Driving Over Obstacles - Mercedes-Benz G-Class Operator's Manual

Driving tips
160
Clean the wheels, tires, wheel housings and
X
the 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 bel-
lows 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 notice strong vibrations after off-road
X
driving, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and, if necessary,
remove them.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance
and cause vibrations.
Test the brakes.
X
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
Shift the transfer case to LOW
R
RANGE( page 186).
Y
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Limit the shift range of the automatic trans-
R
mission according to the off-road condi-
tions.
Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
R
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
R
sible. When doing so, make sure that:
the tire ruts are not too deep.
-
the sand is sufficiently firm.
-
your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
-
ance
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:
Shift the transfer case to LOW
R
RANGE( page 186).
Y
Avoid high engine speeds.
R
Observe the safety notes (
R
the general notes (
Y
driving.
Restrict the shift range of the automatic
R
transmission to 1(
Y
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 vehi-
cle 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 com-
ponents of the chassis.
! Drive with particular care when driving
over an obstacle while driving up or down a
steep slope.
The vehicle could otherwise tilt and slide
sideways or tip over.
page 158) and
Y
page 158) on off-road
page 145).