honda96vf750

While showing my buddy my ML and taking him and his wife on a test run we went off road and went up a steep incline and the benz worked it just fine. At the top I took my foot off the gas and let it roll backwards to turn around and my buddy said " Hey that aint normal because you still have it in drive " it should not roll backwards while in drive, My question on you all is Is this true or not ? Is this normal or should I have the transmission checked ??
This is my first car with automatic transmission so im not sure what to think.

Yazovets!

If the incline is sufficient it will roll back, whether you're in an ML or a Honda.

Just recently certain cars have started to feature an auto-break mechanism which prevents roll-back.

For instance, BMW's latest 3-Series has a feature which works like this:

1) You stop at a light with inclination (or none)
2) When it turns green, you shift your foot from the brake to the gas.
3) Before you reach the gas pedal, the 3-Series still holds the brakes for you.
4) You touch the gas, and the 3 releases the brakes.

It's cool, but not necessary. Nothing is as bad as a car with a manual tranny, so be happy with anything that is automatic. If it were manual, you would TRULY roll back.

sosh

Yes normal. The 06 and soon to be 07 W164 has a hill holder that works great and will keep you from rolling back on an incline.

honda96vf750

Thanks for taking time and answering my question. Its good knowing that its normal , I´ve heard and read so many horror stories about the 00-01 w163 that after I finally got it I was a bit paranoid and since I have the 1 year full dealership warranty I wanted to make sure that anything I found or could find could be fixed or replaced by the dealership and not paid for by me So thanks again and many happy trouble free miles with your ML´s
P.S check out my Pics of my baby in the gallery

mihir_d

But, if the W163 is put in low range, it is far more resistant to such rolling..

It would be unreasonable to switch to low range just for that, but I do use that feature when pulling my boat out of the lake....inspite of the steep incline of the boat ramp, and the boat try to pull it backwards, the ML remarkably holds off any roll back when in low range...

alphonsohall

..."the ML remarkably holds off any roll back when in low range"...


More than that.........When the ML is in low range the brakes are actually automatically applied when the vehicle is on any incline to prevent roll-back

Darkmann

Is that the hill descent feature when in Lo mode?

alphonsohall

I think the hill descent feature is something different....used when the vehicle is in forward motion and was available as a factory optional extra..........

The feature i am refering to is that when in low-range, if i stop on any incline the brakes actually apply at the moment i come to a rest to prevent any roll-back....(as against the gearbox resisting roll-back)

sosh

That is not so with the W163 but is on the new W164.

Darkmann

I'm going to have to check that out. Afterall, I need to excercise my LO range anyways!!!

alphonsohall

Mine is a 2002 (facelift) ML270CDI and the brakes definately apply themselves when i am in low range and come to a stop on an incline.

alphonsohall

Tried it yet?.......is yours the facelift? (post MY 2002)

Yazovets!

What exactly is the low range for?

I know how to engage it, and I've read what it stated on the topic in the manual, but I just don't get it.

Darkmann

No I haven't. It's so darn flat here, I have to drive several miles away to find a good hill (or even an incline). BTW, mine is a 05 500. How does one tell if the brakes are being applied (I don't have a second person to look at the brake lights, and besides, I don't think the lights would come on in this application)???

alphonsohall

It's pretty hilly here in Somerset, UK, you are either going up a hill or down one!...not many flat areas here where i am. A couple of years ago i read somewhere about the brakes applying (only when in low range) to stop roll-back so on an occasion when i was towing a loaded horse trailer i tried it......there is one particularly steep hill nearby, i drove halfway up and stopped (no need to use brakes, the vehicle and horse trailer came to a very quick halt) and the vehicle was 'solidly' stationary with not even a millimetre of roll-back........i moved off and immediately took my foot off the gas again and at the moment the vehicle came to a rest you just new that the brakes were applied as there wasnt any 'take-up' of transmission slack that you would feel if the vehicle was being held by the tranny and also, there was no way that the tranny could be holding the truck AND a loaded horse box so firmly on the steepness of the hill that i was on.
I wouldnt expect the brake lights to show as they are activated mechanically by use of the brake pedal.
Let me know what you think after you've tried it.