Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2012 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 149)

Driving tips
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration.
X Vehicles for USA: fully depress the
accelerator pedal.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
X Vehicles for Canada: depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions D and
R can help to free a vehicle that has become
stuck in mud or snow. The engine
management system of the vehicle limits
shifting back and forth between transmission
positions D and R 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.
Working on the vehicle
G WARNING
When working on the vehicle, engage the
electronic parking brake and shift the
automatic transmission into park position P.
Otherwise the vehicle could roll away which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Trailer towing
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed
range on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill
gradient, shift down into shift range 3 or
2(
Y
page 147), even if cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS are switched on.
Steering wheel paddle shifters
You can restrict or derestrict the shift range
by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters : and ;(
Y
page 147).
i You can only change gear with the
steering wheel paddle shifters when the
transmission is in position D.
Shift ranges
Introduction
In transmission position D, you can use the
steering wheel paddle shifter to restrict or
derestrict the shift range for the automatic
transmission (
Y
page 147).
The shift range selected is shown in the
multifunction display. The automatic
transmission shifts only as far as the selected
gear.
Driving situations
= You can use the engine's braking
effect.
Automatic transmission
147
Driving
and
parking
Z