I don't know if anybody outside of the dealer is aware of this, but the traction control can be completely disabled simply by use of the steering wheel buttons. Here's the low-down-

1. To start, the key must be removed from the ignition.
2. Insert the key and turn to position 1.
3. Immediately press and hold the trip odometer reset button until the instrument cluster beeps. There is no visual message, only an audio beep. Be patient, this takes around 40 seconds.
4. Press the lower menu button (it looks like two sheets of paper, the one with the writing in the background behind the blank one)
5. Press the up arrow button.
6. Press the "+" sign to disable the Traction System (turn "ON" test mode)
7. Start the engine, the traction system is now disabled.

To return to normal, remove the key and restart the engine. The traction control warning should no longer be in the cluster. If it is, shut the engine off and remove the key again. Then insert the key and turn to position 1. Note that the DYNO test screen is displayed immediately. Push the "-" button to enable the traction system (turn "OFF" test mode)

NOTE: When you first turn the key to position 1, ESP DYNO Test screen pops up, then after 1-2 seconds it may disappear while faults are displayed. If you weren't fast enough in pressing the "-" button before codes were displayed, just wait until all codes cycle by, then the ESP DYNO Test screen will reappear.

No, this doesn't work for any car but the 203, before you ask.

Enjoy, and I'm not buying you new tires!

What's with all these secrets? This, the norway mode for the alarm......
Good to have someone on the inside, thanks.
Also, do you have any idea this why this only applies to the W203 C-class and not other newer MB's with the steering wheel controls?

i thought wen you switch the ESP off.... the traction control cuts off?....
i guess i thought wrong...
thanks

Performance 'easter eggs' ;-)

Not only does this disables the ESP. It disables the ABS and BAS as well. Tested this "feature" today and was pretty impressed.

Ok, now on to my questions:
At first I was able to scroll around in two menues. One with the ESP-disableing stuff and one with alot of numbers of wich I only understood: Eng-oil-lev. Kind of cool. I told me I had 6.3 litres of oil in my pan... Ok, when I was in this menu, I pressed and held up-arrow and plus-button for about 10 secs. Then a new screen appeared, with some other numbers of wich i didn't understand a single one. I think the heading in this third hidden menu was someting like SW03.

What was it that was displayed to me?
Just curious....

Thanks in advance!

The technique described in the original post does not seem to work on a 2003 C230. Could someone please post updated 03 info?


Thanks,
Blax...

At this point in time, no one know how to do this, or even if it can be done at all.

i've done it on my 2001..

can't get any wheelspin though

We were talking about 2003's. This feature has been eliminated on the 2003's.

The procedure has changed, but it is still there.
For different reasons MB-service personnel should not tell the customers.
One of the reasons is warranty.
If someone disabled the ESP (completely) it cannot be known afterwards, even with the Star Diagnosis computer.
So if something happens then, the warranty department never knows if it is something that is not supposed to fail, break, etc...

Blaxer, other '03 owners... Using the procedure above (through step #3), can you get the dash to beep at least? I'm wondering if it beeps, then maybe the feature is there but with different wheel button pressings required. Ideas?

I guess its now more because of the engine than tr. control.

process once and all the things happend as described BUT the car WOULD NOT go over 30mph and whatver rev it was at. so i put it back into normal mode.

Hahahaha, that's interesting. Hearing the car rev all the way, while dashing to 30mph. But only to see it stops there w/o going any faster. Just picturing this scene makes me want to laugh. So did the car dash to 30 as usual (w/ brutal force), then loses its power (like a fuel cutoff when hit the rev limiter type of scenario)?

..it was funny..."CRAZY BURN OUT TIME" and then nothing:p even if you mashed it, it would slooooooowly go up to 30, so no neck breakin action up to 30.

Has anyone tried this beside Roozy? I tried it on my car but it didn't stop at 30mph. Granted I didn't do any burn out or mash the throttle, just cruising normally. But I did go to 35-40mph.

I can do smoky burnouts by flipping the ESP switch off anyway, not sure I want to try this.....

First of all thats not very healthy for your tires

On a race i would use this function. The weather must be nice and the swichted off ABS will help you...

But if i just wan´t to "burn" my tires I switch of ESP, tip on the brake [just a little bit] and push the gas pedal. Thats all. No 40 secs delay... [joke)]

It's a highly wasteful action (burnouts), I don't really enjoy them myself (in my own car).

The problem with this "Dyno Mode" is that you no longer have the artificial "limited slip" of the computer braking the spinning wheel. It is just like an open differential and the inside wheel spins like crazy on turns and there is no traction off the line(one wheel drive). For me this feature is useless, and would be just as useless on a race track.

Maybe I am not understanding, but with my ESP off it easily lights up both tires and keeps them going for 100 feet and more. They are even straight lines. There is no single tire wheel spin on mine.

switch on the dash. "Dyno Mode" is done through maintenance pages on the speedo display using the steering wheel switches. Yes, ESP off does keep the electronic limited slip function so both tires will spin.

Thanks, I was stating that when I turn off ESP switch it does disable the stall feature and that both wheels seem to pull evenly. Someone previously had noted that the swith disabled