What Is BAS Release Switch? Everything You Need to Know

Suppose you’re driving and listening to your favorite podcast suddenly a deer appeared in front of your vehicle. If you try to stop your vehicle suddenly from high speed, you may fall into an accident.

Brake-Assist Systems (BAS) are auto safety features installed in modern vehicles to help prevent accidents caused by these kinds of sudden stops or unexpected obstacles on the road. The BAS release switch is an important component of this Break-Assist System.

Let’s learn more about the BAS release switch below.

What Does BAS Release Switch Mean?

To understand what the BAS release switch is for, you need basic knowledge about the BAS (Break-Assist System).

According to the test, 99% of drivers don’t apply full braking in emergencies or only applied full brake pressure when it was too late. The Brake-Assist System (BAS) is designed to recognize emergency stops and provide additional brake force to ensure the vehicle stops quickly and safely in a short stopping distance to prevent accidents.

This auto safety system was first implemented by Mercedes-Benz automakers. However, there can be some situations where the brake-assist system may not be necessary or desirable. In that case, you need a switch to disable the break-assist system.

The BAS release switch simply disengages the brake-assist system and allows the driver to control the braking power of the vehicle manually. It is a small button located on the dashboard or on the center console of a vehicle. 

How Does the BAS Release Switch Work?

The Brake-Assist System has some sensors that detect the braking habit of the driver. Whenever the driver pushed the brake paddle quicker than normal, then BAS instantly recognizes it and stops the vehicle by providing extra force on the wheels.

The BAS release switch simply works by disabling the automatic brake force that is generated by the brake-assist system. When the release switch is pressed, the driver is able to apply the brakes manually, without interference from the brake-assist system.

It means, if you press the BAS release switch, it will disable BAS and whenever you press the brake, your vehicle will stop normally as usual instead of stopping instantly at a short distance.

This switch is useful when the condition of the vehicle requires more finesse and control than the brake-assist system can provide. Let’s learn more below about why this switch is necessary.

Why BAS Release Switch Is Important?

As BAS is a great auto safety feature that can prevent accidents by stopping the vehicle in emergency situations, you might think what is the necessity of a BAS release button on a vehicle or why should anyone disable this feature.

Well, the BAS release switch is particularly useful in situations where the driver needs to control or brake the vehicle in a gradual or controlled manner.

For example, you’re driving on a downhill road and BAS is activated on your vehicle. Now, if you press the brake paddle, it can apply more force on the paddle than usual and your vehicle will suddenly stop. But the car behind you can’t stop so quickly and you can end up causing an accident. 

Again, this BAS release switch is useful while you’re driving on a slippery surface such as a snowy, icy, or wet road. In these situations, stopping the vehicle suddenly may cause the vehicle to skid and accident. So, you need to slow down the vehicle gradually to maintain better control. For this, you’d prefer not to use the BAS feature.

Frequently Asked Questions And Answers

What Does BAS ESP Light Mean on Mercedes Ml320?

If you found that the BAS ESP light is blinking on your Mercedes-Benz, it means there is an electronic stability problem that occurred on the vehicle or the BAS system has an issue.  It also indicates problems with the wheel speed sensors, steering angle sensors, or braking system. Start your vehicle while it is parked, and turn the steering fully on each side to fix the sensors. 

What Is ABS ESP Mercedes?

ABS means Anti-Lock Braking and ESP means Electronic Stability Program. These two auto safety systems work combined in Mercedes. If the ABS ESB light blinks on Mercedes, it means there is a malfunction with these systems or it is describing a fault code for that malfunction. Check the manual to learn about the fault code.

Conclusion

According to research, most drivers took 239 ft. to stop cars while driving at 100 km/h. While the vehicle with Brake-Assist System (BAS) takes only 131 ft. to stop a vehicle. So, as BAS stops the vehicle instantly, it can’t be good for all situations as it can cause accidents. For this reason, the BAS needs to be disabled sometimes and the BAS release switch is to disengage the BAS.