brakes are applied again, the brake lamps light
up continuously. The hazard warning lamps
switch off automatically if you travel faster than
10 km/h. You can also switch off the hazard
warning lamps using the hazard warning button
(
Y
page 118).
ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 68).
ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction, i.e.
power transmission between the tyres 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 stabilise the vehicle. The
engine output is also modified to keep the vehi-
cle on the desired course within physical limits.
ESP
®
assists the driver when pulling away on
wet or slippery roads. ESP
®
can also stabilise
the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 68).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehicles
with 4MATIC, 4ETS 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, e.g. if
the road surface is slippery on one side. In addi-
tion, more drive torque is transferred to the
wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deactivate
ESP
®
.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem)
A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Y
page 192).
Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 68).
G
WARNING
If ESP
®
is malfunctioning, ESP
®
is unable to
stabilise the vehicle. In addition, other driving
safety systems are switched off. This increa-
ses the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing your
vehicle with the front axle raised, it is important
that you observe the notes on ESP
®
(
Y
page 329).
If the
å
ESP
®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP
®
is deactivated.
If the
÷
ESP
®
warning lamp and the
å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP
®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Read the information on warning lamps
(
Y
page 269) and display messages that may be
shown in the instrument cluster (
Y
page 235).
Use only wheels with the recommended tyre
sizes. Only then will ESP
®
function properly.
Characteristics of ESP
®
General information
If the
÷
ESP warning lamp goes out before
you begin the journey, ESP
®
is automatically
active.
If ESP
®
intervenes, the
÷
ESP
®
warning lamp
flashes on the instrument cluster.
If ESP
®
intervenes:
X
Do not deactivate ESP
®
under any circum-
stances.
X
When pulling away, depress the accelerator
pedal only as far as is necessary.
X
Adapt your driving style to suit the prevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle stops
moving. When pulling away again, the engine
starts automatically. ESP
®
remains in its previ-
ously selected status. Example: if ESP
®
was
deactivated before the engine was switched off,
ESP
®
remains deactivated when the engine is
switched on again.
72
Driving safety systems
Saf
ety
