Mercedes-Benz G-Class 2015 - Manual (Page 162)

X Clean the wheels, tires, wheel housings and
the vehicle underside with a water jet;
check for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X
If you notice strong vibrations after off-road
driving, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and, if necessary,
remove them.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance
and cause vibrations.
X Test the brakes.
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE(
Y
page 186).
R
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Limit the shift range of the automatic trans-
mission according to the off-road condi-
tions.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. When doing so, make sure that:
- the tire ruts are not too deep.
- the sand is sufficiently firm.
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tire ruts and gravel roads
!
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loose gravel:
R Shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE(
Y
page 186).
R
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Observe the safety notes (
Y
page 158) and
the general notes (
Y
page 158) on off-road
driving.
R Restrict the shift range of the automatic
transmission to 1(
Y
page 145).
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible.
Driving over obstacles
!
Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should
always keep a safe distance from the vehi-
cle when doing so in order to avoid injury as
a result of unexpected vehicle movements.
After driving off-road or over obstacles,
check the vehicle for possible damage,
especially to the underbody and the com-
ponents of the chassis.
! Drive with particular care when driving
over an obstacle while driving up or down a
steep slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide
sideways or tip over.
160
Driving tips
Driv
ing
and
pa
rki
ng