Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 2015 - Manual (Page 181)

A Neutral
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 brake pedal 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 posi-
tion 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.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by:
R the selected drive program (
Y
page 180)
R the position of the accelerator pedal
(
Y
page 179)
R
the road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic 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 vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions D and R,
move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down
past the point of resistance.
Towing a trailer
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X
Depending on the uphill or downhill gradi-
ent, use left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y
page 180) to select a lower gear,
even if cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS
are activated.
Automatic transmission
179
Dr
ivi
ng
an
d
parki
ng
Z