Page 328 of 480
327 Operation
Vehicle care
Wiper blades
Turn on the wipers and place them in a
vertical position.
For information on how to position the wip-
ers in a vertical position, see “Replacing
wiper blades” (
page 397).
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 54).
With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 36).
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before cleaning the wiper blades.
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.
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper
arms are folded forward.
Page 333 of 480
332 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in the instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
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 and weather conditions.
Switch the ESP
® back on (
page 87).
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 ABS/ESP
® warning
lamp flashes while driving.
The ESP
®, ABS, or traction control has come
into operation 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
®.
Exceptions: (
page 86).
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
Page 334 of 480
333 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS and the ESP
® are also
switched off (see messages in display).
The electro-hydraulic brake system is still
functioning normally but without ABS avail-
able.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as Parktronic*, Distronic*,
or the automatic transmission may also be
malfunctioning.
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.
Read and observe messages in the
display (
page 345).
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts and the ABS was switched off.
The battery may not be sufficiently charged.
Switch off electrical consumers that
are currently not needed, e.g. seat
heating.
If necessary, have the generator and
battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again.
Page 335 of 480
334 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
;
(USA only)
3
(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 51).
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running and you hear a warn-
ing sound.
There is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system.
There is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir.
Read and observe messages in the
display (
page 345).
Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle in a safe location or as soon as
it is safe to do so and notify an autho-
rized 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 sys-
tem.
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 336 of 480
335 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
ú
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.
There is a malfunction in:
The fuel injection system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which effect 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.
Check the fuel cap (
page 269).
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 337 of 480
336 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
ú
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.
Your fuel tank is empty.
After refuelling, start, turn off, and re-
start the engine three or four times in
succession.
The limp-home mode is canceled. You
do not need to have your vehicle
checked.
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 278).
Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant temperature is below
248 °F (120 °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
248 °F (120 °C).
Stop in a safe location as soon as pos-
sible and allow the engine and coolant
to cool down.
Page 339 of 480
338 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
E
The red DTR indicator 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.
E
The white DTR indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The Distronic* distance sensor has recog-
nized a vehicle in front of you.
A
The yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp lights while driv-
ing.
The fuel level has dropped below the reserve
mark.
Refuel at the next gas station
(page 269).
The fuel cap is not closed tightly.
Check the fuel cap (
page 269).
Page 340 of 480
339 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
C
The yellow roll bar warning lamp
comes on or flickers when the
engine is running.
The roll bar is not operational.
For safety reasons, always have the roll
bar raised when driving with the retract-
able hardtop open.
Attempt to raise the roll bar manually
(page 75).
Have the roll bar checked by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the roll bar warning lamp does not come
on, does not go out after a long time, flickers
or comes on while driving as described
above, then the roll bar system is not oper-
ating properly and may not activate in an
accident. In this case, raise the roll bar man-
ually (
page 75) before continuing to drive.
