2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG light

195 Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Stopping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights, leave the
transmission in gear and hold vehicle with the service
brake.
For longer stops with the engine idling, shift into “N”
or “P” and hold the vehicle with the service brake.
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill gradient, do not
hold it with the accelerator, use the brake. This avoids
unnecessary transmission heat build up.
Maneuvering
To maneuver in tight areas, e.g. when pulling into a
parking space, control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes. Accelerate gently and never
abruptly step on the accelerator.
To rock a vehicle out of soft ground (mud or snow),
alternately shift from forward to reverse, while applying
slight partial throttle.Rocking a vehicle free in this manner may cause the
ABS or traction system malfunction indicator lamp to
come on. Turn off and restart the engine to clear the
malfunction indication.
Wa r n i n g !
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector lever
not fully engaged in position “P” is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, posi tion “P” alone
may not prevent your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.Always set t he parki ng brake in addi tion to sh ifting
to position “P”, see page 202 for parking brake. When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
against curb.Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
electronic key from the steering lock, and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could move the gear selector lever from
position “P”, which could result in an accident or
serious personal injury.

209 Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Snow chains
Use only snow chains that are tested and recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to advise you on this subject.
Chains should only be used on the rear wheels. Follow
the manufacturer’s mounting instructions.
Snow chains should only be driven on snow covered
roads at speeds not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).
Remove chains as soon as possible when driving on
roads without snow.
When driving with snow chains, press the ESP control
switch to OFF, refer to page 221.
Use of snow chains is only permissible when winter
tires are mounted, see technical data on page 303.
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy roads is to
drive sensibly and to avoid abrupt acceleration, braking
and steering maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding, move
selector lever to position “N”. Try to keep the vehicle
under control by corrective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely affect braking
efficiency. Increased pedal force may become necessary
to produce the normal brake effect. We therefore
recommend depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn roads. This can
bring road salt impaired braking efficiency back to
normal. A prerequisite is, however, that this be done
without endangering other drivers on the road.
If t he veh icle is pa rked af te r b eing driven on sal t trea ted
road s, th e braking ef f ic iency should be tested as soon a s
possible after driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
Wa r n i n g !
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make sure
that snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe and
from around the vehicle with engine running.
Otherwise, deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation, open a
window slightly on the side of the vehicle not
facing the wind.

217 Driving systems
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Antilock brake system (ABS)
Important!
The ABS improves steering control of the vehicle during
hard braking maneuvers.
The ABS prevents the wheels from locking up above a
vehicle speed of approximately 5 mph (8 km/h)
independent of road surface conditions.At the instant one of the wheels is about to lock up, a
slight pulsation can be felt in the brake pedal,
indicating that the ABS is in the regulating mode. Keep
firm and steady pressure on the brake pedal while
experiencing the pulsation.
Continuous steady brake pedal pressure results in
applying the advantages of the ABS, namely braking
power and ability to steer the vehicle.
In the case of an emergency brake maneuver keep
continuous full pressure on the brake pedal. In this
manner only can the ABS be most effective.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will respond even
with light brake pedal pressure because of the
increased likelihood of locking wheels. The pulsating
brake pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and functions as a reminder to take extra
care while driving.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not pump the brake pedal, rather use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure. Pumping the brake
pedal defeats the purpose for ABS and significantly
reduces braking effectiveness.

225 Check regularly and before a long trip
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Check regularly and before a long trip 1Engine oil level
See “Engine oil level, checking” on page 114 and
page 253.
2Coolant level
See “Coolant level” on page 254.
3Brake fluid
See “Brake fluid” on page 307.
4Windshield washer system
Headlamp cleaning system
For refilling reservoir see page 256.
Opening hood, see page 251.
Ve h i c l e l i g h t i n g : Check function and cleanliness. For
replacement of light bulbs, see “Exterior lamps” on
page 275.
Exterior lamps switch, see page 116.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
4
2
1
3

227 Contents – Instrument cluster display
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Instrument cluster displayMalfunction and indicator
lamps in the
instrument cluster ....................228
On-board diagnostic system
Check engine malfunction
indicator lamp .............................228
Brake warning lamp ..................229
Supplemental restraint
system (SRS)
indicator lamp .............................230
Fuel reserve and fuel cap
placement warning ....................230
Electronic stability program
(ESP) — warning lamp ............... 231
BAS/ESP malfunction
indicator lamp ............................. 231ABS malfunction
indicator lamp ............................ 231
Telescoping steering column –
indicator lamp ............................ 232
Seat belt warning lamp ............. 232
Malfunction and indicator lamps
in the center console ............... 232
AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp ............................ 232
Malfunction and warning
messages in the
multifunction display .............. 233
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE
(engine control unit) ................. 234
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE
(several systems) ....................... 234
BATTERY/ALTERNATOR .......... 235
ABS-SYSTEM .............................. 236
BRAKE ASSIST ........................... 236BRAKE LINING WEAR ..............237
BRAKE FLUID .............................237
PARKING BRAKE .......................238
ENGINE FAN ...............................238
COOLANT
(coolant level) .............................239
COOLANT TEMP.
(coolant temperature) ................240
LIGHTING SYSTEM .................... 241
LIGHT SENSOR ...........................242
STEER. WHEEL ADJUST. ...........242
ENGINE OIL LEVEL ...................243
ELEC. STABIL. PROGRAM.
(Electronic stability
program) ......................................244
REMOVE KEY .............................244
WASHER FLUID .........................245
TELE AID .....................................246

