How to properly shift from D to R in an automatic Mercedes?

[GLCdriver]

Hi guys, just got my first car in September and licence in October, so I've never actually driven before and I don't have any experience or knowledge about selecting gears the proper way other then what I've learned in these few months. So I drive A 2017 GLC with the gear selector being on the right side of the steering wheel. I have noticed myself developing this habit when I'm in hurry that I'd change into R just before the car stops moving, here's the scenario - I'm breaking and I'm probably at 3mph (so not completely stopped yet) and I change into R. Is this something that could do damage or are these newer cars designed this way? If I do change into R while slightly moving the car seems to break on its own and then change, it isn't sudden or erratic the way it changes into R so I was just wondering, how do you change gears yourself and what do you think is the safest, most long lasting way to do it? Thanks, Tom

 

[Germgh0st]

I often do it the way you do, especially when changing from reverse into drive, which like you say gently brakes the car if you're still moving. Other times I will fully stop before I change gear. I would suspect the electronics won't let you change it in a way that will damage the car, like it stops you from putting it in park at 50 mph

Be interested to ear other views.

 

[Stratman]

Has anyone ever put to the test claims like "The gearbox won't let you do things that will damage it", things like putting it in to R at 50 mph?

 

[Rpp999]

Hi guys, just got my first car in September and licence in October, so I've never actually driven before and I don't have any experience or knowledge about selecting gears the proper way other then what I've learned in these few months. So I drive A 2017 GLC with the gear selector being on the right side of the steering wheel. I have noticed myself developing this habit when I'm in hurry that I'd change into R just before the car stops moving, here's the scenario - I'm breaking and I'm probably at 3mph (so not completely stopped yet) and I change into R. Is this something that could do damage or are these newer cars designed this way? If I do change into R while slightly moving the car seems to break on its own and then change, it isn't sudden or erratic the way it changes into R so I was just wondering, how do you change gears yourself and what do you think is the safest, most long lasting way to do it? Thanks, Tom

Well Tom, that is one habit you definitely need to stop. If you are in that much of a hurry to try and put a car in reverse whilst still travelling forward after owning a license for two months you should revert back to public transport.

 

[chic0821]

I don't suppose you used this method in your driving test, so why use it now. You must have a very busy life if you have to save a couple of seconds to do this

 

[Deleted member 149005]

how the hell do you ensure it is clear behind you before you start reversing?

impressive first car BTW

 

[Muckypaps]

I bet he wasn't expecting after his first post.
I've got a silly habit of stopping before I change direction, I must be getting old.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Has anyone ever put to the test claims like "The gearbox won't let you do things that will damage it", things like putting it in to R at 50 mph?

Not sure about modern Mercs but i was in Andorra once and my friend in his auto Mitsubishi Galant successfully went from Drive to Reverse by mistake as we were descending a pass (he was aiming for 2)- in that the gearbox did what it was told and destroyed itself in the process. Luckily my friend had a Delica sitting across the border in Spain so we used that to get back to the UK and left the Mitsubishi with some French Gypsies, but that's another story.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I would say a definite no no, i always completely stop before changing. Same as in a manual as well - i think a key skill to learn with any bit of machinery is mechanical sympathy. I often cringe when i hear my wife put the Abarth in reverse without letting the revs drop slightly, or feeling the gear in as it makes a nasty crunch. Makes me shiver...

 

[GLCdriver]

Most of the people replying think that I put the car into reverse while driving 60mph on a highway, not knowing what's behind me

I did this unintentionally when reversing into a bay at Tesco probably 3 times, id be breaking and when I'm at around 2-3 mph id shift into R to reverse into the bay. Did this a couple of times and thought it might have been a bad habit so I came here to ask around.

 

[GLCdriver]

I would say a definite no no, i always completely stop before changing. Same as in a manual as well - i think a key skill to learn with any bit of machinery is mechanical sympathy. I often cringe when i hear my wife put the Abarth in reverse without letting the revs drop slightly, or feeling the gear in as it makes a nasty crunch. Makes me shiver...

Thanks! What your wife does sounds a bit like what I did, except the grinding noise LOL. If there was noise id definitely know not to do it.

