Mercedes-Benz 2003 M-Class Operator's Manual page 188

Operation
Driving instructions
Switch to LOW RANGE mode before
starting to drive up or down steep in-
clines ( page 118).
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.
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).
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.
Utilize the engine's braking power
when descending a slope, observe the
engine speed (do not overrev the en-
gine). Apply the service brake as need-
ed.
188
Check the brakes after a lengthy down-
grade drive.
i
Avoid excessive engine speeds – drive
with moderate engine speeds
(max. 3000 RPM).
Select gear range 2 or 1 on the auto-
matic transmission ( page 114).
Traction in steep terrain
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.
The 4-ETS recognizes the situation and
limits the torque for the front wheels by
braking them. Simultaneously the
torque for the rear wheels is increased.
Driving across a hilltop
Decelerate just ahead of a hilltop (do
not select gear range N), to prevent the
vehicle from speeding up too much af-
ter climbing a hill.
Use the momentum of the vehicle to
drive across the hilltop.
Driving in this manner prevents the ve-
hicle from jumping across the hilltop
and thus loosing its forward momen-
tum.