2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL55AMG engine overheat

349 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).
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 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).
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

376 Practical hints
What to do if …
Symbol messages
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
# The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:

alternator malfunctioning

broken poly-V-belt
Do not forget that the brake system
requires electrical energy and may
be operating with restricted capa-
bility. Considerably greater brake
pedal force is required and the stop-
ping distance is increased.
Stop the vehicle immediately in a safe loca-
tion 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. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is in order:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately. Adjust driving to be
consistent with reduced braking respon-
siveness.
There is a malfunction in the elec-
tronic system.Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

382 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
USA only:
;
Canada only:
3
Brake
Service
RequiredThere are malfunctions, but the
electro-hydraulic brake system is
operating normally.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Brakes Overheated
Drive on, but with
even greater care
.
The brake system is overheated due
to an excessive load on the brakes.Relieve the load on the brake system:
Drive more smoothly and think ahead to
avoid unnecessary braking.
When driving down steep grades, shift into
a lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power (
page 179).
Cautiously continue driving so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes.
USA only:
;
Canada only:
!
Release
Parking BrakeYou are driving with the parking
brake set.Release the parking brake (page 63).

383 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
•Coolant
Stop car,

switch 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.
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 inoperative
water pump which may result in damage to
the engine. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Wait for the message to disappear before
restarting the engine.
Doing otherwise could result in serious engine
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
(Continued on next page)

384 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).
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Observe the coolant temperature gauge 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 and can occur just by opening
the engine 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). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

385 Practical hints
What to do if …
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/consequencePossible solution
BTop Up
Coolant
See Oper. ManualThe coolant level is too low.Add coolant (page 288).
Comply with all warnings while doing so.
If you have to add coolant frequently, have the
cooling system checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
•The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the
instrument cluster (
page 27).
If the coolant temperature is below 120°C,
you may continue driving to the nearest
specialist workshop.
Avoid placing heavy loads on the engine
(e.g. by driving uphill) as well as stop-and-go
traffic.
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
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 this 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 cool-
ing system. The engine will overheat, causing
major engine damage.