Mercedes-Benz 2005 ML 350 - Manual (Page 209)

207
Operation
Driving instructions
Traction in steep terrain
ț 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.
The 4-ETS recognizes the situation and
limits the torque for the front wheels by
braking them. Simultaneously the
torque for the rear wheels is increased.
Driving across a hilltop
ț Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do
not select gear range N), to prevent the
vehicle from speeding up too much af-
ter climbing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to
drive across the hilltop.
Driving in this manner prevents the ve-
hicle from jumping across the hilltop
and thus loosing its forward momen-
tum.
Driving downhill
ț Select gear range 1 on the automatic
transmission (
୴ page 122).
ț Drive downhill observing the same
rules as driving uphill (
୴ page 206).
ț The special LOW RANGE – ABS setting
allows for precise and brief (cyclical)
blocking of the front wheels, permitting
them to dig into loose ground.
Remember that the front wheels when
stopped, slide across a surface, thus
loose their ability to steer the vehicle.