Hydroplaning, Standing water, Off-road driving – Mercedes-Benz G-Class 2010 Owners Manual User Manual

Page 186: Road driving, Operation, Driving instructions

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Depending on the depth of the water layer on
the road, hydroplaning may occur, even at low
speeds and with new tires. In heavy rain or
when conditions indicate possible
hydroplaning:

Reduce vehicle speed.

Avoid track grooves in the road.

Apply brakes cautiously.

Standing water

Do not drive through flooded areas.

Before driving through water, determine its
depth.
If you must drive through standing water,
drive slowly to prevent water from entering
the passenger compartment or the engine
compartment. Water in these areas could
cause damage to electrical components or
wiring of the engine or transmission, or
could result in water being ingested by the
engine through the air intake causing
severe internal engine damage. Any such
damage is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty.

Prevent water from entering the passenger
compartment or the engine compartment. If
you must drive through standing water, keep
in mind that

the maximum depth of the water may not
exceed 19 in (48 cm)

you must drive slowly

For more information, see “Driving through
water” (

page 187).

Off-road driving

Warning!

Do not load items on the roof. It may cause
instability during some maneuvers which
could result in an accident.

Drive slowly in unknown terrain. This will
make it easier to recognize unexpected
obstacles and avoid damage to the vehicle.
To help avoid the vehicle rolling over, never
turn it around on steep inclines. If the vehicle
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”.

Warning!

Sand, dirt, mud and other material having
friction property can cause exceptional wear
and tear as well as brake failure.
Have the brakes checked for dirt build-up and
cleaned. There is otherwise a risk that full
braking power may not be available in an
emergency.

Read this chapter carefully before you begin
off-road travel.
Familiarize yourself with the vehicle
characteristics and gear changing before you
attempt any difficult terrain off-road driving.
We recommend that you start out with easy
off-road travel.

Special driving features for off-road

driving

The following driving features are available for
specific kind of operation:

ABS (

ESP

4-ETS (