Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
# The battery is no
tbeing charged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
Possible causes are:
R af ault yalternator
R at ornp oly-V-belt
R am alfunctio nintheelectronics
X Stop th evehicle immediately, payin gattentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. 4
Check eng. oil
lev. when next
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to
acritical level.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kthe oil level (Y page 282).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 283).
X Have the engine checked for leaks if the engine oil needs top-
ping up more often than usual. 8
Reserve fuel level The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated when the fuel level
drops into the reserve range.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. C There is only
avery small amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
The auxiliary heating cannot be operated.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station without fail. ¸
Replace
air cleaner Vehicles with
adiesel engine: the engine air filter is dirty and must
be replaced.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. !
Clean
the fuel fil‐
ter Vehicles with
adiesel engine: there is water in the fuel filter. The
water must be drained off.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. Display messages
243On-board computer and displays Z
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
DISTRONIC PLUS
currently unavail‐
abl
eS ee Owner's Manual DISTRONIC PLU
Sisdeactivated and is temporarily inoperative if:
R the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grille is dirty.
R the sensors in the bumpers are dirty.
R the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio sta-
tions or other sources of electromagnetic radiation.
R its function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
DISTRONI CPLUSiso perational againa nd the display message
disappears if:
R the dirt (e.g. slush) drops away whil ethe vehicl eisinmotion.
R the system detects tha tthe sensors are fully available again.
R the system is within the operating temperature range.
If the displaym essage continues to be displayed:
X Cleant he DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grille
(Y page 290).
X Cleant he bumpers (Y page 290).
X Restart the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS is faulty. BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE
®
Brake may
also have failed.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Visi taq ualified specialist workshop. DISTRONIC PLUS
suspended You have depressed the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS is no
longer controlling the speed of the vehicle.
X
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS
--- km/h An activation condition for DISTRONIC PLUS is not fulfilled.
X
Check the activation condition sfor DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 171). DISTRONIC PLUS and
SPEEDTRONIC
inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS and SPEEDTRONIC are faulty.
Awarning tone
also sounds.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. Cruise control and
SPEEDTRONIC
inoperative Cruise contro
land SPEEDTRONIC are malfunctioning.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Visi taq ualified specialist workshop. 248
Display messagesOn-boar
dcomputer and displays
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
C At leas
tone door is open. Awarning tone also sounds.
X Close all doors. _
Rea
rl efts eat backrest not locked
or
Rea rr ight seat backrest not locked G
Ris
kofi njury
The backres tinthe rear is not engaged on the left-hand and/or
right-hand side. Awarning tone also sounds.
X Push th ebackres tback until it engages. _
Front lef
tseat backrest not locked
or
Front right sea
tb ackrest not locked The driver'
sorfront-pa ssenger seat backres tisnot engaged. A
warning tone also sounds.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. j
Check trailer
hitch lock G
Risk of accident
The trailer tow hitch is not correctly engaged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Stop th evehicle immediately, payin gattentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Allow the trailer tow hitch ball coupling to engage in the end
position (Y page 206). J
Close boot separa‐
tor The boot separator is open.
X
Close the boot separator (Y page 92).D
Power
steering mal‐
function See Own‐
er's Manual G
Risk of accident
The power steerin gassistance is faulty.
You will need to use more force to steer.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kwhether you are able to apply the extraf orce required.
X If you are able to steer safely: carefully drive on toaqualified
specialist workshop.
X If you are unable to steer safely: do not drive on. Contact the
nearest qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
251On-board computer and displays Z
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Jäå!
The red brake warning
lamp, the yellowE
SP®
and ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps and the yellow
ABS warning lamp are
lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of accident
ABS and ESP ®
are malfunctioning. Therefore, BAS,B AS PLUS,
EBD,P RE-SAFE ®
,P RE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function, hill start
assist, the adaptive brake lights and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, for
example, are not available either due to amalfunction.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. ä
The yellowE
SP®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is arisk of
skidding or at least one wheel has started to spin.
Cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when
pulling away.
X Release the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions: (Y page 64).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while
the engine is running. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are deactivated. ESP ®
will not
stabilise the vehicle if it starts to skid or if awheel starts to spin.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 64).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Have ESP ®
checked at aqualified specialist workshop. 258
Warning and indicator lampsint
he instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays
Engine
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
;
The yellow engin
ediag-
nostics warning lamp
light supw hile the
engin eisrunning. Ther
emay be afault ,for example:
R in th eenginem anagement
R in th efuel injection system
R in th eexhaust system
R in th eignition system (for vehicle swith petrol engines)
R in th efuel system
The emission limit values may be exceeded and th eenginem ay
be runnin ginemergenc ymode.
X Hav ethe vehicle checked as soon as possible at aqualified
specialist workshop. Vehicle
swithad ieseleng ine: th efuel tan khas been run dry
(Y page 164).
X Start th eenginet hree to four times after refuelling.
If th eyellow engin ediagnostics warning lamp goes out ,emer-
gency runnin gmodeisc ancelled. The vehicle need no tbe
checked. 8
The yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp lights up
whil
ethe engine is run-
ning. The fue
llev el ha sdroppe dinto the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated when the fue llev el
drops into the reserve range.
