No manual mode??

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robanders001

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Joined
Jun 22, 2022
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4
Location
Newcastle
Car
C250 AMG Premium Plus
Hi, first post & apologies for lack of knowledge.

I just need some help with auto trans modes . .
My 2014 C Class has an E & S trans mode - no M.

What exactly is the + & - function on the selector?

Thank you
 
The +&- is for restricting the gear ranges. Stops the transmission from hunting. Especially good for holding low gears when towing or descending steep hills
 
do you have paddles on the steering column? if so use these when moving to go into manual mode
 
do you have paddles on the steering column? if so use these when moving to go into manual mode
I thought if one didn't have the M on the selector the paddles, if fitted, simply mimic the +&-
No M no manual mode?
 
I dont have paddles on the wheel - I read in manual but was slightly confused at the definition of restricting the ranges. No M, no manual mode.
 
If one is in 5th gear and nudges the lever toward the - the car will select 4th and then not change above 4th but will continue to use gears 1 - 4 as speed and engine load dictate.
Must admit to never having used it in my C270cdi and in the CLS I had M mode, so never used it then either!
 
If one is in 5th gear and nudges the lever toward the - the car will select 4th and then not change above 4th but will continue to use gears 1 - 4 as speed and engine load dictate.
Must admit to never having used it in my C270cdi and in the CLS I had M mode, so never used it then either!
Ah, ok. Sounds like a feature I will not need to use Thank you.
 
You can use +/- as an approximation of a true manual mode, but it will not give you absolute control and it will not always react quickly. Automatic transmissions are at their best when you leave them well alone.
 
You can use +/- as an approximation of a true manual mode, but it will not give you absolute control and it will not always react quickly. Automatic transmissions are at their best when you leave them well alone.
Thats it, you dont buy an auto to want to use it in man mode? Was just curious what the + & - did as wasnt sure.
 
IIRC, *holding* the lever in '+' for a few seconds causes the transmission to select the highest gear available for the load/road speed. Useful for encouraging the transmission to shift up a gear when stuck behind loiterers with no prospect of overtaing. Also useful in the larger engine vehicles when overtaking to ensure that the transmission selects a higher gear than it otherwise would when you accelerate hard to go past.
Ditto, holding '-' causes the transmission to select the lowest gear available without damaging the engine/transmission. I've not found a use for this feature yet.

It took one journey to make me realise that the TCU was a lot better at selecting gears than I am.

Ian.
 
Hold - for lowest gear for rapid acceleration, scarry in the CLS55 😏
 
Also useful in the larger engine vehicles when overtaking to ensure that the transmission selects a higher gear than it otherwise would when you accelerate hard to go past.
Ditto, holding '-' causes the transmission to select the lowest gear available without damaging the engine/transmission. I've not found a use for this feature yet.
Why would you want to ensure that you are in the highest gear possible when you want to overtake?


This is why you would get the transmission to chose the lowest gear for the road speed to allow for rapid and safe overtaking.
 
Have auto cars for decades, for normal road use forget paddles etc. stick into 'D' and let the box do all the work.
 
Why would you want to ensure that you are in the highest gear possible when you want to overtake?
The M113 5.0 engine produces more than enough power/torque to pass the average loiterer safely, without having to change down (or maybe just 1 ratio). However, pressing down on the accelerator enthusiastically can cause the TCU to select a much lower gear than needed depending on circumstance. Result: you overtake at some pace with the engine screaming, when there was no need to rev the engine past 3K.
NB. Holding '+' still permits the TCU to change down ratio(s) if the load request (i.e. throttle) increases, just not as many ratios as the normal Comfort/Sport maps would.

Ian.
 
The M113 5.0 engine produces more than enough power/torque to pass the average loiterer safely, without having to change down (or maybe just 1 ratio). However, pressing down on the accelerator enthusiastically can cause the TCU to select a much lower gear than needed depending on circumstance. Result: you overtake at some pace with the engine screaming, when there was no need to rev the engine past 3K.
NB. Holding '+' still permits the TCU to change down ratio(s) if the load request (i.e. throttle) increases, just not as many ratios as the normal Comfort/Sport maps would.

Ian.
I know how the gearbox modes and the paddle selectors work and at no point did I suggest overtaking with "the engine screaming"

Pulling on the downshift paddle long enough to achieve a faster and safer overtake is a useful function to have even with the torque of a 3 litre Turbo diesel
 

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