Mercedes-Benz M-Class 2012 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 165)

cannot complete the attempted climb, back it
down in reverse gear.
Do not drive along the side of a slope. The
vehicle might otherwise rollover. If in doing so
the vehicle begins to show a tendency to roll,
immediately steer into a line of gravity
(straight up or downhill).
Never let the vehicle roll backwards in idle.
You may lose control of the vehicle if you use
only the service brake. For information on
driving downhill, see "Driving downhill".
G WARNING
Vehicles with air suspension program: Please
be aware that by raising the vehicle level, the
center of gravity also rises. Therefore, always
ensure that the vehicle level is as low as
possible. With higher ride height the ESP
®
may activate earlier in certain situations.
G WARNING
Do not reduce the tire inflation pressure
before driving through sand. However, if you
do so, remember to correct the tire inflation
pressure before continuing your trip. Driving
with reduced tire inflation pressure increases
the risk of losing control of the vehicle and
rolling over.
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 ABS (
Y
page 61)
R AIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(
Y
page 180)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(
Y
page 208)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route.
R For vehicles with AIRMATIC package:
select a vehicle level that is suitable for the
off-road terrain. Make sure there is always
sufficient ground clearance to prevent
damage to the vehicle.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Y
page 288).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient.
Activate DSR (
Y
page 208).
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
terrain, 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 unknown 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
rolling resistance. Otherwise, the vehicle
could dig itself into the sand.
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.
Driving tips
163
Driving
and
parking
Z