2006 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 traction control

278 OperationDriving instructionsTire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires
(
page 327) with a minimum tread depth
of approximately
1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance in compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise ap-
propriate caution.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire rating, local speed
limits should be obeyed. Use prudent driv-
ing speeds appropriate to prevailing condi-
tions.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the driv-
etrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.

321 Operation
Tires and wheels
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Treadwear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

344 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
l
Only vehicles with Distronic*:
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving.
You are too close to the vehicle in front of
you to maintain selected speed.

Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
l
Only vehicles with Distronic*:
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.


You are gaining too rapidly on the vehi-
cle ahead of you.


The distance warning system has recog-
nized a stationary obstacle on your
probable line of travel.

Apply the brakes immediately.

Carefully observe the traffic situation.
You may need to brake or maneuver to
avoid hitting an obstacle.
v
The yellow ESP
® warning lamp
flashes while driving.
The ESP
® or traction control has come into
operation because of detected traction loss
in at least one tire.
Distronic* is deactivated.

When driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.

Do not deactivate the ESP
®. Excep-
tions: (
page 82).
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

449 Technical terms
Telematics*
A combination of the terms “telecom-
munications” and “informatics.”
Tightening torque
Force times lever arm (e.g. a lug
wrench) with which threaded fasteners
such as wheel bolts are tightened.
TIN
(T
ire I
dentification N
umber)
(
page 325)
Tire load rating
(page 325)
Tire ply composition and material used
(page 325)
Tire speed rating
(page 325)
Traction
(page 325)
Tread
(page 325)
Treadwear indicators
(page 325)Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(
page 325)
Vehicle capacity weight
(page 325)
Vehicle level control
The ground clearance of the vehicle is
automatically controlled according to a
selected setting and speed. The driver
can choose manually within a range of
ground clearance, for example on very
rough roads.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
(page 325)
VIN
(Vehicle I
dentification N
umber)
The number set by the manufacturer
and stamped on the body to uniquely
identify each vehicle produced.
Voice control system*
Voice control system for car phones,
portable cell phones and audio sys-
tems (radio, CD, etc.).

459 Index
Viscosity 445
Engine oil level see Oil level 286
Entry position
Messages in display 368
ESP®
81, 445
Four wheel electronic traction system
with ESP
®
84
Switching off 82
Switching on 83
Synchronizing 356
Warning lamp 344, 345
ETD 445
Safety guidelines 64
ETD (Emergency tensioning device) 69
Exterior lamp switch 131
Exterior rear view mirror
Auto-dimming on the driver’s
side 186
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 41
Folding electrically 188
Parking position for 170, 172
F
Fahrenheit (°F)
Setting temperature units 163Fastening the seat belts 43
Fine adjustment
Cruise control 217
Distronic* 224
First aid kit 384
Flat tire 403
Lowering the vehicle 407
Mounting the spare wheel 403
Preparing the vehicle 403
Flexible Service System (FSS) 329
Flexible Service System see FSS
Fog lamp, rear 134, 395
Replacing bulb 400
Fog lamps
Replacing bulbs 395
Fog lamps, front
Messages in display 370
Switching on 134
Folding electrically
Exterior rear view mirrors 188
Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC)
with ESP
®
84
4MATIC 84
Front air bags 65Front lamps
Messages in display 370–373
Replacing bulbs 395, 397
Switching on 131
Front passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 348
Front seat head restraints
Installing 116
Power seat 116
Removing 116
FSS (Flexible Service System) 329
FSS (Flexible Service System) (Canada
vehicles) 445
Fuel 285
Fuel reserve warning lamp 343
Premium unleaded gasoline 285
Reserve warning lamp 25
Fuel consumption statistics
After start 157
Since last reset 158
Fuel filler flap 284
Locking 284
Opening 390
Unlocking 284