2015 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class ground clearance

Off-road driving
Important safety notes 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 obsta-
cles 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 use only the service brake. For information on
driving downhill, see "Driving downhill".
When driving off-road, sand, mud and water,
possibly mixed with oil, for example, could get
into the brakes. This could result in a reduced
braking effect or in total brake failure and also in increased wear and tear. The braking char- acteristics change depending on the material
ingressing the brakes. Clean the brakes after driving off-road. If you detect a reduced brak- ing effect or grinding noises, have the brake
system checked in a qualified specialist work- shop as soon as possible. Adapt your driving
style to the different braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop. General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Practice by driving over more gentle off-road terrain first.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics
of your vehicle and the gear shift operation
before driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
R 4ETS (Y page 63)
R Transfer case (Y page 186)
R Differential locks (Y page 188)
Observe the following notes:
R stop your vehicle and, if necessary, shift the
transfer case to LOW RANGE(Ypage 186)
before driving off-road.
R AMG vehicles: the ECO start/stop func-
tion is not available in transfer case posi-
tion LOW RANGE (Ypage 136).
R engage the differential locks, if necessary
(Y page 189).
i ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS are deactivated
while the differential locks are engaged.
This allows the front wheels to lock briefly,
so that these can dig into a loose surface.
However, please note that locked wheels
skid and can no longer steer.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 253).
R To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient.
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a slope.
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace. 158
Driving tipsDriving and parking

X
Clean the wheels, tires, wheel housings and
the vehicle underside with a water jet;
check for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
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.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked and cleaned.
X If you notice strong vibrations after off-road
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.
X Test the brakes.
Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE( Ypage 186).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Limit the shift range of the automatic trans-
mission according to the off-road condi-
tions.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
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:
R Shift the transfer case to LOW
RANGE(Y page 186).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 158) and
the general notes (Y page 158) on off-road
driving.
R Restrict the shift range of the automatic
transmission to 1(Y page 145).
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
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. 160
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obsta-
cles:
R Observe the safety notes (Y page 158) and
the general notes (Y page 158) on off-road
driving.
R Shift the transfer case to LOW RANGE
(Y page 186).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Restrict the shift range to 1(Y page 145).
R Make sure that you have enough ground
clearance before driving across an obsta-
cle.
R Drive very slowly.
R Try to drive straight over the center of
obstacles: front wheel first, then rear
wheel. Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values (Y page 346). R
Observe the safety notes (Y page 158) and
the general notes (Y page 158) on off-road
driving.
R Do not drive at an angle on slopes, inclines
or gradients, but instead follow the direct
line of fall. Note that the climbing ability of your vehicle depends on the terrain condi-
tions.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, shift the transfer case to
LOW RANGE (Ypage 186).
R Engage the differential locks, if necessary
(Y page 189).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance.
R Avoid high engine speeds – drive at an
appropriate engine speed (maximum
3,000 rpm).
R When driving down an incline, make use of
the engine's braking effect. Observe the
engine speed; do not overrev the engine.
i Further information on the maximum
engine speed: (Y page 198).
R Select a shift range appropriate to the gra-
dient.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
select shift range 1(Y page 145).
R Always check the brakes after driving off-
road.
i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling
away on a hill.
For more information, see "Hill start assist"
(Y page 135).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climb-
ing ability values (Y page 346). Driving tips
161Driving and parking Z