2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON ABS

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

Work on the battery, e.g. removing or fitting,
requires specialist knowledge and the use of
special tools. Therefore, always have work on the battery carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop. G
WARNING
Work carried out incorrectly on the battery
may lead to a malfunction, e.g. a short circuit. This, in turn, may restrict the functions of the
safety-relevant systems, e.g. the lighting sys-
tem, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) or ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program). The operating
safety of your vehicle may then be compro-
mised. You could then lose control of the vehi-
cle, e.g.:
R when braking
R when making sudden steering movements
and/or travelling at an inappropriate
speed.
There is a risk of an accident.
In the event of a short circuit or similar situa-
tion, inform a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Do not drive any further. You
should have all work involving the battery car- ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
i For further information about ABS and
ESP ®
, see (Y page 74) and (Y page 80). G
WARNING
Electrostatic build-up can lead to the creation of sparks, which could ignite the highly explo-
sive gases of a battery. There is a risk of an
explosion.
Before handling the battery, touch the vehicle body to remove any existing electrostatic
build-up.
The highly flammable gas mixture is created
while the battery is charging and when jump-
starting. Always make sure that neither you nor the
battery is electrostatically charged. Electro-
static charge is created, for example:
R by wearing synthetic fibre clothing
R due to friction between clothing and the
seat
R when you pull or push the battery across
carpet or other synthetic materials
R when you rub the battery with a cloth G
WARNING
During the charging process, a battery produ- ces hydrogen gas. If a short circuit occurs or
sparks are created, the hydrogen gas can
ignite. There is a risk of an explosion.
R Make sure that the positive terminal of a
connected battery does not come into con-
tact with vehicle parts.
R Never place metal objects or tools on a bat-
tery.
R It is important that you observe the descri-
bed order of the battery terminals when
connecting and disconnecting a battery.
R When jump-starting, make sure that the
battery poles with identical polarity are
connected.
R It is particularly important to observe the
described order when connecting and dis-
connecting the jump leads.
R Never connect or disconnect the battery
terminals while the engine is running. G
WARNING
Battery acid is caustic. There is a risk of injury. Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Do not inhale any battery gases. Do not lean
over the battery. Keep children away from
batteries. Wash battery acid immediately with water and seek medical attention. H
Environmental note Batteries contain pollutants.
It is illegal to dispose of them
with the household rubbish.
They must be collected sep- Battery (vehicle)
413Breakdown assistance
Z

arately and disposed of in an
environmentally responsible
recycling system. Dispose of batteries in an
environmentally responsible
manner. Take discharged
batteries to a qualified spe-
cialist workshop or to a col-
lection point for used batter-
ies.
! Have the battery checked regularly at a
qualified specialist workshop.
Observe the service intervals in the Service
Booklet or contact a qualified specialist
workshop for more information.
! Always have work on the batteries carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Should it, in exceptional circumstances, be absolutely necessary to disconnect the 12-
volt battery yourself, please observe the
following:
R secure the vehicle to prevent it from roll-
ing away.
R switch off the engine and remove the
key. Make sure the ignition is switched
off. Check that all the indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster are off. Otherwise,
you may damage electronic components such as the alternator, for example.
R first, disconnect the negative terminal
clamp, followed by the positive terminal
clamp. Never swap the terminal clamps.
The vehicle electronics may otherwise be
damaged.
R the transmission is locked in position P
after disconnecting the battery. The vehi-
cle is secured against rolling away. You
can then no longer move the vehicle.
The batteries and the covers of the positive
terminal clamps must always be fitted
securely during operation.
Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. Comply with safety precautions and take pro-
tective measures when handling batteries. WARNING
Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when handling the
battery. Avoid creating sparks. Battery acid is caustic. Avoid con-
tact with the skin, eyes or clothing.
Wear suitable protective clothing,
in particular gloves, an apron and a face mask.
Immediately rinse acid splashes
off with clean water. Consult a doc-tor if necessary. Wear eye protection.
Keep children away.
Observe this Owner's Manual.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use batteries which have been tested and approved for your vehicle by
Mercedes-Benz. These batteries provide
increased impact protection to prevent vehi-
cle occupants from suffering acid burns
should the battery be damaged in the event of
an accident.
In order for the battery to achieve the maxi-
mum possible service life, it must always be
sufficiently charged.
The vehicle battery, like other batteries, can
discharge over time if you do not use the
vehicle. In such cases, have the battery dis-
connected at a qualified specialist workshop. You can also charge the battery with a
charger recommended by Mercedes-Benz. 414
Battery (vehicle)Breakdown assistance

