212 Driving tips X Engage a low gear. Select 1st or 2nd gear depending on the uphill or downhill gradi- ent. X Avoid declutching, changing gear or stop- ping during the journey. Pulling away in water can be difficult due to the unknown surface conditions. X Only drive over embankments and on slopes along the line of fall. X After fording: clean any mud from the tyre treads. X Do not brake until the vehicle is in the line of fall. X Dry out the brakes by repeated brief oper- ation of the brakes. X If the engine braking effect is not sufficient when driving downhill: depress the brake pedal carefully. X Deactivate the regeneration block ( Y page 214).
Driving mode Fording X Turn the differential lock switch to position g ( Y page 190). The transfer case inter-axle lock is deacti- vated. The differential lock indicator in the on-board computer display and the i indicator lamp go out. ! Do not switch off the engine while fording. Otherwise, the exhaust system may be damaged by water. ! If you drive into water at speed, the bow wave may damage parts of the vehicle. ! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum per- missible water depth to be exceeded. These notes must be observed under all circumstances.
You could otherwise dam- age the engine, the electronics or the trans- mission. Loose sand is a particularly treacherous sur- face for off-road driving. If you do not act cor- rectly in such situations, you could quickly get stuck in the sand after just a few metres. In sandy areas, drive quickly but in a measured manner in order to overcome the roll resist- ance and thereby prevent the vehicle from digging in. Wheel tracks that other vehicles have made are also helpful. Make sure that the tyre ruts are not too deep and that the vehicle has sufficient ground clearance. Driving on sand Fording is possible when the water level does not rise above the wheel hub centres. X Before fording:
switch on the regenera- tion block ( Y page 214). X Turn the differential lock switch to position 1 ( Y page 190). The transfer case inter-axle lock is engaged. A symbol appears in the on-board computer to indicate locking and the i indicator lamp lights up in the instrument cluster. Check list after driving off-road Driving off-road puts a greater strain on the vehicle than normal road operation. X Disengage the differential locks ( Y page 190). X Deactivate the ABS off-road program ( Y page 164). X While fording: exercise extreme caution to ensure that a bow wave does not form. X Test the brakes. X Clean the headlamps and tail lamps and check them for damage.
X Drive through the water slowly at a con- stant speed. X Clean the licence plate. X Adapt your driving style to the unaccus- tomed environment. X Clean the wheels, tyres and wheel arches and remove any foreign objects. Check for damage to the tyres.