steering SKODA YETI 2011 1.G / 5L Owner's Guide

Safety
Passive Safety
Basic information
Driving the safe way Passive safety measures reduce the risk of injury in accident situa-
tions.
In this section you will find important information, tips and notes on the subject of
passive safety in your vehicle. We have combined everything here which you
should be familiar with, for example, regarding seat belts, airbags, child seats and
safety of children. Therefore, please follow especially the notes and warnings in
this section in your own interest and in the interest of your passengers. WARNING
● This chapter contains important information on how to use the vehicle for
the driver and his occupants. You will find further information on safety, which
concerns you and those travelling with you, in the following chapters of this
Owner's Manual.
● The complete on-board literature should always be in the vehicle. This ap-
plies in particular, if you rent out or sell the vehicle. 
Safety equipment The safety equipment is part of the occupant protection and it can
reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
“Do not put at risk
” your safety and the safety of those travelling with you . In the
event of an accident, the safety equipment can reduce the risk of injuries.
The following list contains part of the safety equipment in your vehicle:
● Three-point seat belts for all the seats,
● belt force limiter for front seats,
● belt tensioner for front seats, ●
seat belt height adjuster for front seats,
● front airbag for the driver and front passenger,
● driver's knee airbag,
● front side airbags,
● rear side airbags,
● head airbags;
● anchoring points for child seat using the “ISOFIX” system,
● anchoring points for child seat using the “Top Tether” system,
● head restraint adjustable for height,
● adjustable steering column.
The specified safety equipment works together, in order to optimally protect you
and those travelling with you in accident situations. The safety equipment does
not protect you or the people travelling with you, if you or your occupants adopt
an incorrect seated position or the equipment is not correctly adjusted or used.
For this reason you will be provided with information on why these equipment
components are very important, how it protects you and the occupants, what
should be observed when using the equipment and how you and the people trav-
elling with you can make full use of the existing safety equipment. This Owner's
Manual contains important warning notes, which you and those travelling with
you should pay attention to in order to reduce a risk of injury.
Safety concerns everybody! 
Before setting off The driver is always fully responsible for his occupants and for the
operating safety of the vehicle.
For your own safety and the safety of the people travelling with you, please pay
attention to the following points before setting off:
● Ensure that the lighting and the turn signal systems are functioning properly.
● Inspect the tyre inflation pressure.
● Ensure that all the windows offer a good visibility to the outside. £128
Passive Safety

●
Safely attach the items of luggage ⇒ page 70, Loading the luggage compart-
ment .
● Ensure that no objects can obstruct the pedal.
● Adjust the mirror, the front seat and the head restraint to match your body
size.
● Point out to your occupants that the head restraints must be adjusted to
match their body size.
● Protect the children in suitable child seats with correctly fastened seat belts
⇒ page 146, Transporting children safely
.
● Adopt the correct seated position ⇒
 page 129, Correct seated position. Also
inform your occupants to adopt the correct seated position.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly. Also inform your occupants to properly fasten
the seat belts ⇒

 page 134, How are seat belts correctly fastened?. 
What influences the driving safety? The driving safety is primarily determined by the style of driving
and the personal behaviour of all the occupants.
The driver is fully responsible for himself and his occupants. If your driving safety
is effected, you place yourself and the oncoming traffic at risk. Please refer to the
following guidelines.
● Do not get distracted from concentrating on the traffic situation, e.g. by your
occupants or mobile phone calls.
● Never drive when your driving ability is impaired, e.g. through medication, alco-
hol, drugs.
● Keep to the traffic regulations and the permissible speed limit.
● Adjust the driving speed at all times to the road condition as well as to the
traffic and weather conditions.
● Take regular breaks on long journeys - at the latest every two hours. Correct seated position
Correct seated position for the driver Correct seated position for the driver is important for safe and re-
laxed driving.
Fig. 115 The correct distance of the driver from the steering wheel and the gear lever/The
correct head restraint adjustment for the driver
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accident, we
recommend the following setting.
● Position the steering wheel so that there is a gap of at least 25 cm between
the steering wheel and the chest, and the distance between the legs and the gear
lever at the height of the knee airbag is at least 10

