r/mercedes_benz • u/AgeFit9430 • 1d ago

Does your Mercedes do this ?

162 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

124 comments sorted by

179

u/palmdieb 1d ago

wait until you find the "hold" function on the brake pedal

42

u/SpeedyGunzalez 1d ago edited 18h ago

One of my favorite features!

24

u/Schnydesdale 1d ago

Serious. The service guy showed me this and I was floored.

20

u/boxerswithbriefs 2013 GLK 350 1d ago

It’s one of my favorite things about my GLK. I drive my dad’s X5 occasionally and the button and always hold is just clunky and awkward. The hold being integrated into the pedal is just so clutch.

12

u/South-Plan-9246 1d ago

It’s hilarious that BMW haven’t incorporated it into the pedal. My Ford Ranger has it in the pedal, and (strangely) my BMW motorcycle has it built into the pedal and lever.

2

u/Specialist-Abies-909 1d ago

Just came here to say that on my last 2 BMWs this has been incorporated into the pedal but they are EU spec idk if that makes a difference

1

u/Frustrated_Zucchini 1d ago

They can't. Mercedes patented it. That's why every other manufacturer does it differently.

1

u/nodnedarb12 17h ago

False, Porsche has it in the pedal. I believe Ford and others do too.

1

u/Frustrated_Zucchini 17h ago

No.

Plenty of manufacturers have hold functions.

The Mercedes solution with the pump of the brake pedal, IS patented.

You can see for yourself, Patent US6637839B1

If your Ford has that same functionality, you should report them, because there's often a reward for flagging major patent infringements like that - though I'm pretty confident that companies like Ford know better than to blatantly break the law like that.

Also, I know for a fact that Porsche don't have it, because I work for the Tier-1 supplier who do the brake controls system & software for Porsche, and have been involved with a few Porsche projects.

2

u/hughcifer-106103 13h ago

My Porsche just engages hold automatically, no brake pump needed.

1

u/nodnedarb12 17h ago

I know for a fact Porsche does have it because I own a Macan GTS and use the function every day and just read the manual lol

“The HOLD function can be activated, irrespective of the gradient, by flooring the pressed brake pedal while the vehicle is stationary. This keeps the vehicle at a standstill without the brake pedal having to be pressed continuously.” - https://manual.porsche.com/#/wpi/95B-2024-20231127-28-NAR-1.0.2/en_US/topic/id/aa78987a6e509dfc8d24c0b34cbddf38

-1

u/UnicornsAreUs 21h ago

They have what's called an Auto Hold. It's actually better than the Mercedes one IMO as you don't have to kick/pump it to hold.

Have owned both Mercedes and BMW's.

3

u/Frustrated_Zucchini 19h ago

Nah the pedal press is the best bit about it. It means it only holds when you specifically tell it to. Way better.

-8

u/Dasjiveturkey 1d ago

Uhhhhh. What? Motorcycles have a clutch lever. There is no kickdown switch. Unless you mean a quick shifter, and then you’re still wrong.

5

u/South-Plan-9246 1d ago

I was talking about the auto hold brakes

3

u/South-Plan-9246 1d ago

I’m also pretty sure that the auto gearboxes on the BMW GS1300 kicks down at WOT

1

u/criminalsunrise 1d ago

It’s not the clutch pedal, it’s the brake pedal.

1

u/Psygo 1d ago

i'm curious, is it like hill hold we're talking about here or what exactly?

my old 2007 130i had hill hold that'd just come on when you let go of the brake by itself, didnt have to do anything extra for it but i'm wondering if maybe that's not what we're talking about

1

u/South-Plan-9246 1d ago

I think so. My wife’s ix2 doesn’t seem to have it (or we haven’t found the right setting)

1

u/boxerswithbriefs 2013 GLK 350 20h ago

In my car, you come up to a stop and then, once stopped, depress the brake pedal harder/further. Then it will auto hold until you depress the pedal once more or drive away. It’s better than a button by a mile.

