Mercedes-Benz 2012 B Class - Manual (Page 147)

selected and engaged is shown in the
multifunction display.
Manual drive program
M differs from drive
programs E and S with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Gear Driving situations
= You can use the engine's braking
effect
5 To use the braking effect of the
engine on downhill gradients and
for driving:
R
on steep mountain roads
R
in mountainous terrain
R
in arduous conditions
4 To use the braking effect of the
engine on extremely steep downhill
gradients and on long downhill
stretches
Switching on the manual drive program
Activating permanently
X Press the program selector button
(
Y page 143) repeatedly until M appears in
the multifunction display.
Manual drive program
M remains active
until drive program E or S is engaged.
Activating temporarily
X Pull the right or left steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y page 144).
M is shown in the multifunction display.
Manual drive program M is temporarily
active. Depending on which paddle shifter
is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear down
or up.
i When manual drive program M is
activated via the steering wheel paddle
shifters, the temporarily active manual
drive program
M will be deactivated
automatically after a limited time, if the
driving situation permits. In this case, the
automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last
engaged, i.e.
E or S. When driving on
downhill gradients, the temporarily active
manual drive program
M will only be
deactivated if the accelerator pedal is
depressed while the vehicle is rolling
downhill.
Upshifting
X Pull the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y page 144).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
X Shift up a gear when the ^ upshift symbol
appears in the display instead of M.
i To prevent engine damage the automatic
transmission shifts up automatically:
R
if the maximum engine speed on the
currently engaged gear is reached and
R
you continue to accelerate.
Downshifting
X Pull the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter (
Y page 144).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
i If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission
automatically shifts down.
i For maximum acceleration, pull the left-
hand steering wheel paddle shifter until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
i If the engine exceeds the maximum
engine speed when shifting down, the
automatic transmission protects against
engine damage by not shifting down.
Automatic transmission
145
Driving and parking
Z