2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E500 page 2

311 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ABS / ESP warning
lamp comes on while driving.
The ESP is deactivated. Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions.

Turn the ESP back on (
page 79).
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 ABS / ESP warning
lamp flashes while driving.
The ABS, ESP or traction control has come
into operation because of detected traction
loss in at least one tire. Distronic* is deacti-
vated.
Distronic* is switched off.

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.
Exceptions: (
page 79).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of accidents.

314 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric ra-
diator fan may be broken.

Immediately add coolant to prevent
engine from overheating
(page 285).

Have the cooling system checked.

If the coolant temperature is below
257 °F (125 °C), you can continue
driving to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
257 °F (125 °C).

Stop as soon as possible and allow
the engine and coolant to cool down.
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 the
engine has cooled down.

315 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
l
The red DTR warning lamp
comes on 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 DTR 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.
W
The yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp comes on while
driving.
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 278).
<
The red seat belt warning lamp
flashes for a brief period after
starting the engine.
The warning lamp reminds you to fasten seat
belts.

Fasten your seat belt.

318 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 129) 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 button.Other messages of high priority and mes-
sages of less immediate priority can be
cleared from the multifunction display us-
ing the reset button (
page 22) and are
then stored in the malfunction message
memory (
page 137).
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pe ar i n the di spl ay . High pr iori ty m es sa ge s
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.

325 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
#
Battery/Alternator
Stop vehicle!
The battery is malfunctioning.
The SBC brake system requires electrical
energy and therefore has only limited op-
eration. Considerably greater brake pedal
force is required and the stopping dis-
tance is increased.

Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. Adjust driving to be consis-
tent with reduced braking responsive-
ness.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Undervoltage
Charge battery
The battery has insufficient voltage.

Start the engine (
page 43).
Malfunction
Electrical consumers
switched off
The consumer battery has insufficient
voltage and can no longer supply the con-
venience functions such as seat ventila-
tion*.
The electrical consumers will come back
online as soon as on-board voltage is suf-
ficient.
(
Backrest, rear right
not locked
The rear seat backrest is not engaged.

A d j u s t t h e r e a r s e a t b a c k r e s t u n t i l i t i s
fully engaged in position.
Backrest rear left
not locked
The rear seat backrest is not engaged.

A d j u s t t h e r e a r s e a t b a c k r e s t u n t i l i t i s
fully engaged in position.

327 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Except Canada:;Canada only:3
Reduced
braking effect
Visit workshop!
Longer
stopping dist.
Visit workshop!
The SBC brake system is in emergency
operation mode. Considerable brake ped-
al force is required and the stopping dis-
tance is increased.

Continue driving with added caution.

Adjust driving to be consistent with
reduced braking responsiveness.
Service brake
!
Visit workshop!
There are malfunctions, but the SBC
brake system is operating normally.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Brake overheated!
Drive carefully!
The brake system is overheated due to an
excessive load on the brakes.

Relieve the load on the brake system.

Drive more smoothly and think ahead
to avoid unnecessary braking.

When driving down slopes, shift into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power (
page 159).

Cautiously continue driving so that
the air stream will cool down the
brakes.
Release
park. brake!
You are driving with the parking brake
set.

Release the parking brake
(page 45).

328 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Except Canada:;Canada only:3
Brake fluid
Visit workshop!
There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle and
notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not add brake fluid! This
will not solve the problem.
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 circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle 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 infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 381).
If the SBC brake system enters its emergen-
cy operation mode, the driver must apply
significantly greater brake pedal pressure
and depress the pedal much further than
normal to obtain braking effect. If neces-
sary, apply full pressure to the brake pedal.
Brakes may only be applied to the front
wheels. Stopping distance is increased!
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 res-
ervoir can result in spilling brake fluid on hot
engine parts and the brake fluid catching
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 by a qualified technician at
the intervals specified in the Service
Booklet.

329 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
?
Visit workshop!
There may be a malfunction in the:

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 285).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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.