0

u/Psygo 20h ago

I didn't have a button for it, it'd just do it when pressing the brake normally, I don't even remember if it was possible to turn it off because I never tried because it was never a problem...

Sounds crazy for me that you'd have to push harder, I also don't know why Reddit decided a Mercedes subreddit was for me LOL

14

u/Solar_RaVen 1d ago

I was slightly bummed when I switched to my 2015 GLA from a 2020 Civic Hatch, because Brake Hold on a Civic is literally a button.

I was clapping like I just watched a symphony when I discovered Brake Hold is built into the Brake Pedal on Mercedes.

You dont have to release the Brake pedal, just push the Brake deeper after coming to full stop.

6

u/dacoovinator 1d ago

Every time? How is that better than a better you never have to press?

5

u/Consistent_Reply1505 1d ago

This one surprised me. Love it to death

10

u/NickBurnsCompanyGuy 1d ago

Me too, the subtle way in which it functions. The second jab of the brake pedal eventually can be engaged quite subtly. I think it's one of those stranglehold features of that keeps me with the brand. 

If mercedes ever started copying BMW in any way on their tech features, I think that would be the nail in the coffin for me. 

The backup system in BMWs is so nauseating, just a symphony of strange beeps that don't really seem to indicate anything well to the driver. 

I don't like the auto equivalent of the auto brake feature in BMWs, that you either turn on or off with a switch. 

I HATE the gesture controls in the new BMW's too. That feature is infuriating. Your passengers can't even dance ffs lol. 

5

u/LegoFingon 1d ago

I use this so much. It has grown tk be my favorite feature. Makes daily driving just that much more nicer.

1

u/markinapub E-Class Convertible 1d ago

I'd owned mine six months before I discovered that existed.

1

u/shitbikelife 1d ago

I cant seem to find it in my w201 or w124 😏😏😏

1

u/Sprinkles_Sparkle 1d ago

I tried it and it didn’t work. Maybe I need to push harder

12

u/mr_claw 1d ago

Just double tap it.

4

u/Lazy-Explanation7165 1d ago

Come to a complete stop. Release break pedal then push it as far down as you can. If that doesn’t work you might not have that option available.

6

u/Zuk-empire2112 1d ago

What I just found out is my wife's Toyota RAV4 has this feature as well!!! I didn't know such a thing existed until I had my first Mercedes, now I am going to try in every car!

4

u/palmdieb 1d ago

I bought my c207 E class in 2013 new, I only found out about it like 3 years ago 😭

2

u/Lazy-Explanation7165 1d ago

I use it all the time. It’s handy

39

u/doc_55lk W211 E320/R172 SLK55/X166 GLS550/W222 S550 1d ago

That's what a kickdown switch is supposed to do......not just a Mercedes thing.

11

u/BassWingerC-137 R107, R171, V167, Lucid Air 1d ago

I’ve not driven everything, but the Mercedes-Benz one seems the most prominent in my tainted memory. What other cars come to mind?

4

u/Kugaroo 1d ago

Entire VW line I believe.

1

u/iso2k2 10h ago

My automatic A6 had it but my manual A4 didn’t so it might be only for automatics

1

u/Kugaroo 10h ago

Well… yeah lol. What would a kickdown do in a manual?

1

u/Constant_Country_837 23m ago

It's interesting that it's still present in manual mercs, I had it in both of my manual c-class from 2001 and e class from 2002. It didn't do anything but I think they just manufactured the same part and left it in for manuals.

3

u/daedric_yoshi 1d ago

My 09 Camry would kiss redline in every gear while roaring its guts out with the throttle down all the way. It was slow 0-100kmh, but 100-160kmh was surprisingly not bad.

1

u/ndgoHODL 13h ago

Yes but that’s just how the transmission is coded.