cm ⇒ fig. 115 - left.
● Position the driver seat in the forward/back direction so that you are able to
press the pedals with your legs at a slight angle, and the distance between the
knee and the gear lever is at least 10

cm.
● Adjust the seat backrest so that you are able to reach the highest point of the
steering wheel with your arms at a slight angle.
● Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒

 fig. 115 - right.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒
 page 134, How are seat belts correctly fas-
tened?.
Manual driver seat adjustment ⇒ page 61, Adjusting the front seats.
Electrical driver seat adjustment ⇒ page 63, Adjusting front seats electrically. £ 129
Passive Safety Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
● The driver must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm between the steering
wheel, and a distance of at least 10 cm between the legs and the gear lever at
the height of the knee airbag ⇒ fig. 115 - left. Not maintaining this minimum
distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to properly protect
you - hazard!
● When driving, hold the steering wheel with both hands firmly on the outer
edge in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position. Never hold the steering wheel
firmly in the 12 o'clock position or in another way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steering wheel edge). In such cases, injuries to
the arms, the hands and the head can occur when the driver airbag is de-
ployed.
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury!
● Ensure that there are no objects in the footwell as any objects may get be-
hind the pedals during a driving or braking manoeuvre. You would then no
longer be able to operate the clutch, to brake or accelerate. 
Correct seated position for the front passenger The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm
from the dash panel so that the airbag offers him the greatest pos-
sible safety it is deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and to reduce the risk of injury in the event
of an accident, we recommend the following setting.
● Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible to the rear.
● Adjust the head restraint so that the top edge of the head restraint is at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒

 fig. 115 - right.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒
 page 134, How are seat belts correctly fas-
tened?.
In exceptional cases the front passenger airbag can be deactivated ⇒ page 144,
Deactivating an airbag. Manual front passenger adjustment
⇒
 page 61.
Electrical front passenger seat adjustment ⇒ page 63, Adjusting front seats elec-
trically. WARNING
● The front seats and the head restraints must always be adjusted to match
the body size of the seat occupant as well as the seat belts must always be
correctly fastened in order to provide an optimal protection for you and your
occupants.
● The front passenger must maintain a distance of at least 25 cm to the dash
panel. Not maintaining this minimum distance will mean that the airbag sys-
tem will not be able to properly protect you - hazard!
● Always keep your feet in the footwell when the car is being driven - never
place your feet on the instrument panel, out of the window or on the surfaces
of the seats. You will be exposed to increased risk of injury if it becomes nec-
essary to apply the brake or in the event of an accident. If an airbag is de-
ployed, you may suffer fatal injuries when adopting an incorrect seated posi-
tion!
● The seat backrests must not be angled too far back when driving other-
wise this will affect proper operation of the seat belts and of the airbag sys-
tem - risk of injury! 
Correct seated position for the occupants on the rear seats Occupants on the rear seats must sit upright, keep the feet in the
footwell and must have their seat belts correctly fastened.
To reduce the risk of injury in the event of a sudden braking manoeuvre or an acci-
dent, the occupants on the rear seats must observe the following:
● Adjust the head restraints so that the top edge of the head restraints is at the
same level as the upper part of your head ⇒ fig. 115 - on the right.
● Fasten the seat belt correctly ⇒ page 134, How are seat belts correctly fas-
tened?.
● If you are transporting ⇒ page 146
, Transporting children safely children in the
vehicle, please use a suitable child restraint system. £130
Passive Safety

