Driving On Sand; Driving Over Obstacles; Tire Ruts - Mercedes-Benz GL Operator's Manual

Clean the wheels, wheel housings and the
X
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
Check whether twigs or other parts of
X
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.
After the trip, examine without fail the
X
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
After driving for extended periods across
X
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
X
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on
normal roads. After driving off-road, check
the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident
to yourself and other road users.

Driving on sand

Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD
R
package: select off-road program 1
( page 258).
Y
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
R
select a raised vehicle level.
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
R
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
Drive quickly to overcome the rolling
R
resistance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels
could become stuck in loose ground.
Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if
R
possible. Make sure that:
the tire ruts are not too deep.
-
the sand is sufficiently firm.
-
the ground clearance of the vehicle is
-
sufficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads
! 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.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loose gravel:
Vehicles with the AIRMATIC package:
R
select a raised vehicle level.
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
R
steering wheel paddle shifter.
Drive slowly.
R
Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
R
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible.

Driving over obstacles

! Obstacles could damage the floor of the
vehicle or components of the chassis. Ask
passengers for guidance when driving over
large obstacles. The passenger should
always keep a safe distance from the
vehicle when doing so in order to avoid
injury as a result of unexpected vehicle
movements. After driving off-road or over
obstacles, check the vehicle for possible
damage, especially to the underbody and
the components of the chassis.
Driving tips
199
Z