Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2006 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 310)

309
Operation
Driving instructions
ț To help avoid the vehicle rolling over,
never turn it around on steep inclines.
If the vehicle cannot complete the at-
tempted climb, back it down in reverse
gear. Switch on the DSR (
୴ page 245)
to help maintain a speed when driving
downhill.
ț Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.
ț Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
Traction in steep terrain
ț Be easy on the accelerator and watch
for continuous wheel traction when
driving in steep terrain.
The 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting towards the
rear axle.
The 4-ETS recognizes the situation and
limits the torque for the front wheels by
braking them. Simultaneously the
torque for the rear wheels is increased.
Driving across a hilltop
ț Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do
not select gear range N), to prevent the
vehicle from speeding up too much af-
ter climbing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to
drive across the hilltop.
Driving in this manner allows the vehi-
cle to maintain ground contact when
cresting hills.
i
Avoid excessive engine speeds – drive
with moderate engine speeds
(max. 3 000 rpm).
Select gear range 2 or 1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
୴ page 187).