Mercedes-Benz S-Sedan 2015 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 78)

ESP ® (Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 70).
ESP ® monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires 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 stabilize the
vehicle. 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 slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y
page 70).
ETS/4ETS traction control 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, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ® .
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If ESP ® is malfunctioning, ESP ® is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP
® checked at a
qualified specialist workshop.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: switch off the igni-
tion when the electric parking brake is
being tested on a brake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP ® may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ® (
Y
page 383) when towing the vehi-
cle with a raised rear axle.
ESP
® is deactivated if the å warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up contin-
uously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp lights up contin-
uously, ESP ® is not available due to a mal-
function.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Y
page 311) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Y
page 271).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ® function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ®
General information
If the ÷ ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ® is automatically
active.
If ESP
® intervenes, the ÷ ESP ® warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP
® intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ® under any circum-
stances.
X
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts automati-
cally when the driver wants to pull away again.
ESP ® remains in its previously selected sta-
tus. Example: if ESP ® was deactivated before
the engine was switched off, ESP ® remains
76
Driving safety systems
Saf
ety