2007 Mercedes GL-Class Owner's Manual - Page 358

Operation Driving instructions Off-road driving Warning! Warning! 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. G G Do not load items on the basic cross bars*. 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" ( page 361). 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. Warning! G Please be aware that by raising the vehicle level, the center of gravity also rises. Therefore, always ensure that the vehicle level is as low as possible. With higher ride height the ESP® may activate earlier in certain situations. 357