2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-Class check engine

Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine
is running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in
the ignition lock) if the electric parking
brake is being tested on a brake dynamom-
eter (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 62).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
166Driving tips
Driving and parking

pads/linings which have not been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use brake fluid that has been specially
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,
or which corresponds to an equivalent quality
standard. Brake fluid which has not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or
which is not of an equivalent quality could
affect your vehicle's operating safety.
High-performance and ceramic brake
system (Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
The high-performance brake system is only
available on Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
The AMG brake systems are designed for
heavy loads. This may lead to noise when
braking. This will depend on:
RSpeed
RBraking force
RAmbient conditions, e.g. temperature and
humidity
The wear of individual components of the
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
For this reason, it is impossible to state a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear. You can obtain more informa-
tion on this from a qualified specialist work-
shop.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the
brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and adapt
your driving and braking accordingly during
this break-in period.
Excessive heavy braking results in corre-
spondingly high brake wear. Observe the
brake system warning lamp in the instrument
cluster and note any brake status messages in the multifunction display. Especially for
high performance driving, it is important to
maintain and have the brake system checked
regularly.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth
on the road surface, there is a danger of
hydroplaning occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in
conditions in which hydroplaning may occur,
you must drive in the following manner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements.
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Do not drive through flooded areas.
Check the depth of any water before driving
through it. Drive slowly through standing
water. Otherwise, water may enter the
vehicle interior or the engine compartment.
This can damage the electronic compo-
nents in the engine or the automatic trans-
mission. Water can also be drawn in by the
engine's air suction nozzles and this can
cause engine damage.
Winter driving
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
There is an increased danger of skidding and
accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Driving tips167
Driving and parking
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
b
AutoLampFunction
Inoperative
The ligh tsensor is defective.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
b
Switch Off Lights
You leaveth evehicl eand th eligh tis still switched on . Awarnin g
tone also sounds.
XTur nth eligh tswitch to position Ã.
Adaptive Highbeam
Assist Inoperative
Adaptive Highbeam Assis tis faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Adaptive Highbeam
Assist Currently
Unavailable See
Operator'sManual
Adaptive Highbeam Assis tis deactivated and temporarily inoper -
ative. Possibl ecauses are:
Rth ewindshield in th ecamera' sfield of vision is dirty.
Rvisibility is impaire ddue to heav yrain ,snow or fog.
XClean th ewindshield.
If th esystem detects that th ecamera is full yoperational again ,th e
Adaptive
HighbeamAssistNowAvailablemessage appears .
Adaptive Highbeam Assis tis operational again .
Engine
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
+
Check Coolant
Level See Opera‐
tor's Manual
The coolantlevel is to olow.
!Avoid makin glon gjourneys wit hto olittl ecoolan tin th eengin e
coolin gsystem. The engin ewill otherwise be damaged.
XAd dcoolant, observin gth ewarnin gnote sbefore doin gso
(
Ypage 279).
XIf you need to add coolan tmor eofte nthan usual, hav eth e
engin ecoolan tsystem checke dat aqualified specialist work-
shop.
?The fan motor is faulty.
XAt coolan ttemperatures belo w24 8 ‡ (120†), drive to th e
neares tqualified specialist workshop .
XAvoid subjecting theengin eto heav yloads ,e.g. drivin gin moun-
tainous terrain ,and stop-and-g otraffic.
Display messages22 7
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
#
StopVehicl eSee
Operator' sManual
The battery is no longer bein gcharged and th ebattery charg elevel
is to olow.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch of fth eengine,
payin gattention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 160).
XObserv eth einstruction sin th edisplay message #See
Operator' sManual.
XConsult aqualified specialist workshop .
4
Check Engine Oil
At NextRefueling
The engin eoil level has dropped to th eminimum level.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
!Avoid lon gjourneys wit hto olittl eengin eoil. The engin ewill
otherwise be damaged.
XChec kth eoil level when next refueling, at th elatest
(
Ypage 277).
XIf necessary, add engin eoil (Ypage 278).
XHav eth eengin echecke dat aqualified specialist workshop if
you need to add engin eoil mor eofte nthan usual.
Information on approve dengin eoils can be obtained from any
qualified specialist workshop or on th eInternet at http:/ /
bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
4
Check Engine Oil
Level(Ad d1quart)
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: th eengin eoil level is to olow.
!Avoid lon gjourneys wit hto olittl eengin eoil. The engin ewill
otherwise be damaged.
XChec kth eoil level when next refueling, at th elatest
(
Ypage 277).
XIf necessary, add engin eoil (Ypage 278).
XHav eth eengin echecke dat aqualified specialist workshop if
you need to add engin eoil mor eofte nthan usual.
Information on approve dengin eoils can be obtained from any
qualified specialist workshop or on th eInternet at http:/ /
bevo.mercedes-benz.com.
Display messages22 9
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
4
Engine Oil Level
StopVehicl eTur n
Engine Off
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: th eengin eoil level is to olow.
There is aris kof engin edamage.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely and switch of fth eengine,
payin gattention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 160).
XCheckth eengin eoil level (Ypage 277).
XIf necessary, add engin eoil (Ypage 278).
8
Fue lLevel Low
The fuel level has dropped into th ereserv erange.
XRefuel at th eneares tgas station .
CThere is only aver ysmall amount of fue lin th efuel tank.
XRefuel at th eneares tgas station without fail .
8
Gas Cap Loose
The fuel system pressur eis to olow. The fuel filler cap is no tclosed
correctl yor th efue lsystem is leaking.
XChec kthat th efuel filler cap is correctl yclosed .
If th efuel filler cap is not correctl yclosed :
XCloseth efuel filler cap .
If th efuel filler cap is correctl yclosed :
XVisitaqualified specialist workshop .
Driving systems
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
À
Attention Assist:
Take a Break!
Based on certain criteria, ATTENTION ASSIST has detecte dfatigue
or alac kof concentration on th epart of th edriver . Awarnin gtone
also sounds.
XIf necessary, tak e abreak.
Durin glon gjourneys, tak eregular breaks in goo dtime so you get
enough rest.
À
Attention Assist
Inoperative
ATTENTION ASSIST is inoperative.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
ë
Off
The HOLD function is deactivated. The vehicl eis skidding.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
XReactivat eth eHOLD function later (Ypage 179).
230Display messages
On-board computer and displays

