2009 Mercedes G-Class Owner's Manual - Page 95

463_AKB; 2; 52, en-US d2ureepe, 2008-12-02T10:52:11+01:00 - Seite 93 Version: 2.11.7.1 Differential locks i If the SmartKey is in starter switch position 0 or 1, an alarm will sound if the transfer case is in Neutral and the driver's door is opened. Switch the transfer case to gear position HIGH or LOW. Differential locks Differential locks improve the vehicle's tractive power off-road. Switch differential locks Rfor 93 The ABS, BAS, and ESP® are switched off automatically when the transfer case differential lock is activated. For more information on off-road driving, see "Off-road driving" (Y page 179). A few words about differentials and differential locks When a vehicle negotiates a turn, wheels on the outside of the curve must travel farther and rotate faster than the inside wheels. The differential, the operation of a set of gears that allows the powered wheels in a vehicle to turn at different speeds, makes this essential function possible. The drawback is that the differential also sends most of the engine's power to the wheel with the least load or strain on it. For example, if one of a vehicle's powered wheels sits on a patch of snow and spins because there is no traction, all of the engine's power will go to that wheel because the power will take the path of least resistance. Meanwhile, the opposite wheel, sitting on dry pavement where it could get enough grip to start the vehicle moving, sits idle because it receives no power. The 4-ETS addresses this problem and provides for good control and steering ability by automatically slowing the slipping wheel and thus increasing the power to the other non-slipping drive wheels to get the vehicle moving. The ESP® and the 4-ETS in this vehicle feature such intelligent limited-slip differential technology, ideally suited for onroad and light off-road driving. Transfer case position LOW (Y page 91) also enhances offroad driving capabilities. More extreme off-road conditions may call for another solution, engaging a differential lock or preventing the differential from operating altogether. This vehicle comes with three differential locks: front, transfer case (center), and rear. Each can be engaged simply by pushing dashboard-mounted Z off-road driving driving through water Rto switch the ABS off during off-road driving Rfor Rwhen driving on deep snow and icy or fouled surfaces ! Do not switch the front axle differential lock when driving around tight corners. This restricts steering ability. ! When driving off-road, apply only moderate pressure to the accelerator pedal if the differential locks are switched on. When operating the vehicle on a single-axle dynamometer - no matter how briefly - you must Rraise the axle not being driven or Rdisconnect the drive shaft and Rswitch the transfer case differential lock. Otherwise the transfer case can be damaged, which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. G Warning! Never drive on pavement with differential locks switched. Steering control will be strongly affected with the differential locks activated. Controls in detail