Mercedes-Benz 2013 GL Class - Manual (Page 171)

A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be
damaged.
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
® is deactivated or faulty:
only shift the transmission to
position
N if the vehicle is in danger
of skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch off the engine using
the SmartKey or the Start/Stop
button, the automatic transmission
shifts to neutral
N automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can damage
the drive train.
7 Drive
The automatic transmission
changes gear automatically. All
forward gears are available.
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the
individual gears automatically when it is in
transmission position
D. This automatic
gearshifting behavior is determined by:
R
a possible limitation of the shift range
R
the position of the accelerator pedal
R
the road speed
Driving tips
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears
D and R may help to free the vehicle if
it has become stuck in slush or snow. The
vehicle's engine management restricts
repeated shifting between gears up to a
maximum speed of 5 mph (9 km/h). To shift
back and forth between transmission
positions
D and R, move the selector lever up
and down beyond the pressure point.
Towing a trailer
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Shift down to shift range 3 or
2( Y page 170) depending on the uphill or
downhill gradient, even if cruise control,
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated.
Automatic transmission
169
Driving and parking
Z