Hydroplaning; Off-Road; Through Standing Water; Driving Off - Mercedes-Benz 2009 M-Class Operator's Manual

G Warning!
While performing this procedure please
assure that the vehicle is stopped before
applying the parking brake. Otherwise the
rear wheels could lock up. You could lose
control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. In addition, the vehicle's brake
lights do not light up when the parking
brake is engaged. Make sure not to
endanger any other road users when you
engage the parking brake.

Driving off

Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place
full load on the engine until the operating
temperature has been reached.
! When driving off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an
extended period with the ESP
off. Doing so may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
! Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the brakes
reduces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

Hydroplaning

Depending on the depth of the water layer on
the road, hydroplaning may occur, even at low
speeds and with new tires.
X
Reduce vehicle speed.
X
Avoid track grooves in the road.
X
Brakes cautiously in the rain.
Standing water
! Do not drive through flooded areas.
Before driving through water, determine its
depth.
If you must drive through standing water,
drive slowly to prevent water from entering
®
switched
the passenger compartment or the engine
compartment. Water in these areas could
cause damage to electrical components or
wiring of the engine or transmission, or
could result in water being ingested by the
engine through the air intake causing
severe internal engine damage. Any such
damage is not covered by the Mercedes-
Benz Limited Warranty.

Driving instructions

i Vehicles with air suspension program:
Select the raised level ( Y page 171) before
driving through standing water.
For more information, see "Driving through
water" ( Y page 279).

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
Operation
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