Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 Owner's Manual page 179

Driving systems
176
Driving downhill
Drive slowly.
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Do not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
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Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight forwards. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and overturn.
Before tackling steep downhill gradients, use
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the left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
to shift to a lower gear.
Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
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gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of
fall.
Check that the brakes are working normally
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after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road pro-
gram is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels lock
cyclically during braking. The digging-in effect
achieved in the process reduces the stopping
distance during off-road driving. The steerability
of the vehicle is considerably reduced if the
wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or
towing a trailer. For vehicles with automatic
transmission, you need to shift manually using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles. By doing
so, you will make use of the braking effect of the
engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the maximum
design speed of the vehicle. If the set value of
the permanent limiter is lower, then this value
applies ( page 180).
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Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady
speed for a prolonged period.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time
and for staying in lane.
Do not use cruise control:
in road and traffic conditions that do not allow
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you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads.
on icy or slippery roads. Braking or acceler-
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ating can cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
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snow.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
To activate or increase speed
:
LIM indicator lamp
;
To activate at the current speed/last stored
=
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
To deactivate cruise control
B
You can operate cruise control and the variable
speed limiter with the cruise control lever.