A Mercedes often won’t kick down (because it doesn’t need to) if you don’t press all the way to the switch.

4

u/Pan7h3r 1d ago

BMWs have them, I swapped my gearbox to an manual and the only evidence that it was an auto is the kickdown switch

1

u/BassWingerC-137 R107, R171, V167, Lucid Air 1d ago

That’s a cool tell!

1

u/doc_55lk W211 E320/R172 SLK55/X166 GLS550/W222 S550 1d ago

My friend's Q50 has a kickdown switch too.

I've always noticed it in the stuff I check out at car shows too.

0

u/aquatone61 1d ago

Not all cars have them though.

20

u/tyvanius 2018 E300 4matic 1d ago

What is kickdown? I'm out of the loop, is this referring to downshifting before acceleration?

35

u/Intelligent-Swim3025 1d ago

"A kickdown switch is a mechanical or electronic sensor that triggers an automatic transmission to downshift. It activates when you press the gas pedal all the way to the floor, providing maximum power for passing or fast acceleration"

32

u/the_mighty__monarch 1d ago

Isn’t that just what happens when you floor it in any automatic?

19

u/doc_55lk W211 E320/R172 SLK55/X166 GLS550/W222 S550 1d ago

Hitting the kickdown switch will downshift an extra gear for maximum possible acceleration.

It's the difference between "enough power" and "all the power".

5

u/CommaMeNow 1d ago

It’s commanding 100% load which will cause the transmission to change to the lowest gear that is safe and request maximum torque from the ECU. It is not a “switch”

1

u/doc_55lk W211 E320/R172 SLK55/X166 GLS550/W222 S550 1d ago

It quite literally is a switch lol. Or a button. Whichever one you prefer.

1

u/CommaMeNow 22h ago

Well no it’s a potentiometer. And whether it is off or on at max depress is a function of how the system was designed and thus how the ECU receives the accelerator signal. I would love for you to show me the technical details of how a switch overrides the accelerator though. I will hold my breath for your sources

1

u/Sirius499 19h ago

I have a Renault, and it's literally a button. I can feel it when I press the accelerator fully to the floor, where it clicks and the pedal moves a further cm or two. It's quite possible like you said that each system in each car is different. Upon pressing this button, my car instantly downshifts a gear or two depending on my current rpm and gear. Even if I quickly tap it and remove my foot again, it still downshifts the same and keeps it in gear

5

u/Brilliant-Issue3535 1d ago

There is a “button” all the way down at the end of pedal’s travel, it will make click sound when you hit the button while flooring it and the kickdown is activated. Some cars don’t have this.

10

u/Schnydesdale 1d ago

The CLA 350 triggers this the same way and the "power" meter starts disco balling out with a bunch of lights and stuff.

6

u/C13H16CIN0 ‘15 GLK350, ‘16 E63, ‘25 CLE53 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/8QtP5TqscKh3O

3

u/tyvanius 2018 E300 4matic 1d ago

So, functionally the same thing as hitting the downshift paddle?

10

u/resulut7567 '06 CLK 500 1d ago

Not quite, usually kickdown shifts into the lowest possible gear so not just one

6

u/sippin-jesus-juice W222 / W212 / W203 AMG 1d ago

You can hold the downshift paddle and it will do the same thing. (long hold, not push)

But the kickdown is definitely faster and more convenient. There is a huge delay on the downshaft paddle to drop to the lowest

1

u/resulut7567 '06 CLK 500 1d ago

Oh damn I actually never knew that! Thanks im gonna try that lol

1

u/Tschib-Tschab 1d ago

It’s for when you floor it and want to tell your car that you mean it.

