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Driving safety systems
68
To improve the vehicle’s traction, switch off
the ESP
®
in driving situations in which it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:
R
when driving with snow chains
R
in deep snow
R
in sand or gravel
G
Warning!
Switch on the ESP
®
immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore. Otherwise the ESP
®
will not
stabilize the vehicle when it is starting to
skid or a wheel is spinning.
When you switch off the ESP
®
R
the ESP
®
does not stabilize the vehicle
R
the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and thus cut
into surfaces for better grip
R
the ETS will still apply the brakes to a spin-
ning wheel
R
the ESP
®
continues to operate when you
are braking
R
you cannot activate the cruise control or
the Distronic system
R
the cruise control or the Distronic system
switch off if activated
i
When the ESP
®
is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP
®
warning lamp v in the instrument clus-
ter flashes. However, the ESP
®
will then not
stabilize the vehicle.
X
With the engine running, press ESP
®
switch1 until the ESP
®
warning lamp
v in the instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP
®
is switched off.
G
Warning!
When the ESP
®
warning lamp v is illu-
minated continuously, the ESP
®
is switched
off or is not operational due to a malfunc-
tion. Vehicle stability in standard driving
maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the pre-
vailing road conditions and to the non-oper-
ating status of the ESP
®
.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP
®
switched
off. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Switching off the ESP
®
(CLS 63 AMG only)
G
Warning!
The ESP
®
should not be switched off during
normal driving.
Disabling of the system will result in the
following:
R
no restriction to engine torque
R
loss of system supported traction control
“ESP
®
OFF” is designed for driving on
closed tracks when the vehicle’s natural
oversteer and understeer characteristics
are desired and requires a highly skilled and
experienced driver able to handle these
critical driving situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®
.
Do not switch off the ESP
®
when a spare
wheel is mounted.
Safety and security