traction control MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS WAGON 2018 Owner's Manual

Drivingand drivin gsaf ety sy stems
Driving sy stems and your responsibility
Yo ur vehicle is equipped with driving sy stems
which assist youin drivin g, parking and maneu‐
ve ring theve hicle. The driving sy stems are aids
and do not relie ve you of your responsibility. Pay
attention tothe tra ffic conditions at all times
and inter vene when necessary . Beaware of the
limitations rega rding the safe use of these sys‐
te ms.
Fu nction of thera dar senso rs
Some driving and driving safe ty systems use
ra dar sensors tomonitor the area in front of,
behind or next totheve hicle (depending on the
ve hicle's equipment).
Depending on theve hicle's equipment, thera dar
sensors are integrated behind the bumpers
and/or behind thera diator grill. Keep these
parts free of dirt, ice and slush (
→page 336).
The sensors must not be co vered, forex ample
by bicycle rack s, overhanging loads or radar-
re flecting sticke rs.Fo llowing an impact and in th
eeve nt of associated damage , which may not
be visible, tothe bumpers or radiator grille, ha ve
th e function of thera dar sensors checked at a
qu alified specialist workshop. The driver assis‐
ta nce sy stem may no longer workproperly.
Overview of driving sy stems and driving
saf ety sy stems
In this section, you will find information about
th efo llowing driving sy stems and driving saf ety
sy stems:
R360° Camera (→page 196)
RABS ( Anti-lock BrakingSystem)
(→page 166)
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC
(→pa ge 177)
RAIR BODY CONTROL(→page 187)
RAc tive Brake Assi st(→page 170)
RAc tive Lane Keeping Assist (→page 211)
RAT TENTION ASSIST (→page 205)
RBA S (Bra keAssist System) (→page 167)
RDY NA MIC BODY CONTROL (→page 187)
REBD ( Electronic Brakeforc eDistribution)
(→page 170)
RESP®(E lectronic Sta bility Program)
(→page 167)
RHOLD function (→page 186)
RSTEER CONTROL (→page 170)
RAc tive Steering Assist (→page 183)
RAc tive Parking Assist (→page 199)
RParking Assist PARKTRONI C (→page19 0)
RRe ar view camera (→page 194)
RCruise control (→page 175)
RBlind Spot Assist andActive Blind Spot Assi st
(→page 208)
RTr af fic Sign Assist (→page 206)
Functions of ABS (anti-lock braking sy stem)
ABS regulates the brake pressure in critical driv‐
ing situations:
RDuring braking, e.g. at maximum full-s top
braking or insuf ficient traction of the tires,
th e wheels are pr evented from blocking.
16 6
Driving and pa rking

RWhen braking.
RInstro ng sidewinds when you are driving
fast erthan 50 mph(8 0 km/h).
ESP
®can stabilize theve hicle byinter vening in
th efo llowing ways:
ROne or more wheels are braked.
RThe engine output is adap ted according to
th e situation.
ESP
®is deactivated if the ESP®OFF å warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter:
RDriving stability will no longe r be improved.
RCrosswind Assist is no longer active.
RThe drive wheels could spin.
RETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% Even when ESP
®is deactivated, you are still
assis tedby ESP®when braking.
ESP
®is inter vening if the ESP®÷ warning
lamp flashes in the instrument clus ter:
RDo not deacti vate ESP®.
ROnly depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessar y.
RAdapt your drivin gst yle to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
Deactivate ESP
®in thefo llowing situations to
impr ovetraction:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gr avel
% Spinning the wheels results in a cutting
action which pr ovides better grip.
ESP
®is deactivated if theå ESP®OFFwarn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter.
If th e ESP
®÷ warning lamp lights up continu‐
ousl y,ESP®is not available due toa malfunction.
Observ e any information which may be displa yed
in the instrument clus ter:
RWa rning and indicator lamps (→page 449)
RDispl aymessage s (→page 402) ETS/4ETS (Electronic
Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4ETS traction control is pa rtof ESP
®.
ETS/4ETS can impr ovetheve hicle's traction by
inter vening in thefo llowing ways:
RThe drive wheels are braked individually if
they spin.
RMore drive torque is transferred tothe wheel
or wheels with traction.
Influence of drive prog rams on ESP
®
The drive programs enable ESP®to adapt todif‐
fe re nt we ather and road conditions as well as
th e driver's prefer red driving style. You can
select the drive programs using theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch.
16 8
Driving and pa rking

