Differential Locks - Mercedes-Benz GL Operator's Manual

Off-road driving systems
208
process has not been completed. LOW
RANGE is in the neutral position. There is no
connection between the engine and the drive
wheels.
! Do not drive any further, otherwise you
could damage the vehicle's drive train.
X
Stop the vehicle. Take into account the
road and traffic conditions when doing this.
X
Depress the parking brake.
X
Carry out the gear change process again.
If the gear change process has been carried
Stop vehicle Apply parking
out, the
brake
message disappears.
Differential lock
General notes
i Differential locks are available only in
vehicles with the Off-Road Pro engineering
package.
Your vehicle is equipped with the following:
A differential lock for the transfer box: this
R
controls the balance between the front and
rear axles.
A differential lock for the rear axle: this
R
controls the balance between the wheels
and the rear axle.
Differential locks improve the vehicle's
traction. 4ETS (
balance between the wheels on the front axle.
For information about driving off-road, see
( Y page 174).
Information on differential and

differential locks

When the vehicle drives around a corner, the
wheels on the outside of the bend must cover
a greater distance and must therefore turn
more rapidly than the wheels on the inside.
The differential, a transmission in the drive
train, compensates for these different
rotational speeds, making cornering possible.
Y page 70) controls the
A differential has the disadvantage that the
wheels with the least road grip are driven with
the greatest force. An example: a wheel of a
driven axle is on a snow-covered surface and
therefore does not have any traction. The
differential causes this wheel to be subjected
to the strongest driving force, as the flow of
force takes the path of least resistance. On
the other hand, the opposite wheel on this
axle, which is located on a firm surface and
could therefore make traction possible, does
not receive any driving force. 4ETS rectifies
this disadvantage and provides good
steerability by braking the spinning wheel
automatically and therefore channeling more
driving force to the wheel that is on a firm
surface and that can therefore supply
traction.
®
ESP and 4ETS are traction systems that are
ideally suited for driving on roads and on
gentle terrain. The LOW RANGE off-road gear
also improves off-road capability.
Difficult terrain conditions require further
more extensive measures such as the locking
of one or more differentials. Your vehicle is
equipped with two differential locks: one
(central) differential lock for the transfer case
and one differential lock for the rear axle.
Each differential lock can be activated with
the selector wheel on the center console.
When the (central) differential for the transfer
case is locked, the speed of the front wheels
is just as high as the speed of the rear wheels.
If the differential for the rear axle is locked,
both rear wheels turn at the same speed,
regardless of their individual torques. Please
note that activating the differential locks
severely restricts the vehicle's steerability.
For your own safety, the safety of others and
to prevent damage to your vehicle, the
differential locks must not be activated on
paved roads. Please note that the function of
the differential is absolutely necessary for
driving on paved roads and that the
differentials must not be locked on paved
roads under any circumstances. The
steerability of the vehicle would otherwise be
I n f o r m a t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :