Page 381 of 491
380 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off
The poly-V-belt could be broken.
Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Do not continue to drive the vehicle
with this message displayed. Doing so
could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Warranty.
Drive immediately to the nearest au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Coolant
Visit workshop
The cooling fan for the coolant is malfunc-
tioning.
Observe the coolant temperature dis-
play.
Have the fan replaced as soon as pos-
sible.
Page 383 of 491
382 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:Add 1 Qt. engine oil
at next refuelingCanada only:Add 1 Liter engine oil
at next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.
Add engine oil (
page 302) and
check the engine oil level
(
page 301).
Engine oil level
Stop, engine off
There is no oil in the engine. There is a
danger of engine damage.
Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as possible.
Turn off the engine.
Add engine oil (
page 302) and
check the engine oil level
(
page 301).
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:
the engine
the catalytic converter
Have oil siphoned or drained off. Ob-
serve all legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.
Page 384 of 491

383 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the
Engine oil - Visit workshop
message appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the required
level with an approved oil specified in the
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet.
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
Engine oil
Visit workshop
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.
Check the engine oil level
(page 301) and add oil as required
(page 302).
If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.
Have the engine oil checked.
Engine oil level
Visit workshop
The measuring system is malfunctioning.
Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Page 385 of 491

384 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
%
Hood open
You are driving with the hood open.
Close the hood (
page 299).
F
Key
Check battery
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.
Change the batteries (
page 408).
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running
because
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not in the vehicle
there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference
Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so.
Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be cen-
trally locked nor can the engine be
started again after the engine is
stopped.
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.
Change the position of the SmartKey
in the vehicle.
Operate the vehicle with the
SmartKey in the starter switch if nec-
essary.
Key
still in vehicle
A SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* left in the
vehicle was recognized while locking the
vehicle from the outside.
Take the SmartKey out of the vehicle.
Keyless Go
Check system
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Page 386 of 491

385 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
F
Do not
forget key
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no SmartKey
in the starter switch.
This message is only a reminder.
Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.
Take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.
Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er switch.
Replace key
There is no additional code available for
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
A
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 296).
Check gas cap
See Operator’s Manual
A loss of pressure has been detected in
the fuel system. The fuel cap may not be
closed properly or the fuel system may be
leaky.
Check the fuel cap (
page 297).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 419 of 491

418 Practical hintsFlat tireIn the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the spare wheel when observing
the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km / h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight-ahead position and set the
parking brake.
Move the selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Turn off the engine (
page 57).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button on the
gear selector lever once (
page 59).
Open the driver’s door (this puts the ig-
nition in position0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel and
the collapsible tire are different from those
of the road wheels. As a result, the vehicle
handling characteristics change when driv-
ing with a spare wheel mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quickly as possible.
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Page 421 of 491
420 Practical hintsFlat tireThe jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housing and
in front of the rear wheel housing.
1Jack take-up bracket
2Jack
3Crank
Position jack2 on firm ground under
the respective jack take-up bracket1.Make sure the foot of the jack is directly
under the take-up bracket so that it is al-
ways vertical (plumb-line) as seen from the
side, even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.
Turn crank3 until the tire is a maxi-
mum of 1.2 in (3 cm) off the ground.
Never start engine while vehicle is
raised.
Warning!
G
Position the jack only on the jack take-up
brackets designed for this purpose.
If the jack is not properly positioned, the ve-
hicle may slip off of the jack.Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the vehi-
cle briefly for wheel changes. It is not suited
for performing maintenance work under the
vehicle. Never lie down under the raised ve-
hicle. Do not start the engine when the vehi-
cle is raised.
Page 426 of 491

425 Practical hints
Batteries
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 305).
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for main-
tenance intervals or contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.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
The SBC brake system requires electrical
power to operate.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. The same applies if
battery is disconnected. To brake, the driver
must then apply significantly greater brake
pedal pressure and depress the pedal much
further to obtain the expected braking ef-
fect. If necessary, apply full pressure to the
brake pedal. Brakes may only be applied to
the front wheels. Stopping distance is in-
creased! Adjust your driving style according-
ly. For more information, refer to “SBC brake
system” (
page 92).