Select one ofthefo llowing settings:
#(DUO\ :yo ur selection isretained when the
ve hicle is next star ted.
#0HGLXP :yo ur selection isretained when the
ve hicle is next star ted.
#/DWH: your selection isretained when the
ve hicle is next star ted.
#2II:
Ve hicles without Driving Assistance pack‐
age: The dis tance warning function and the
autonomous braking function are deactiva‐
te d. When theve hicle is next star ted, the
middle setting is au tomatically selected.
Ve hicles with Driving Assistance pack‐
age: The dis tance warning function and the
autonomous braking function are deactiva‐
te d. Evasive Steering Assist is una vailable.
When the ignition is next star ted, the middle
setting is selected automatically and Evasive
St eering Assist is available.
% When Active Brake Assi stis deactivated, the
æ symbol appears inthe assis tance
graphic in the multifunction displa y.
Speed control cruise control
Function of cruise control
Cruise cont rol accelerates and brakes theve hi‐
cle automatically in order tomaintain a pr evi‐
ously stored speed.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelerator pedal af terove rtaking,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed.
Yo u can operate cruise cont rol with the cruise
control le ver.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your dr ivingst yle, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo rth e dis tance totheve hicle in front, forve hi‐
cle speed, for braking in good time and forst ay ‐
ing in lane.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Change into a lo
werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking ef fect
of the engine. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and
wearin
g tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
RIn traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads
ROn slippery roads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid
RWhen visibility is poor
Operating cruise control
& WARNING Risk of accident due to
unkno wnstored speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates.
Driving and parking 17
5

taking on the left in left-hand tra ffic on free ways
and high-speed major roads.
If yo u act ivate the turn signal indicator tochange
lanes, theve hicle will accelerate more briskly to
th e set speed under thefo llowing conditions:
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
RIfth e driving speed is higher than 45 mph
(70 km/h).
RIf th e driven speed drops below thestored
speed.
RThe sy stem cannot detect a vehicle in there l‐
ev ant area of theov ertak ing lane.
Ve hicles with Driving Assistance Package
and Traf fic Sign Assis t:Ac tive Dis tance Assist
DISTRONIC also has theAc tive Speed Limit
Assi stfunction. This function can be configure d
in the multimedia sy stem. If a change in the
speed limit is de tected and Active Dis tance
Assist DISTRONIC is acti vated, Ac tive Dis tance
Assist DISTRONIC assumes this new speed.
The driven speed is adap ted when theve hicle is
le ve l with the tra ffic signs. The speed limit dis‐ play in
the Instrument Display is alw ays update d
when theve hicle is le vel with the tra ffic sign.
If Ac tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC has been
put into passive modebypressing the accelera‐
to r pedal, only speed limits which are higher
th an the set speed ar e adop
ted.
Pullin

g th e cruise control le ver will set the dis‐
pla yed speed limit as the speed, pr ovided that:
RAc tive Speed Limit Assi sthas been activated
in the multimedia sy stem and
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC has been
acti vated
If no speed limit is display ed whenthe le ver is
operated, the speed set bythe driver is adop ted.
Drive prog ram
The DYNA MIC SELECT switch allo wsyouto
ch ange the driving style of Active Dis tance
Assist DISTRONIC. Depending on which drive
prog ram is selected, the driving characteristics
can be geared towa rds fuel econom y,comfort or
dynamic per form ance (
→page 150). Sy
stem limitations
Ve hicles with the Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is acti ve
in the 0 mph(0 km/h) to130mp h(210 km/h)
speed range.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing ins tances, forex ample:
RIn snow ,ra in, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in greatlyvarying
ambient light.
RThe windshield in the area of the camera is
dirty, fogged up, damaged or co vered.
RIfth era dar sensors are dirty or co vered.
ROn slippery roads, braking or accelerating
can cause the drive wheels tolose traction
and theve hicle could then skid.
RIn parking garage s,tollst ations or on roads
with steep uphill or downhill gradients.
Do not use Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC in
th ese situations.
17 8
Driving and pa rking

