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Driving Tips
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stability programme (ESP)*
General
General
The ESP aids you maintain control of your vehicle in situations in borderline driving
situations such as when negotiating a curve too fast. The risk of skidding is reduced
and your vehicle thus offers greater driving stability depending on the conditions of
the road surface. This occurs at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
Traction control system (TCS),
Active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
Antilock brake system (ABS),
Brake Assist,
Uphill-Start off-Assist.
Using the system
Safety
Fig. 196 ESP switch
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts a
self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It also
processes additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive
sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its vertical axis, the lateral accel-
eration of the vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actual
behaviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the vehicle beginning to skid,
the ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel is braked.
Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front wheel of
a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle to break
away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wheel of a vehicle which tends to under-
steer (tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle is accompanied
by noises.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS ⇒ page 197, "Antilock brake system
(ABS)". If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on the
⇒ page 37.
ESP
Switching off
You can switch the ESP off and on again as you wish, by pressing the button
⇒ fig.
196. The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when the ESP is
⇒ page 37.
switched off
The ESP should normally always be switched on. It may be good practice in certain
exceptional cases, such as when you wish to have wheel slip, to switch off the
system.
Examples:
Breakdown assistance
Intelligent Technology
193
Technical Data
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