The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless, the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to 50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times.
The common opinion that it is possible to support your body in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour,
the forces which are produced on your body in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg).
In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the vehicle not wearing a seat belt
are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the
vehicle, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windshield ⇒ fig. 117 - left. The occu-
pants of a vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out
of the vehicle. This can result in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will
otherwise be thrown through the vehicle in an uncontrolled manner in the event
of an accident A rear seat passenger who has not fastened the seat belt is a dan-
ger not only to himself but also for those seated at the front ⇒
 fig. 117 - right. 
Important safety information regarding the use of
seat belts The correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of
injury! WARNING
● The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or twisted,
or chafe against any sharp edges.
● It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts are
to offer their maximum protection ⇒ page 134.
● No two persons (also not children) should ever use a single seat belt to-
gether.
● The maximum protection which seat belts can offer is only achieved if you
are correctly seated ⇒

 page 129, Correct seated position. WARNING (Continued)
● The belt webbing must not run across solid or fragile objects (e.g. specta-
cles, ball-point pens, keys etc.) as this may be a cause of injuries.
● Many layers of clothing and loose clothing (e. g. a winter coat over a jacket)
do not allow you to be correctly seated and impairs proper operation of the
seat belts.
● It is prohibited to use clamps or other objects to adjust seat belts (e. g. for
shortening the belts for smaller persons).
● The lock tongue should only be inserted into the lock which is the correct
one for your seat. Wrong use of the safety belt will reduce its capacity to pro-
tect and the risk of injury increases.
● The seat backrests of the front seats must not be tilted too far to the rear
otherwise the seatbelts can lose their effectiveness.
● The belt webbing must always be kept clean. Soiled belt webbing may im-
pair proper operation of the inertia reel ⇒

 page 185, Seat belts.
● The slot of the belt tongue must not be blocked by paper or similar objects
otherwise the belt tongue will not lock in place properly.
● Inspect the seat belts regularly to ensure they are in good condition. If you
find seat belts which have damage to the belt, the seat belt connections, to
the inertia reel or to the lock, the relevant seat belt must be replaced by a
specialist garage.
● The seat belts must not be removed or changed in any way. Do not make
an attempt to repair the seat belts yourself.
● Damaged seat belts which have been subjected to stress in an accident
and were therefore stretched, must be replaced - this is best done by a spe-
cialist garage. The anchorage points of the belts must also be inspected. The
anchorage points for the belts should also be checked.
● In certain countries it is possible to use seat belts which differ in terms of
their operation from the seat belts which are described on the pages which
follow. 133
Seat belts Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

It is also possible under certain special accident situations that the front as well as
the side airbags and head airbags are deployed simultaneously.
The airbags are not deployed in the case of minor frontal and side collisions, rear-
end collisions, tilting of the vehicle, and vehicle rollover.
Deployment factors
It is not possible to state globally which deployment conditions apply to the airbag
system in every situation as the circumstances which exist in the case of acci-
dents vary greatly. An important role in this case, for example, is played by factors
such as the type of object against which the vehicle impacts (hard, soft), the angle
of impact, the vehicle speed etc.
A decisive factor for the deployment of the airbags is the deceleration which oc-
curs during a collision. The control unit analyses the nature of the collision and ac-
tivates the relevant restraint system. If the vehicle deceleration which occurs and
is measured during the collision remains below the prescribed reference values
specified in the control unit, the airbags are not deployed although the vehicle
may well suffer severe damage to the bodywork as a consequence of the acci-
dent.
The airbags are not deployed if:
● ignition is switched off;
● a minor frontal collision;
● a minor side collision;
● a rear-end collision;
● Rollover of the vehicle. Note
● A grey white or red, non-harmful gas is released when the airbag is inflated.
This is perfectly normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
● In the event of an accident in which the airbags are deployed:
– the interior lighting comes on (if the switch for the interior light is in the
door contact position),
– the hazard warning light is switched on;
– all the doors are unlocked;
– the fuel supply to the engine is interrupted. Front airbags
Description of the front airbags The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belt!
Fig. 121 Driver airbag in the steering wheel/front passenger airbag in the dash panel
The front airbag for the driver is housed in the steering wheel
⇒
 fig. 121 - left. The
front airbag for the front passenger is housed in the dash panel above the storage
compartment ⇒ fig. 121 - right. The installation positions are each marked with the
“AIRBAG” logo.
The front airbag system, in combination with three-point safety belts, offers addi-
tional protection for the head and chest area of the driver and front passenger in
the event of a frontal collision of major severity ⇒ page 139.
The airbag is not a substitute for the seat belt, but is part of the complete passive
vehicle safety concept. Please note that an airbag can only offer you optimal pro-
tection in combination with a seat belt which is fastened .
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts is to
also hold the driver and front passenger in a correct seated position in the event
of a frontal collision so as to enable the front airbags to offer the maximum pro-
tection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection ⇒ page 132,
Why seat belts?. Note
The dash panel must be replaced after the front passenger airbag has been de-
ployed. 138
Airbag system

