Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 2012 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 61)

G WARNING
Under no circumstances should you
deactivate ESP
® when the ÷ ESP ®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. Proceed as follows:
R when driving off, apply as little throttle as
possible.
R while driving, ease up on the accelerator
pedal.
R adapt your speed to suit the prevailing road
and weather conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid. ESP
® cannot
prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speed.
! The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front or rear
axle raised. Otherwise, ESP ® may intervene
and damage the brake system.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ® function
properly.
ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (
Y
page 56).
Traction control is part of ESP ® .
If the drive wheels spin, traction control
brakes them individually. This enables you to
pull away and accelerate on slippery surfaces,
for example if the road surface is slippery on
one side.
Traction control remains active if you
deactivate ESP ® .
Deactivating/activating ESP ® (except
AMG vehicles)
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.
ESP ® is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
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.
If you deactivate ESP ® :
R ESP ® no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ® still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ® is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ ESP ® warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP ® will not stabilize the vehicle.
Driving safety systems
59
Safety
Z