traction control MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER 2008 Owners Manual

Driving safety sys
tems 51G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking sys-
tem remains available with full brake boost-
ing effect. However, braking force is not
automatically increased in emergency
braking situations and the stopping dis-
tance may increase. ES
P®
(Electronic Stability Program)
ES P®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tyres
and the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviatin g
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified, if
necessary, to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within the scope of the laws of phys-
ics. ESP ®
assists the driver when pulling away
on wet or slippery roads. ES P®
can also sta-
bilise the vehicle during braking.
When ESP ®
intervenes, the vwarning
lamp flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the v warning lamp in the instrumen t
cluster flashes, proceed as follows: R
Do not deactivate ESP ®
under any cir -
cumstances .
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far
as necessary when pulling away.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the pre -
vailing road and weather conditions.
The vehicle could otherwise go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident
if you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot overrid e
the laws of physics .
! The ignition must be switched off (key in
position 0or Iin the ignition lock) if:
R the vehicle is being towed with the front
or rear axle raised
R you are having the handbrake checke d
on the brake dynamometer
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
could
otherwise destroy the brake system on the
front or rear axle.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly . To deactivate/activate ES
P® ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is running.
It may be best to deactivate ES P®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chain s
R in deep sno w
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ES P®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehi -
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability
R Engine torque is not limited and the drive
wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effect for better
traction.
R traction control is still activated .
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake. Safety
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Driving sys
tems 11
0 G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 30 km/h. G
Risk of accident
Cruise control cannot take account of roa d
and traffic conditions.
Always pay attention to traffic condition s
even when cruise control is activated.
Cruise control is only an aid designed to
assist driving. You are responsible for the
vehicle's speed and for braking in good
time. G
Risk of accident
Do not use cruise control :
R in road and traffic conditions which do
not allow you to maintain a constant
speed (e.g. heavy traffic or windin g roads). You could otherwise cause an
accident.
R on slippery roads. Braking or accelerat-
ing could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to
fog, heavy rain or snow
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
Speedtronic with the cruise control lever
.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off:
cruise control is selected
R LIM indicator lamp lit:
variable Speedtronic is selected 1
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
2 LIM indicator lamp
3 To resume the last speed stored
4 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
5 To switch between cruise control and var-
iable Speedtronic
6 To deactivate cruise control
Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp 2is off .
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow 5.
LIM indicator lamp 2in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected. Controls
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Troubleshooting
19
4 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
v
The yellow ESP ®
warning
lamp flashes while th e
vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
, ABS or traction control has
intervened because at least one
wheel has reached its grip limit
and is threatening to spin or lock . X
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when pull-
ing away.
X Release the accelerator pedal while you are driving.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 51). v
The yellow ESP ®
warning
lamp is lit while the engine
is running. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated. ES P®
will
not stabilise the vehicle if it start s
to skid or if a wheel starts to spin. X
Reactivate ES P®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 51).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions. 1
The red SRS warning lamp
is lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of injury
The restraint systems are faulty .
The airbags or belt tensioners
may either be triggered uninten-
tionally or, in the event of an acci-
dent, not be triggered at all. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while you are driving. You
will also hear a warning
tone. You are driving with the hand-
brake applied. X
Release the handbrake .
The warning lamp goes out and the warning tone ceases. Practical advice
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