2010 Mercedes ML-Class Owner's Manual - Page 250

248 Driving instructions For more information, see "Driving through water" (Y page 251). 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. Off-road driving G Warning! Do not load items on the basic carrier 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". Special driving features for off-road driving The following driving features are available for specific kind of operation: ROff-road ROff-road ROff-road RHill-start RDownhill ROff-road RAir Operation ABS (Y page 63) ESP® (Y page 65) 4-ETS (Y page 64) assist system (Y page 113) Speed Regulation (DSR) (Y page 152) driving program (Y page 155) suspension program (Y page 155) Off-road driving rules REngage the off-road driving program (Y page 155) before driving under off-road conditions. with air suspension program: Make sure you select a vehicle level (Y page 156) appropriate to the topographical conditions. Always make sure the vehicle has enough ground clearance. items being carried as securely as possible (Y page 186). navigate gradients with the engine on and with the transmission engaged in a gear. Switch on the DSR (Y page 152) to help maintain a preset speed. G Warning! RVehicles 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. RFasten G Warning! RAlways Vehicles with air suspension program: 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. Read this chapter carefully before you begin off-road travel.