Page 404 of 521
403 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Symbol messages
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
#The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:
broken poly-V-belt
alternator malfunctioning
Stop immediately in a safe location or
as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an
inoperative water pump which may
result in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Drive immediately to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Low Voltage
Charge BatteryThe battery has insufficient voltage.Start the engine (page 51).
Low Voltage
Switch Off
ConsumersThe battery has insufficient voltage.Turn off unnecessary electrical con-
sumers.
Page 405 of 521

404 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
2Brake WearThe brake pads have reached their
wear limit.Have the brake pads replaced as soon as
possible.
;(USA only)
!(Canada only)
Release
Parking BrakeYou are driving with the parking brake
set.Release the parking brake (page 53).
;(USA only)
3 (Canada only)
Check
Brake Fluid
LevelThere is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle in a safe
location or as soon as it is safe to do so
and notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not add brake fluid! This will
not solve the problem.
Warning!G
Driving with the message Check Brake
Fluid Level
displayed can result in an ac-
cident. Have your brake system checked im-
mediately. Do not add brake fluid before
checking the brake system. Overfilling the
brake fluid reservoir can result in spilling
brake fluid on hot engine parts and the
brake fluid catching fire. You could be seri-
ously 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.!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the intervals
specified in the Maintenance Booklet.
Page 406 of 521

405 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
úVisit workshopThere may be a malfunction in the
fuel injection system
ignition system
exhaust system
fuel system
Have the measuring system checked
at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
B Top Up
Coolant
See Operator’s Man.The coolant level is too low.Add coolant (page 328).
If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You could be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant level
warning. Extended driving with the message and
symbol displayed may cause serious engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount of coolant
in the cooling system. The engine will overheat,
causing major engine damage.
Page 407 of 521
406 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
•Coolant
Stop vehicle,
turn engine off.The coolant is too hot.
Among other possible causes, the
poly-V-belt could be broken.Stop the vehicle in a safe location or
as soon as it is safe to do so.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Turn off the engine.
Check the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in damage to the engine. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Wait for the message to disappear be-
fore restarting the engine.
Doing otherwise could result in seri-
ous engine damage that is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited War-
ranty.
(Continued on next page)
Page 410 of 521

409 Practical hints
What to do if …?
When the message Check oil level at
next refueling.
appears while the engine
is running and at operating temperature,
the engine oil level has dropped to
approximately the minimum level.When this occurs, the warning is at first in-
termittent and then remains on if the oil
level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If there are no
obvious oil leaks, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station to refill the engine oil to the re-
quired level.
For information on approved engine oils,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
:Check oil level
at next refueling
.
The engine oil level has dropped to a
critical level.Check the engine oil level
(
page 325) and add oil as required
(
page 327).
If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
!Engine oil level warnings should not be ig-
nored. Extended driving with the symbol dis-
played could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.
Page 431 of 521

430 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency (Cabriolet)
Operating roll bars manually
Releasing roll bars manually
If the roll bar system is malfunctioning, you
can release the roll bars manually.Close the soft top (page 261).
Open the trunk (page 110).
Fold back the luggage cover
(
page 264).
Take hex wrench out of its storage
location in the storage well casing
(
page 422).
1Perforation
Push hex wrench through
perforation1 in trim of rear wall in
trunk.
2Hex wrench
Warning!G
If the yellow roll bar warning lamp in
the clock does not go out after starting the
engine, or if it comes on while driving, then
the roll bar system is not operating properly
and may not activate in an accident. In this
case, raise the roll bars manually before
continuing to drive.
For safety reasons drive only with the roll
bars raised until the malfunction is repaired.
Have your vehicle checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
iWith the roll bars released, the soft top can-
not be operated using the soft top switch and the
rear head restraints cannot be lowered using the
rear head restraint lowering switch.
Warning!G
Make sure no one is located in the roll bar’s
path of motion while the next steps are be-
ing carried out.
When the roll bar is manually released, the
rear head restraints and the roll bar under-
neath shoot up almost instantaneously.
Page 433 of 521

432 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency (Cabriolet)
Soft top emergency operation
If the soft top cannot be automatically
closed, check the following:
Is the luggage cover engaged in place
(
page 264)?
Have the roll bars been released? If so,
lower the roll bars manually
(
page 431).
Is the trunk lid closed (page 112)?
Is there sufficient on-board voltage?
Start the engine if necessary.
These messages will also appear in the
multifunction display (
page 420).
If automatic operation still does not func-
tion properly, you can close the soft top
manually.
This procedure should be performed with
great care by two persons.
Engage parking brake.
Lower the side windows.
Lower rear head restraints
(
page 123).
For safety reasons, remove SmartKey
from starter switch.
Open the trunk.
Remove the trunk floor cover.
Take the two straps for soft top emer-
gency operation out of vehicle tool kit
(
page 422).
Take hex wrench out of its storage
location in the storage well casing
(
page 422).
Open the left side trim panel in the
trunk.
!Manually closing the soft top is a complicat-
ed and technically demanding procedure. Close
the soft top manually in emergency cases only.
Otherwise, visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Please read the instructions fully before
beginning operation and only undertake it with
another person and if you feel fully capable of
performing the tasks involved.
Warning!G
It is important that a second person
helps you. Otherwise, you could become
trapped or injured.
Remove any wristwatches or jewelry
such as rings or bracelets. Otherwise,
they could get caught in the vehicle
mechanism, causing personal injury to
yourself or damage to the vehicle.
Always use the grips provided as indi-
cated. Otherwise you could injure your-
self.
iIf the rear head restraints cannot be lowered
using the rear head restraint lowering switch, the
roll bars may have been released. For more infor-
mation, see “Operating roll bars manually”
(
page 430).
Page 465 of 521

464 Practical hints
Battery
The battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side.
1Clamps
Removing filter box:
Release clamps1.
Remove filter box.
Installing filter box:
Insert filter box properly.
Secure it with clamps1.
Warning!G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Observe all safety instructions and
precautions when handling automotive
batteries (
page 329).
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery terminal
clamps while the engine is running or the
SmartKey is in the starter switch. Otherwise the
alternator and other electronic components
could be severely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Maintenance Booklet for maintenance
intervals or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further information.
Warning!G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.