do not provide sufficient traction. There is a
risk of accident.
M+S tyres with a tread depth of less than
4 mm must be replaced.
At temperatures below +7 †, use winter tyres or all-season tyres. Both types of tyre are
identified by the M+S marking.
Only winter tyres bearing the isnowflake
symbol in addition to the M+S marking pro-
vide the best possible grip in wintry road con- ditions. Only these tyres will allow driving
safety systems such as ABS and ESP ®
to
function optimally in winter. These tyres have
been developed specifically for driving in
snow.
Use M+S tyres of the same make and tread on
all wheels to maintain safe handling charac-
teristics.
Always observe the maximum permissible
speed specified for the M+S tyres you have
fitted.
If you fit M+S tyres that have a lower maxi-
mum permissible speed than that of the vehi-
cle, affix an appropriate warning sign in the
driver's field of vision. This can be obtained at a qualified specialist workshop.
Under these circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
using permanent SPEEDTRONIC so that it
does not exceed the maximum permissible
speed for the M+S tyres (Y page 221).
When you have fitted the M+S tyres:
X Check the tyre pressures (Y page 432).
X Restart the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem (Y page 437).
X Restart the tyre pressure monitor
(Y page 435).
Information about driving with an emergency spare wheel (Y page 461). Snow chains
G
WARNING
If you have fitted snow chains to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the vehicle
body or chassis components. This could
cause damage to the vehicle or the tyres.
There is a risk of an accident.
To avoid hazardous situations:
R never fit snow chains on the front wheels
R fit snow chains to the rear wheels in pairs.
! Vehicles with steel wheels:
if you fit
snow chains on steel wheels, you may dam-
age the hub caps. Remove the hub caps
from the relevant wheels before fitting the
snow chains.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains that
have been specifically approved for your vehi- cle by Mercedes-Benz, or that are of a corre-
sponding standard of quality.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R snow chains cannot be fitted to all wheel-
tyre combinations. Permissible wheel-tyre
combinations (Y page 444).
R only use snow chains if the road surface is
completely snow-covered. Remove the
snow chains as soon as possible when you
come to a road that is not snow-covered.
R local regulations may restrict the use of
snow chains. Observe the appropriate reg-
ulations if you wish to fit snow chains.
R do not exceed the maximum permissible
speed of 50 km/h.
R on vehicles with AIRMATIC, you must drive
at raised vehicle level if snow chains have
been fitted (Y page 234).
You may wish to deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 81)
when pulling away with snow chains fitted.
This way you can allow the wheels to spin in a controlled manner, achieving an increased
driving force (cutting action). Winter operation
431Wheels and tyres Z

