2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C280 Owner's Manual

328 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
The yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp in the fuel gauge
(
page 24) comes on while
driving.
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.Refuel at the next gas station
(
page 271).
on for a maximum of 6 seconds
after starting the engine.The seat belt telltale reminds you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts before
driving off.Fasten your seat belts.
Regardless of whether the seat belts
are fastened or not, the seat belt tell-
tale always comes on and remains lit
for 6 seconds after starting the
engine.
maximum of 6 seconds after
starting the engine.You have forgotten to fasten your seat belt.Fasten your seat belt.
The warning chime stops sounding.
on while the vehicle is standing
still and the engine is running or
during driving.You and/or your front passenger have for-
gotten to fasten your seat belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out.

329 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
telltale flashes and you addition-
ally hear an intermittent warning
chime with increasing intensity.The vehicle’s speed once exceeded 15 mph
(25 km/h) and you and/or your front pas-
senger have forgotten to fasten your seat
belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
iAfter 60 seconds with an unfastened seat
belt the warning chime stops sounding and the
seat belt telltale illuminates continuously. The
seat belt telltale will only go out if both, the driv-
er’s and the front passenger’s seat belt are fas-
tened, or the vehicle is standing still and a front
door is opened.

330 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
1The red SRS indicator lamp comes
on while driving.There is a malfunction in the restraint
systems. The air bags or emergency
tensioning devices (ETDs) could deploy
unexpectedly or fail to deploy in an acci-
dent.Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is
indicated 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 accident, 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.

331 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamp in center console
ProblemPossible cause/conse-
quenceSuggested solution
56The 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 multifunction
display and follow corrective steps
(
page 333).
Warning!G
If the 56indicator lamp illuminates
and remains illuminated with the weight of a
typical 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.

332 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/conse-
quenceSuggested solution
56The front passenger front
air bag off indicator lamp
does not illuminate
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 passen-
ger seat. The system is malfunctioning.Make sure there is nothing between 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 pos-
sible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. Do not
transport a child on the front passenger seat until the
system has been repaired.
Also note any messages in the multifunction display
and follow corrective steps (
page 337).
Warning!G
If the 56indicator 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.

333 Practical hints
What to do if …
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display
Warning and malfunction messages
appear in the multifunction display located
in the instrument cluster.
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 vehicle status message
memory menu in the control system
(
page 130) displays both cleared and
uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the
multifunction display in red color.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 118) or
buttonj, k, ÿ, orè on the
steering wheel.
Other messages of high priority and
messages of less immediate priority can
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 118) or
buttonj, k, ÿ, orè on the
steering wheel. They are then stored in the
vehicle status message memory
(
page 130). Remember that clearing a
message will only make the message
disappear. Clearing a message will not
correct the condition that caused the
message to appear.
Warning!G
All categories of messages contain
important information which should be
taken note of and, where a malfunction is
indicated, addressed as soon as possible at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property
damage or personal injury.

334 Practical hints
What to do if …
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may
appear in the multifunction display.
For your convenience the messages are
divided into two sections:

Text messages (page 335)

Symbol messages (page 343)
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature,
warning/indicator lamps,
malfunction/warning messages or the
failure of any systems. Driving
characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
iSwitching on the ignition causes all
instrument cluster lamps (except low beam
headlamp indicator lamp, high beam headlamp
indicator lamp, and turn signal indicator lamps
unless activated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps and multi-
function display are in working order before
starting your journey.

335 Practical hints
What to do if …
Text messages
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
ABSABS, ESP
inoperative
See
Operator’s
ManualThe ABS and ESP® are not available due to
a malfunction.
The BAS is also deactivated.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without but without the
systems specified above.Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels will 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.
Cruise cont.
and SPEED-
TRONICinoperativeCruise control is malfunctioning.Have the cruise control checked by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
ESPinoperative
See
Operator’s
ManualThe ESP® has switched off due to a
malfunction.
The ABS and the BAS might not be opera-
tional.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without the systems speci-
fied above.Continue driving with added caution.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.