Mercedes-Benz 240 D 1979 Owner's Manual page 44

Accelerator position
Partial th ro ttle = early upshift-
ing = normal acceleration
Full th ro ttle = retarded upshift-
ing = m axim um acceleration
Depressing the accelerator beyond
full th ro ttle to kickdow n position
means dow nshifting to the next
lower gear and thus maximum
acceleration. If you ease up on the
accelerator after having attained
the desired speed, the transm ission
w ill shift up again.
Gearshifting is controlled by the
vehicle speed.
Selector lever positions
The autom atic gear shifting pro­
cess can be adapted to specific
operating conditions by means o f
the selector lever.
"P " Parking lock. The parking lock
is an additional safeguard
when parking the vehicle.
Engage only when the car is
stationary.
"R " Reverse gear. S h ift reverse
gear only w ith the vehicle at
halt.
" N " Neutral. No pow er is trans­
m itted from the engine to the
rear axle. W hen the brakes are
released, the vehicle can be
moved freely (pushed, tow ed
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 49.
"D " Drive. All gears are available.
1st gear can be engaged only
by means o f kickdow n.
Position "D " affords optim um
driving characteristics under
all normal operating con­
ditions.
"S " Slope. S hifting up to 3rd gear
only. 1st gear can be engaged
only by means o f kickdow n.
Suitable fo r moderate ascents
and descents. As the trans­
mission is shifted up to
3rd gear only, this position
perm its the utilization o f the
engine braking effect.
S tarting and Shifting Gears
*L " Low. U pshifting to 2nd gear
only. The vehicle starts out
in 1st gear. For driving on
steep m ountain passes, for
trailer operation in m oun­
tainous regions, under severe
operating conditions and as
braking position on extremely
steep declines. If the selector
lever is briefly shifted to po­
sition "S " and then returned
to position "L ", 2nd gear is
shifted sooner at higher speed.
Do not exceed top speeds cor­
responding to the individual selec­
to r lever positions. Refer to
speedometer markings.
43