traction control MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS SEDAN 2012 User Guide

ProblemPossible causes/consequences and M Solutions!
The yellow ABS warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running. A
warning tone also
sounds.GRisk of accident
EBD is faulty. Therefore, ABS, BAS, BAS PLUS, ESP ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
,
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function and hill start assist are also
unavailable, for example.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST 21
is deactivated.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.$ (USA only)
J (Canada only)
֌!
The red brake warning
lamp, the yellow ESP ®
and ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps and the yellow
ABS warning lamp are
lit while the engine is
running.GRisk of accident
ABS and ESP ®
are faulty. Therefore, BAS, BAS PLUS, EBD,
PRE-SAFE ®
, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function and hill start
assist, for example, are not available either.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST 21
is deactivated.
XObserve the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.XDrive on carefully.XVisit a qualified specialist workshop.÷
The yellow ESP ®
warning lamp flashes
while the vehicle is in
motion.GRisk of accident
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
XWhen pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.XEase off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.XAdapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.XDo not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions: ( Y page 75).21
Not available on hybrid vehicles.426Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tiresGWARNING
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle. There is a risk of
accident.
Check the tires regularly for signs of damage
and replace any damaged tires immediately.
R Regularly check the wheels and tires of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts,
punctures, tears, bulges on tires and
deformation or cracks or severe corrosion
on wheels) at least once a month, as well
as after driving off-road or on rough roads.
Damaged wheels can cause a loss of tire
pressure.
R Regularly check the tire tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the whole
width of the tire (Y page 493). If necessary,
turn the front wheels to full lock in order to
inspect the inner side of the tire surface.
R All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture. Do not
mount anything onto the valve (such as tire
pressure monitoring systems) other than
the standard valve cap or other valve caps
approved by Mercedes-Benz for your
vehicle.
R Regularly check the pressure of all the tires
including the emergency spare wheel or the
spare wheel, particularly prior to long trips,
and correct the pressure as necessary
( Y page 495).
Tire tread
GWARNING
Insufficient tire tread will reduce tire traction.
The tire is no longer able to dissipate water.
This means that on wet road surfaces, the risk
of hydroplaning increases, in particular where
speed is not adapted to suit the driving
conditions. There is a risk of accident.
If the tire pressure is too high or too low, tires
may exhibit different levels of wear at
different locations on the tire tread. Thus, you
should regularly check the tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the entire
width of all tires.
Minimum tire tread depth for:
R Summer tires: â in (3 mm)
R M+S tires: ã in (4 mm)
For safety reasons, replace the tires before
the legally prescribed limit for the minimum
tire tread depth is reached.
Tread wear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. Six indicators are positioned on the tire
tread. They are visible once the tread depth
is approximately á in (1.6 mm). If this is the
case, the tire is so worn that it must be
replaced.
Bar marking : for tread wear is integrated
into the tire tread.
Notes on selecting, mounting and
replacing tires
R Only mount tires and wheels of the same
type and make.
R Only mount tires of the correct size onto
the wheels.
R After mounting new tires, run them in at
moderate speeds for the first 60 miles
(100 km) as they only reach their full
performance after this distance.
Operation493Wheels and tiresZ

Mounting an emergency spare wheel may
severely impair the driving characteristics.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R adapt your driving style accordingly and
drive carefully.
R never install more than one spare wheel or
emergency spare wheel that differs in size.
R only use a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size briefly.
R do not switch ESP ®
off.
R have a spare wheel or emergency spare
wheel of a different size replaced at the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
Observe that the wheel and tire dimensions
as well as the tire type must be correct.
Snow chains
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that you only use snow chains
that have been specially approved for your
vehicle by Mercedes-Benz, or are of a
corresponding standard of quality.
! You must drive at raised vehicle level if
snow chains have been mounted. The
vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
! On some tire sizes there is not enough
space for snow chains. To avoid damage to
the vehicle or tires, observe the "Wheel and
tire combinations" section under "Tires and
wheels".
R only use snow chains when driving on roads
completely covered by snow. Do not
exceed the maximum permissible speed of
30 mph (50 km/h). Remove the snow
chains as soon as possible if you are driving
on roads that are no longer snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate
regulations if you wish to mount snow
chains.
R snow chains may not be mounted on the
emergency spare wheel.
If you intend to mount snow chains, please
bear the following points in mind:
R snow chains may not be mounted on all
wheel/tire combinations. Permitted
wheel/tire combinations ( Y page 515).
R mount snow chains only in pairs and only
on the rear wheels. Observe the
manufacturer's mounting instructions.
! If snow chains are mounted on the front
wheels, the snow chains could grind
against the bodywork or components of the
chassis. This could result in damage to the
vehicle or the tires.
! Vehicles with steel wheels: if you wish
to mount snow chains on steel wheels,
make sure that you remove the respective
wheels' hubcaps first. The hubcaps may
otherwise be damaged.
i You may wish to deactivate
ESP ®
(Y page 75) when pulling away with
snow chains mounted. This way you can
allow the wheels to spin in a controlled
manner, achieving an increased driving
force (cutting action).
Tire pressure
Tire pressure specifications
GWARNING
Tires with tire pressures that are too low or
too high are associated with the following
hazards:
R they can burst, in particular if the vehicle is
heavily laden or when driven at high
speeds.
R the tires can wear excessively and/or
unevenly, which can severely impair tire
traction.
R the driving, steering and braking
characteristics may be severely impaired.
There is a risk of accident.
Tire pressure495Wheels and tiresZ

