Mercedes-Benz B-Class Quiz
Safety

ESP® (Electronic Stability Program)

In this manual: Safety
Introduction — 16At a glance — 11Safety — 27Opening and closing — 33Seats, steering wheel and mirrors — 21Lighting and windshield wipers — 25Air conditioning — 27Driving and parking — 66On-board computer and displays — 35Storage and other — 21Maintenance and care — 10Flat tire assistance — 26Wheels and tires — 26Technical data — 22
~4min read

Important safety notes

WARNING

If the warning lampd'instruments clignote, procédez de la façon suivante :on the instrument cluster
flashes, proceed as follows:

  • Never switch off ESP®.
  • When starting off, press the accelerator pedal just enough.
  • Adapt your driving style to the current road and weather conditions.

Otherwise, the vehicle could skid.

If you drive too fast, ESP® cannot reduce the risk of an accident. ESP® cannot overcome the laws of physics.

Switch off the ignition when
  • the electric parking brake must be checked on a brake test stand
  • the vehicle must be towed with the front or rear axle raised

Otherwise, the brake system could be damaged by the action taken by ESP®.

If ESP® detects that the vehicle is deviating from the intended direction, it stabilizes it by selectively braking one or more wheels. If necessary, it also reduces engine power to keep the vehicle on the desired course within the limits of physics. ESP® helps you start off on wet or slippery roads. ESP® can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.

When ESP® intervenes, the ESP® warning lampclignote.on the instrument cluster
flashes.

Observe the section “Important safety notes”.

Only fit wheels with tyres of the recommended dimensions. Otherwise, ESP® cannot function correctly.

Traction Control

Traction Control is a component of ESP®.

Traction Control brakes each driven wheel individually when it spins. This allows you to start off or accelerate on slippery surfaces, for example on a partially slippery road.

If you switch off ESP®, Traction Control remains active.

Observe the section “Important safety notes”.

Deactivating and activating ESP®

WARNING

If the warning lampd'instruments est allumé alors que le moteur tourne, c'est que l'ESPВ® eston the instrument cluster
is lit while the engine is running, ESP® is deactivated.

If the warning lampset sont allumés en permanence,
andc'est que l'ESPВ® n'est pas disponible en raison d'un défaut.are permanently lit,
the ESP® is not available due to a fault.

The risk of your vehicle skidding is higher in certain situations.

Always adapt your driving style to the current road and weather conditions.

ESP® is activated automatically when you start the engine.

If one or more wheels spin while ESP® is deactivated, the ESP® warning lampcombiné d'instruments clignote. L'ESPВ® ne peut pas stabiliser la trajectoire duon the
instrument cluster flashes. ESP® cannot stabilise the vehicle's path.

  • Deactivation:

    The ESP® OFF warning lamp on the instrument cluster lights up.

  • Activation:

    The ESP® OFF warning lamp on the instrument cluster goes out.

It may be preferable to deactivate ESP® when driving

  • with snow chains
  • in deep snow
  • on sand or gravel
WARNING

Reactivate ESP® as soon as the situation no longer matches any of those described above. Otherwise, ESP® cannot stabilise the vehicle's path when it tends to skid or a wheel spins.

If you deactivate ESP®,

  • ESP® can no longer stabilise the vehicle's path
  • engine torque is no longer limited and the driven wheels may spin, resulting in a bite effect that improves traction
  • traction control remains active
  • braking continues to be assisted by ESP®
Vehicles equipped with the ECO start/stop function: the ECO start/stop function automatically switches off the engine when you bring the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle restarts by automatic engine start. ESP® remains in the state it was in previously.

Example: if ESP® was deactivated before the automatic engine stop, it remains deactivated after the automatic engine restart.

Observe the section “Important safety notes”.

Trailer stabilisation with ESP®

WARNING

When road and weather conditions are poor, trailer stabilisation cannot prevent the trailer from swaying and therefore cannot reduce the risk of an accident. A trailer with a high centre of gravity may overturn before ESP® detects the sway.

If the vehicle and trailer (combination) start to sway, you can only stabilise the combination by firmly applying the brake pedal.

ESP® is able to detect when the combination starts to sway and helps you control this type of situation.

ESP® then reduces speed by braking the vehicle and limiting engine power so that the combination can stabilise.

Trailer stabilisation operates from approximately 65 km/h.

If you deactivate ESP® or it is deactivated due to a fault, trailer stabilisation does not work.

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