Intelligent Technology133
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Praktik
Technical Data
Driving TipsIntelligent TechnologyElectronic stability programme (ESP)*GeneralGeneral
The ESP aids you in maintaining control of your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as entering a curve fast. The risk of skidding
is reduced and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the
conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL);
Traction control system (TCS);
Antilock brake system (ABS);
Brake Assist;
Uphill Start Assist
Operating principle
The ESP switches on automati cally when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also proc-
esses additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive sensors: the
rotational velocity of the vehicle about its ve rtical axis, the lateral acceleration of the
vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is co nstantly compared with the actual behav-
iour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehicle beginning to skid, the ESP will
automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces wh ich take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of a
vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency fo r the rear of the vehicle to break away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wh
eel of a vehicle which tends to understeer
(tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied by
noises.
If the ESP helps to stabilise the vehicle (f or example when applying and releasing a
braking force to an individual wheel), then the indicator light
flashes quickly.
The ESP system cannot be switched off, only the TCS system can be switched off by
pressing the button page 134, fig. 126. The warning light
page 30 lights up if
the TCS system is switched off.
The warning light
lights up permanently if there is a fault in the ESP system.
The fact that the ESP system operates together with the ABS means that the ESP
warning light will also come on if the ABS system is not operating properly.
If the warning light comes on immediately after starting the engine, the ESP system
can be switched off for technical reasons. In this case, the ESP system can be switched
on again by switching the igni tion on and off. If the warning light goes out, the ESP
system is fully functional again.
WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehicle.
Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of
driving to the condition of the road surfac e and the traffic situation. This partic-
ularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an acci-
dent!
Note
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the ESP. Differing rolling circum ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
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Intelligent Technology
134
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the ESP page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Traction control system (TCS)*
The traction control system prevents the driven wheels from spinning
when accelerating.General
The TCS makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to start off, accelerate and
climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
Operating principle
The TCS switches on automatically when th e engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The system monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS
sensors. If the wheels are spinning, the force transmitted to the road surface is auto-
matically adapted by reducing the engine speed. The system operates at all speeds.
The TCS operates in combination with the ABS page 136, “Antilock brake system
(ABS)”. The TCS will not function if a fault exists in the ABS system.
Switching off
You can switch the TCS off and on again as you wish by pressing the button fig. 126 .
The TCS warning light lights up in the instru ment cluster when the TCS is switched off page 30. The TCS should normally always
be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the system.
Examples:
when driving with snow chains;
when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface;
when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it has become stuck.
then you should switch on the TCS again.
WARNING
You should always adjust your style of driving to the conditions of the road
surface and the traffic situation. The increased safety offered must not tempt
you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an accident!
Note
All four wheels must be fitted with the same tyres in order to achieve problem-free
operation of the TCS. Differing rolling circum ferences of the tyres can lead to an unde-
sirable reduction in the engine output.
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on the brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can influence the function of the TCS page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)*
The electronic differential lock prev ents an individual wheel from slip-
ping.Models fitted with ESP are equipped with electronic differential lock (EDL).
General
The EDL makes it much easier, and sometimes at all possible, to st art off, accelerate
and climb a steep hill when the conditions of the road surface are unfavourable.
Fig. 126 TCS switch
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Intelligent Technology135
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Praktik
Technical Data
Operating principle
The EDL is activated automaticall
y, that is without any action on the part of the driver.
It monitors the speeds of the driven wheels with the aid of the ABS sensors. Should
only one drive wheel begin spinning on a slippery surface there will be an appreciable
difference in the speed of the driven wheels. The EDL function brakes the slipping
wheel and the differential transmits a greater driving force to the other driven wheel.
This control process is also accompanied by noises.
Overheating of the brakes
The EDL switches off automatically if unusually severe stresses exist in order to avoid
excessive heat generation in the disc brake on the wheel which is being braked. The
vehicle can continue to be driven and has the same characteristics as a vehicle not
fitted with EDL.
The EDL switches on again automatically as soon as the brake has cooled down.
WARNING
Carefully depress the accelerator when accelerating on uniformly slippery
road surfaces, such as ice and snow. The driven wheels might still spin despite
the EDL and affect the stability of the vehicle - risk of an accident!
You should always adapt your style of driving to the condition of road
surface and to the traffic situation even when your vehicle is fitted with EDL.
The increased safety offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than
otherwise - risk of an accident!Note
If the ABS or TCS or ESP warning light comes on, this may also indicate a fault in the
EDL. Please have the vehicle inspected as soon as possible by a specialist garage.
Changes to vehicle (e.g. on engine, on th e brakes, on chassis or another combina-
tion of tyres and wheels) can in fluence the function of the EDL page 179, “Accesso-
ries, changes and replacement of parts”.
BrakesWhat has a negative effect on braking efficiency?Wear-and-tear
Wear-and-tear to the brake pa ds is greatly dependent on the operating conditions of
the vehicle and your style of driving. Particularly if you drive a great deal in towns and
over short distances or if you adopt a sporty style of driving, it may be necessary to
have the thickness of the brake pads insp ected at a specialist garage between the
service inspections.
Wet roads or road salt
There may be a certain delay before the brakes take full effect un der certain conditions
such as when driving through water, during heavy rain showers or after the vehicle has
been washed in an automatic vehicle wash , since the brake discs and brake pads may
be moist or even have a coating of ice on them in winter. You should dry the brakes as
soon as possible by applying and releasing the brakes several times.
There also may be a certain delay before the full braking efficiency is available when
driving on roads which have been treated with road salt if you have not used the brakes
for some considerable time beforehand. The layer of salt on the brake discs and brake
pads must first be rubbed off when you apply the brakes.
Corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and dirt on th e bake pads occur if the vehicle has been
parked for a long period and if you do not make much use of the braking system.
We recommend cleaning the brake discs by firm ly applying the brakes at a fairly high
speed if you do not make much use of the braking system or if surface corrosion is
present .
Faults in the brake surface
If you notice that the braking distance has suddenly become longer and that the brake
pedal can be depressed further, it is possib le that a brake circuit of the dual-circuit
brake system has failed. Drive, in such cases, to the nearest specialist garage without
delay in order to have the problem rectified. Drive at a reduced speed while on your
way to the dealer and adapt your style of driving to the higher brake pedal pressure
required.
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Index
222
Children and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Chrome parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Climatronic
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Setting temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Climatronic (automat ic air conditioning) . . . . . . . . 84
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Clothes hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Cockpit General view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Convenience operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Converting/masking over headlights . . . . . . . . . . 146
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant quantity Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Coolant temperature/coolant level Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Cornering light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Correct seated position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Counter for distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cup holder
front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
DDash panel insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Daylight driving lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 198
Deactivating an airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Defrosting rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
De-icing the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Diesel enginesStarting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Diesel particle filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Digital clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Direction indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Distance driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Door Child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Door, luggage compartment door and bonnet ajar warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Driving economically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20EEDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Electrical power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Electrically adjustable rear mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Electronic Differential Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Electronic immobiliser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Electronic stability programme (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . 133 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Emergency locking of the door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Engine starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Engine compartment Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Engine electronics Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
replenishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Engine revolutions counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Environmental compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142, 145
ESP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Exhaust gas Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Exhaust gas inspection Warning light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Exterior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
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