Mercedes-Benz E-Sedan 2012 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 68)

ESP ® (Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
i See the "Important safety notes" section
( Y page 63).
If ESP ® detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP
® assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or
slippery roads. ESP
® can also stabilize the
vehicle during braking.
If ESP
® intervenes, the ÷ ESP ® warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
G WARNING
Under no circumstances should you
deactivate ESP
® when the ÷ ESP ®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. Proceed as follows:
R when driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R while driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R adapt your speed to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid. ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speed.
! Vehicles without 4MATIC: switch the
ignition off when:
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R
the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ® may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the
ignition when the parking brake is being
tested on a brake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ® may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ® function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
G
WARNING
Observe "Important safety notes"
(
Y page 63).
Traction control is part of ESP ® .
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually if they spin. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more
drive torque is also transferred to the wheel
or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP
® .
Deactivating/activating ESP ® (except
AMG vehicles)
G WARNING
ESP ® should not be deactivated during
normal driving other than in the
circumstances described below. Disabling
the system will reduce vehicle stability in
driving maneuvers.
Do not deactivate ESP
® when the emergency
or spare wheel is mounted.
ESP ® is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
® in the
following situations:
R
when using snow chains
R
in deep snow
R
on sand or gravel
G WARNING
Switch on ESP ® immediately if one of the
previously stated conditions is no longer met.
66
Driving safety systems
Safety