Function of the front airbags
Risk of injury to the head and chest area is reduced by fully inflated
airbags.
Fig. 122 Inflated airbags
The airbag system is designed in such a way that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are deployed in the event of a violent frontal collision.
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
If the airbags are deployed, the airbags are filled with a propellant gas and inflated
in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒ fig. 122 . The airbags inflate in fractions
of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional protec-
tion in the event of an accident. The forward movement of the driver and of the
front passenger is cushioned when they make contact with the fully inflated air-
bag and the risk of injury to head and chest is thus reduced.
The specially developed airbag allows the gas to flow out of the inflated airbag in
a controlled manner (depending on the load of the particular car occupant) in or-
der to cushion head and chest areas. The airbag then deflates subsequently to
such an extent, after an accident, to again provide a clear view forward.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The airbag develops enormous forces when triggered, which can lead to injuries if
the sitting position or seated position is not correct ⇒  in Important safety infor-
mation regarding the front airbag system
on page 139. Important safety information regarding the front airbag system Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury! Fig. 123 Safe distance to steering wheel
WARNING
● Never transport children on the front seat of a vehicle without using a
proper restraint system. If airbags are deployed in the event of an accident,
the child might suffer severe or even fatal injuries!
● For the driver and front passenger it is important to maintain a distance of
at least 25
cm from the steering wheel or dash panel ⇒ fig. 123. Not maintain-
ing this minimum distance will mean that the airbag system will not be able to
properly protect you - hazard! The front seats and the head restraints must al-
ways also be correctly adjusted to match the body size of the occupant.
● It is essential to always switch off ⇒ page 144
, Deactivating an airbag the
front passenger front airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel).
If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal in-
juries if the front passenger front airbag is deployed. In certain countries na-
tional legal provisions also require that the side or head passenger airbags be
deactivated. When transporting a child on the front passenger seat, please
comply with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child
safety seats.
● There must not by any further persons, animals or objects positioned be-
tween the front seated occupants and the deployment area of the airbag. £ 139
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

WARNING (Continued)
● The steering wheel and the surface of the airbag module in the dash panel
on the passenger side must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any oth-
er way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth mois-
tened with water. No objects such as cup holders, mobile phone mounts, etc.
may be attached to the covers of the airbag modules or be located within the
immediate area.
● No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system including installing and removing system com-
ponents because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering wheel) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage.
● Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
● Never place any objects on the surface of the front passenger airbag mod-
ule in the dash panel. 
Driver's knee airbag Description of the driver's knee airbags The knee airbag reduces the risk of injury to the legs.
Fig. 124 Driver's knee airbag below the
steering column
The driver's knee airbag is located in the lower part of the dash panel below the
steering column ⇒
 fig. 124 . The fitting position is shown in a picture on the side
surface of the dash panel on the driver's side. The driver's knee airbag is complementary to the three-point seat belt and offers
adequate protection to the knees of the driver. Please note that an airbag can
only offer you optimal protection in combination with a seat belt which is fas-
tened.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belt is to
also hold the driver in a correct seated position in the event of a frontal collision
so as to enable the knee airbag to offer the maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection ⇒ page 132,
Why seat belts?

