2008 MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV Owners Manual

Troubleshooting
214 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
v
Theyellow ESP ®
warning
lamp is lit while the engine
is running. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated. ESP ®
will
not stabilise the vehicle if it starts
to skid or if a wheel starts to spin. X
Reactivate ESP ®
.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions. You have engaged the differential
locks. ABS, ESP
®
, 4ETS and BAS
have been deactivated. X
Disengage the differential locks.
Subsequently ABS, ESP ®
, 4ETS and BAS are reactivated.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194). 1
The red SRS warning lamp
is lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of injury
The restraint systems are mal-
functioning. The airbags or belt
tensioners may either be trig-
gered unintentionally or, in the
event of an accident, not at all. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. The parking brake is applied. X
Release the parking brake.
The warning lamp goes out. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while you are driving. You
will also hear a warning
tone. You are driving with the parking
brake applied. X
Release the parking brake.
The warning lamp goes out and the warning tone ceases. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
215Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in
the fluid reservoir. X
Do not continue driving under an y circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194).
X Under no circumstances should you top up the brake fluid. This will
not rectify the fault. ±
The yellow engine diagnos-
tics warning lamp comes
on while the engine is run-
ning. Vehicles with a diesel engine: the
fuel tank has run dry. X
Start the engine three to four times after refuelling.
Emergency running mode is cancelled. The vehicle need not be
checked. There may be a malfunction:
R
in the fuel injection system
R in the exhaust system
R in the ignition system (on vehi-
cles with a petrol engine)
The emission limit values may be
exceeded and the engine may be
running in emergency mode. X
Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. The engine electronics are mal-
functioning. The engine power
output is reduced. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
X Do not drive at full throttle and do not exceed an engine speed of
2,500 rpm. The diesel particle filter* is full
and can no longer be regenerated
(self-cleaning). X
Have the diesel particle filter* checked at a qualified specialist
workshop as soon as possible. Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
216 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
<
The red seat belt warning
lamp lights up for 6 sec-
onds at most after starting
the engine. G
Risk of injury
The driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. X
Fasten your seat belt ( Ypage 71).
The warning lamp goes out. G
Risk of injury
There are objects on the front-
passenger seat X
Remove the objects from the front-passenger seat and stow them
safely.
The warning lamp goes out. A
The yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. The fuel level has fallen below the
reserve range. The operation of
the auxiliary heating* can no lon-
ger be guaranteed. X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. q
On diesel engine vehicles
the preglow indicator lamp
does not light up when the
key is in position 2. The pre-glow system is malfunc-
tioning. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
217Warning tones
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The alarm of the anti-theft warn-
ing system* is triggered. You have opened the vehicle
using the emergency key element
without deactivating the anti-
theft alarm system* first. X
Switch off the alarm (Y page 51).You hear a warning tone. A message appears in the multi-
function displa
y. X
Observe the messages in the multi-function display (Y page 194).You hear a warning tone. You are driving with the parking
brake applied. X
Release the parking brake. You hear a warning tone. You have opened the driver's
door without switching off the
lights first. X
Turn the light switch to MorU. You hear a warning tone.
G
Risk of injury
The driver or front passenger has
not fastened their seat belt X
Fasten your seat belt ( Ypage 71). Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
218 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
You hear a warning tone. Vehicles with automatic trans-
mission:
You have:
R
switched off the engine
R opened the driver's door
R not moved the selector lever to
position P X
Move the selector lever to P.Accident
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
Fuel is leaking from the vehicle.
G
Risk of fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank has
been damaged. The leaking fuel
creates a risk of fire or explosion. X
Switch off the ignition immediatel y.
X Remove the ignition key.
Do not restart the engine under any circumstances. The leaking fuel
creates a risk of fire or explosion.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. You are unable to determine the
extent of the damage. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. You cannot detect any damage. X
Start the engine as normal. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
219Fuel and fuel tank
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
Fuel is leaking from the vehicle.
G
Risk of explosion or fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank is
defective. X
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock immediatel y and
remove it.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap cannot be
opened. The fuel filler flap is not released. X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 229). The opening mechanism is jam-
med. X
Release the fuel filler flap by hand (Y page 230).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel tank of a vehicle with a
diesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry. There is air in the fuel system. X
Refuel the vehicle.
X Switch on the ignition for approximately 10 seconds (key in posi-
tion 2in the ignition lock).
X Start the engine continuously for up to 40 seconds until it runs
smoothly.
The fuel system is now free of air.
If the engine does not start:
X Wait two minutes.
X Repeat the starting procedure for up to 40 seconds.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
220 Engine
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The engine will not start. You can
hear the starter motor operating. R
There is a malfunction in the
engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the
fuel supply. X
Turn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before the next
starting attempt.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 86). When doing so, remember
that excessively long and frequent attempts to start the engine will
drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a diesel engine:
The engine will not start. You can
hear the starter motor operating.
The reserve fuel warning lamp is
on and the fuel gauge shows 0. The fuel tank has been run dry. X
Refuel the vehicle.
X Bleed the fuel system (Y page 219).The engine will not start. You can-
not hear the starter motor oper-
ating. The on-board voltage is too low
because the starter battery is too
weak or discharged. X
Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 251).
If the engine does not start despite attempting to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a petrol engine:
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the
engine electronics or a mechani-
cal component of the engine con-
trol unit. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
221Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
A coolant temperature of over
120 † is displa
yed. The coolant
warning lamp may also be on and
a warning tone may sound
(Y page 96). The coolant level is too low. The
coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 161). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the
radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120 °C, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop/start driving. Practical advice
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