Mercedes-Benz ML320. Manual — part 93

199

Operation

Driving instructions

Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.

Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.

If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.

For more information, see "Winter driving"
(

컄

page 230).

Warning!

G

On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.

Do not engage the transfer case in position
LOW when driving on ice or packed snow. At
speeds below 18 mph (30 km / h) vehicle
steering is adversely affected by the LOW
RANGE - ABS (

컄

page 77).

Warning!

G

Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.

Warning!

G

If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.

To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.

Warning!

G

The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.

200

Operation

Driving instructions

Standing water

Off-road driving

Read this chapter carefully before you be-
gin off-road travel.

Familiarize yourself with the vehicle char-
acteristics and gear changing before you
attempt any difficult terrain off-road driv-
ing. We recommend that you start out with
easy off-road travel.

!

Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth.
Never accelerate before driving into
water. The bow wave could force water
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.

If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, 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 dam-
age is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Warning!

G

Drive slowly in unknown terrain. This will
make it easier to recognize unexpected ob-
stacles and avoid damage to the vehicle.

To help avoid the vehicle rolling over, never
turn it around on steep inclines. If the vehi-
cle cannot complete the attempted climb,
back it down in reverse gear.

Do not drive along the side of a slope (dan-
ger of vehicle rollover). The vehicle might
otherwise rollover. If in doing so the vehicle
begins to show a tendency to roll, immedi-
ately 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.

Warning!

G

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.

201

Operation

Driving instructions

Special driving features for off-road
driving

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

앫

LOW RANGE mode (

컄

page 125)

앫

LOW RANGE – ABS (

컄

page 77)

앫

LOW RANGE – 4-ETS (

컄

page 80)

앫

LOW RANGE – ESP (

컄

page 81)

Off-road driving rules

Engage the LOW RANGE mode before driv-
ing under off-road conditions
(

컄

page 125).

Fasten items being carried as securely as
possible (

컄

page 157).

Checklist before off-road driving

Tires

앫

Check the tread depth and maintain
specified tire pressure (see tire pres-
sure label inside the fuel filler flap).

앫

Check tires for possible damage and
remove foreign objects.

앫

Replace missing valve caps.

i

We recommend keeping doors, liftgate,
windows, and sliding/pop-up roof*
closed whenever driving in off-road
mode.

!

Observe the following during off-road
driving:

앫

Adjust vehicle speed to condition of
terrain. The more uneven, rutty and
steeper the terrain, the lower the
speed should be

앫

Watch out for obstacles, such as
rocks, holes, tree stumps and ruts.

앫

Be especially careful when driving
in unknown territory. It may be nec-
essary to get out of the vehicle and
scout the path you intend to take.

앫

Before driving through water, deter-
mine is depth.

앫

Do not stop vehicle while immersed
in water, and do not shut off the
engine.

앫

In sandy soil, please drive at a
steady speed as allowed by condi-
tions. This helps overcome the vehi-
cle rolling resistance and reduces
the likelihood of the vehicle sinking
into the ground.

앫

Do not initiate jumps with the vehi-
cle. It interrupts the forward mo-
mentum of the vehicle.

앫

Always drive onto slopes with the
the engine running and the vehicle
in gear.

202

Operation

Driving instructions

Rims

앫

Dented or bent rims can cause tire
pressure loss and damage the tire
beads. For this reason, check and, if
necessary, change rims before driving
off-road.

Vehicle tool kit

앫

Check if the vehicle jack is functional.

앫

In all cases take the vehicle tool kit, a
strong tow rope, a shovel and a small
plank (to put under the vehicle jack on
sandy soil) with you.

Driving in steep terrain

Slope angle

1 25°
2 26°

앫

Switch to LOW RANGE mode before
starting to drive up or down steep in-
clines (

컄

page 125).

앫

Driving on embankments, slopes and
other steep inclines should only be
done straight up or downhill, i.e. in the
line of gravity. Maximum vehicle climb-
ing ability is a 60% grade.

앫

Do not drive along the side of a slope
(danger of vehicle rollover). If in doing
so, the vehicle begins to show a ten-
dency to roll, immediately steer into a
line of gravity (straight up or downhill).

앫

To help avoid the vehicle rolling over,
never turn it around on steep inclines.
If the vehicle cannot complete the at-
tempted climb, back it down in reverse
gear.

앫

Utilize the engine’s braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overview the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.

앫

Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.

Traction in steep terrain

앫

Be easy on the accelerator and watch
for continuous wheel traction when
driving in steep terrain.

The 4-ETS helps greatly when starting
out on a steep incline when the front
wheels have then the tendency to slip
due to the weight shifting away the
front axle.

i

Avoid excessive engine speeds – drive
with moderate engine speeds
(max. 3000 RPM).

Select gear range 2 or 1 on the auto-
matic transmission (

컄

page 121).