Page 387 of 522
386 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant temperature
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 330).
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.
The red coolant temperature
warning lamp comes on while
driving and you hear a warning
sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
248°F (120°C).
Stop as soon as possible in a safe lo-
cation and allow the engine and cool-
ant to cool down.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated 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 which can occur just by open-
ing the engine hood. Stay away from the en-
gine 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 388 of 522
387 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
l
Only vehicles with Distronic*:
The red distance 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.
Only vehicles with Distronic*:
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning chime 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.
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 321).
Page 389 of 522
388 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
<
The red seat belt telltale comes
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.
You hear a warning chime for a
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.
The red seat belt telltale comes
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.
Page 390 of 522
389 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
<
During driving the red seat belt
telltale flashes and you addi-
tionally 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.
i
After 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 driver
and front passenger’s seat belt are fastened, or
the vehicle is standing still and a front door is
opened.
Page 391 of 522
390 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
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 activate in an accident.
Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
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 activated 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 393 of 522
392 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Warning!
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Page 394 of 522
393 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
(USA only)75The indicator lamp illuminates and remains
illuminated with the weight of a typical adult
or someone 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.
Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display and follow cor-
rective steps (
page 403).
Warning!
G
If the
75
indicator lamp
illuminates and remains illuminated with the
weight of a typical adult or someone larger
than a small individual on the front passen-
ger seat, do not have any passenger use the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
Page 395 of 522
394 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
(USA only)75The 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 passenger
seat.
The system is malfunctioning.
Make sure that there is nothing between seat cush-
ion and child seat and check installation of the child
seat.
Make sure that no objects applying supplemental
weight onto the seat are present.
Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the
seat are present (e.g. objects such as books, brief-
cases etc. lodged behind or around the seat, head
restraints pushing against roof etc.). The system
may recognize such forces as supplemental weight.
If the light remains out, have the system checked as
soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not transport a child on the front passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.
Read and observe messages in the multifunction
display and follow corrective steps (
page 403).
Warning!
G
If the
75
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 passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.
