hard downshift in 7 speed....
Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 195
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CLK350 Sport
So with 7-speed AT, the last gear in the steptronic is gear 6, not 7? If it's so, then my car is 7-speed. When driving and change the gear manually, it adjusts with the speed and rpm. I tried it on the hill and it goes directly to 2nd gear.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 36
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From: Seattle, WA
2006 CLK 350
Mine also shifts hard sometimes when coming to a near stop in sport mode. I took it to my dealership and they did a tranny service since it was that time and made sure software was up to date. Still does it though. They told me to use comfort mode to fix the problem 
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 255
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From: NorCal
-=[CLK 500 2006]=- -=[Dodge Ram 2001]=- -=[Kawasaki Ninja 636 2005]=-
Based on my experience... down shifting gears should always be like this.... motorcycles, cars, trucks, bicycle? lol... yeah as long as it has a shifting gear from bigger one to a small one... it should make the car feels like exhaling harshly...
it can also be used to brake but is a waste coz u are killing your gears and tranny... called engine brake... I do engine brake on arcade games! lol shifting 4th gear to 2nd gear to hit high RPMs!.
BTW.. do you guys allow your MB to hit 60RPM? I just tried pressing the S mode... and from D shifted to 1 at a stop sign... and hit gas real hard... the RPM gets as high as 60RPM or even the RED LINE! and shifts on its own to 2nd... or every time the rpm hits 60 or red line.... Any body using this method in a daily basis? It really is making the car "GROWL" and shows amazing torque!
I just don't know if I can abuse MB as much!
it can also be used to brake but is a waste coz u are killing your gears and tranny... called engine brake... I do engine brake on arcade games! lol shifting 4th gear to 2nd gear to hit high RPMs!.
BTW.. do you guys allow your MB to hit 60RPM? I just tried pressing the S mode... and from D shifted to 1 at a stop sign... and hit gas real hard... the RPM gets as high as 60RPM or even the RED LINE! and shifts on its own to 2nd... or every time the rpm hits 60 or red line.... Any body using this method in a daily basis? It really is making the car "GROWL" and shows amazing torque!
I just don't know if I can abuse MB as much! 
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: Irvine, CA
GLE 450 2021, SLK 350 2013, Honda Civc Type R 2019, Suzuki GSXR 750 2014, Ducati Diavel 2018
Steptronic is the incorrect name for Benz; the correct term is Touch Shift. D is the overdrive gear, which is the 7th. The car will only downshift to the lowest gear it can go when you're driving. So if you're going 30 mph on 4th gear and you try to shift to first, it would most likely shift to 2nd or 3rd depending on your RPM. And I figured that if you're full throttling the car at 4k RPM and above on a certain gear and you try downshifting one gear lower, the car won't downshift.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: Irvine, CA
GLE 450 2021, SLK 350 2013, Honda Civc Type R 2019, Suzuki GSXR 750 2014, Ducati Diavel 2018
BTW.. do you guys allow your MB to hit 60RPM? I just tried pressing the S mode... and from D shifted to 1 at a stop sign... and hit gas real hard... the RPM gets as high as 60RPM or even the RED LINE! and shifts on its own to 2nd... or every time the rpm hits 60 or red line.... Any body using this method in a daily basis? It really is making the car "GROWL" and shows amazing torque! I just don't know if I can abuse MB as much!
I just don't know if I can abuse MB as much! MB World Stories
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Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
-=[CLK 500 2006]=- -=[Dodge Ram 2001]=- -=[Kawasaki Ninja 636 2005]=-
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
-=[CLK 500 2006]=- -=[Dodge Ram 2001]=- -=[Kawasaki Ninja 636 2005]=-
Yeah, I do manually shift my gears on a daily regular basis, and I do push my car to 6k RPM frequently. But I'm on a 350 engine. With the v8's 500 or 550, I would probably be scared to push to 6k. I've also noticed that if you don't upshift as before hitting redline, it upshifts for you.
The only problem I have with this is that I dont want to stop pushing the pedal until it upshift itself! and that already about 50-60mph on a 35mph road!
It sounds really ugly if you lift your foot from the pedal... the rhythm is good when it starts with 1 and hits redline then shift to 2 and hits redline then shift to 3 and so on... but if you lift your foot from 1 and is around 2RPM or 4RPM the rhythm is not sync! I cannot sing with that rhythm! LOOOOOOOOL
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 31
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From: Colorado
G500, CLK500
I actually took it in to the dealer day 2 after I bought it complaining of harsh downshifts. I asked to see if there were any software updates etc., but was told everything is fine and that the car transmission needed to adapt to how I drive, and if I put it in C it would be better.
Anyone wlse have an issue with a delay on the manual upshifts? Sometimes it seems slow to do what i want in manual mode... maybe a 1-2 second delay.
Anyone wlse have an issue with a delay on the manual upshifts? Sometimes it seems slow to do what i want in manual mode... maybe a 1-2 second delay.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 815
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From: UK
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Coupe
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: Irvine, CA
GLE 450 2021, SLK 350 2013, Honda Civc Type R 2019, Suzuki GSXR 750 2014, Ducati Diavel 2018
I never downshift to first while the car is moving. I always leave it at second when I come to a complete stop then shift to first before moving. Maybe that could reduce harsh down gear to first, for u guys.
Member
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
SLK280(Gone), C63, CLK550
My CLK550 trans shifts down very hard as well. It doesn't happen all the time, but once in a while when coming to a stop the tranny seems to 'fumble' and 'buck' a bit. I took it in and had the tranny rebuilt, it still does the same thing. I might just leave it alone and live with it.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 257
Likes: 1
CLK 350
yeah i had my tranny flashed at 51K and it still has the harsh downshift, it was weird because when i shifted down to first gear going 15 mph it would be perfectly fine but when i got slower than 10 thats when i feel harsh downshift, maybe its just me. anybody else had a situation like that?
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 21
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SLK230 '98 CLK500 '06
one thing is when the engine is cold, it runs a different shift program to speed up warming the cats. when in this mode like a minute or two, the car shifts down when you slow down or coast. i have had it bump into first under that situation. also, if you select say "1" with the paddle, and you are going too fast, it really hits pretty hard when it does shift, hard enough to squak the tires some times.. and if you hit the go pedal right then, it will light em up pretty good...
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,124
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From: Milton/Westport, MA USA
me: 2015 SL400 & 2015 ML400; wife: 2022 GLC Coupe; daughter: 2017 GLC SUV
yeah i had my tranny flashed at 51K and it still has the harsh downshift, it was weird because when i shifted down to first gear going 15 mph it would be perfectly fine but when i got slower than 10 thats when i feel harsh downshift, maybe its just me. anybody else had a situation like that?
a long list of screws, seals and rings got replaced, and "B1 and B3 clips had popped out; remove and replace clip and spring on B3 assembly, remove and replace B1 assembly with K1 replacement per DTB P B 27.60/92"....and new tranny fluid to boot!
It's been like silk ever since.
