For non-AMG owners only.

Here's the situation: Trying to overtake, going up hill or just generally needing more power.

If i tap left whilst accelerating (ie. having my foot down on the pedal) someimtes the transmission would shift down too much causing me to hit almost redline immediately (causing jerking). Has anyone else noticed that it shifts down TOO much sometimes?

If i tap left while temporarily letting go of the pedal, naturally i lose some power but sometimes the down shift causes a slight breaking of the car. So effectively, from the rear, it'll look like i'm slowing down, then applying breaks, then speeding up again.

Basically, whats your trick on using the semi-manual transmission effectively?

Which transmission do you have and which car?

... and I might add, what country? Markets other than North America might have different transmissions, for all I know. In this latest round of "guess where I am?", your use of "whilst" is the clue that you're not in North America.

Assuming that your transmission is like the one fitted to a W211 in North America, the transmission should downshift one, and only one, gear for every short tap to the left. If it's downshifting more than one gear per tap, you're holding it to the left too long and the transmission is downshifting into the lowest gear it can in relation to your road speed.

i think cars everywhere act the same way. mine is exactly as dwp described: hold it left and it goes as low as it can, tap it left and, if possible, it'll downshift one gear, upshifting as required (and as possible) up to the gear indicated on the instrument panel.

i think the right way to shift (as in everything in mercs), is the simplest one: hang on to the gas (DON'T let go, unlike in a real manual car) and hit the lever left!

anticipate....

If you are going to wait until after you push the gas down, you might as well not mess with the trans shifter, its an automatic and it will do it for you.

I like to use it in hilly country, to prevent an upshift during a short descent, when you will be going uphill again in 10 seconds.

I may hold 4rth on up and down hills, nothing lower than 4rth ever needed with the Diesel.

I love it to slow the car down approaching stoplights. I figure the trans is warranty the brakes are not. Plus I hate brake dust so I stay out of the binders by using the "tipper"

Finally, again, of use in the CDI only, I often promp early UPSHIFTS when in sport mode, by pushing to the right. I'll "tip" it up under 1/4 throttle at 2800 or so RPMs where as if you don't touch it, the trans will wind the motor out to 3200 or so with about 1/4 throttle. Makes better use of the torque available, over 3000 RPM is just not needed in normal driving.

KB

So what is the minimum speed at which you can 'force' an early upshift.
I never go as far as 3000 rpm in less I'm in a really big hurry, but I don't
have your "tip" feature, and must lift the throttle to get it to upshift.
Also, mine has these rediculously high minimum speeds before it will upshift.
With such a loose T/C, there is absolutely no need for it to go as far in each gear as it is 'forced' to do.
It seems that the engineers set the tranny computer up as if we are all performance orientented.
Mine has lower rear-end gears than yours, and yet mine must do 17 mph before it will upshift to third.
Third to fourth is 30 mph. Fifth isn't available until 40 mph.
Yet it will hold that fifth gear way down to like a little over 30 mph.
It won't allow me to use that low speed torque that the diesels have so much of. With the VW 1.8T gasser with 'tiptronic,' you can 'load' the lever, and they will upshift from first to second just as soon as the car starts moving. It is possible to be in fourth with the T/C locked up at only 21 mph!

Please post your opinions about this subject.

Thanks.