2008 MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class Vehicle

633 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
±
The yellow engine malfunc-
tion 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.
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Your fuel tank is empty.

After refueling, start, turn off, and re-
start the engine three or four times in
succession.
The Limp-Home Mode is canceled. You do
not need to have your vehicle checked.

634 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
l
PRE-SAFE
® Brake*: The red dis-
tance warning lamp comes on
while driving.
You are too close to the vehicle in front of
you to maintain selected speed.

Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
l
DISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE
®
Brake*: The red distance warn-
ing lamp comes on while driving
and an acoustic warning
sounds.You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle
ahead of you.

Apply the brakes immediately.
DISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE
® Brake* has
recognized a stationary obstacle on your
probable line of travel.

Apply the brakes immediately.

Carefully observe the traffic situation.
You may need to brake or maneuver to
avoid hitting an obstacle.
v
The yellow ESP
® warning lamp
flashes while driving.
The ESP
® or electronic traction system has
come into operation because of detected
traction loss in at least one tire.
Cruise control and DISTRONIC Plus* are de-
activated.

When driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.

While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.

Adapt your speed and driving to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.

Do not deactivate the ESP
®. Exceptions:
(
page 74).
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.

636 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
<
You hear a warning chime for a
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.
<
The red seat belt telltale comes
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.
<
During driving the red seat belt
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.
i
After 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 and front passenger’s seat belt arefastened, or the vehicle is standing still and a
front door is opened.

638 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
H
USA only:
Combination low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunction telltale
for the Advanced TPMS illumi-
nates continuously.
Canada only:
Low tire pressure telltale for the
Advanced TPMS illuminates
continuously.
The Advanced TPMS detects a loss of pres-
sure in at least one tire.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt,
avoiding abrupt steering and braking
maneuvers. Observe the traffic situation
around you.

Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 642).
If the tire inflation pressure in the respec-
tive tire(s) has (have) been corrected, the
combination low tire pressure/TPMS mal-
function telltale goes out after a few min-
utes of driving.
H
USA only:
Combination low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunction telltale
for the Advanced TPMS flashes
for 60 seconds and then stays il-
luminated.
There is a malfunction in the Advanced
TPMS.

Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 642).

Have the Advanced TPMS checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
After the malfunction has been remedied
the combination low tire pressure/TPMS
malfunction telltale goes out after a few
minutes of driving.

639 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Warning!
G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or the tire inflation pressure label,
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
USA only:
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately
one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or alternate
tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue
to function properly.

642 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.
High-priority messages are shown in red
on the multifunction display. Messages of
lower priority are also shown in yellow or
white.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using# or L on the multifunction
steering wheel (
page 288).
Other messages of high priority and mes-
sages of less immediate priority can be
cleared from the multifunction display
using# or L. They are then stored
in the vehicle status message memory
(
page 304). Remember that clearing a
message will only make the message dis-
appear. Clearing a message will not cor-
rect the condition that caused the
message to appear.
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, warn-
ing/indicator lamps, malfunction/warning
messages or the failure of any systems.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

645 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Cruise Control
- - - mph
(USA only)
Cruise Control
- - - kmh
(Canada only)
You have tried to switch on
cruise control below a speed of
20 mph (30 km/h).

Drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h) and save the speed.
ESP
® is switched off.

Switch on ESP
® (page 76).
The automatic transmission is in
park position P, reverse gearR
or neutral positionN.

Shift the automatic transmission to drive positionD (
page 426).
The system is overheated.

Wait until the system cools down.
The vehicle is secured in place
by the electronic parking brake.

Release electronic parking brake (
page 422).
Cruise Control
Inoperative
Cruise control is malfunction-
ing.

Have cruise control checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

646 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC PLUS
Currently Unavailable
See Oper. Manual
DISTRONIC Plus* is switched off and is
temporarily unavailable.
DISTRONIC Plus* is deactivated if:

the DISTRONIC Plus* cover in the radi-
ator grille is dirty


the radar sensors* do not sense any
other vehicles or objects, i.e. road sign
or similar to this, for a long time


the system is overheated


its function is impaired as a result of
heavy precipitation or fog


the battery voltage is insufficient

Clean the DISTRONIC Plus* cover in the radiator grille
(page 619).

Restart the vehicle.

Try activating DISTRONIC Plus* again later.

Wait until the system cools down or the battery recovers.
DISTRONIC Plus* will be operational again without you needing to
restart the engine if:


the dirt (e.g. slush) loosens while you are driving


the system detects that the radar sensors* are fully available
again


the message in the multifunction display disappears
DISTRONIC Plus* is switched off because
the radar sensor system* is temporarily in-
operative due to electromagnetic interfer-
ence near television and radio transmitter
stations, toll stations, speed measuring
systems, etc.

Wait until the message in the multifunction display disappears.
DISTRONIC PLUS
Inoperative
DISTRONIC Plus* is malfunctioning.
BAS Plus* and PRE-SAFE
® Brake* are also
not available.

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as pos-
sible.