2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 warning

375 Operation
Vehicle care
Hard plastic trim items
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Interior
Care, a soft, lint-free cloth and apply
with light pressure.Steering wheel and gear selector lever
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry
thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Carpets
Use Mercedes-Benz approved Carpet
and Fabric Care for cleaning the
carpets.
Headliner and shelf below rear window
Use a soft bristle brush or a
dry-shampoo cleaner in case of
excessive dirt.Seat belts
Only use clear, lukewarm water and
soap.
!Do not use oil, wax or scouring agents on
these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the
surface.
!Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the surface.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the
surface.
!The seat belts must not be treated with
chemical cleaning agents. Do not dry the seat
belts at temperatures above 176°F (80°C) or in
direct sunlight.
Warning!G
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.

376 Operation
Vehicle care
Upholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently
discolored. By lining the seats with a
proper intermediate cover,
contact-discoloration will be prevented.Leather upholstery
Please note that leather upholstery is a
natural product and is therefore subject to
a natural aging process. Leather
upholstery may also react to certain
ambient influences such as high humidity
or high temperature by showing wrinkles
for example.
Wipe leather upholstery with a damp
cloth and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning
perforated leather as its underside should
not become wet.Wood trims
Dampen cloth using water and use
damp cloth to clean wood trims in your
vehicle.
Warning!G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent

deployment of the head-thorax air bags
(CLK cabriolet)

activation of the active head restraints
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for availability.
!Wipe with light pressure to avoid damage to
the upholstery.
!Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as these
may be abrasive.

380 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
;
3 (USA only)
(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 53).
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving.There is insufficient brake fluid
in the reservoir.Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle and notify an authorized
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
system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can re-
sult in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
could 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.

382 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
ú
±(USA only)
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system. The fuel
cap may not be closed properly or
the fuel system may be leaky.Check the fuel cap (page 320).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
•The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is run-
ning.There is insufficient coolant in the
reservoir.Add coolant to prevent engine from overheat-
ing (
page 328).
If this warning lamp comes on fre-
quently, there is a leak in the cooling
system.Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant level is correct, the
electric radiator fan may be broken.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.

383 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
•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.
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 hood. Stay away from the engine 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.
!The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C).
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

385 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
AThe 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 320).
CThe yellow roll bar warning lamp
comes on or flickers when the
engine is running.The roll bar system is malfunctioning.Release the roll bars manually.
Have the system checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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.

386 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
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.
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 driver’s and the front passenger’s seat belt
are fastened, or the vehicle is standing still and a
door is opened.

387 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 supplemental
restraint systems. The air bags or Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) could deploy un-
expectedly or fail to deploy in an accident.Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
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 deployed 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.