2007 MERCEDES-BENZ E550 4MATIC Owner's Manual

400 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
Distronic* is switched off and is
temporarily unavailable.
Distronic* is deactivated if:

the Distronic* cover in the radi-
ator grille is dirty


its function is impaired by
heavy precipitation or fog

If necessary, clean the Distronic* cover in the area
of the radiator grille (
page 373).

Restart the vehicle.
or
Distronic* becomes operational again without the en-
gine being restarted when:


dirt on the radiator grille has fallen off while driving
(e.g. slush or snow)


the system recognizes full sensor availability (due to
lessening rain or the road surface drying)


the message in the multifunction display disappears


the speed last stored flashes in the display for
5 seconds.
You can operate Distronic* as usual again.

401 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
Distronic* is deactivated because the
functionality is impaired by external in-
terferences, e.g. high-frequency sources
such as too stations, speed measuring
systems etc.

Leave the area of the external interference.

Activate Distronic* again (
page 257) when
the message
DISTRONIC available
again ap-
pears.
Distronic* is deactivated because the
Distronic* sensor has not sensed any
other vehicles or objects, e.g. roadsign or
such, for a long time.

Activate Distronic* again (
page 257) when
the message
DISTRONIC available
again ap-
pears.
Warning!
G
Distronic cannot take weather conditions
into account. Switch off Distronic* or do not
turn it on if the sensor is dirty or visibility is
diminished as a result of snow, rain or fog.
The distance control may be impaired even
before the system is able to detect a dirty
sensor. The message
DISTRONIC
currently unavailable
See Operator’s Manualwill be displayed in the multifunction display
and Distronic* will be turned off.

402 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ESP
inoperative
See Operator’s Man.
The ESP
® as well as BAS and
PRE-SAFE® have detected a mal-
function and switched off.
The ABS may not be operational.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without the ABS, BAS,
ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® available.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.

403 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
(USA only)Front passenger
airbag enabled
See Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front air bag is
activated while driving even
though a child, small individual, or
object below the system’s weight
threshold is on the front passen-
ger seat, or the front passenger
seat is empty. Objects on the seat
or forces acting on the seat may
make the system sense supple-
mental weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the
front passenger seat for the following:
Apply the parking brake.

Switch off the ignition (
page 38).

Open the front passenger door.

Remove child and child restraint from front passenger seat and
properly secure the child in rear seat employing the child restraint
if necessary.

Remove any other items from on and around the front passenger
seat and make sure the storage pocket on the back of the front pas-
senger seat is empty.

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are
present (e.g. objects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged behind
or around the seat, head restraints pushing against roof etc.). The
system may recognize such forces as supplemental weight and
sense that an occupant on the front passenger seat is of a greater
weight than actually present.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and turn
on the ignition (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

404 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/conse-
quence
Possible solutionMonitor the 75 indicator lamp on the center console (
page 29) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 26) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,


the 75 indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 80) has deactivated the
front passenger front air bag.


the message
Front passenger airbag enabled See Operator’s Manual
or the
message
Front passenger airbag disabled See Operator’s Manual
should
not appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait
at least 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and
to make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again. De-
pending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 80), the
75 indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the 75indicator lamp
remains out even after performing the above
corrective steps, do not have any children
12 years old and under and
other small individuals use the front passen-
ger seat until the system has been repaired.

405 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
(USA only)Front passenger
airbag disabled
See Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front air bag is
deactivated while driving even
though an adult or someone
larger than a small individual is
occupying the front passenger
seat. Forces acting on the seat
may make the system sense a
decrease in weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front
passenger seat for the following:
Apply the parking brake.

Switch off the ignition (
page 38).

Have the front passenger vacate the seat and exit the vehicle.

Adjust the seat in a height position (
page 43).

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present
(e.g. objects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged underneath, be-
hind or around the seat). Such forces may cause the system to sense
that an occupant of a lesser weight than actually present is on the
front passenger seat.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and turn on
the ignition (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

406 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/conse-
quence
Possible solutionMonitor the 75 indicator lamp on the center console (
page 29) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 26) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,


the 75 indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 80) has deactivated the
front passenger front air bag.


the message
Front passenger airbag enabled See Operator’s Manual
or the
message
Front passenger airbag disabled See Operator’s Manual
should
not appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait
at least 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and
to make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again. De-
pending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 80), the
75 indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the 75 indicator lamp
remains illuminated with an adult occupant
on the front passenger seat even after per-
forming the above corrective steps,
do not have any passenger use the front
passenger seat until the system has been
repaired.

407 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Gear selector lever
in Park position
You have tried to start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button with the
gear selector lever not in positionP.

Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
You have tried to turn off the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button with the
gear selector lever not in positionP.
P/N
Shift gear select. lever
to Neutral or Park
You have tried to start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button while the
gear selector lever was in positionR orD.

Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orN. Make sure the brake pedal is de-
pressed.
PRE-SAFE
inoperative
See Operator’s Man.
PRE-SAFE
® itself has failed. All other occu-
pant safety systems, such as the air bags, are
still available.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
If ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
® malfunction messag-
es are displayed simultaneously, PRE-SAFE
®
has been deactivated as a result of these
malfunctions. All other occupant safety sys-
tems, such as the air bags, are still available.