Dri vin g and parking, Driving tips – Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 2014 Owners Manual User Manual

Page 199

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conditions when temperatures are around

the freezing point.
For more information on driving with snow

chains, see (

Y

page 407).

For more information on driving with summer

tires, see (

Y

page 406).

Observe the notes in the "Winter operation"

section (

Y

page 406).

Off-road driving

Important safety notes

G

WARNING

If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or

turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle

could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is

a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of

fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the

vehicle.

G

WARNING

If the vehicle level is high, the vehicle center

of gravity is raised. This could cause the

vehicle to tip over more easily on uphill or

downhill gradients. There is a risk of an

accident.
Select the lowest possible vehicle level.

When driving off-road, sand, mud and water,

possibly mixed with oil, for example, could get

into the brakes. This could result in a reduced

braking effect or in total brake failure and also

in increased wear and tear. The braking

characteristics change depending on the

material ingressing the brakes. Clean the

brakes after driving off-road. If you detect a

reduced braking effect or grinding noises,

have the brake system checked in a qualified

specialist workshop as soon as possible.

Adapt your driving style to the different

braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of

damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead

to failure of the mechanical assembly or

systems. Adapt your driving style to suit the

terrain conditions. Drive carefully. Have

damage to the vehicle rectified immediately

at a qualified 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 258)

R

LOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with

the ON&OFFROAD package)

(

Y

page 259)

R

Differential lock (vehicles with the

ON&OFFROAD package) (

Y

page 259)

R

Off-road ABS (

Y

page 68)

R

AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)

(

Y

page 217)

R

DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)

(

Y

page 256)

Observe the following notes:

R

Stop the vehicle before starting to drive

along an off-road route.

R

For vehicles with the AIRMATIC

package: select a vehicle level that is

suitable for the off-road terrain. To avoid

damaging the vehicle, make sure there is

always sufficient ground clearance.

R

Check that items of luggage and loads are

stowed safely and are well secured

(

Y

page 345).

Driving tips

197

Dri

vin

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and

parking

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