. 
Function of the driver's knee airbags The airbag system is designed in such a way that the driver's knee airbag is de-
ployed together with the belt tensioner in the event of a frontal collision of major
severity.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in frac-
tions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional
protection in the event of an accident.
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle.
The forward movement of the body is cushioned when it makes contact with the
fully inflated airbag and the risk of injury to the legs of the driver is thus reduced. 140
Airbag system

Important safety information on the driver's knee airbag
WARNING
● Position the steering wheel so that there is a gap of at least 10 cm be-
tween the legs and the dashboard at the height of the knee airbag. If it is not
possible to meet this requirement due your body size, please get in touch with
a specialist garage.
● The surface of the airbag module in the lower part of the dash panel below
the steering column must not be stuck onto, covered or modified in any other
way. These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth or a cloth moistened
with water. No objects must be attached to the cover of the airbag module or
be located within the immediate area.
● No modifications of any kind may be made to parts of the airbag system.
Any work on the airbag system including installing and removing system com-
ponents because of other repair work (e.g. removing the steering wheel) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage.
● Never carry out changes on the front bumper or on the body.
● Do not attach any bulky and heavy objects (keys etc.) to the keylock. These
can be ejected by the knee airbag being deployed and hurt you. 
Side airbags Description of side airbags The side airbag together with the head airbag offers enhanced oc-
cupant protection in the event of a side collision.
Fig. 125 Installation position of side air-
bag in driver seatThe front side airbags are housed in the upholstery of the seat backrests of the
front seats and are marked with the lettering

“AIRBAG” ⇒ fig. 125 on the middle
part.
The side airbag system in combination with the three-point seat belts, offers addi-
tional protection for the upper area of the body (chest, stomach and pelvis) of the
occupants of the vehicle in the event of severe side collisions ⇒ page 142.
Apart from their normal protective function, a further task of the seat belts is to
also hold the occupants of the front or rear exterior seats in a correct seated posi-
tion in the event of a side collision so as to enable the side airbag to offer the
maximum protection.
You should therefore always fasten the seat belts, not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons and for your own protection. 
Function of the side airbags Risk of injury to the upper part of the body is reduced by fully infla-
ted side airbags.
Fig. 126 Inflated side airbag
When the side airbags are deployed, the head airbag and the belt tensioner are
also automatically deployed on the relevant side .
In certain accident situations, the front, side and head airbag are simultaneously
deployed.
If an airbag is deployed, the airbag is filled with gas. The airbags inflate in frac-
tions of a second and at a high speed in order to be able to offer that additional
protection in the event of an accident ⇒

 fig. 126 .
A grey white, non harmful gas is released when airbag is inflated. This is perfectly
normal and is not an indication of a fire in the vehicle. £ 141
Airbag system Using the system Safety Driving Tips General Maintenance Breakdown assistance Technical data

Important safety information on the head airbag
Correct use of the airbag system considerably reduces the risk of
injury! WARNING
● It is essential to always switch off ⇒ page 144 , Deactivating an airbag the
front passenger front airbag when attaching a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat where the child is seated with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel).
If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe or even fatal in-
juries if the front passenger front airbag is deployed. When transporting a
child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appropriate national
regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.
● There must not be any objects in the deployment area of the head airbags
which might prevent the airbags from inflating properly.
● Only hang light items of clothing on the clothes hooks to the vehicle. Nev-
er leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets of the items of cloth-
ing. In addition, it is not permitted to use clothes hangers for hanging up
items of clothing.
● The airbag control unit operates together with the sensors, which are at-
tached in the front doors. For this reason no adjustments must be carried out
at the doors as well as at the door panels (for example additional installation
of loudspeakers). Resulting damages can have a negative affect on the opera-
tion of the airbag system. All work on the front doors and their panels must
only be carried out by a specialist garage.
● There must not be any other persons (e.g. children) or animals between
the car occupant and the deployment area of the head airbag. In addition,
none of the occupants should lean their head out of the window when driving,
or extend their arms and hands out of the window.
● The sun visors must not be swivelled to the side windows into the deploy-
ment area of the head airbags if any objects, such as ball-point pens etc. are
attached to them. This might result in injuries to the occupants if the head air-
bag is deployed.
● Installing impermissible accessories in the area of the head airbags may
considerably impair the protection offered by the head airbag in the event of it
being deployed. When the deployed head airbag is inflated, parts of the acces- WARNING (Continued)
sories fitted may in certain circumstances be thrown into the interior of the
car and cause injuries to the occupants ⇒

