Page 301 of 399
301 Practical hints
What to do if …
P
Gear selector lever in P
You have turned off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button* and
opened the driver’s door.
Place the selector lever in position P.
Cruise control
Visit workshop!
Cruise control or Distronic* is malfunction-
ing.
Have the cruise control or Distronic*
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
1
Restraint system
malfunction
Visit workshop!
The system is malfunctioning.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
@
Vehicle rising!
Your vehicle is adjusting to your level selec-
tion.
Level selec. canceled
The "Raised" level setting is canceled at ve-
hicle speeds of over 75 mph (120 km/h).
Reactivate the "Raised" level setting.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the
SRS may not be activated when needed in
an accident, which could result in serious or
fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly
and unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 303 of 399
303 Practical hints
What to do if …
G
Display defective
The instrument cluster display is malfunc-
tioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
G
Display defective
Visit workshop!
The displays for several systems have mal-
functioned. Some systems themselves may
also have malfunctioned.
Have the electronic systems
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
L
Visit workshop!
One or more main functions of the Tele Aid
system are malfunctioning.
Have the Tele Aid system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
#
Malfunction
Electrical consumers
switched off
The consumer battery has insufficient volt-
age and can no longer supply the conve-
nience functions such as seat ventilation*.
The electrical consumers will come back
online as soon as on-board voltage is
sufficient.
#
Battery/Alternator
Stop vehicle!
The battery is malfunctioning.
The SBC brake system requires electrical
energy and therefore has only limited oper-
ation. Considerably greater brake pedal
force is required and the stopping distance
is increased.
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. Adjust driving to be consis-
tent with reduced braking respon-
siveness.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
#
Undervoltage
Charge battery
The battery has insufficient voltage.
Start the engine (
page 43).
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
ProCarManuals.com
Page 307 of 399
307 Practical hints
What to do if …
Except Canada:;Canada only:3
Brakes overheated!
Drive carefully!
The brake system is overheated due to an
excessive load on the brakes.
Relieve the load on the brake sys-
tem.
Drive more smoothly and think
ahead to avoid unnecessary braking.
When driving down slopes, shift into
a lower gear to use the engine’s brak-
ing power (
page 153).
Cautiously continue driving so that
the air stream will cool down the
brakes.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Warning!
G
Driving while these messages are displayed
can result in an accident. Have your brake
system checked immediately.
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly
equipment. A tow bar must be used if cir-
cumstances do not permit the use of the
recommended towing methods and the ve-
hicle requires towing with all four wheels on
the ground. Towing the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground is only permissible for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For
more information, refer to "Towing the vehi-
cle" (
page 348).
If the SBC brake system enters its
limp-home (emergency operation) mode,
the driver must apply significantly greater
brake pedal pressure and depress the pedal
much further than normal to obtain braking
effect. If necessary, apply full pressure to
the brake pedal. Brakes are only applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased!
Low brake fluid in the reservoir may cause
the braking system to fail!
Don’t add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid
ProCarManuals.com
Page 308 of 399
308 Practical hintsWhat to do if …reservoir can result in spilling brake fluid on
hot engine parts and the brake fluid catch-
ing fire. You can be seriously burned.iIf you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks.!Brake pad thickness must be visually
inspected at the intervals specified in
the Service Booklet.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 309 of 399
309 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
F
Key
Check battery!
The batteries in the KEYLESS-GO*
key are discharged.
Change the batteries (
page 328).
Key
not recognized!
The KEYLESS-GO* key is not recog-
nized while the engine is running be-
cause
the card is not in the vehicle
there is strong radio-frequency
interference
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.
Search for the card or continue to operate
the vehicle with the key.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be centrally
locked nor can the engine be started again
after the engine is stopped.
The KEYLESS-GO* key is momen-
tarily not recognized.
Change the position of the card in the vehi-
cle.
Operate the vehicle with the key if neces-
sary.
ì
Function
Not available!
This display appears if button ì
or í on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel is pressed and the vehicle
is not equipped with a telephone.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 311 of 399
311 Practical hints
What to do if …
W
Washer fluid
Check level
The fluid level has dropped to about 1/3 of total reservoir capacity.
Add washer fluid (
page 267).
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.
Add coolant (
page 264).
If you have to add coolant frequently, have
the cooling system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Ï
Coolant
Visit workshop!
The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.
Observe the coolant temperature display.
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat causing major en-
gine damage.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 312 of 399
312 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The coolant is too hot.
The poly-V-belt could be broken.
Stop the vehicle.
Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine.
Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken, do not drive any further.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If it is in order, drive immediately to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down. The engine should not be oper-
ated with the coolant temperature above
266°F (130°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 344 of 399
344 Practical hintsBatteries
Disconnecting the battery
Depress the parking brake firmly or
move the gear selector lever to
positionP.
Open the trunk (
page 261).
Disconnect battery negative lead1.
Remove cover2 from the positive ter-
minal.
Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw-nuts securing the
battery.
Remove the battery bracket.
Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling the battery
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.
Reinstall the charged battery. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the starter switch. Oth-
erwise the alternator and other elec-
tronic components could be severely
damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further infor-
mation.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery
the brake boosting effect is not avail-
able.
You need more power to brake and
brake pedal travel is increased. If neces-
sary, you must depress the brake pedal
with full power.
you can no longer turn the ignition key
or, in cars with KEYLESS-GO*, pressing
the KEY-LESS-GO button* on the gear
selector lever has no effect.
the gear selector lever is locked in
position P.
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