Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving condi-
tions may also cause Brake Assist to inter-
vene.
If adaptive Brake Assist is not available due to
a malfunction in the radar sensor system, the
brake system remains available with full
brake boosting effect and BAS.
ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y page 65).
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 65).
ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS 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
®
.
Off-road 4ETS (Electronic Traction Sys-
tem)
A 4ETS system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Y page 199).
Important safety notes
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Y page 65).
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 without 4MATIC: when towing
your vehicle with the front axle raised, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP
®
(Y page 335).
If the å ESP
®
OFF warning lamp lights up
continuously, ESP
®
is deactivated.
If the ÷ ESP
®
warning lamp and the å
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP
®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(
Y page 271) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(
Y page 236).
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 auto-
matically active.
If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷ ESP
®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
Driving safety systems
69
Safety
Z
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