C32 auto box question

[blackscooby]

I was taking to a mate of mine about the auto box on the C32, saying that it annoyed me sometimes when you manually selected a gear (say 3rd) by knocking the box left, then flooring the throttle and it would kick down...

Mate said that he thought the boxes had a total manual mode such that 3rd should stay in 3rd and use the torque rather than kick down.

I know that if you manually select a gear it would hold that gear until the limiter, but I always thought it would kick down too.

Any ideas ? Or is he just talking balls ?

Ta

 

[Dieselman]

I think the ECU still overrides the selection if deemed necessary on MB.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

On the C32 the manual selection is simply a suggestion. Later C55s will hold the gear the driver selects when set in the appropriate mode - has a true manual mode.

In the C32, if the optimum gear is second, whether you've already downshifted to third or remain in say fourth, it will still kick down to second gear if you push the accelerator all the way down to the kickdown switch.

Of course had you knocked the selector left twice is succession, taking you into second at your suggestion, the car probably wouldn't have kicked down at all as first gear would be too low, and you're already in the gear it would have selected by it's own choice.

 

[Dryce]

Mate said that he thought the boxes had a total manual mode such that 3rd should stay in 3rd and use the torque rather than kick down.

I know that if you manually select a gear it would hold that gear until the limiter, but I always thought it would kick down too.

My recollection from reading the E and SLK manuals is that the manual selection on the tip style boxes is really selecting the highest gear that the box will use. So it's really a gear selection range limit rather than a specific selected gear that is being specified.

 

[blackscooby]

My recollection from reading the E and SLK manuals is that the manual selection on the tip style boxes is really selecting the highest gear that the box will use. So it's really a gear selection range limit rather than a specific selected gear that is being specified.

Perfect analysis... that's exactly it.

 

[Glenn Smith]

My recollection from reading the E and SLK manuals is that the manual selection on the tip style boxes is really selecting the highest gear that the box will use. So it's really a gear selection range limit rather than a specific selected gear that is being specified.

This is spot on, the box will work normally up to the selected gear, basicly to prevent unwanted up changes during hill climbs or decents or fast progress accross twisty sections.