Wheel and tyre combinations
General notes
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle.
These are specially adapted to the control
systems, such as ABS or ESP ®
and are
marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tyres featuring run-flat characteristics)
R MO1 = Mercedes-Benz Original (only cer-
tain AMG tyres)
Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tyres
may only be used on wheels that have been
specifically approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Only use tyres, wheels or accessories tes-
ted and approved by Mercedes-Benz. Cer-
tain characteristics, e.g. handling, vehicle
noise emissions or fuel consumption, may
otherwise be adversely affected. In addi-
tion, when driving with a load, tyre dimen-
sion variations could cause the tyres to
come into contact with the bodywork and
axle components. This could result in dam- age to the tyres or the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz accepts no liability for
damage resulting from the use of tyres,
wheels or accessories other than those tes- ted and approved.
Further information about wheels, tyres
and approved combinations can be
obtained from any qualified specialist
workshop.
! Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, since
previous damage cannot always be detec-
ted on retreaded tyres. As a result,
Mercedes-Benz cannot guarantee vehicle
safety if retreaded tyres are fitted. Do not fit
used tyres if you have no information about their previous usage. !
Large wheels: the lower the section width
for a certain wheel size, the lower the ride
comfort is on poor road surfaces. Roll com-
fort and suspension comfort are reduced
and the risk of damage to the wheels and
tyres as a result of driving over obstacles
increases.
Overview of abbreviations used in the follow-
ing tyre tables:
R BA: both axles
R FA: front axle
R RA: rear axle
You will find a table with recommended tyre
pressures for various operating conditions on
the inside of your vehicle's fuel filler flap. For
further information on tyre pressure, see
(Y page 432). Check tyre pressures regularly
and only when the tyres are cold.
Notes on the vehicle equipment – always fit
the vehicle:
R with tyres of the same size on a given axle
(left/right)
R with the same type of tyres at a given time
(summer tyres, winter tyres, MOExtended
tyres)
Exception: it is permissible to fit a different
type or make in the event of a flat tyre.
Observe the "MOExtended tyres (tyres with
run-flat characteristics" section
(Y page 408).
Vehicles with MOExtended tyres are not
equipped with a TIREFIT kit at the factory. It is
therefore recommended that you additionally equip your vehicle with a TIREFIT kit if you fit tyres that do not feature run-flat characteris-
tics, e.g. winter tyres. A TIREFIT kit can be
obtained from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
i Not all wheel/tyre combinations can be
fitted at the factory in all countries. 444
Wheel and tyre combinationsWheels and tyres

Brake fluid
G
WARNING
The brake fluid continuously absorbs mois-
ture from the air. This results in the boiling
point of the brake fluid lowering. If the boiling
point of the brake fluid is too low, vapour
pockets may form when the brakes are sub-
jected to a heavy load. This would impair brak- ing efficiency. There is a risk of an accident.
Have the brake fluid renewed at the prescri-
bed intervals.
When handling brake fluid, observe the
important safety notes on service products
(Y page 468).
The brake fluid change intervals can be found in the Service Booklet.
Only use brake fluid approved by Mercedes-
Benz according to MB Approval 331.0.
Information about approved brake fluid can
be obtained at any qualified specialist work-
shop or on the Internet at
http://bevo.mercedes-benz.co m.
i Have the brake fluid regularly replaced at
a qualified specialist workshop and the
replacement confirmed in the Service
Booklet. Coolant
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If antifreeze comes into contact with hot com- ponents in the engine compartment, it may
ignite. There is a risk of fire and injury.
Let the engine cool down before you top up
the antifreeze. Make sure that antifreeze is
not spilled next to the filler neck. Thoroughly
clean the antifreeze from components before
starting the engine.
! Only add coolant that has been premixed
with the desired antifreeze protection. You
could otherwise damage the engine. Further information on coolants can be
found in the Mercedes-Benz Specifications
for Service Products, MB Specifications for Service Products 310.1, e.g. on the Inter-
net at http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
Or contact a qualified specialist workshop.
! Always use a suitable coolant mixture,
even in countries where high temperatures prevail.
Otherwise, the engine cooling system is not
sufficiently protected from corrosion and
overheating.
i Have the coolant regularly replaced at a
qualified specialist workshop and the
replacement confirmed in the Service
Booklet.
The coolant is a mixture of water and anti-
freeze/corrosion inhibitor. It is responsible
for the following:
R anti-corrosion protection
R antifreeze protection
R raising the boiling point
If antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor is present in
the correct concentration, the boiling point of
the coolant during operation will be approx-
imately 130 †.
The antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor concentra- tion in the engine cooling system should:
R be at least 50%. This will protect the engine
cooling system against freezing down to
approximately -37 †.
R not exceed 55% (antifreeze protection
down to -45 †). Heat will otherwise not be
dissipated as effectively.
Mercedes-Benz recommends an antifreeze/
corrosion inhibitor concentrate in accord-
ance with
MB Specifications for Service Products 310.1
.
The coolant is checked at every maintenance interval at a qualified specialist workshop.
i When the vehicle is first delivered, it is fil-
led with a coolant mixture that ensures Service products and capacities
475Technical data Z