228 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Malfunction and indicator lamps
in the instrument cluster
General information:
If a bulb in the instrument cluster fails to light up
during the bulb self-check when turning the electronic
key in steering lock to position 2, have it checked and
replaced if necessary.
On-board diagnostic system
Check engine malfunction indicator lamp
Engine malfunction indicator lamp. If the
“CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator
lamp comes on when the engine is running,
it indicates a malfunction of the fuel management
system, emission control system, systems which impact
emissions, or the fuel cap is not closed tight (check the
fuel cap). If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp is illuminated
continuously and the vehicle is driving normally, you
may still drive the vehicle, however, in all cases, we
recommend that you have the system checked at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” lamp comes on continuously
and / or the vehicle is not driving normally (e.g.
malfunction of the fuel management system or running out of fuel), serious damage can occur to the emission
system. Please contact your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.
The Sequential Multiport Fuel Injection (SFI) control
module monitors emission control components that
either provide input signals to or receive output signals
from the control module. Malfunctions resulting from
interruptions or failure of any of these components are
indicated by the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction
indicator lamp in the instrument cluster and are
simultaneously stored in the SFI control module.
If the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp
comes on, have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
With some exceptions, the control module switches off
the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction indicator lamp if the
condition, causing the lamp to come on, no longer exists
during three consecutive cycles. See also page 230 for
fuel cap placement warning.
An on-board diagnostic connector is located in the
passenger compartment near to the parking brake
pedal, allowing the accurate identification of system
malfunctions through the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes.
CHECK
ENGINE

231 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Electronic stability program (ESP) — warning lamp
The yellow ESP warning lamp in the
speedometer dial comes on with the
electronic key in steering lock position 2.
It should go out with engine running.
See page 219 if the warning lamp lights up or f lashes
when the vehicle is moving.
BAS / ESP malfunction indicator lamp
The malfunction indicator lamp for the ESP
is combined with that of the BAS.
The yellow BAS/ESP malfunction indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster comes on with the
electronic key in steering lock position 2. It should go
out with the engine running.
If the BAS/ESP malfunction indicator lamp remains
illuminated with the engine running, see page 215 for
notes on the brake assist (BAS) and page 219 for notes
on the electronic stability program (ESP).ABS malfunction indicator lamp
The ABS malfunction indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster comes on with the
e l e c tr o n ic key i n ste e ri n g l oc k p os i ti o n 2 a n d
should go out with the engine running.
When the ABS malfunction indicator lamp symbol and
warning in the instrument cluster remains illuminated
while the engine is running, it indicates that the ABS
has detected a malfunction and has switched off. In this
case, the brake system functions in the usual manner,
but without antilock assistance.
With the ABS malfunctioning, the BAS and ESP are also
switched off. Both malfunction indicator lamps come on
with the engine running.
If the charging voltage falls below 10 volts, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on and the ABS is
switched of f. Wh en t he voltage is a bove th is value a gain,
the malfunction indicator lamp should go out and the
ABS is operational.
Have the system checked at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
See page 217 for notes on the antilock brake system
(ABS).
BAS
ESP
ABS

232 Malfunction and indicator lamps
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperation DrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Telescoping steering column – indicator lamp
The indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on with the electronic key in steering
lock position 2 and should go out with the
engine running.
If the indicator lamp does not go out after starting the
engine, the adjustable steering column is not properly
locked.
For locking the adjustable telescoping steering column,
see page 78.
Seat belt warning lamp
With the electronic key in steering lock
position 2, the seat belt warning lamp comes
on and a warning sounds for approx.
6 seconds if the driver’s seat belt is not fastened.Malfunction and indicator lamps in the center
console
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
The 7 indicator lamp will light up for approx.
6 seconds when you turn the electronic key in steering
lock to position 1 or 2.
The 7 indicator lamp stays lit as long as a
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat is properly installed
on the front passenger seat. It indicates that the front
passenger airbag is switched off.
See page 65 for BabySmart
TM deactivation system.
BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.