Mercedes-Benz R-Class Owner's Manual page 64

ETS (Electronic Traction Support)
®
Traction control is part of ESP
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually 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.
Traction control remains active when you
®
deactivate ESP .
G Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of
an accident if you drive too fast. Traction
control cannot override the laws of physics.
i
If heavy demands are made on the brakes,
traction control switches off automatically
for a brief period so that the brakes do not
heat up even further. The v
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up if
traction control is not engaging for this rea-
son. The message ABS, ESP unavailable
see Owner's Manual also appears in the
multi-function display.
Activating/deactivating ESP
®
ESP is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ESP
lowing situations:
.
when using snow chains
R
in deep snow
R
on sand or gravel
R
G Risk of accident
Activate ESP
described above no longer apply. ESP
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP
ESP ® no longer improves driving stability.
R
the engine's torque is no longer limited and
R
the drive wheels can spin. Spinning of the
wheels results in a cutting action, which
warning
provides better grip.
traction control is still activated.
R
®
R ESP still provides support when you
brake.
i
If ESP ® is deactivated and one or more
®
wheels start to spin, the
in the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations ESP
cle.
®
in the fol-
®
as soon as the situations
® will
® :
v warning lamp
® will not stabilise the vehi-
Driving safety systems
1 To deactivate/activate ESP
To deactivate: press button 1.
X
The v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up.
G Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrument
cluster is continuously lit when the engine
®
is running, ESP is deactivated or not avail-
able due to a malfunction. There is an
increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style
to suit prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
Safety
®
Z
61