Mercedes-Benz 2004 ML 500 - Manual (Page 202)

202
Operation
Driving instructions
Rims
ț 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
ț Check if the vehicle jack is functional.
ț 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°
ț Switch to LOW RANGE mode before
starting to drive up or down steep in-
clines (
୴ page 125).
ț 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.
ț 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).
ț 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.
ț 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.
ț Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
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.
i
Avoid excessive engine speeds – drive
with moderate engine speeds
(max. 3000 RPM).
Select gear range 2 or 1 on the auto-
matic transmission (
୴ page 121).