Touch Shift Question
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Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: Nor Cal
A Car
Touch Shift Question
I have a 01 C320. Its all stock and has an auto. I always thought when putting it into 1st gear then flooring it will allow the transmission to switch to the next gear and so on, but in my case when leaving it in 1st gear and taking off, the rev will go all the way into the redline and will not shift up. Im not worried about any damage or anything but shouldnt it have shifted up for me?? I have 00 ML320 with the touch shift and it never does this. I love how i can pick AND stay on my own gears and everything but is there something wrong or something? has anyone else experience this??
any help would be appreciated.
any help would be appreciated.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
It all depends how it's programmed. AMG cars are usually programmed to hold until you hit the rev limiter. Standard ones not. My car ex factory just holds the gear until you flick the lever.
What you have to worry about is the reverse. If you knock it down a few gears I hope it is programmed correctly.. If you select first at 90mph and it actually goes into gear you will have a real mess on your hands. So no there is nothing wrong with it - or unlikely unless something in the rev feed to the TCU is Kaput.
What you have to worry about is the reverse. If you knock it down a few gears I hope it is programmed correctly.. If you select first at 90mph and it actually goes into gear you will have a real mess on your hands. So no there is nothing wrong with it - or unlikely unless something in the rev feed to the TCU is Kaput.
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Joined: Mar 2005
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From: New Jersey, USA
Black 04 C230 Kompressor SS
If you read your manual, you would realise that after you shift into 1st, you have engaged manual mode & at the red-line you would have to shift to 2nd & so on.
Try flooring it in 1st a few more times without changing and let me know when the tranny gives. Also make sure the selector knob is in "S" position so you do not inadvertently start in 2nd.
Try flooring it in 1st a few more times without changing and let me know when the tranny gives. Also make sure the selector knob is in "S" position so you do not inadvertently start in 2nd.
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Joined: Nov 2008
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2019 c300
I would think most autos have the limiter, and also some sort of prevention mechanism that doesnt allow you to downshift from too high a gear.
Only if you have a manual do you have to worry about blowing your engine.
Only if you have a manual do you have to worry about blowing your engine.
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Correct - certainly on downshift. But some cars are programmed to change up automatically at the red line & others not. I don't know why. If you ask Benz they will tell you that all autos are protected apart from AMG models - but in practice this is not so.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jan 21, 2009 at 03:19 PM.
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From: Seattle
w203 m112
When I down shift, I am strictly setting an upper limit on which gear I can get to. Meaning, If my dash shows that I am in fourth gear, then the car will shift between first to fourth, but will not shift up past fourth to fifth gear. This is not like kevblah's experience w/ his car....
Why is there a difference? :x
Why is there a difference? :x
Super Moderator
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
When I down shift, I am strictly setting an upper limit on which gear I can get to. Meaning, If my dash shows that I am in fourth gear, then the car will shift between first to fourth, but will not shift up past fourth to fifth gear. This is not like kevblah's experience w/ his car....
Why is there a difference? :x
Why is there a difference? :x
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: NYC
2012 C300 4Matic
Mine will shift just after red line when you floor it in first (or any other gear).
It shifts at the exact same point when you floor it in auto mode.
Mine will not let you downshift far enough to blow up the engine / transmission (I have inadvertently tried), but under some very rare circumstances (probably twice ever) I have managed to get it to bounce off the rev limiter while playing with manual mode (I don't remember the specific details, but I think I had downshifted to the point that it was just near red line for that speed, AND I floored it, so this really threw the system off. This was when I was first learning how to touch shift. The engine / transmission seems to have handled the abuse well! 2005 C240 4Matic.
It shifts at the exact same point when you floor it in auto mode.
Mine will not let you downshift far enough to blow up the engine / transmission (I have inadvertently tried), but under some very rare circumstances (probably twice ever) I have managed to get it to bounce off the rev limiter while playing with manual mode (I don't remember the specific details, but I think I had downshifted to the point that it was just near red line for that speed, AND I floored it, so this really threw the system off. This was when I was first learning how to touch shift. The engine / transmission seems to have handled the abuse well! 2005 C240 4Matic.
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Camas, WA
2007 C230SS; 2014 ML350 BT
Mine will shift just after red line when you floor it in first (or any other gear).
It shifts at the exact same point when you floor it in auto mode.
Mine will not let you downshift far enough to blow up the engine / transmission (I have inadvertently tried), but under some very rare circumstances (probably twice ever) I have managed to get it to bounce off the rev limiter while playing with manual mode (I don't remember the specific details, but I think I had downshifted to the point that it was just near red line for that speed, AND I floored it, so this really threw the system off. This was when I was first learning how to touch shift. The engine / transmission seems to have handled the abuse well! 2005 C240 4Matic.
It shifts at the exact same point when you floor it in auto mode.
Mine will not let you downshift far enough to blow up the engine / transmission (I have inadvertently tried), but under some very rare circumstances (probably twice ever) I have managed to get it to bounce off the rev limiter while playing with manual mode (I don't remember the specific details, but I think I had downshifted to the point that it was just near red line for that speed, AND I floored it, so this really threw the system off. This was when I was first learning how to touch shift. The engine / transmission seems to have handled the abuse well! 2005 C240 4Matic.