iThe actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Maximum tire load : is the maximum
permissible weight for which the tire is
approved.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Overview of Tire Quality Grading
Standards
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards are
U.S. government specifications. Their
purpose is to provide drivers with uniform
reliable information on tire performance data.
Tire manufacturers have to grade tires using
three performance factors: tread wear :,
tire traction ;, and heat resistance =. All
tires sold in North America are provided with
the corresponding quality class mark on the
sidewall of the tire, even though these
regulations do not apply to Canada.
i The actual values for tires are vehicle-
specific and may deviate from the values in
the illustration.
Where applicable, the tire grading
information can be found on the tire sidewall
between the tread shoulder and maximum
tire width.
For example:Tread wearTractionTemperature200AAA
All passenger car tires must conform to the
statutory safety requirements in addition to
these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
U.S. government course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and one-half
times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from
the norm, due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate conditions.
Traction
GWARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on a wet surface as
measured under controlled conditions on
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards507Wheels and tiresZ

specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance.
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on dry road
surfaces.
You should pay special attention to road
conditions when temperatures are around
the freezing point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum
tread depth of ã in (4 mm ) for all four winter
tires ( Y page 494) to maintain normal driving
characteristics in winter. Winter tires can
reduce the braking distance on snow-covered
surfaces in comparison with summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with ice or snow. Take
appropriate care when driving.
! Avoid wheelspin. This can lead to damage
to the drive train.
Temperature
GWARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C. These represent the tire's
resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a level
of performance which all passenger car tires
must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
Tire labeling
Tire labeling overview
The following markings are on the tire in
addition to the tire name (sales designation)
and the manufacturer's name:
:Uniform tire Quality Grading Standard
( Y page 512);DOT, Tire Identification Number
( Y page 511)=Maximum tire load ( Y page 506)?Maximum tire pressure ( Y page 498)AManufacturerBTire material ( Y page 512)CTire size designation, load-bearing
capacity and speed rating
( Y page 509)DLoad index ( Y page 511)ETire name
i
Tire data is vehicle-specific and may
deviate from the data in the example.
508Tire labelingWheels and tires

Aspect ratio
Relationship between tire height and tire
width in percent.
Tire pressure
This is pressure inside the tire applying an
outward force to each square inch of the tire's
surface. The tire pressure is specified in
pounds per square inch (psi), in kilopascal
(kPa) or in bar. The tire pressure should only
be corrected when the tires are cold.
Tire pressure of cold tires
The tires are cold:
R if the vehicle has been parked without
direct sunlight on the tires for at least three
hours and
R if the vehicle has not been driven more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
Tread
The part of the tire that comes into contact
with the road.
Bead
The tire bead ensures that the tire sits
securely on the wheel. There are several steel
wires in the bead to prevent the tire from
coming loose from the wheel rim.
Sidewall
The part of the tire between the tread and the
bead.
Weight of optional extras
The combined weight of those optional extras
that weigh more than the replaced standard
part and more than 2.3 kg (5 lb). These
optional extras, such as high-performance
brakes, level control, a roof rack or a high-
performance battery, are not included in the
curb weight and the weight of the
accessories.
TIN (Tire Identification Number)
This is a unique identifier which can be used
by a tire manufacturer to identify tires, for
example for a product recall, and thus identify
the purchasers. The TIN is made up of the
manufacturer's identification code, tire size,
tire type code and the manufacturing date.
Load bearing index
The load bearing index (also load index) is a
code that contains the maximum load bearing
capacity of a tire.
Traction
Traction is the result of friction between the
tires and the road surface.
Treadwear indicators
Narrow bars (tread wear bars) that are
distributed over the tire tread. If the tire tread
is level with the bars, the wear limit of á in
(1.6 mm) has been reached.
Occupant distribution
The distribution of occupants in a vehicle at
their designated seating positions.
Total load limit
Rated cargo and luggage load plus
68 kilograms (150 lb), multiplied by the
vehicle's designated seating capacity.
514Definition of terms for tires and loadingWheels and tires