2016 MERCEDES-BENZ METRIS traction control

ESP®(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
ESP®monitors driving stabilitya nd detectsa
tendenc yofthevehicle to understeer or over-
steer (skidding) in good time. If ESP
®detects
that th evehicle is deviatin gfromt hedirection
desired by th edriver, oneorm orew heels are
braked to stabilizet hevehicle .The engine out-
put is also modified to keep th evehicle on the
desired course within physical limits. ESP
®can
also stabilizet hevehicle durin gbraking.
ESP
®also monitors traction,i .e.p ower trans-
mission between th etires and th eroad surface.
The integrate dtraction control support syou
when pullinga way or acceleratin gonwet,slip-
pery or slickr oads. Should th edrivew heels spin,
traction control brakes them individually. In
addition,g reaterdrivet orque is transmitte dto
th ew heel or wheels with traction.Ift raction on
th er oad surface is no tsufficient ,even ESP
®will
no tallow you to pull away without difficulty. The
type of tires and total weightoft hevehicle as
well as th egradientoft heroad also play acru-
cial role .Tractio ncontrol remains active if you
deactivate ESP
®.
If the h warning lamp in th einstrumen tclus-
te rg oes out before beginnin gthe journey, ESP
®
is automaticall yactive.
The h warning lamp in th einstrumen tcluster
flashes when ESP
®intervenes:
XDo no tdeactivate ESP®unde rany circum-
stances.
Xwhen driving off ,apply as little throttle as
possible.
Xadapt your speeda nd driving style to th epre-
vailin groad conditions.
Important safety notes
Observ ethe important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 62).
GWARNING
If ESP
®is malfunctionin gitwill notprovide
any vehicle stabilization. Thereisani ncreased
risk of skiddingorofana ccident.
Exercise caution when continuing to drive.
Hav eESP
®checked at aqualified specialist
workshop.
!Do no trun th evehicle on aroller dynamom-
eter (e.g. for performanc etests) .Ifyou must
operate th evehicle on aroller dynamometer,
please consult aqualified specialist workshop
in advance. You coul dotherwise damag ethe
driv etrain or th ebrak esystem.
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, the hwarning
lamp (Ypage 221) lightsupc ontinuously while
th ee ngine is runnin gand th edisplay showsa
message.
Ron vehicle swithout steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 193)
Ron vehicle swith steering wheel buttons
(Ypage 207)
ESP®is deactivate diftheå warning lamp in
th ei nstrumentc lusterislit when th eengine is
running.
Only use wheels with th erecommended tire
sizes. Only then will ESP
®function properly.
Deactivating/activatin gESP®
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®,E SP®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle .Thereisani ncreased risk
of skiddinga nd an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in th esituations descri-
bed in th efollowing.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
®in th efollow-
ing situations:
Rwhen usings nowc hains
Rin deep snow
Ron sandorg ravel
Activate ESP®as soon as th esituations descri-
bed abovenol onger apply. Otherwise, ESP®
assistance for stabilizing th evehicle will remain
significantly reduced, even if th evehicle starts
to skid.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
Rthe å warning lamp in th einstrumen tclus-
te rlightsu p.
Rthe÷ warning lamp in th einstrumen tclus-
te rf lashes if th ewheels are spinning.
RESP®assistance for stabilizing th evehicle in
th el ower speedr ange up to approximately
37 mph (60 km/h) is significantly reduced.
Rengine torque is no longer limited and the
driv ewheels are able to spin
64Driving safety systems
Safety

