Mercedes-Benz 2001 M-Class, Operator'S Manual

Page: 74 / 466

Should you approach an obstacle and Adap-
tive Brake Assist has detected a risk of colli-
sion, Adaptive Brake Assist calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a rear-end
collision. Should you apply the brakes vigo-
rously, Adaptive Brake Assist will automati-
cally increase the braking force to a level suit-
able for the traffic conditions.
X
Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R
you release the brake pedal.
R
there is no longer any danger of a collision.
R
no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
Adaptive Brake Assist is then deactivated.
Vehicles with PRE-SAFE
®
: if adaptive Brake
Assist requires particularly high brake pres-
sure, preventive passenger protection meas-
ures (PRE-SAFE
®
) are deployed simultane-
ously.
Up to vehicle speeds of around 155 mph
(250 km/h), adaptive Brake Assist is capable
of reacting to moving objects that have
already been recognized as such at least once
over the period of observation. Adaptive
Brake Assist does not react to stationary
obstacles.
If Adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R
dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R
there is snow or heavy rain
R
there is interference by other radar sources
R
there are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
R
a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R
a vehicle traveling in front on a different line
relative to the center of your vehicle
R
new vehicles or after the COLLISION PRE-
VENTION ASSIST system has been serv-
iced
Observe the notes in the section on break-
ing-in (
Y
page 156).
Following damage to the front end of the vehi-
cle, have the configuration and operation of
the radar sensor checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. This also applies to colli-
sions at low speeds where there is no visible
damage to the front of the vehicle.
ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 67).
ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
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. 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.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP
®
.
In appropriate driving situations, activate the
off-road program (
Y
page 251).
72
Driving safety systems
Safe
ty