2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON brake

Safety systems
Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions J
N
The yellow brake system warning lamp lights up while the engine is running
or the ECO start/stop function is activated.
Hybrid vehicle: the yellow brake system warning lamp is shown in driving
condition READY.
G WARNING
The brake system is malfunctioning and the braking characteristics may be
affected.
There is a risk of an accident. X If the multifunction display shows a display message, please observe this.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. J
N
The red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
Hybrid vehicles: the red brake system warning lamp is shown in driving con-
dition READY.
A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
The brake boosting effect is malfunctioning and the braking characteristics
may be affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstan-
ces.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 207).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display. Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
353On-board computer and displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions J
N
The red brake system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
Hybrid vehicles: the red brake system warning lamp is shown in driving con-
dition READY.
A warning tone also sounds.
There is insufficient brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
G WARNING
Braking efficiency may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident. X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving under any circumstan-
ces.
X Secure the vehicle to prevent it from rolling away (Y page 207).
X Do not top up the brake fluid. Topping up will not rectify the fault.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display. 354
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions !
N
The yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
Hybrid vehicles: the yellow ABS warning lamp is shown in driving condition
READY.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) has been deactivated due to a fault. Therefore BAS (Brake Assist System), BAS PLUS, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST
PLUS, ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program), PRE‑SAFE ®
, PRE‑ SAFE®
PLUS,
PRE‑ SAFE ®
Brake, HOLD function, hill start assist, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation,
Crosswind Assist, adaptive brake lights, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are also deactivated.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions
listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you brake hard, for example.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The
braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop.
If the ABS control unit is faulty, there is also a possibility that other systems,
such as the navigation system or the automatic transmission, will be unavail- able. Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
355On-board computer and displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions !
N
The yellow ABS warning lamp is lit while the engine is running. A warning
tone also sounds.
Hybrid vehicles: the yellow ABS warning lamp is shown in driving condition
READY.
EBD is unavailable due to a malfunction. Therefore ABS, BAS, BAS PLUS,
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, ESP ®
, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation,
Crosswind Assist, PRE‑SAFE ®
, PRE‑SAFE ®
PLUS, PRE‑SAFE ®
Brake, HOLD
function, hill start assist, adaptive brake lights, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane
Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are also unavailable.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions
listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore lock, for example, if you
brake hard.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The
braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 356
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions J÷
å!
N
The red brake warning lamp, the yellow ESP ®
and ESP ®
OFF warning lamp
and the yellow ABS warning lamp are lit while the engine is running.
Hybrid vehicle: The red brake warning lamp, the yellow ESP ®
and ESP ®
OFF
warning lamp and the yellow ABS warning lamp are shown in driving condition READY.
ABS and ESP ®
are unavailable due to a fault. Therefore BAS, BAS PLUS, COL-
LISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, EBD, PRE ‑SAFE®
, PRE‑SAFE ®
PLUS,
PRE‑SAFE ®
Brake, HOLD function, hill start assist, ESP ®
trailer stabilisation,
crosswind driving assistance, adaptive brake lights, STEER CONTROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are also unavailable.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions
listed above. The front and rear wheels could therefore lock, for example, if you
brake hard.
The steerability and braking characteristics may be severely affected. The
braking distance may increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ÷
N
The yellow ESP ®
warning lamp flashes while the vehicle is in motion.
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is a risk 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 Accelerate more gently while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 81), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 80). Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
357On-board computer and displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions ÷
N
The yellow ESP ®
warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
Hybrid vehicles: the yellow ESP ®
warning lamp is shown in driving condition
READY.
ESP ®
, BAS, BAS PLUS, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, PRE ‑SAFE®
,
PRE‑SAFE ®
PLUS, PRE‑SAFE ®
Brake, HOLD function, hill start assist,
ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, Crosswind Assist, adaptive brake lights, STEER
CONTROL, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist are
unavailable due to a malfunction.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
G WARNING
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the functions
listed above.
The braking distance may thus increase in an emergency braking situation.
If ESP ®
is not operational, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. å
N
The yellow ESP ®
OFF warning lamp is lit while the engine is running or the
ECO start/stop function is activated.
Hybrid vehicles: the yellow ESP ®
warning lamp is shown in driving condition
READY.
ESP ®
is deactivated.
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is deactivated, ESP ®
is unable to stabilise the vehicle.
There is an increased danger of skidding and risk of an accident.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
In rare cases (Y page 81), it may be best to deactivate ESP ®
.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP ®
(Y page 80).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Drive on carefully.
X Have ESP ®
checked at a qualified specialist workshop. 358
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions !
N
The red indicator lamp for the electric parking brake flashes or is lit and/or
the yellow warning lamp for the electric parking brake is lit.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display. 6
N
The red restraint system warning lamp is lit while the engine is running.
The restraint system is faulty.
G WARNING
The airbags or belt tensioners may either be triggered unintentionally or, in the
event of an accident, may not be triggered.
This poses an increased risk of injury.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Have the restraint system checked at a qualified specialist workshop imme-
diately.
Further information on the restraint system (Y page 44).Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
359On-board computer and displays Z

Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions X
Leave the vehicle and keep a safe distance from the vehicle until the engine
has cooled down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant, observing the warning notes
(Y page 393).
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 below 120 †, you can continue driving to the
nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid putting the engine under heavy load as you do so, e.g. driving in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Hybrid system
Warning/
indicator
lamp
N N
Signal type
Possible causes/consequences and M
MSolutions J
N
The yellow RBS (Recuperative Brake System) warning lamp is on. In addi-
tion, a warning tone may sound.
G Risk of accident
RBS is malfunctioning. The automatic engine switch-off function may also be deactivated.
X Observe the messages in the multifunction display (Y page 314).
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 362
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays