ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
sectio n(Ypage 68).
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) ETS/4ETS traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels
individually 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
transferred to the wheel or wheels with
traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes i
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 68). G
WARNING
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 on a brake dynamometer. Application of the brakes by ESP
®
may
otherwise destroy the brake system.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or
performance tests may only be carried out
on a 2-axle dynamometer. Before you
operate the vehicle on such a
dynamometer, please consult a qualified
workshop. You could otherwise damage
the drive train or the brake system.
Vehicles without 4MATIC: observe the notes
on ESP ®
(Y page 337) when towing the
vehicle with a raised rear axle.
ESP ®
is deactivated if the 0015warning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up
continuously when the engin eis running.
If the 000C warning lamp and the 0015
warning lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not
available due to a malfunction.
Observe the information on warning lamps
(Y page 279) and displaym essages which
may be shown in the instrument cluster
(Y page 249).
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tire sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
Characteristics of ESP ® General information
If the
000C ESP warning lamp goes out before
beginning the journey, ESP ®
is automatically
active.
If ESP ®
intervenes, the 000CESP®
warning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster.
If ESP ®
intervenes:
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any
circumstances.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the
prevailing road and weather conditions. 74
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
It is better to have the vehicle transported
than to have it towed.
If the vehicle has suffered transmission
damage, have it transported on a transporter
or trailer.
The automatic transmission must be in
position Nwhen the vehicle is being towed.
The battery must be connected and charged.
Otherwise, you:
R cannot turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock
R cannot shift the automatic transmission to
position N
i Disarm the automatic locking feature
before the vehicle is towed (Y page 89). You
could otherwise be locked out when
pushing or towing the vehicle. Installing/removing the towing eye
Installing the towing eye G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe may be very hot. There
is a risk of burns when removing the rear
cover.
Do not touch the exhaust pipe.T ake particular
care when removing the rear cover. Towing eye covers (example
:Coupe)
The mountings for the removable towing eyes
are located in the bumpers. They are at the
front and at the rear, behind the covers.
X Remove the towing eye from the vehicle
tool kit (Y page 328).
X Press the mark on cover 0002inwards in the
direction of the arrow.
X Take cover 0002off the opening.
X Screw in and tighten the towing eye
clockwise to the stop.
Removing the towing eye X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Attach cover 0002to the bumper and press
until it engages.
X Place the towing eye in the vehicle tool kit. Towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised
! The ignition must be switched off if you
are towing the vehicle with the rear axle
raised. Intervention by ESP ®
could
otherwise damage the brake system. Towing and tow-starting
337Breakdown assistance Z
