Page 353 of 498

351 Operation
Vehicle care
Window cleaning
Fold wiper arm forward until it snaps
into place.
Use a window cleaning solution on all
glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Light alloy wheels
Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
should be used for regular cleaning of the
light alloy wheels.
If possible, clean wheels once a week with
Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care, us-
ing a soft bristle brush and a strong spray
of water.
Follow instructions on container.Instrument cluster
Use a gentle dishwashing detergent or
mild detergent for delicate fabrics as a
washing solution. Wipe with a cloth moist-
ened in lukewarm solution. Do not use
scouring agents.
Steering wheel and gear selector lever
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly
or clean with Mercedes-Benz approved
Leather Care.
Cup holder
Use a gentle dishwashing detergent or
mild detergent for delicate fabrics as a
washing solution. Wipe with a cloth moist-
ened in lukewarm solution. Do not use
scouring agents.
Hard plastic trim items
Pour Mercedes-Benz approved Interior
Care onto soft lint-free cloth and apply
with light pressure.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status
0) before cleaning the windshield.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.iOnly use acid-free cleaning materials.
Acid may cause corrosion or damage
the clear coat.
Page 354 of 498

352 OperationVehicle careHeadliner and rear window shelf
Clean with soft bristle brush, or use a
dry-shampoo cleaner in case of excessive
dirt.
Seat belts
The webbing must not be treated with
chemical cleaning agents. Only use clear,
lukewarm water and soap. Do not dry the
webbing at temperatures above 176°F
(80°C) or in direct sunlight.Upholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently dis-
colored. By lining the seats with a proper
intermediate cover, contact-discoloration
will be prevented.
Leather upholstery
Wipe leather upholstery with a damp cloth
and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning per-
forated leather as its underside should not
become wet.
Nubuck leather upholstery
(CLK 55 AMG)
The nubuck leather upholstery is treated
with a protective coating. Wipe nubuck
leather upholstery with damp microfiber
cloth to remove dust and other light stains. Carefully dab nubuck leather upholstery
with a dry microfiber cloth to remove oil
stains.
Plastic and rubber parts
Do not use oil or wax on these parts.
Wood trims
Dampen cloth using water and use damp
cloth to clean wood trims in your vehicle.
Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as
these may be abrasive.Warning!
G
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
!Do not use Mercedes-Benz approved
Leather Care or any solvents to clean
nubuck leather upholstery.
Avoid hard scrubbing on nubuck
leather upholstery.
Page 357 of 498

355 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
;
3
(USA only)
(Canada only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
You are driving with the
parking brake set.
Release the parking brake
(page 49).
;
3
(USA only)
(Canada only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving.
There is insufficient brake
fluid in the reservoir.
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. Do not 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.
Page 359 of 498

357 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
•
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
Add coolant to prevent engine from
overheating (
page 313).
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.
Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric ra-
diator fan may be broken.
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.
•
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 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.
Page 360 of 498
358 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ESP warning lamp
comes on while driving.
The ESP is deactivated.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road, weather and traffic conditions.
Switch the ESP back on (
page 88).
If the ESP cannot be switched back on,
have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
v
The yellow ESP warning lamp
flashes while driving.
The ESP or traction control has come into
operation because of detected traction loss
in at least one tire.
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, weather and traffic
conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP.
Exceptions: (
page 87).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
Page 361 of 498

359 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
A
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 305).
<
The red seat belt telltale illumi-
nates for a brief period after
starting the engine.
The seat belt telltale reminds you to fasten
seat belts.
Fasten your seat belt.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
<
The red seat belt telltale illumi-
nates and a warning chime
sounds for approximately six
seconds after starting the en-
gine.
The driver’s seat belt is not fastened before
the engine is started.
Fasten the driver’s seat belt.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
1
The red SRS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The air bags or emergency tensioning
devices (ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to deploy in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
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 deployed when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in an
accident and / or injury to you or to others.
Page 362 of 498
360 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
56
The front passenger front air bag
off indicator lamp illuminates
and remains illuminated with the
weight of a typical adult or some-
one larger than a small individual
on the front passenger seat.
The system is malfunctioning.
Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Also note any messages in the multi-
function display and follow corrective
steps (
page 368).
Warning!
G
If the 56 lamp illuminates and re-
mains illuminated with the weight of a typi-
cal adult or someone larger than a small
individual on the front passenger seat, do
not have any passenger use the front
passenger seat until the system has been
repaired.
Page 363 of 498

361 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
56
The front passenger front air bag
off indicator lamp does not illu-
minate and/or does not remain
illuminated with the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint or less
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.
Make sure that no objects applying
supplemental weight onto the seat
are present.
If the front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp remains out, have the
system checked as soon as possible
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter. Do not transport a child on the
front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.
Also note any messages in the multi-
function display and follow corrective
steps (
page 368).
Warning!
G
If the 56 indicator lamp does not
illuminate or remains out with the
weight of a typical 12-month-old child in a
standard child restraint or less on the front
passenger seat, do not transport a child on
the front passenger seat until the system
has been repaired.