 

[GLCdriver]

how the hell do you ensure it is clear behind you before you start reversing?

impressive first car BTW

Did it while reversing into the car park at the store, the idea is that I'd put the car into reverse right before it'd stop moving, I'm not trying to reverse on a main road or a highway

 

[Headhurts]

Welcome to the forum which is extremely helpful.

It is probably a trait I would steer clear of but that said when I had my first Mercedes and not used to the gear selector being where the indicators were on previous cars I did inadvertently move the selector instead of indicators but it would not luckily change the gears instead a warning message appeared in the display.

But on occasions these inhibitor switches may play up and allow something to happen that should not.

Many years ago I was an apprentice mechanic at Mann Egerton’s in Norwich, part of my apprenticeship included a stint in the Rolls Royce department, one day during my lunch break I sat in a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and marvelled at the beautiful interior.

The keys were in the ignition so I thought what harm could it be to start it up, there is an inhibitor switch to stop the car being started in gear and guess what this car was in for?

Anyhow the car started and within an instant shot forward into the sliding doors then into the rear of a Bentley parked inside the bay which in turn was pushed into the toilet wall.

Popular I was not and unbelievably was not sacked but carried on and obtained my City & Guilds.

Modern cars may have a secondary safety protocol.

Enjoy your car
Robin

 

[mikrt]

Has anyone ever put to the test claims like "The gearbox won't let you do things that will damage it", things like putting it in to R at 50 mph?

That's R for racing mode?

 

[Deleted member 149005]

Did it while reversing into the car park at the store, the idea is that I'd put the car into reverse right before it'd stop moving, I'm not trying to reverse on a main road or a highway

try and rationalise all you want - one bad habit begets another

 

[GLCdriver]

Welcome to the forum which is extremely helpful.

It is probably a trait I would steer clear of but that said when I had my first Mercedes and not used to the gear selector being where the indicators were on previous cars I did inadvertently move the selector instead of indicators but it would not luckily change the gears instead a warning message appeared in the display.

But on occasions these inhibitor switches may play up and allow something to happen that should not.

Many years ago I was an apprentice mechanic at Mann Egerton’s in Norwich, part of my apprenticeship included a stint in the Rolls Royce department, one day during my lunch break I sat in a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and marvelled at the beautiful interior.

The keys were in the ignition so I thought what harm could it be to start it up, there is an inhibitor switch to stop the car being started in gear and guess what this car was in for?

Anyhow the car started and within an instant shot forward into the sliding doors then into the rear of a Bentley parked inside the bay which in turn was pushed into the toilet wall.

Popular I was not and unbelievably was not sacked but carried on and obtained my City & Guilds.

Modern cars may have a secondary safety protocol.

Enjoy your car
Robin

That's one heck of a story I'm sure you'll be telling your grandchildren! Thanks for sharing. I was actually ready to pull the plug on this Mercedes forum and delete my account but seeing a few posts that aren't trying to belittle is nice. I'm going to be more mindful of my habits. Thanks for the advice and the story Robin.

 

[Germgh0st]

As per the OP we're not talking about doing it at speed, just not totally stopping before changing gear. For me I guess it comes from this being my first auto car and I developed bad habits in the manual cars.

 

[Headhurts]

That's one heck of a story I'm sure you'll be telling your grandchildren! Thanks for sharing. I was actually ready to pull the plug on this Mercedes forum and delete my account but seeing a few posts that aren't trying to belittle is nice. I'm going to be more mindful of my habits. Thanks for the advice and the story Robin.

Don’t take some replies to heart in my early days on the forums I was given what to me were curt replies but that’s the way of forums and sometimes when typing things don’t transpond into how they were meant to be.

Robin

 

[Steeve]

Hey OP welcome to the forum.

Summary version is, you're not likely to do catastrophic harm to your car, if so the car probably wouldn't let you do it. But it's also not good, mechanically, in the long run.

Now you've noticed yourself doing it try your best to cut it out

 

[MEMERC7]

Well Tom, that is one habit you definitely need to stop. If you are in that much of a hurry to try and put a car in reverse whilst still travelling forward after owning a license for two months you should revert back to public transport.

Steady on the guy is a newbie where automatic gearboxes are concerned as we all were once & was brave enough to share his anxiety here. Tom there is no need to have to "revert back to public transport", just take the advice given here & STOP the car before going from Drive to Reverse & from Reverse to Drive. Good luck & take care.