effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance on off-road terrain. This
limits steering capability.
BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X
Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase.
Adaptive brake lamps
i
Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS,
the brake lamps flash rapidly. In this way,
traffic travelling behind you is warned in an
even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically. If the
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 switch button (
Y
page 76).
ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ESP
®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between 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. 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 slip-
pery roads. ESP
®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking.
When ESP
®
intervenes, the
d
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
G
Risk of accident
If the
d
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R
do not deactivate ESP
®
under any circum-
stances.
R
only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R
adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP
®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP
®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
!
If:
R
the vehicle is being towed with the front
or rear axle raised,
R
the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer,
the ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0 or 1 in the ignition lock). Other-
wise, application of the brakes by ESP
®
could destroy the brake system on the front
or rear axle.
!
Vehicles with 4MATIC* may not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised.
52
Driving safety systems
Saf
ety
* optional
X204_AKB; 1; 5, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.11.4
2008-10-15T13:20:56+02:00 - Seite 52
Dateiname: 6515_0671_02_buchblock.pdf;
preflight