2011 Mercedes G-Class Owner's Manual - Page 148

146 Driving tips RAvoid Driving and parking high engine speeds - drive at appropriate engine speeds (no more than 3000 rpm). RUse the braking power of the engine when driving down a slope. Observe the engine speed, do not overrev the engine. accordingly. The rear wheel torque is increased, making it easier to drive off. Brow of hill When driving on an uphill gradient, reduce pressure slightly on the accelerator immediately before reaching the top of the hill (do not shift the transmission to position N). Use the vehicle's own impetus to drive over the top of the hill. This style of driving prevents: Rthe vehicle from lifting off the ground on the i Further information on the maximum engine speed can be found in the "Tachometer" and "Technical Data" sections. RSelect a shift range appropriate to the gradient. RBefore tackling steep downhill gradients, select shift range 1 (Y page 123). RCheck the brakes after driving off-road for a long time. G Warning! Never turn the vehicle around on steep inclines. The vehicle might roll over. If the vehicle cannot complete the attempted climb, back it down in reverse gear. brow of a hill of traction Rthe vehicle from traveling too quickly down the other side Rloss Driving downhill RBefore i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on a hill. For more information, see "Hill start assist" (Y page 118). Maximum gradient-climbing capability Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines or gradients, but instead follow the direct line of fall. The maximum gradient-climbing capability of your vehicle is 80%, which corresponds to an approach/departure angle of 38°. Note that the vehicle's gradientclimbing capability depends on the off-road conditions. Accelerate carefully and make sure that the wheels do not spin when driving on steep terrain. tackling steep downhill gradients, select shift range 1 (Y page 123). This way you use the engine's braking effect to reduce the speed. If this is not sufficient, brake gently. When doing so, make sure that the vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of fall. RObserve the notes on driving in mountainous terrain (Y page 146). RDrive slowly. RDo not drive at an angle down steep inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive with the front wheels aligned straight. Otherwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover. RCheck that the brakes are working normally after a long downhill stretch. i If the load on the front axle is reduced when pulling away on a steep uphill slope, the front wheels have a tendency to spin. 4ETS detects this and brakes the wheels i The special off-road ABS(Y page 56) enables accurate, brief and repeated locking of the front wheels, causing them to dig into the loose ground. Note that when the front wheels are fully braked, they slide easily over the surface of the ground, making it difficult to steer.