Asaresult, BAS PLUS may not intervene in all
critical situations. There isarisk of an
accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic
situation and be ready to brake.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
Rdirt on the sensorsoranythingelse
covering the sensors
Rsnow or heavy rain
Rinterference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example in parking garages
Ranarrow vehicle travelinginfront, e.g. a
motorbike
Ravehicle travelinginfrontonadifferent line
relative to the center of your vehicle
Following damage to the frontend of the
vehicle, have the configurationand operation
of the radarsensorschecked ataqualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where thereisno
visible damage to the frontofthe vehicle.
Braking assistance
To preventacollision with the vehicle in front,
BAS PLUS calculates the brake force
necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RBAS PLUS has detectedarisk of collision
When driving ataspeed under 20 mph
(30 km/h):ifyou depress the brake pedal,
BAS PLUS is activated. The increase in brake
pressure will be carried out at the last
possible moment.
When driving ataspeed greater than
20 mph (30 km/h):ifyou depress the brake
pedal sharply, BAS PLUS automatically raises
the brake pressure toavalue adapted to the
traffic situation.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high
braking force, preventative passenger
protection measures (PRE-SAFE®)are
activated simultaneously.
XKeep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergencybraking situation is over.
ABS preventsthe wheels from locking.
BAS PLUS is deactivated and the brakes
function as usual if:
Ryou release the brake pedal
Rthere is no longerarisk of collision
Rno obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle
ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes"
section (Ypage 66).
GWARNING
If ESP®is malfunctioning, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further
driving 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 with 4MATIC: switch off the
ignition when the parking brake is being
tested onabrake dynamometer.
Application of the brakes by ESP®may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP®(Ypage 330) when towing the
vehicle witharaised rear axle.
ESP®is deactivated if the warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engine is running.
If the warning lamp and the
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP®is not
available due toamalfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Ypage 269) and display messages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Ypage 238).
68Driving safety systems
Safety
If ESP®detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desiredbythe 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.
If ESP®intervenes, the ESP®warning
lamp flashes in the instrumentcluster.
If ESP®intervenes:
XDo not deactivateESP®under any
circumstances.
XOnly depressthe accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
XAdapt your drivingstyle to suit the
prevailing road and weatherconditions.
iOnly use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP®function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP®.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individuallyifthey 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
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP®.
Deactivating/activating ESP®(except
AMG vehicles)
GWARNING
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.
!Avoid spinningthe driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
XTo deactivate:(Ypage 227).
The ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate:(Ypage 227).
The ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
ESP®is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
stops moving. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP®remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP®was
deactivated before the engine was switched
off, ESP®remains deactivated when the
engine is switched on again.
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.
It may be best to deactivate ESP®in the
following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Rengine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produceacutting effect for better
traction.
Driving safety systems69
Safety
Z
Deactivating/activating ESP®(AMG
vehicles)
Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
GWARNING
WhenSPORT handling mode is activated,
there isagreater risk of skidding and
accidents.
Only activateSPORT handling mode in the
situations described in the following.
XTo activate:briefly press button .
The SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
TheSPORT handling modemessage
appears in the multifunction display.
SPORT handling mode is designed for
driving on designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and
understeering characteristics are desired.
DrivinginSPORT handling mode requires
an extremely qualified and experienced
driver who is able to cope with these critical
driving conditions.
XTo deactivate:briefly press button .
The SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
ESP®is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activateSPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
Rtraction control is still activated.
RESP®still provides support when you
brake.
Rengine torque is only restricted toalimited
degree, and the drive wheels are able to
spin. The spinningwheels produce a
cutting effect for better traction.
Vehicles with ECO start/stop function: the
ECO start/stop function switches the engine
off automatically when the vehicle comes to
astop. The engine startsautomatically when
the driver wants to pull away again. ESP®
remains in its previously selected status. For
example, if ESP®was deactivated before the
engine was switched off, ESP®remains
deactivated when the engine is switched on
again.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
GWARNING
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.
!Avoid spinningthe driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
70Driving safety systems
Safety