Deactivating/activating ESP® (except AMG vehicles)
WARNING
ESP® should not be deactivated during
normal driving other than in the
circumstances described below. Disabling
the system will reduce vehicle stability in
driving maneuvers.
Do not deactivate ESP® when the emergency or spare wheel is mounted.
ESP® is activated automatically when the engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ESP® in the
following situations:
- when using snow chains
- in deep snow
- on sand or gravel
WARNING
Switch on ESP® immediately if one of the
previously stated conditions is no longer met.
Otherwise, ESP® cannot stabilize the vehicle if it begins to lurch or when a wheel spins.
If you deactivate ESP®:
- ESP® no longer improves driving stability.
- the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides better grip.
- traction control is still activated.
- ESP® still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP® is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 
ESP® warning
lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such
situations, ESP® will not stabilize the vehicle.
•► To deactivate:.
The 
ESP® OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
WARNING
When the ESP® OFF warning lamp
is lit,
ESP® is deactivated.
If the ESP® warning lamp and the
ESP® OFF warning lamp remain lit,
ESP® is not available due to a malfunction.
When ESP® is deactivated or not operational, vehicle stability in standard driving maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing road conditions and to the non-operating status of the ESP®.
Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an extended period with ESP® deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
•► To activate:.
The ESP® OFF warning lamp in
the
instrument cluster goes out.
See also:
Centrally locking and unlocking the vehicle from the inside
You can centrally lock or unlock the vehicle
from the inside.
The central locking/unlocking button does
not lock or unlock the fuel filler flap.
You cannot unlock the vehicle centrally
from t ...
Smaller tank, same range
Because the new Mercedes CLS models consume significantly less fuel, it has
been possible to reduce the filling volume of the fuel tank in the four and
six-cylinder models to 59 litres. The 80-lit ...
Crash-responsive emergency lighting
The interior lighting is activated automatically
if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
► To switch off the crash-responsive
emergency lighting: press the hazard
warning lamp button.
...