Mercedes-Benz 2006 R-Class Automobile User Manual


 
205
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
The current gear range/transmission
position (
page 199) and the selected
program mode (
C
/
S
) are indicated in the
multifunction display.
1 Current program mode
̈ Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the de-
sired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
Select C for comfort driving:
ț The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range 1 is selected.
ț Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
ț Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
Steering wheel gearshift control
With drive position D selected, you can use
the steering wheel gearshift control but-
tons to manually shift the gears. When
doing so, you are also limiting or extending
the gear range.
!
Never change the program mode when
the automatic transmission is out of
park position P. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program
mode (C or S) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
i
To avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.