Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2012 - Manual (Page 74)

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 68).
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 69).
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
S 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.
Beware of these limits if you deactivate
ESP
® .
Do not deactivate ESP ® when the emergency
or spare wheel is mounted.
ESP ® is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP
® remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP ® was
deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP
® remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ® in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
G WARNING
Switch on ESP ® immediately if one of the
previously stated conditions is no longer met.
Otherwise, ESP
® cannot stabilize the vehicle
if it begins to lurch or when a wheel spins.
72
Driving safety systems
Safety