The spinningofthe wheels results in acutting
action for better traction on loose surfaces.
RTraction control is still activated
RESP®still provides support when you brake.
Dependin gonthe equipment in the vehicle, you
can activate or deactivate ESP
®when the
engine is runnin gbyusing the åbutton or by
using the on-board computer:
Ron vehicles without steerin gwheel buttons
(Ypage 173)
Ron vehicles with steerin gwheel buttons
(Ypage 183)
å button (equipment-dependent)
XTo activate/deactivate: when the engine is
running, press the åbutton.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when ESP
®is deactivated.
Trailer stabilization
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 62).
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with ahigh center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
ESP
®trailer stabilization counteracts critical
driving situations in good time and thereby pro- vides considerable assistance when driving with
at railer. Trailer stabilization is part of ESP
®. If the sensor system and evaluation logic detect
trailer swinging movements, ESP
®trailer stabi-
lization firstly brakes individual vehicle wheels in
at argeted manner .Itthus counteracts swinging
movements. If the swinging movements do not
stop, the vehicle is braked until the vehicle/
trailer combination is stabilized. If necessary,
the vehicle's engine output is limited.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) start stoswerve, you will be able to
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination only by
braking. ESP
®trailer stabilization helps you to
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination in this
situation.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is activated above
speeds of about 40 mph (65 km/h).
If ESP
®is switched off or deactivated because of
am alfunction, the trailer stabilization system
will not function.
Crosswind Assist
Observe the important safety guidelines for the
driving safety system (Ypage 62).
Strong crosswind gusts can impair the road-
holding of your vehicle when driving straight
ahead. The Crosswind Assist function integra-
ted in ESP
®reduces these impairments.
Dependin gonthe direction and intensity of the
side wind, Crosswind Assist intervenes auto-
matically. ESP
®intervenes with stabilizing brak-
ing to assist you in keeping the vehicle in the
lane. When Crosswind Assist intervenes, the
display shows the traffic sign for stron gside
winds and the message Crosswind Assist
.
Crosswind Assist is activated automatically
above avehicle speed of approx. 50 mph
(80 km/h) when the vehicle is driving straight
ahead or cornering gently.
Crosswind Assist does not react:
Rin the event of severe jolts and vibrations, e.g.
when driving over uneven surfaces or pot-
holes
Rwhen grip is reduced, e.g. on snow or ice or
when hydroplaning
Crosswind Assist does not work if ESP
®is deac-
tivated or disabled because of amalfunction.
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
À
Attent.AsstInoper ‐ative
ATTENTION ASSIST has failed.
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
À
Attent.Asst: Tak eBreak!
Based on certain criteria, ATTENTION ASSIST has detecte dfatigue or
al ack of concentration on th epart of th edriver .Ana dditional warning
tone sounds.
XIf necessary, tak eabreak.
During lon gjou rneys, tak eregular breaks in goo dtimesot hatyou get
enough rest.
Cruise Contro l---mphAconditi on for activating cruise control has no tbeen met .
You hav etried to store aspeed belo w20m ph(30 km/ h)for example.
XIf conditions permit, drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h )and store
the speed.
XCheck the activation conditions for cruis econtrol (Ypag e140).
Tires
Display messagesPossiblec auses/consequence sand MSolutions
Correct Tire Pres‐sureThe tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire
pressure difference between the wheels is too great.
XCheck the tire pressure at the next opportunity (Ypag e274).
XIf necessary, correct the tire pressure.
XRestart the tire pressure monitor (Ypag e277).
CheckTirePressureSoonAn additiona lwarning tone sounds.
The tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantly.
GWARNING
Tire pressure that are too low pose the following hazards:
RThe tires may burst, especially as the loa dand vehicl espeed
increase.
RThe tires may wea rexcessively and/or unevenly, which may greatly
impair tire traction.
RThe handling as wel lassteering and braking characteristics may be
severely affected.
There is arisk of an accident.
XStop the vehicl ewithout making any sudden steering or braking
maneuvers. Pay attention to the traffic conditions while doing so.
XSecure the vehicl etoprevent it from rolling away (Ypage132).
XCheck the tires and, if necessary, change the whee l(Ypage286).
XCheck the tire pressure (Ypag e274).
XIf necessary, correct the tire pressure.
Display messages (vehiclesw ithout steering wheel buttons)199
On-board computer and displays
Z

Warning/
indicator
lampNSignal type
Possiblec auses/consequences and M
Solutions
ò!NThe yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ABS has been deactivated due to amalfunction. BAS, hil lstart assist and ESP®as
wel lasi ts driving safety systems ,for example, are therefore als odeactivated.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated and other driving systems coul dbeautomati-
call ydeactivated.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above. The wheels coul dtherefore lock prematurely if you brake hard ,for example.
This causes steerability and braking to be greatly impaired .The braking distance
can increas einemergency braking situations.
If ESP
®is not operational ,ESP®wil lnot stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and accidents.
XObserve the display messages.
XDrive on with care.
XVisi taq ualified specialist worksho pimmediately.
If the ABS control unit is faulty, there is als oapossibility that other systems ,such
as the automatic transmission, wil lberestricted or unavailable.
÷NThe yellow ESP®warning lamp flashes while the vehicleisinm otion.
ESP®or traction control is intervening because there is arisk of skidding or at least
one whee lhas started to spin.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated.
XWhen starting off, do not depress the accelerator pedalm ore than is necessary.
XEase off the accelerator pedalwhile driving.
XAdapt yourdriving style to sui tthe weather and road conditions.
XDo not deactivate ESP®.
In rare cases ,itmay be best to deactivate ESP®(Ypage64).
÷NThe yellow ESP®warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
ESP®,B AS, hil lstart assist, ESP®trailer stabilization and Crosswind Assist are
unavailable due to amalfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated and other driving systems coul dbeautomati-
call ydeactivated.
GWARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions listed
above.
The braking distance in an emergency braking situation can thus increase.
If ESP
®is not operational ,ESP®wil lnot stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and accidents.
XObserve the display messages.
XDrive on with care.
XVisi taq ualified specialist worksho pimmediately.
Indicator and warning lamps in the instrument cluster221
On-board computer and displays
Z

