The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
t he aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, - for example, when the vehicle starts hydrop laning on a
wet road - , ESP will automatical ly brake the appropriate wheel to
correct the problem.
The veh icle is then stabi lized by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. If t he vehicle is oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the whee l that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve . An acoustic signal indi-
cates when ESP brake application cuts in =>
& .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combinat ion
with the ABS syst em => page 216. If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of act ion as well.
Activa t ion
When you turn on the engine, ESP w ill automatica lly be activated
and will perform a self -test .
The system can be activated or deactivated by pressing the butto n
=> page 212, f ig. 190. The warning light comes on when the system
is switched off .
Normally, the ESP should always be on, however, it may be advanta-
geous to turn off the system in certain specia l cases when some
degree of wheel spin is desired such as:
• when driving with snow chains
• when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
whee ls to dig in to reach firm ground)
• when trying to "rock" the vehicle free whe n it has become stuck .
The system shou ld be reactivated once you are no longer in such
situations.
Both , the ABS and EDL systems are still functioning even if the ESP
is switched off .
Controls and equip-
ment
Safety first Vehicle operation
Int e llig e nt t ec hnol o gy
& WARNING
The Electron ic Stab ilization Program is neverth eless subject to th e
law s of physics. It is part icularly important to pay att ent ion to thi s
fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important th at you
alway s adapt your driving to the condition of t he road and traffic
conditio ns. Do not allow the increa sed safety provided by t he Elec-
tronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into accepting
addition al safety risks.
• Please note that when ESP is deactivated , the drive wheel s can
spin on icy and slippery roads and the vehicle can break away -
danger of skidding ! C
Electronic differential lock CEDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
Gener a l notes
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and climb a gradien t on surfaces providing poor or
almost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult , if not impos -
sible.
How the syst e m works
The EDL operates automat ical ly. It monito rs the rotationa l speed of
the drive whee ls on an axle with the help of the ABS sensors
=> page 216. If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is det ected (e.g. on slippery grou nd on
one side), the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or wheels (all-whee l drive) . This is done up
to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h). Noises from the brake
system signal t hat wheel spin is being control led.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
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