Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Operator'S Manual

Page: 220 / 586

Function of ESP ® (Electronic Stability Pro‐
gram)
&
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP
®
is
deactivated
If you deactivate ESP
®
, ESP
®
cannot carry
out vehicle stabilization.
#
ESP
®
should only be deactivated in the
following situations.
ESP
®
can monitor and improve driving stability
and traction in the following situations, within
physical limits:
R
When pulling away on a wet or slippery road.
R
When braking.
If the vehicle deviates from the direction desired
by the driver, ESP ® can stabilize the vehicle by
intervening in the following ways:
R
One or more wheels are braked.
R
The engine output is adapted according to
the situation.
When ESP
®
is deactivated, the å warning
lamp lights up continuously:
R
Driving stability will no longer be improved.
R
The drive wheels could spin.
R
ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
%
When ESP
®
is deactivated, you are still assis‐
ted by ESP ® when braking.
When the ÷ warning lamp flashes, one or
several wheels has reached its grip limit:
R
Adapt your driving style to suit the current
road and weather conditions.
R
Do not deactivate ESP
®
.
R
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
is necessary when pulling away.
Deactivate ESP
®
in the following situations to
improve traction:
R
When using snow chains.
R
In deep snow.
R
On sand or gravel.
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action, which enhances traction.
If the ÷ ESP ® warning lamp lights up continu‐
ously, ESP
®
is not available due to a malfunction.
Observe the following information:
R
Warning and indicator lamps (
/
page 530)
R
Display messages (
/
page 478)
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
and
makes it possible to pull away and accelerate on
a slippery road.
ETS/4ETS can improve the vehicle's traction by
intervening in the following ways:
R
The drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
R
More drive torque is transferred to the wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive programs on ESP
®
The drive programs enable ESP
®
to adapt to dif‐
ferent weather and road conditions as well as
the driver's preferred driving style. Depending on
the selected drive program, the appropriate
218 Driving and parking