Deactivating/activating ESP®
Observe the "Important safety notes"
section.
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.
When 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: press button 1.
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: press button 1.
The
ESP® OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
See also:
Overhead control panel
1 Switches the lefthand
reading lamp on/off
2 Switches the rear
interior lighting on/off
3 Switches the
automatic interior lighting
control on/off
4 Switches the front
interior lighti ...
Vehicles with automatic transmission
Apply the electric parking brake.
Shift the transmission to position P.
Using the SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey to position 0 in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.
...
Switching on DISTRONIC, storing andmaintaining the current speed
WARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC if the vehicle is to be set in motion
by other means (e.g. in a car wash or by
tow ...
