2003 MERCEDES-BENZ S430 4MATIC Owner's Manual

289 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

290 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?
What to do if …?Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If a bulb in the instrument cluster fails to
light up during the bulb self-check when turning the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position2, have it checked and replaced
if necessary.Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ESP warning lamp
lights up while driving.
The ESP is deactivated.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road, weather, and traffic conditions.

Turn the ESP back on (
page 80).
If the ESP cannot be turned back on, have
the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possi-
ble.
v
The yellow ESP warning lamp
flashes while driving.
The ESP or traction control has come into op-
eration because of detected traction loss in
at least one tire.
Distronic* is deactivated.

When driving off, apply as little throt-
tle as possible.

While driving, ease up on the acceler-
ator.

Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.

Do not deactivate the ESP. Excep-
tions: (
page 80).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of accidents.

291 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS malfunction indi-
cator lamp comes on while driv-
ing.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS and the ESP are also
switched off (see messages in display).
The brake system is still functioning normally
but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as Parktronic*, Distronic*,
the navigation system, and the automatic
transmission can also malfunction.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts and the ABS has switched off.

When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again.

If necessary, have the generator and
battery checked.
l
The red Distronic warning lamp
lights up while driving.
You are too close to the vehicle in front of you
to maintain selected speed.

Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
l
The red Distronic warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.


You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle
ahead of you.


The distance warning system has recog-
nized a stationary obstacle on your prob-
able line of travel.

Apply the brakes immediately.

Carefully observe the traffic situation.
You may need to brake or maneuver
to avoid hitting an obstacle.

292 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
1
The red SRS indicator lamp lights
up while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The airbags or emergency tensioning
devices (ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to activate in an accident.

Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
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 acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could result in an acci-
dent and/or injury to you or to others.

293 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)The red brake warning lamp
lights up while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
You are driving with the parking brake set.

Release the parking brake
(page 44).
The red brake warning lamp
lights up while driving.
There is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir.

Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Do not add
brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your
brake system checked immediately if the
brake warning lamp stays on. Don’t add
brake fluid before checking the brake
system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can re-
sult in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
can be seriously burned.
!If 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.

294 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
?
The yellow “CHECK ENGINE”
malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction in:

The fuel management system


The ignition system


The emission control system


Systems which affect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive
emissions values and may switch the engine
to its limp-home (emergency operation)
mode.

Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is
used by the service station to link the
vehicle to the shop diagnostics sys-
tem. It allows the accurate identifica-
tion of system malfunctions through
the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located in the front left
area of the footwell next to the park-
ing brake pedal.
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.

Close the fuel cap.
Your gas tank is empty.

After refuelling, start the engine three
or four times in succession.
The limp-home mode is canceled. You do
not need to have your vehicle checked.
The yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp lights up while
driving.
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 261).
<
The red seat belt warning lamp
blinks for a brief period after
starting the engine.
The warning lamp reminds you to fasten seat
belts.

Fasten your seat belt.

295 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
The PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp lights up.
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the front
passenger airbag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning when there is
no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the
front passenger seat.

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp does not light up with a BabySmart
TM
child seat properly installed on the front
passenger seat.The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure that there is nothing be-
tween seat cushion and child seat and
check installation of the child seat.

If the light remains out, have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint
to transport children on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired.

296 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Messages in the display
The control system shows warning and
malfunction messages in the multifunction
display.
Certain warning and malfunction messag-
es are accompanied by an audible signal.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.
Selecting the malfunction memory menu in
the control system (
page 130) displays
both cleared and uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the mul-
tifunction display in red color.
Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset buttonJ
(page 22).Other high-priority messages and messag-
es of less immediate priority (regular dis-
play colors) can be cleared from the
multifunction display using the reset
button
J
(page 22) and are then stored
in the malfunction message memory
(
page 145).
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of all the messages that may
appear in the display. High priority mes-
sages appear on a red background.Warning!
G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated, ad-
dressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property dam-
age or personal injury.
Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
Contact your nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.iTurning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position2, or pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button twice
to position2 causes all lamps as well
as the multifunction display to come
on. Ensure that they are all in working
order before starting your journey.