Tire labeling
Overview of tire labeling
1Uni form Ti reQuality Grading Standard
(→page 372)
2DO T,Tire Identification Number
(→page 373)
3Ma ximum tire load (→page 374)
4Maximum tire pressure (→page374)
5Ma nufactu rer
6Characteristics of the tire (→page 375)
7Tire size designation, load-beari ng capacity,
speed rating and load ind ex(→page 375)
8Tire name
% The da tashown in the image is example
data.
Ti re Quality Grading
In accordance with the US Department of Trans‐
por tation's "Unifo rm TireQuality Grading Stand‐
ards", tire manufacturers are requ ired tograde
th eir tires on the basis of thefo llowing thre e per‐
fo rm ance factors:1Tread weargrade
2Traction grade
3Te mp erature grade
% The data shown in the image is example
data.
% The classification is not legally stipulated for
Canada, but it is general lystated.
Tr ead weargrade
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on thewe arrate ofthe tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified test
track of the US Department of Transpor tation.
Fo rex ample, a tire graded 150wo uld wear one
372
Wheels and tires

and one-half times aswell on the go vernment
te st track as a tire graded 100.
The relative per form ance of tires depends upon
th e actual conditions of their use, ho wever,and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
va riations in driving habits, service practices and
dif fere nces in road characteristics and climate
conditions.
Tr action grade
&
DANG ER Risk of accident due toinade‐
qu ate traction
The traction grade assigned tothis tire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
te sts, and does not include either accelera‐
tion, cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
ch aracteristics.
#Alw ays adapt your drivin gst yle and
drive at a speed tosuit the pr evailing
traf fic and weather conditions.
* NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in from
wheelspin
#Av oid wheelspin.
The traction grades – from highest tolowest –
are AA, A,B and C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability tostop on wet pa vement as meas‐
ured under controlled conditions on specified
go vernment test sur faces made of asphalt and
concr ete.
Te mp erature grade
&
WARNING Risk of accident from tire
ove rheating and tire failure
The temp erature grade forth is tire is es tab‐
lished for a tire that is proper ly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla‐
tion, or excessive loading, either separately
or in combination, can cause excessive heat
build-up and possible tire failure.
#Obser vethere commended tire pres‐
sure s and regularly check the tire pres‐
sure of all tires including the spare
wheel.
#Ad just the tire pressure as necessar y.
Thetemp erature grades are A (the highest), B
and C. They represent the tire's resis tance tothe
ge neration of heat and its ability todissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sus‐
ta ined high temp erature can cause the material
of the tire todegenerate and reduce tire life, and
exc essive temp erature can lead tosudden tire
fa ilure. Grade C cor responds toa le vel of per‐
fo rm ance which all passenger car tires must
meet under therequ irements of the US Depart‐
ment of Transpor tation.
DO T,Tire Identification Number (TIN)
US tire regulations stipulate that eve rytire man‐
ufactu rer or retreader must imprint a TIN in or
on the side wall of each tire produced.
Wheels and tires 37
3

