Mercedes-Benz V-Class Operating Instructions Manual page 184

Automatic transmission
182
Drive program C
Drive program Comfort has the following char-
acteristics:
the vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
R
handling characteristics.
optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
R
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
increased sensitivity. This improves driving
R
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
the automatic transmission shifts up sooner.
R
The vehicle thus maintains lower engine
speeds.
Drive program E
Drive program Eco has the following character-
istics:
the vehicle exhibits particularly economical
R
handling characteristics.
the maximum available engine torque is
R
reduced.
optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
R
automatic transmission shifting down signifi-
cantly later and up significantly sooner, even
at full-load operation.
No shift point adjustment for adapting to indi-
vidual, dynamic driving styles.
In kickdown, the automatic transmission
automatically shifts to drive program C.
increased sensitivity. This improves driving
R
stability on slippery road surfaces, for exam-
ple.
Driving tips
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
little throttle: early upshifts
R
lots of throttle: later upshifts
R
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to the next
gear down, depending on the engine speed.
The drive program switches automatically
from E to C.
X
Ease off on the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts up again.
X
If necessary, select drive program E again.
Rocking the vehicle free
At speeds up to 9 km/h, you can switch back
and forth between drive position D and reverse
gear R without applying the brakes. This helps
when rocking the vehicle free out of snow or
slush.
X
Push the DIRECT SELECT lever alternately up
and down beyond the first point of resistance.
Trailer towing
X
Depending on the downhill gradient, restrict
Y
the shift range ( page 180) or shift manually
Y
to a lower gear ( page 182) in which the
engine will run in the middle of the engine
speed range. This also applies if cruise con-
trol, DISTRONIC or SPEEDTRONIC are activa-
ted.
Manual gearshifting
General notes
If you select drive program M, automatic gear-
shifting is deactivated and manual gearshifting
is automatically activated. You must then per-
manently change gear yourself for as long as the
drive program is selected.
Permanent manual gearshifting is deactivated
automatically when you switch from drive pro-
gram M to another drive program. The auto-
matic transmission then shifts gears automati-
cally. The display shows the selected drive pro-
gram and transmission position D again.