traction control MERCEDES-BENZ E43AMG 2017 W213 Owner's Manual

associated damage, which may not be visible,to
th e bumpers or radiator grille, ha vethe function
of thera dar sensors checked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop. The driver assis tance sy stem
may no longer workproperly.
Overview of driving and driving saf ety sys‐
te ms
In this section, youwill find information about
th efo llowing driving sy stems and driving saf ety
sy stems:
R360° Camera (→page 181)
RABS ( Anti-lock Braking Sys tem) (→page 151)
RDis tance Pilot DISTRONIC (→pa ge 161)
RAIR BODY CONTROL (→page 172)
RAc tive Brake Assi st(→page 155)
RAc tive Lane Keeping Assist (→page 195)
RATTENTION ASSIST (→page 189)
RBA S (Brak eAssist System) (→page 151)
REBD ( Electronic Brakeforc eDistribution)
(→page 155)
RESP®(E lectronic Sta bility Pro gram)
(→page 152)
RDRIVE PIL OT(→page 168)
RHOLD fu nction (→page 171)
RSteering Pilot (→page 168)
RParking Pilot (→page 184)
RParking Assist PARKTRONI C (→page17 6)
RRe ar view camera (→page 179)
RCruis e control (→page 160)
RBlind Spot Assist andActive Blind Spot Assi st
(→page 193)
RTraf fic Sign Assist (→page191)
Fu nctions of ABS (anti-lock braking sy stem)
ABS regulates the brake pressure in critical driv‐
ing situations:
RDuring braking, the wheels are pr evented
from blocking, forex ample due tomaximum
full-s top braking or insuf ficient traction of the
tires.
RVe hicle steerability while braking is ensured.
RABS is active from speeds of appr ox. 5 mph
(8 km/h).
If ABS inter venes when braking, youwill feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake
pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving.
Sy stem limits
ABS may be impaired or may not function if a
malfunction has occur red and theye llow !
ABS warning lamp lights up continuously in the
instrument clus ter af terth e engine is star ted.
Fu nction of BAS (Brake Assist Sy stem)
&
WARNING Risk of an accident caused by
a malfunction in BAS (Brake Assist Sys‐
te m)
If BA S is malfunctioning, the braking dis tance
may increase in an eme rgency braking situa‐
tion.
Driving and parking 15
1

#Depress the brake pedal with full forc e
in emer gency braking situations. ABS
pr eve nts the wheels from locking.
BA S suppo rts yo ur eme rgency braking situation
with additional brake forc e.
If yo udepr essthe brake pedal quickl y,BA S is
acti vated:
RBA S au tomatical lyboosts the brake pres‐
sure.
RBA S can short enthe braking dis tance.
RABS pr events the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
re lease the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated.
Functions of ESP®(Electronic Stability Pro‐
gr am)
&
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP®is
malfunctioning
If ESP
®is malfunctioning, ESP®cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilization. In addition, other
driving saf etysy stems are switched off.
#Drive on carefull y.
#Have ESP®checked at a qualified spe‐
cialist workshop.
&
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP®is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP
®, ESP®cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilization.
#ESP®should only be deactivated in the
fo llowing situations.
ESP®monitors and impr oves driving stability and
traction, particular ly inthefo llowing situations:
RWhen pulling away on wet or slippe ryroads.
RWhen braking.
RIn stro ng sidewinds when you are driving
fast erthan 50 mph (80 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®.
15 2
Driving and pa rking

ROnly depressthe 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 ove traction:
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 423)
RDisplay messages (→page 380)
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction Sy stem)
ETS/4E TStraction 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 prog rams 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
selec
t the drive prog rams using theDY NA MIC
SELECT switch.
Driving and parking 15
3

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 drivin gst 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 your 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. 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.
If yo udo not kn owthestored speed, the
ve hicle could decelerate unexpectedly.
#Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed.
#If th estored speed is not known, store
th e desired speed again.
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, youwill 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 wearing tooqu ickl y.
Re quirements
RCruise control is selected.
RESP®must be switched on, but not inter ven‐
ing.
RThe driving speed must be at least15mp h
(20 km/h).
16 0
Driving and pa rking

play inthe Instrument Display is alw ays update d
when theve hicle is le vel with the traf fic sign.
If th e Dis tance Pilot DISTRONIC has been put
into passive modebypressing the accelerator
pedal, only speed limits which are higher than
th e set speed are adop ted.
Pulling the cruise control le ver will set the dis‐
pla yed speed limit as the speed, pr ovided that:
RThe Speed Limit Pilot has been activated in
the multimedia sy stem and
RDis tance Pilot DISTRONIC has been acti va‐
te d.
If no speed limit is displa yed when the 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 Dis tance Pilot
DISTRONIC. Depending on which drive program
is selected, the driving characteristics can be
ge ared towa rds fuel econom y,comfort or
dynamic per form ance (
→page 136). Sy
stem limits
Ve hicles with the Driving Assistance Pack‐
age: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is acti veinthe
0 mp h (0 km/h) to130mp h (2 10km/h) speed
ra nge.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
RIn sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in dir ect sunlight or in greatly varying
light conditions.
RIf th e windshield in the area of the camera is
dirty, fogged up, damaged or co vered.
RIfth era dar sensors are dirty or co vered.
Do not use Dis tance Pilot DISTRONIC in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
RIn road and traf fic conditions whi chdo not
allow youto maintain a cons tant speed, e.g.
in heavy traf fic or on winding roads.
ROn slippery roads. Braking or accelerating
can cause the drive wheels tolose traction
and theve hicle could then skid.
RWhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due tofog,
heavy rain or sno w.
RIn parking garage s or at tollst ations.
ROn roads with steep uphill or downhill gradi‐
ents.
Tips
Pa yparticula rattention in thefo llowing traf fic
situations. In such situations, brake if necessar y.
Dis tance Pilot DISTRONIC is then deactivated:
RWhen cornering, entering and exiting a bend.
RWhen not driving in the center of the lane.
RWhen other vehicles are changing lane.
RIfth ere are nar rowvehicles.
RIfth ere are obs tacles and stationary vehi‐
cles.
RIf th ere are crossing vehicles, pedestrians,
mo torcyc lists or cyclists.
Driving and parking 16
3

Tire labeling
Overview of tire labeling
1Uni form Ti reQuality Grading Standard
(→page 350)
2DOT (Department of Transpor tation), (TIN)
Ti re Identification Number (→page 351)
3Maximum tire load (→page 352)
4Maximum tire pressure (→page 352)
5Manufacturer
6Tire characteristics (→page 353)
7Tire size designation, load rating, speed rat‐
ing and load ind ex(→page 353)
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
350
Wheels and tires

and one-half times aswell on the go vernment
course 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 eratures can cause the material
of the tire todegenerate and reduce tire life. Fur‐
th ermore, excessive temp eratures can lead to
sudden tire failure. Grade C cor responds toa
le ve l of per form ance which all passenger car
tires must meet under therequ irements of the
US Department 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 351

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 veralst eel wires in the bead to
pr eve nt
the t
ire from coming loose from 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
(also load index) is a code that con tains the max‐
imum 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
over 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 357

Displaymessages
Possible causes/consequences and MSolutions
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.
41 0
Displ aymessage s andwarning/indicator lamps

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.
44 0
Displ aymessage s andwarning/indicator lamps