P R N D 3 2 B........What is B
 

Coming back from lunch today my friend asked me why there was a "B" (with an arrow) under "2" on the transmission selector. Said, have no idea and it's not in the manual. He had to look in the manual and it's not there. I always thought it was 1st gear as you can slide the shifter to the right.............what is the significance of "B"

Car is 85 300SD

A "B" is something new to me

Me to.... I guess

Maybe it's to hold it in 1st?

I would place a bet that it is to lock SECOND gear. For those of you in winter weather climes... there is an advantage to starting out in second when it is slippery out. Prevents spinning.

My first MB, an '87 420SEL that I had years ago for a while, had this feature. I'm not sure if I remember this correctly but I think it was for starting out in the "base" gear, i.e. first, as opposed to 2nd gear which was the default behavior.

Blitzen !!
 

"B" might stand for Blitzen.....Lightning.....as in fast acceleration!!!:D

SB

I always thought it meant "B" for "Braking"

I use it when going down STEEP hills.
It allows the car to stay in low gear while negotiating a steep slope.

Another use is for cars with 2nd gear start. If you are stopped at a light and walk the shifter all the way down and then across into the "B" position and then walk it back to "D" the car will start out in First Gear!

If you leave it in "B" when you start out it will stay in first...

Correct..."B" for braking, or more specifically, some form of "Bremsen".

I had that in my 84 sec. I used it when autocrossing. It allows first and second gears and will hold first when you let off and only shift to second at redline. then it will hold second when you let off as well and if you slow enough to reach first within the redline parameter it will shift back to first.

pretty slick.

Tom W

OK - didn't think it was that complex. Always just thought of it as 1st gear but wondered what the "B" was all about. Damn....Rally Diesel

You have a transmission gear selector and/or transmission from an M116/117 V8 Mercedes.

B is to hold 1st gear. In all other Mercedes, the lowest gear is "2" (upshift to 2nd gear only; it WILL shift up from first once you hit ~ redline).

"B" for Bupkas?

Bubkas...? Well in "B" it doesn't go very fast.

Can you tell a difference between being in "B" and just in "2"?

My 85 SD does not have this feature, but I have seen it on later w126 cars.

I am thinking that someone replaced your gear selector with one from a later model?

What transmission do you have? Was your car actually manufactured in 1985? or just model year 1985.