312 OperationDriving instructionsHigh-performance brake system
(E 63 AMG only)
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed to operate under the extremely high
operating demands required to accommo-
date the performance capabilities of the
vehicle. The brakes may produce a squeak-
ing-type noise depending on the
vehicle speed
brake force applied
ambient conditions, e.g. temperature
and humidity
As with any brake system, the wear of indi-
vidual brake system components such as
brake pads or disks strongly depends on
your driving style and the conditions under
which you operate the vehicle. Thus, a driv-
ing style calling for high demand braking
will cause your vehicle’s brakes to wear
more quickly.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
Warning!
G
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until
that time, you may need to use increased
brake pedal pressure while braking. Please
be aware of this and adjust your driving and
braking accordingly during this break-in
period.
Excessive high demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition mes-
sages in the multifunction display. Especial-
ly for high performance driving, it is
important to maintain and have the brake
system checked regularly.
!
When driving off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an extended
period with the ESP
® switched off. Doing so may
cause serious damage to the drivetrain which is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
367 Operation
Maintenance
Clearing the maintenance service
indicator message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage is automatically cleared
after approximately 10 seconds, when
you switch on the ignition or when
reaching the service threshold while
driving
after approximately 30 seconds, once
the suggested maintenance service
term has passed
You can also clear it yourself:
Press the reset button 1 on the left
side of the instrument cluster.The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 151).
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested main-
tenance service term, you will see the fol-
lowing message in the multifunction
display:
Service A exceeded by XXXXX miles (km)
Service A exceeded by XXX days
Service A exceeded by X day In addition, a signal sounds when the mes-
sage appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.
i
Vehicles equipped with FSS PLUS (F
lexible
S
ervice S
ystem PLUS) only (Canada vehicles, de-
pending on vehicle production date):
FSS PLUS evaluates engine temperature, oil
level, vehicle speed, engine speed, distance
driven and the time elapsed since the last
service and calculates other maintenance
service work required.
The interval between maintenance services
depends on your driving habits. A gentle driv-
ing style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short-distance trips will length-
en the interval between services.
380 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in 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
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS, ESP
®, EBP and
PRE-SAFE
® are also switched off (see
messages in the multifunction display).
The brake system is still functioning normally
but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as the Parktronic system*,
Distronic*, or the automatic transmission
may also be malfunctioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.
Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display (
page 396).
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.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery might not be charged sufficiently.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again and
the ABS indicator lamp should go out.
If the ABS indicator lamp does not go out:
Have the generator (alternator) and
the battery checked.
396 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Vehicle status messages in the multi-function display
Warning and malfunction messages ap-
pear 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 151) displays both cleared and
uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the mul-
tifunction display in red color.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 148) or
buttonj, k, ÿ or è on the
multifunction steering wheel.
Other messages of high priority and mes-
sages of less immediate priority can be
cleared from the multifunction display us-
ing the reset button (
page 148) or
buttonj, k, ÿ or è on the
multifunction steering wheel. They are
then stored in the vehicle status message
memory (
page 164). Remember that
clearing a message will only make the mes-
sage disappear. Clearing a message will
not correct the condition that caused the
message to appear.
Warning!
G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated, ad-
dressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property dam-
age or personal injury.
397 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 ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:
Text messages (
page 398)
Symbol messages (
page 411)
Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play 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 mes-
sages 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.i
Switching on the ignition causes all instru-
ment cluster lamps (except low beam headlamp
indicator lamp, high beam headlamp indicator
lamp, and turn signal indicator lamps unless ac-
tivated) as well as the multifunction display to
come on. Make sure the lamps and multifunction
display are in working order before starting your
journey.
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.
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.
415 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operation conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, turn engine off
The coolant is too hot.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so and immediate-
ly turn off the engine.
Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could other-
wise damage the engine.
Apply the parking brake (
page 62).
Observe the coolant temperature indica-
tor in the instrument cluster (
page 27).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
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
opening the engine hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.
!
The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Do-
ing so may cause serious damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.