these are ins talled on theve hicle, but does not
include passengers or luggage.
Maximum tire load: the maximum tire load is
th e maximum permissible weight in kilog rams or
lbs for which a tire is appr oved.
Maximum permissible tire pressure: maxi‐
mum permissible tire pressure for one tire.
Maximum load on one tire: maximum load on
one tire. This is calculated bydividing the maxi‐
mum axle load of one axle bytwo.
PSI (pounds per square in ch):standard unit of
measurement for tire pressure .
Aspect ratio: ratio between tire height and tire
width in pe rcent.
Ti re pressure: pressure inside the tire applying
an outward forc eto eve rysquare inch of the tire.
The tire pressure is specified in pounds per
square inch (psi), in kilopascals (kPa) or in bar.
The tire pressure should only be cor rected when
th e tires are cold.
Cold tire pressure: the tires are cold when the
ve hicle has been par kedfo r at least 3 hours without direct sunlight on
the tires or theve hicle
has been driven for less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Ti re contact sur face: the part of the tire that
comes into con tact wi th thero ad.
Ti re bead: the purpose of the tire bead is to
ensure that the tire sits securely on the wheel
ri m. There are se veral wire cores in the tire bead
to pr
eve ntthe t
ire fromchanging length on the
wheel rim.
Side wall:the part of the tire between the tread
and the tire bead.
We ight of optional equipment: the combined
we ight of the optional equipment weighing more
th an there placed standard parts and more than
5 lbs (2.3 kg).This optional equipment, such as
high-per form ance brakes, le vel control sy stem, a
ro of luggage rack or high-per form ance batte ries,
is not included in the curb weight and thewe ight
of the accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number): a unique
identification number which can be used bya
tire manufactu rerto identify tires, forex ample,
in a product recall, and thus identify the pur‐
ch asers. The TIN is made up of the manufactur‐ er's identity code, tire size, tire type code and
th
e manufacturing date.
Load-bearing index: the load-bearing index is a
code that con tains the maximum load-bearing
capacity of a tire.
Tr action: traction is the grip resulting from fric‐
tion between the tires and thero ad sur face.
We ar indicator: narrow bars (tread wear bars)
th at are distributed overth e tire conta ct surface.
If th e tire tread is le vel with the bars, thewe ar
limit of 1/ 16in (1.6 mm) has been reached.
Distribution of vehicle occupants: distribution
of vehicle occupants ov
er design
ated seat posi‐
tions in a vehicle.
Maximum permissible pa yload weight: nomi‐
nal load and luggage load plus 150 lb (68 kg)
multiplied bythe number of seats in theve hicle.
Wheels and tires 37
9

Tire s
Displa ymessages
Possible causes/consequences and MSolutions
h
3OHDVH &RUUHFW 7LUH 3UHV
VXUH*T
he tire pressure is too low in at least one of the tires, or the tire pressure dif fere nce between the wheels is too
great.
#Check the tire pressure and add air, if necessar y.
#Whenthe tire pressure is cor rect, restart the tire pressure monitoring sy stem .
h
&KHFN 7LUHV *T
he tire pressure in one or more tires has dropped significantl y.The wheel position is displa yed.
&
WARNING Risk of an accident due toinsuf ficient tire pressure
Ti re pressures that are too low pose thefo llowing hazards:
RThe tires may bur st, especially as the load and vehicle speed increase.
RThe tires may wearexc essively and/or une venly, which may greatly impair tire traction.
RThe driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may be greatly impaired.
Yo u could then lose control of theve hicle.
#Obser vethere commended tire pressure.
#Ad just the tire pressure if necessar y.
#Stop theve hicle, paying attention toroad and traf fic conditions.
#Check the tire pressure and the tires.
Display messages and warning/indicator lamps 435

Tire s
Wa rning/indicator lamp
Possible causes/consequences and MSolutions
h
Tire pressure monitoring
sy stem warning lamp lights
up The
yellow tire pressure monitoring sy stem warning lamp (pressure loss/malfunction) is lit.
The tire pressure monitoring sy stem has de tected tire pressure loss in at least one of the tires.&
WARNING Risk of an accident due toinsuf ficient tire pressure
Ti re pressures that are too low pose thefo llowing hazards:
RThe tires may bur st, especially as the load and vehicle speed increase.
RThe tires may wearexc essively and/or une venly, which may greatly impair tire traction.
RThe driving characteristics, as well as steering and braking, may be greatly impaired.
Yo u could then lose control of theve hicle.
#Obser vethere commended tire pressure.
#Ad just the tire pressure if necessar y.
#Stop theve hicle, paying attention toroad and traf fic conditions.
#Check the tire pressure and the tires.
466
Display messages and warning/indicator lamps