X Refue latthe nearest filling station. ?
The red coolant warn-
ing lamp lights up while
the engine is running
and the coolant tem-
perature gaug
eisatthe
star toft he scale. The temperature sensor for the coolant temperature gauge is
faulty.
The coolant temperature is no longer being monitored. There is a
risk of engine damage if the coolant temperature is too high.
X
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. 260
Warning and indicator lampsint
he instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
?
The red coolant warn-
ing lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning.
The coolant level is too low.
If the coolant level is correct, the airflow to the engine radiator
may be blocked or the electric engine radiator fan may be mal-
functioning.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Let the engine and coolant cool down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant (Y page 283).
Observe the warning notes as you do so.
X If you have to top up the coolant frequently, have the engine
cooling system checked.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, 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 traffic. ?
The red coolant warn-
ing lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning.
Awarning tone
also sounds. The coolant temperature has exceeded 120 †. The airflow to the
engine radiator may be blocked or the coolant level may be too
low.
The engine is not being cooled sufficiently and may be damaged.
X
Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Let the engine and coolant cool down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant (Y page 283).
Observe the warning notes as you do so.
X If you have to top up the coolant frequently, have the engine
cooling system checked.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, 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 traffic. Warning and indicator lampsint
he instrument cluster
261On-board computer and displays Z
If you push the lidsb
ack, you willnotice a
resistance.
X Release bonnet :.
X Check whether the lidsofb onnet lifter;
are resting on housings =(arrow).
X The lids of bonnet lifter ; are resting
on the housings: close bonnet:
(Y page 282).
or
X The lids of bonnet lifter ; are not rest-
ing on the housings: first lift up bon-
net :on left-hand side ?and then on
right-hand side B.Lift up bonnet :until
the respective lid of bonnet lifter ;no lon-
ger moves.
The lidsofb onnet lifter;must rest on
housings =(arrow).
X Close bonnet :(Ypage 282).
If you cannot close bonnet :or the L
symbola ppears in the multifunction display,
repeatt he steps. G
WARNING
If the bonnet can still not be engaged properly
or the Lsymbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display,don ot continue driving. The bon-
net can then open when the vehicle is in
motion and obscure your field of vision. Con-
sult aqualified specialist workshop. Other-
wise, you may cause an accident and injure
yourself and others.
Opening the bonnet G
WARNING
Do not pull the release lever while the vehicle
is in motion. If you do so, the bonnet may open
up and block your view. G
WARNING
There is arisk of injury if the bonnet is open,
even if the engine is not running.
Some engine components can become very
hot. To avoid the risk of burns, only touch those
components described in the Owner's Manual
and observe the relevant safety notes.
G
WARNING
The radiator fan between the radiator and the
engine can start automatically, even if the key
has been removed from the ignition lock. For
this reason, you must not reach into the fan
rotation area. You could otherwise be injured.
Vehicles with apetrol engine: The elec-
tronic ignitio nsystem uses high voltage. For
this reason ,you mus tnever touch ignition
system components( ignition coil, ignition
cables, spark plug connectors or test socket)
while:
R the engine is running
R the engine is being started
R the ignition is switched on and the engine
is being cranked by hand
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
Vehicles with adiesel engine: The elec-
tronic injection control uses high voltage. For
this reason ,you must never touc hinjection
system components while:
R the engin eisrunning
R the engin eisbeing started
R the ignition is switched on
You could otherwise suffer an electric shock
and be seriously or even fatally injured.
X Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. G
WARNING
The windscreen wipers and wiper linkage
could be set in motion.
When the bonnet is open, you or others could
be injured by the wiper linkage.
Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. Remove the key or make sure
that no ignition position has been selected
with KEYLESS-GO. All indicator lamps must be
off in the instrumen tpanel. Engine compartment
281Maintenance and care Z
X
Pull release lever :on the bonnet.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
not folded away from the windscreen .Oth-
erwise, yo ucould damage the windscreen
wipers or the bonnet. X
Reach into the gap, pull bonnet catc hhan-
dle ;up and lift the bonnet.
If yo uliftt he bonnet by approximately
40 cm, the bonnet is opene dand held open
automaticall ybythe gas-filled strut.
Closin gthe bonnet G
WARNING
Make sure tha tnobody can become trapped
as you close the bonnet. X
Lower the bonnet and let it fall from a
height of approximately 20 cm.
X Check that the bonnet has engaged prop-
erly.
If the bonnet can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with alittle more force. Engine oil
Notes on the oil level Depending on driving style, the vehicle con-
sumes
amaximum of 0.8 loil per 1000 km.
The oil consumption may be higher than this
when the vehicle is new or if you frequently
drive at high engine speeds.
Checking the oil level using the oil dip-
stick Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be installed at
adifferent location.
When checking the oil level:
R park the vehicle on alevel surface.
R the engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature. Example:
E350
X Pull oil dipstick :out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick :.282
Engine compartmentMaintenance and care