Mercedes-Benz S 320 CDI, Owner'S Manual, Page: 77 / 588

55
Safety
Driving safety systems
!
The ignition must be switched off (key in po-
sition 0 or 1 in the ignition lock) if the vehicle is
to be towed with the front or rear axle raised. Ap-
plication of the brakes by ESP
®
could otherwise
destroy the braking system on the front/rear ax-
le.
ESP ® trailer stabilisation
If your trailer starts to sway, you can only
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination
by depressing the brakes firmly.
ESP
®
supports you in these situations and
recognises when the trailer starts to sway.
ESP
®
reduces the road speed by braking
and limiting the engine output in order to
stabilise the vehicle/trailer combination.
Trailer stabilisation is activated at speeds
of over approximately 65 km/h.
i
If ESP
®
is deactivated or switched off due to
a malfunction, trailer stabilisation does not func-
tion.
Electronic traction control system
(ETS)
The traction control system is a compo-
nent of ESP ® .
The traction control system brakes the
drive wheels individually if they start to
spin. You can therefore pull away or accel-
erate on slippery surfaces, e.g. on roads
that are slippery on one side.
The traction control system is still active if
you deactivate ESP ® .
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
ESP ® is activated automatically when the
ignition is switched on.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
® in the
following situations:
앫
if snow chains are being used
앫
in deep snow
앫
on sand or gravel
G
Risk of accident
If the
v
warning lamp flashes in the in-
strument cluster, proceed as follows:
앫
Under no circumstances should you de-
activate ESP
®
.
앫
Only depress the accelerator pedal as
far as necessary when pulling away.
앫
Adapt your driving style to suit the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could begin to skid.
ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP
®
cannot override
the laws of physics.
G
Risk of accident
In poor road and weather conditions, trailer
stabilisation cannot prevent the vehicle/
trailer combination from swaying and can-
not therefore reduce the risk of an accident.
Trailers with a high centre of gravity may tip
over before ESP
®
can intervene.
G
Risk of accident
The traction control system cannot reduce
the risk of an accident if you drive too fast.
The traction control system cannot override
the laws of physics.