Patent ID: 8235866

Claim:
A method of actuating a gear step in either an automatic or automated transmission of a motor vehicle, wherein the gear step of the transmission and a parking lock, which is provided for immobilizing the vehicle, are engaged as a function of a gear step (P, R, N, D) selected by a selector device that is operated by a driver of the vehicle, and as a function of other operating parameters of the motor vehicle, and by means of a separate operating device, provided in addition to the selector device, a holding phase is activated independently of at least one of a gear step (P, R, N, D), in which holding phase the transmission is in a traction-free neutral position, if the motor vehicle is at least almost at a standstill and, at the same time, an ignition circuit that acts on a drive engine of the motor vehicle is electrically interrupted, the method comprising the steps of: automatically deactivating and ending any previously activated holding phase, if at least one of a current state of charge and a current electrical voltage of an electrical energy source of the motor vehicle, which at least one of supplies electrical power to a transmission control device and starts the drive engine, has a lower value than a predefined discharge threshold value.