Mercedes-Benz 2001 M-Class, Operator'S Manual

Page: 194 / 466

Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep,
drive backwards in reverse gear.
General notes
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more
gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of your vehicle and the gear shift operation
before driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R
Off-road program 1 and 2 (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (
Y
page 251)
R
LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with
the ON&OFFROAD package)
(
Y
page 253)
R
Differential lock (vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package) (
Y
page 252)
R
Off-road ABS (
Y
page 68)
R
Off-road 4ETS (
Y
page 73)
R
AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(
Y
page 211)
R
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(
Y
page 250)
Observe the following notes:
R
Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route.
R
For vehicles with the AIRMATIC pack-
age: select a vehicle level that is suitable
for the off-road terrain. To avoid damaging
the vehicle, make sure there is always suf-
ficient ground clearance.
R
Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Y
page 339).
R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (
Y
page 250).
R
Always keep the doors, tailgate, windows
and sliding sunroof closed while driving.
R
Adapt your speed to the terrain. The
rougher, steeper or more ruts on the ter-
rain, the slower your speed should be.
R
Drive slowly and at an even speed through
the water. Ensure that a bow wave does not
form as you drive.
R
Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R
Look out for obstacles, such as rocks,
holes, tree stumps and furrows.
R
Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R
When fording, do not stop and do not
switch off the engine.
R
On sand, drive quickly to overcome the roll-
ing resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's
wheels could become stuck in loose
ground.
R
Do not jump with the vehicle as this will
interrupt the vehicle's propulsion.
R
Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope.
R
Do not shift the automatic transmission to
transmission position N.
i
Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra-
dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces.
Checklist before driving off-road
!
If the engine oil warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place as soon as possible.
192
Driving tips
Dr
ivi
ng
an
d
parki
ng