2008 Mercedes S-Class Owner's Manual - Page 72

Safety and Security Driving safety systems EBP The Electronic Brake Proportioning (EBP) enhances braking effectiveness by allowing the rear brakes to supply a greater proportion of the braking effort in straight line braking without a loss of vehicle stability. Warning! ESP® Warning! The Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) is operational as soon as the engine is running and monitors the vehicle's traction (force of adhesive friction between the tires and the road surface) and handling. The ESP® recognizes when a wheel is spinning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By applying brakes to the appropriate wheel and by limiting the engine output, the ESP® works to stabilize the vehicle. The ESP® is especially useful while driving off and on wet or slippery road surfaces. The ESP® also stabilizes the vehicle during braking and steering maneuvers. The ESP® warning lamp v in the instrument cluster flashes when the ESP® is engaged. The ESP® warning lamp v in the instrument cluster comes on when you switch on the ignition ( page 344). It goes out when the engine is running. G Never switch off the ESP® when you see the ESP® warning lamp v flashing in the instrument cluster. In this case proceed as follows: While driving off, apply as little throttle as possible. While driving, ease up on the accelerator. Adapt your speed and driving style to the prevailing road conditions. Failure to observe these guidelines could cause the vehicle to skid. The ESP® cannot prevent accidents resulting from excessive speed. G When the EBP is malfunctioning, the ABS, BAS, BAS Plus* and ESP® are also switched off. If the EBP is malfunctioning, the brake system will still function with full brake boost. However, the rear wheels could lock up during emergency braking situations, for example. You could lose control of the vehicle and cause an accident. Adapt your driving style to the changed driving characteristics. 71