Mercedes-Benz CL2012, Operator'S Manual

Page: 66 / 488

ESP ® (Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
i See the "Important safety notes" section
(
Y
page 61).
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.
! The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front or rear
axle raised. Otherwise, ESP
® may intervene
and damage the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
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 61).
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
®
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (
Y
page 61).
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.
G
WARNING
CL 63 AMG: ESP
®
should not be deactivated
during normal driving.
Deactivating the system results in the
following:
R
no restriction to the engine torque
R
loss of system-supported traction control
"ESP OFF" is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle's own oversteering
and understeering characteristics are desired
and requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver who is able to handle
these critical driving situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
64
Driving safety systems
Safety