 page 207, Accessories, changes and
replacement of parts.
● Any work on the head airbag system including installing and removing sys-
tem components because of other repair work (e.g. removing headliner) must
only be carried out by a specialist garage. 
Deactivating an airbag Deactivating airbags If any airbags have been deactivated, switch them on again as
soon as possible so that they are able to again provide their proper
protection.
There is the technical means installed within your vehicle to switch off the front,
side or head airbag (take out of commission).
This is why you should have the deactivation of the airbags carried out by a spe-
cialist garage.
On vehicles equipped with the switch for deactivation of the airbags, you can de-
activate the front passenger front airbag by means of this switch ⇒ page 145.
Deactivation of airbags is envisaged only for particular instances, such as if:
● You must in exceptional cases use a child seat on the front passenger seat
where the child is seated with its back to the direction of travel (in some countries
this must be in the direction of travel due to other legal regulations applying)
⇒  page 146

, Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats;
● you are not able to maintain the distance of at least 25 cm between middle of
steering wheel and chest, despite the driver seat being correctly adjusted;
● special attachments are required in the area of the steering wheel because of
a physical disability;
● you have installed other seats (e.g. orthopaedic seats without side airbags).
Monitoring the airbag system
The functionality of the airbag system is also monitored electronically when one
airbag has been switched off. £144
Airbag system

Driving Tips
Intelligent technology Electronic stability programme (ESP)
General Fig. 137 ESP system: Switch for TCS
The ESP aids you in maintaining control of your vehicle in situations in which the
vehicle is driving at its dynamic limits, such as entering a curve fast. The risk of
skidding is reduced and your car thus offers greater driving stability depending on
the conditions of the road surface. The system operates at all speeds.
The following systems are integrated into the electronic stability programme:
● Electronic Differential Lock (EDL),
● Traction control system (TCS),
● active driver-steering recommendation (DSR),
● Antilock brake system (ABS),
● Brake Assist,
● Uphill Start Assist.
The ESP system cannot be switched off with the 
⇒  fig. 137 button; only the TCS
system is switched off, the warning light  in the instrument cluster lights up. Operating principle
The ESP switches on automatically when the engine is started and then conducts
a self-test. The ESP control unit processes data from the individual systems. It al-
so processes additional measurement data which are supplied by highly sensitive
sensors: the rotational velocity of the vehicle about its vertical axis, the lateral ac-
celeration of the vehicle, the braking pressure and the steering angle.
The direction which the driver wishes to take is determined based on the steering
angle and the speed of the vehicle and is constantly compared with the actual be-
haviour of the vehicle. If differences exist, such as the car beginning to skid, the
ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel.
The car is stabilised again by the forces which take effect when the wheel is
braked. Intervention into the brake system takes place primarily on the outer front
wheel of a vehicle which tends to oversteer (tendency for the rear of the vehicle
to break away) while occurs this is on the inner rear wheel of a vehicle which
tends to understeer (tendency to shift out of the curve). This braking control cycle
is accompanied by noises.
During an intervention of the system, the warning light  flashes in the instru-
ment cluster ⇒

 page 27.
The ESP operates in combination with the ABS ⇒ page 157, Antilock brake system
(ABS). If there is a fault in the ABS system, the ESP also does not operate.
The ESP warning light lights up in the instrument cluster when there is a fault on
the ESP  ⇒  page 27. WARNING
It is also not possible for the ESP to overcome the physical limits of the vehi-
cle. Even if a vehicle fitted with ESP you should still always adapt your style of
driving to the condition of the road surface and the traffic situation. This par-
ticularly applies when driving on slippery and wet roads. The increased safety
offered must not tempt you to take greater risks than otherwise - risk of an
accident! £ 153
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