Downhill gradients

early to a lower gear. This allows you to take advantage of the engine braking effect On long and steep gradients, you must reduce the load on the brakes by shifting early to a lower gear. This allows you to take advantage of the engine braking effect and helps avoid overheating and excessive wear of the brakes.

When you take advantage of the engine braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn for some time, e.g. on a slippery road surface. This could cause damage to the drive train. This type of damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz warranty.

    See also:

    Maximum permissible gross vehicleweight rating
    The specifications shown on the Tire and Loading Information placard in the illustration are examples. The maximum permissible gross vehicle weight rating is vehicle-specific and may differ from ...

    Important safety notes
    WARNING Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause unconsciousness and possible death. Do not run the eng ...

    "Electronic crumple zone": even more safety in the M-Class
    As ever, the best accident is one which does not happen at all. The safety engineers at the Mercedes Technology Center are working intensively on this rather simple sounding statement, which in pr ...