You should therefore always drive slowly off-
road. If you have to drive over obstacles, the
co-driver should guide the driver.
G
Risk of accident
If you drive too fast off-road, you may not
recognise obstacles in good time or you
may underestimate the roughness of the
ground. Always drive slowly off-road to
avoid damaging the vehicle.
The vehicle may slip to the side, tip over or
roll over. Always drive along the line of fall
when you are on a slope. Never drive across
a slope. Never turn the vehicle round on a
slope. If the vehicle loses its grip on an up-
hill slope, reverse back down the slope.
You could lose control of the vehicle if you
change to neutral while driving on a hill, or if
you release the clutch and try to brake only
by using the service brake. Never let the ve-
hicle coast.
If you carry too much payload on the ve-
hicle, you increase the risk of the vehicle
tipping over. Never exceed the permissible
axle loads. Keep the vehicle’s centre of grav-
ity as low as possible when you load the ve-
hicle.
If the vehicle is frequently driven on muddy
or marshy terrain, sand or oil mixed with
water could get into the brakes, impairing
braking performance. This may lead to ex-
cessive wear and reduced braking power. In
an emergency, there is a risk that full brak-
ing performance is no longer be available.
After driving off-road, always carry out a
short brake test. If you detect a reduction in
braking performance or you hear scraping
noises, have the brake system checked at
a qualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
G
Risk of injury
Driving on rough terrain causes acceleration
forces to act from all directions on your
body. There is the risk that you may be
thrown from your seat and injured. Always
fasten your seat belt when driving off-road.
Rules for driving off-road
G
Risk of injury
If you drive over obstacles or in ruts, the
steering wheel may jerk out of your grip and
you could injure the thumbs on both hands.
Always hold the steering wheel rim firmly
with both hands. When driving over ob-
stacles, you must expect steering forces to
increase briefly and suddenly.
I
Before driving off-road, stop and select
a low gear.
I
When driving off-road, always drive
with the engine running and a gear en-
gaged.
I
Drive slowly and evenly. Many situa-
tions require you to drive at walking
pace.
I
Always make sure that the wheels are
in contact with the ground.
I
Drive with extreme care over unknown
terrain where you can only see for a
short distance. As a precaution, step
out of the vehicle beforehand to get an
overview of the terrain.
I
Before fording, check the water depth.
I
Look out for obstacles, e.g. rocks,
holes, tree stumps and ruts.
I
Avoid banks where the ground could
crumble away.
Before driving off-road
E Switch off acceleration skid control
(ASR) (
e page 183).
E Stow away or lash down items of lug-
gage or payload safely (
e page 217).
Operation
Driving tips
213
ee
4
Nur fuer internen Gebrauch
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