Safety and security – Mercedes-Benz R-Class 2009 Owners Manual User Manual
Page 79
Driving safety systems
77
For more information, see “What to do
if …?” (
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the brakes
very quickly, the BAS automatically provides
full brake boost, thereby potentially reducing
the braking distance.
X
Apply continuous full braking pressure until
the emergency braking situation is over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the brakes
function again as normal. The BAS is then
deactivated.
If the BAS malfunctions, the brake system
still functions, but without the additional
brake boost available that the BAS would
normally provide in an emergency braking
maneuver. Therefore, the braking distance
may increase.
The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP)
enhances braking effectiveness by allowing
the rear brakes to supply a greater proportion
of the braking effort in straight line braking
without a loss of vehicle stability.
If the EBP malfunctions, the brake system
will still function with full brake boost.
However, the rear wheels could lock up
during emergency braking situations, for
example. You could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident.
Adapt your driving style to the changed
driving characteristics.
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP
®
) is
operational as soon as the engine is running
and monitors the vehicle’s traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP
®
recognizes when a wheel is
spinning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By
applying brakes to individual wheels and by
limiting the engine output, the ESP
®
works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP
®
is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slippery
road surfaces. The ESP
®
also stabilizes the
vehicle during braking and steering
maneuvers.
The ESP
®
warning lamp
v
in the
instrument cluster comes on when you switch
on the ignition. It goes out when the engine
is running.
The ESP
®
warning lamp
v
in the
instrument cluster flashes when the ESP
®
is
engaged.
Safety and security
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