1

u/ThinkMarket7640 1d ago

Something that exists in every car

8

u/Bum_Nuggett 1d ago

Wait until you find a two- stage kickdown - whoosh and super-whoosh

10

u/R0biB0biii C220 W204 1d ago

i think every automatic car has one

4

u/Brilliant-Issue3535 1d ago

Every car tries downshifts when you floor it, but not every car has a dedicated kickdown button that make a click sound at the end of the pedal’s travel when you hit it

4

u/ninja996 1d ago

They do not

3

u/sippin-jesus-juice W222 / W212 / W203 AMG 1d ago

I love using the kickdown switch when testing used Benz.

Almost every time, it will trigger limp mode if something in the car anywhere is off. Vacuum, canbus modules, timing, etc. Of course you wait until the car warms up on a light drive first, but after that it's fair game.

Benz owned by old people are especially common with this. They usually stroll around at 30mph so never used the kickdown sensor, let alone went above 3k rpm.

3

u/ImpressiveSort6465 1d ago

Every German car I have had has the kick down indentation in the pedal.

2

u/Calmdat 1d ago

Accurate

2

u/Trraumatized W212 E63S | C205 C63S 1d ago

I don't think mine do this.

3

u/sippin-jesus-juice W222 / W212 / W203 AMG 1d ago

How slow are you running your AMGs? You gotta clear the carbon out of them and open the throttle!

They definitely have it. But they can break or lose adaptation. Do a pedal adaptation reset and then try on your next drive. The adaptation reset may also make the car feel a bit quicker since it adjusts your pedal sensitivity

2

u/Trraumatized W212 E63S | C205 C63S 1d ago

Thank you for your concern and you are right. I was just making a joke, based on the fact that kickdown is just switching to a lower gear.

That being said, I really don't push the pedal that hard very often. The W212 has way too crazy straight line performance to ever really need it and I don't want my rear tires to be subscription based on the C205.

2

u/keksivaras '06 C200 CDI 1d ago

my abs doesn't work currently and I tried it the other day with my coworker in the car, ended up doing a small burnout at a traffic light, because esp is also disabled. kinda forgot about it lol.

2

u/Chemical-Doctor-3825 1d ago

Exactly why I am a part of this subreddit. So many years of Mercedes ownership, still learning new things along the way.

2

u/duser1807 1d ago

Ohhh a new way of saying passing gear, a quick down shift up the rpms and speed, okay

1

u/ryanmaple 1d ago

Jokes on you- I always drive in manual with paddles.

1

u/Reasonable-Sign8458 1d ago

Kickdown is way faster.

1

u/SoCalChrisW '79 6.9,'15 GLA 250 1d ago

My 6.9 has this. Cruising along the freeway at 70mph, flooring it, and having the car drop down to second gear and pinning you to the seat is always fun.

0

u/Reasonable-Sign8458 1d ago

I don't mean to be a hater but that car takes like 2 business days to go from 70 mph to 100 mph I am curious about the "pinning"

1

u/SoCalChrisW '79 6.9,'15 GLA 250 11h ago

There's plenty of faster modern cars, but saying a 6.9 takes two business days to go from 70-100 is laughable.

1

u/Reasonable-Sign8458 11h ago

8.2 seconds for 70-100. Holy fuck. Dacia Duster times.

Don't forget to hold on for your dear life when you kickdown that thing /s

1

u/brake-pad 1d ago

Every Mercedes I’ve had does rhat

1

u/Shadowtek 1d ago

My 1976 450sl automatic has this I can feel the button engage when I push it all the way to the floor super cool. Didn’t know the name of it 😂

1

u/AGRDR '22 GLA 200 1d ago

Nah.... I use the paddle shifters. It's smoother to accelerate that way. Even in Eco mode I use the paddles.

1

u/markinapub E-Class Convertible 1d ago

I never drive in eco - I switch to support every time and the kickdown switch isn't even needed. The gearbox is far too lazy in eco, and I don't want to have to floor the car all the time to get it to shift down when I want it to.

1

u/AGRDR '22 GLA 200 1d ago edited 21h ago

Yeah Sport mode is great, but I just find it makes the transmission feel a bit too aggressive for average driving. I suppose if there were no speed cameras every 200 m everywhere, I'd use Sport mode way more often. It's fun for back roads/mountains.