Regular wheel and tire checks
GWARNING
Damaged tire scan cause tire inflation pres-
sure loss. As aresult, yo ucould lose control of
your vehicle. There is ariskofa ccident.
Check the tire sregularl yfor signs of damage
and replace any damaged tire simmediately.
Check the wheel sand tire sofyourv ehicl efor
damag eregularly, i.e .atleast every two weeks,
as well as afte rdriving off-road or on rough
roads. Damaged wheel scan cause alos soft ire
pressure. Payp articula rattention to damage
such as:
Rcuts in the tires
Rpunctures
Rtears in the tires
Rbulges on tires
Rdeformation or severe corrosio nonwheels
Regularly check the tire trea ddepth and the
condition of the trea dacross the wholew idth of
the tire (
Ypage 268). If necessary, turn the
front wheel stofullloc kino rder to inspect the
inner sid eofthe tire surface.
All wheel smusth aveav alve cap to protect the
valve against dirt and moisture. Do not install
anything onto the valve othe rthan the standard
valve cap or othe rvalve cap sapproved for your
vehicl ebyd ealers listed on the inside of the
front cover. Do not install any othe rvalve caps
or systems ,e.g. tire pressure monitor systems.
Regularly check the pressure of al lthe tires,
particularly prior to long trips. Adjust the tire
pressure if neces sary (
Ypage 270).
The service life of tire sdepends on various fac-
tors, including the following:
Rdriving style
Rtire pressure
Rmileage
Tire tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire trea dwillr educe tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
Thi sm eans that on we troa ds urfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particula rwhere
speed is not adapted to suit the driving con-
ditions .There is ariskofa ccident.
If the tire pressure is too hig hortoo low, tires
may exhibi tdifferent level sofwearatd iffer-
ent locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
shoul dregularl ycheck the trea ddepth and
the condition of the trea dacross the entire
width of al ltires.
Minimum tire trea ddepth for:
RSummer tires: âin (3 mm)
RM+S tires: ãin (4 mm)
For safety reasons,r eplace the tiresbefore
the legall yprescribed limit for the minimum
tire trea ddepth is reached.
Marker :shows the location where the bar
indicator (arrow )for trea dwearisi ntegrated
into the tire tread.
Tread wear indicators (TWIs) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned ove rthe tire
tread. The yare visible once the trea ddepth is
approximately áin (1.6 mm). If this is the case,
the tire is so worn that it mus tbereplaced.
Selecting,m ounting and replacing
tires
ROnly mount tire sand wheel softhe same type
and make.
ROnly us ewheelsw itht ire size sapproved by
Mercedes-Benz.
ROnly mount tire softhe correct size onto the
wheels.
RBrea kinn ew tire satmoderate speeds for the
firs t65m iles (100 km).
268Operation
Wheel sand tires

Snow chains
GWARNING
If snow chains are installed to the front
wheels, they may drag against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tires.
There is arisk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
Rnever install snow chains to the front
wheels
Ralways install snow chains in pairs to the
rear wheels.
GWARNING
If you drive too fast with snow chains moun-
ted, they may snap. As aresult, you could
injure others and damage the vehicle. There is
ar isk of an accident.
Observe the maximum permissible speed for
operation with snow chains.
Observe the country-specific laws and regula-
tions for operation with snow chains.
!Check the snow chains for damage before
mounting them. Damaged or worn snow
chains may snap and damage the following
components:
Rwheel
Rwheel housing
Rwheel suspension
For this reason, you must use only snow
chains that are free of defects. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
!Vehicles with steel wheels: if you mount
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps from
the relevant wheels before mounting the
snow chains.
Snow chains increase traction on roads in wintry conditions.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains or traction
aids which have been approved for Mercedes-
Benz vehicles. The snow chains or traction aids
must be of class Uormeet the SAE type U
specification. Information about snow chains can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Commercial Van Cen-
ter.
When mounting snow chains, please bear the
following points in mind:
RSnow chains cannot be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations
.When mounting the
snow chains, note the permissible tire and
snow chain dimensions. Observe the restric-
tions on the use of snow chains under
"Wheel/tire combinations "(
Ypage 291).
RMount snow chains only in pairs and only to
the rear wheels. Observe the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.
ROnly use snow chains when the road is cov-
ered byalaye rofs now. Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible when you come to
ar oad that is not snow-covered.
RThe use of snow chains may be restricted by
local regulations. Observe the appropriate
regulations before mounting snow chains.
RWhen driving with snow chains installed, do
not exceed the maximum permissible speed
of 30 mph (50 km/h).
RCheck the tension of the chains after adis-
tance of approximately 0.5 miles (1.0 km).
You may wish to deactivate ESP
®when pulling
away with snow chains installed (Ypage 64).
This allowst he wheels to spin in acontrolled
manner, achieving an increased driving force
(cut tinga ction).
Tire pressure
Tire pressures pecifications
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Underinflated or overinflated tires pose the
following risks:
Rthe tires may burst, especially as the load
and vehicle speed increase.
Rthe tires may wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which may greatly impair tire
traction.
Rthe driving characteristics, as well as steer-
ing and braking, may be greatly impaired.
There is arisk of an accident.
270Tire pressure
Wheels and tires