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ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys-
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , electronic dif-
ferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and se-
lective wheel torque control*. ESC is switched
on all the time. In certa in situations when you
need less t raction, you can switch off ASR by
pressing the button
ij]
Q
page
178,
fig.
169
or ~
page
178,
fig.
170. Be sure to switch
ASR on again when you no longer need less
traction.
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The veh icle can still be steered
even du ring hard braking . Apply steady pres-
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped-
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance.
It
increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer-
gency situations . You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti- slip regulati on (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diffe rential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to about 60 mph
(100 km/h).
I n extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL wi ll switch on again au-
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
Int e llig e nt technolog
y
177
Dynamic steering *
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC hel ps
stabilize the steering in crit ical sit uations.
Selective wheel torque control*
The select ive wheel torque control operates
when driving through curves. The front wheel
on the inside of the curve or both wheels on
the inside of t he curve are braked select ively
as needed. This minimizes sliding in the front
whee ls and allows for more precise driv ing
through curves. The appli cable system may
not act ivate when dr iving in wet or snowy con-
ditions.
A
WARNING
-
- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL dynam ic steering*
and the select ive wheel torque control*
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
This is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If
t he systems begin acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im-
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions . Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle contro l, collision and serious per-
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions. The risk of L os-
ing contro l of the vehicle increases when
driving t oo fast, especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys-
tem, ASR, EDL dynamic steering * and the
selective whee l torque control * cannot
prevent coll isions.
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al-
ways help to reduce the risk of loss of ve-
hicle control.
•
•
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