Driving and parking, Driving systems – Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2014 Owners Manual User Manual

Page 193

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angle of 45°. Note that the climbing ability

of your vehicle depends on the terrain

conditions.

R

When driving down an incline, make use of

the engine's braking effect. Observe the

engine speed; do not overrev the engine.

R

Drive slowly.

R

Avoid high engine speeds. Drive at

appropriate engine speeds (maximum

3,000 rpm).

R

Use the left-hand paddle shifter to shift into

a lower gear in good time on long and steep

downhill gradients.

R

Check the brakes after prolonged off-road

driving.

i

Hill start assist will aid you when pulling

away on a hill.
For further information about hill start

assist, see (

Y

page 161).

Do not switch to transmission position N

when driving off-road. If you try to brake the

vehicle using the service brake, you could

lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is

too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in

reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure

angle values (

Y

page 454).

Maximum gradient-climbing capability

Always observe the maximum gradient

climbing ability values (

Y

page 455).

Hilltops

When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly

reduce pressure on the accelerator

immediately before reaching the brow of the

hill. Use the vehicle's own impetus to drive

over the top of the hill.
This style of driving prevents:

R

the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the

brow of a hill

R

the vehicle from traveling too quickly down

the other side

Driving downhill

R

Drive slowly.

R

Do not drive at an angle down steep

inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive

with the front wheels aligned straight.

Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways,

tip and rollover.

R

Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand

paddle shifter before tackling steep

downhill gradients.

R

Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake

gently. When doing so, make sure that the

vehicle is facing in the direction of the line

of fall.

R

Check that the brakes are working normally

after a long downhill stretch.

i

The special off-road ABS setting enables

a precise, brief and repeated locking of the

front wheels. This causes them to dig into

loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels

easily skid across the ground surface if

completely braked and therefore lose their

ability to steer.

Driving systems

Cruise control

General notes

Cruise control maintains a constant road

speed for you. It brakes automatically in order

to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must

select a lower gear in good time on long and

steep downhill gradients, especially if the

vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing

so, you will make use of the braking effect of

the engine. This relieves the load on the brake

system and prevents the brakes from

overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic

conditions make it appropriate to maintain a

steady speed for a prolonged period. You can

store any road speed above 20 mph

(30 km/h).

Driving systems

191

Driving

and

parking

Z

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