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
DISTRONICPLUSCur‐
rentlyUnavailable
SeeOperator' sMan‐
ual
DISTRONIC PLU Sis temporarily inoperative. Possibl ecauses are:
Rth erada rsensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radi osta-
tion sor other source sof electromagnetic radiation .
Rthesystem is outside th eoperating temperature range.
RThe on-boar dvoltag eis to olow.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
Whe nth ecauses state dabov eno longer apply, th edisplay mes -
sage disappears.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis operational again .
If th edisplay message does no tdisappear :
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 160).
XRestart th eengine.
DISTRONIC PLU S
Inoperative
DISTRONIC PLUSis defective.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
DISTRONICPLUSSus‐
pended
You hav edepressed th eaccelerato rpedal .DISTRONIC PLU Sis no
longer controllin gth espeed of th evehicle.
XRemove your foot from th eaccelerato rpedal .
DISTRONICPLUS--
-mph
An activation condition fo rDISTRONIC PLU Sis no tfulfilled .
XCheckth eactivation condition sfo rDISTRONIC PLU S
(
Ypage 170).
Cruise Contro l
Inoperative
Cruisecontrol is malfunctioning.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
CruiseControl--
-mph
Acondition fo ractivatin gcruise control has no tbeen fulfilled .
You hav etried to store aspeed belo w20 mph (30 km/ h), for
example.
XIf conditions permit, drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/ h)and
store the speed.
XCheck the activation conditions for cruise control (Ypage 168).
Display messages233
On-board computer and displays
Z

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Phone No ServiceYour vehicleis outside th enetwork provider' stransmitter/
receiver range.
XWait until th emobile phone operational readiness symbol
appears in th emultifunction display.
K
Decrease Speed
You wante dto open th eroo fwhile th evehicl ewas in motion .
XPull overand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XOpe nth eroo f (Ypage 87) .
K
Vario-Roo fLower‐
ing
The roo fis no tfull yopened or closed .The hydraulic sare depres-
surized.
XFull yopen or close th eroo f (Ypage 87) .
K
Open/Clos eVario-
Roo fCompletel y
The roofis no tlocked.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XPush or pull and hold th eroo fswitch until th eroo fis full yopen
or closed (
Ypage 87).
K
Start Engine See
Operator' sManual
The on-boar dvoltag eis to olow.
XStart th eengine.
XAfte rapproximately te nseconds, repeat th eopenin gor closin g
procedure (
Ypage 87).
The roofhas been opened and closed several times in arow .The
roo fdrive has been switched of fautomatically fo rsafet yreasons.
You can open and close th eroo fagain after approximately te n
minutes.
XSwitc hof fth eignition and tur nit bac kon .
XRepea tth eopenin gor closin gprocedure (Ypage 87).
Close Rea rSid e
Window s
You leav eth evehicl eand at leas ton erear side window is open .
XCloseth eside windows (Ypage 84).
¥
Check Washer Fluid
The washer flui dlevel in th ewasher flui dreservoir has dropped
belo wtheminimum .
XAddwasher flui d (Ypage 279).
Display messages239
On-board computer and displays
Z

ProblemPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
÷
The yellow ESP
®warn-
ing 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.
XWhen pulling away, only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary.
XEase off the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
XAdapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
XDo not deactivate ESP®.
In rare cases (
Ypage 66) , it may be best to deactivate ESP®.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP
®(Ypage 66).
å
The yellow ESP
®OFF
warning lamp is lit while
the engine is running.
ESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
If ESP®is switched off, ESP®is unable to stabilize the vehicle.
Further driving systems or driving safety systems are thus restric-
ted.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XReactivate ESP®.
In rare cases (
Ypage 66) , it may be best to deactivate ESP®.
Observe the important safety notes on ESP
®(Ypage 66).
XAdapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP
®cannot be activated:
XDrive on carefully.
XHave ESP®checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
M
Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles only:
The yellow SPORT han-
dling mode warning
lamp is lit while the
engine is running.SPORT handling mode is activated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is switched on, ESP®is unable to
stabilize the vehicle.
There is an increased risk of skidding and an accident.
XOnly switch on SPORT handling mode in certain situations
(
Ypage 67).
246Warning and indicator lamps
On-board computer and displays