stop button,
the automatic transmission shifts
to neutral N automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can lead to
damage to the transmission.
Drive
7
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. Gearshifting is deter-
mined by:
the selected drive program (
R
the position of the accelerator pedal
R
the road speed
R
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
little throttle: early upshifts
R
more throttle: late upshifts
R
®
is deactivated or faulty:
page 197)
Y
Double-clutch function
When shifting down, the double-clutch func-
tion is active regardless of the currently selec-
ted drive program. The double-clutch function
reduces load change reactions and is condu-
cive to a sporty driving style. The sound gen-
erated by the double-clutch function depends
on the drive program selected.
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
X
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
X
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking the vehicle free by shifting the trans-
mission repeatedly between transmission
positions D and R may help to free the vehicle
if it has become stuck in mud or snow.
The vehicle's engine management restricts
repeated shifting between gears D and R up
to a maximum speed of 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 resist-
ance.
Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer is not possible with all mod-
els. For further information, see
( page 284).
Y
Drive in the middle of the engine speed
X
range on uphill gradients.
Manual shifting: depending on the uphill
X
or downhill gradient, shift into a gear
( page 198) in which the engine will run in
Y
the middle of the engine speed range.