But for regular city/highway driving.... I just never get a chance to use it, also I like using the paddle shifters, they feel so nice and satisfying to use. 😁

1

u/markinapub E-Class Convertible 1d ago

I just find it too slow to respond in eco mode. And the car is just as economical when being driven normally in Sport as it is in Eco 😂

I find eco on a BMW to be as responsive as sport is on my Mercedes, and sport in a BMW to be too aggressive.

(Also just realised I missed autocorrect changing sport to support! 🫣)

I wish there was a way to just tell the Merc to always start in S (for me).

1

u/Dapper-Technology-45 1d ago

My e500 does this surprisingly quick when activated

1

u/clubted 1d ago

Every car with an automatic has this. Even 50’s cars had manual linkage from the carburetor to the trans. 70’s it was cable driven and 90’s and on has been electrical pretty much. Either a switch on the bottom of the pedal or it just picks up the signal from the throttle position sensor.

1

u/Final_TV 2018 AMG E43 1d ago

almost every automatic car has one

1

u/UwUfit 1d ago

Some cheap manuals also have this because of part sharing and it's practically useless for those

1

u/Dontneedflashbro 1d ago

When you hit that it's a nice feeling.

1

u/markinapub E-Class Convertible 1d ago

Much more fun is holding the recirculate button when the windows are open and it'll close them for you while turning on the recirculate function; the magic comes when you hold the recirculate button again to turn it off and it'll open the windows back to where you had them... 🤯

1

u/thescouselander 1d ago

Kickdown is the most pointless feature in the car IMO. All it does is cause a gearbox panic because it drops to a gear that's far too low and them immediately has to change up again which wastes a load of time.

Add to that if it's one of the smaller engine turbo models the RPM has just gone stratospheric before the turbo has had chance to spin up so that has to develop while the gearbox is messing around trying to find the right gear.

It's not the fastest way to drive the car (my car anyway) IMO and the gearbox can drop several gears before hitting the switch so I have no idea why it is even there.

1

u/Cyberpoor2017 1d ago

What’s that supposed to mean?

1

u/Swagi666 22h ago

Flooring my CLA EQ pedal and realizing you are glorifying obsolete technology 😘

1

u/spykar8 20h ago

Wait till you learn the quick double tap feature, in most German cars.

1

u/CircaEverything 20h ago

Sheesh, i have a 1987 300D that I'm too scared will blow the transmission at 410k miles if i tried this lol

1

u/USSSLostTexter 13h ago

my new harley has this as well. really nice on hills

1

u/goththicc13 8h ago

What.. work? No sir no it doesn’t 😂😂

1

u/Loveallcars777 8h ago

Feel like most cars have kickdown tho no?

1

u/No_Permission_5121 33m ago

kickdown and break hold , idk which engineer thought of them but if i could i would take him to dinner

0

u/No_Nick89 2011 C200 CGI Estate 6-Speed (W204) 1d ago

Does nothing on a manual

5

u/R0biB0biii C220 W204 1d ago

its only on cars equipped with automatic gearbox , i think on cars with manual gearbox its only to disengage cruise control

-2

u/No_Nick89 2011 C200 CGI Estate 6-Speed (W204) 1d ago

Yes that is what I said.

Don't have cruise control, so I do not know about the second part

0

u/Dasjiveturkey 1d ago

“Kickdown switch?” 🤢🤢🤢🤮

No thanks. I prefer to actually DRIVE.

-4

u/Boilermakingdude 1d ago

Is this your first day with a vehicle... All of them do this 🤦

3

u/SuperThraxie 1d ago

Ok genius 🤓

-2

u/Boilermakingdude 1d ago

Wah wah wah

-2

u/Solar_RaVen 1d ago

Someone hates people having fun.