Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 2013 Owners Manual - Manual (Page 74)

Deactivating/activating ESP ®
Important safety notes
You can select between the following states
of ESP ® :
R ESP ® is activated.
R ESP ® is deactivated.
G WARNING
If you deactivate ESP ® , ESP ® no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an increased
risk of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
® in the situations
described in the following.
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
i Activate ESP ® as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ® will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the
vehicle if the vehicle starts to skid or a
wheel starts to spin.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ® deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
X To switch off: press button :.
The å ESP
® OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X To switch on: press button :.
The å ESP
® OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP ® is deactivated
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.
If you deactivate ESP ® :
R ESP ® no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
R 4ETS is still active.
R ESP ® still provides support when you
brake.
Off-road ESP ®
An ESP ® system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
R Vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package (
Y
page 252)
R Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
(
Y
page 252)
Off-road ESP ® intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus
improving traction.
ESP ® trailer stabilization
G WARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from
swerving. Trailers with a high center of gravity
can tip over before ESP
® can detect this.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
72
Driving safety systems
Safety