Downhill gradients

On long and steep gradients, you must 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:

    Checking the oil level using the oildipstick
    When checking the oil level: • park the vehicle on a level surface. • the engine should be switched off for approximately five minutes if the engine is at normal operating temperature. Example: ...

    ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
    WARNING Observe "Important safety notes". Traction control is part of ESP®. Traction control brakes the drive wheels individually if they spin. This enables you to pull away and acc ...

    Vehicle identification plate
    Even if you have calculated the total load carefully, you should still make sure that the gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle weight rating are not exceeded. Details can be found on ...