Driving On Sand; Tire Ruts - Mercedes-Benz 2011 G-Class Operator's Manual

Driving tips
144
X
Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X
Clean the front and rear license plates.
X
Clean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
X
Clean the wheels, tires, wheel arches and
the vehicle underside with a water jet;
check for any foreign objects and damage.
X
Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber
bellows of the axle joints and propeller
shafts.
X
After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
X
After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X
If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
driving, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drivetrain and remove any that
you find. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
X
Test the brakes.

Driving on sand

G
Warning!
Do not reduce the tire inflation pressure
before driving through sand. However, if you
do so, remember to correct the tire inflation
pressure before continuing your trip. Driving
with reduced tire inflation pressure increases
the risk of losing control of the vehicle and
rolling over.
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
shift the transfer case to
R
LOW ( Y
page 126).
avoid high engine speeds.
R
limit the shift range of the automatic
R
transmission according to the off-road
conditions.
drive quickly to overcome the rolling
R
resistance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig
itself into the sand.
drive in the tracks of other vehicles if
R
possible. Make sure that the ruts are not
too deep, that the sand is firm enough and
that your vehicle has sufficient ground
clearance.
Tire ruts and gravel roads
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loose gravel:
! Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
shift the transfer case to
R
LOW ( Y page 126).
avoid high engine speeds.
R
observe the safety notes (
R
the general notes (
driving.
restrict the shift range of the automatic
R
transmission to 1 (
drive slowly.
R
where ruts are too deep, drive with the
R
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible.
Y page 142) and
Y page 142) on off-road
Y page 123).