MERCEDES-BENZ C300 4MATIC 2008 W204 Owner's Manual

380 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
vThe yellow ESP® warning
lamp flashes while driving.The ESP® or traction system has come
into operation because of detected trac-
tion loss in at least one tire.
The cruise control is deactivated.When driving off, apply as little throttle as pos-
sible.
While driving, ease up on the accelerator.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road, weather and traffic conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP®.
Exceptions: (
page 63).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
4The yellow fuel tank re-
serve warning lamp in the
fuel gauge comes on while
driving.The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.Refuel at the next gas station (page 322).
<The red seat belt telltale
comes on for a maximum
of 6 seconds after starting
the engine.The seat belt telltale reminds you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts be-
fore driving off.Fasten your seat belts.
Regardless of whether the seat belts are fas-
tened or not, the seat belt telltale always
comes on and remains lit for 6 seconds after
starting the engine.

381 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
<You hear a warning chime for
a maximum of 6 seconds af-
ter starting the engine.You have forgotten to fasten your seat belt.Fasten your seat belt.
The warning chime stops sounding.
<The red seat belt telltale
comes on while the vehicle is
standing still and the engine
is running or during driving.You and/or your front passenger have forgot-
ten to fasten your seat belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
There are items placed on the front passenger
seat and therefore the system senses the front
passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
<During driving the red seat
belt telltale flashes and you
additionally hear an intermit-
tent warning chime with in-
creasing intensity.The vehicle’s speed has exceeded 15 mph
(25 km/h) and you and/or your front passen-
ger have forgotten to fasten your seat belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
There are items placed on the front passenger
seat and therefore the system senses the front
passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
iAfter 60 seconds with an unfastened seat
belt the warning chime stops sounding and the
seat belt telltale illuminates continuously. The seat belt telltale will only go out if both, the
driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt are fas-
tened, or the vehicle is standing still and a front door is
opened.

382 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
=The red SRS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.There is a malfunction in the supplemental
restraint systems. The air bags or Emergen-
cy Tensioning Devices (ETDs) could deploy
unexpectedly or fail to activate in an acci-
dent.Drive with added caution to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be deployed when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in an
accident and/or injury to you or to others.

383 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction
telltale for the TPMS illuminates
continuously.The TPMS detects a loss of pressure in at
least one tire.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt,
avoiding abrupt steering and braking
maneuvers. Observe the traffic situation
around you.
Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display.
If the tire inflation pressure in the
respective tire(s) has (have) been correct-
ed, the combination low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunction telltale goes out
after few minutes driving.
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction
telltale for the TPMS flashes
60 seconds and then stays
illuminated.There is a malfunction in the TPMS.Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display.
Have the TPMS checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
After the malfunction has been remedied
the combination low tire pressure/TPMS
malfunction telltale goes out after few
minutes driving.

384 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Warning!G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 334) or, if
available, the tire inflation pressure label on
the inside of the fuel filler flap (
page 322).
If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the tire
inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or alternate
tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue
to function properly.

385 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Air bag off indicator lamp
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
5/The front passenger front air bag off in-
dicator lamp illuminates and remains il-
luminated with the weight of a typical
adult or someone larger than a small in-
dividual on the front passenger seat.The system is malfunctioning.Have the system checked as soon as
possible at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Also read and observe any messages in
the multifunction display and follow
corrective steps (
page 387).
Warning!G
If the5/ and remains illuminated
with the weight of a typical adult or some-
one larger than a small individual on the
front passenger seat, do not have any pas-
senger use the front passenger seat until
the system has been repaired.

386 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
5/The front passenger front air
bag off indicator lamp does
not illuminate and/or does
not remain illuminated with
the weight of a typical
12-month-old child in a stan-
dard child restraint or less on
the front passenger seat.The system is malfunctioning.Make sure there is nothing between seat cushion
and child seat and check installation of the child
seat.
Make sure no objects applying supplemental
weight onto the seat are present.
If the front passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp remains out, have the system checked as
soon as possible at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not transport a child on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been repaired.
Also read and observe any messages in the
multifunction display and follow corrective steps
(
page 387).
Warning!G
If the5/indicator lamp does not il-
luminate or remains out with the weight of a
typical 12-month-old child in a standard
child restraint or less on the front passenger
seat, do not transport a child on the front
passenger seat until the system has been
repaired.

387 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Vehicle status messages in the multi-
function display
Warning and malfunction messages ap-
pear in the multifunction display located in
the instrument cluster.
Certain warning and malfunction messag-
es are accompanied by an audible signal.
High-priority messages are shown in red
on the multifunction display. Messages of
lower priority are also shown in yellow or
white.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using# or L on the multifunction
steering wheel (
page 152).
Other messages of high priority and mes-
sages of less immediate priority can be
cleared from the multifunction display
using# or L. They are then stored
in the vehicle status message memory
(
page 164). Remember that clearing a
message will only make the message dis-
appear. Clearing a message will not cor-
rect the condition that caused the
message to appear.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warn-
ing/indicator lamps, malfunction/warning
messages or the failure of any systems.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

388 Practical hints
What to do if …?
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the malfunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:

Text messages (page 389)

Symbol messages (page 397)
Warning!G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated, ad-
dressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property dam-
age or personal injury.
iSwitching on the ignition causes all instru-
ment cluster lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator lamps
unless activated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps and multi-
function display are in working order before
starting your journey.

389 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Text messages
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
ABS and ESP
Currently Unavailable
See Operator’s ManualABS and ESP® are not available due to a malfunction.
BAS and the hill start assist are also switched off. It
is possible that the self-diagnostics have not yet
been completed.
The brake system still functions normally.Drive a short distance with gentle turns above a
speed of 12 mph (20 km/h).
The message disappears when ABS and ESP
®
are again available.
The ABS and ESP® were deactivated because of in-
sufficient power supply. The charging voltage has
fallen below 10 volts. BAS and the hill start assist are
also deactivated.
The brake system still functions normally but without
the ABS and ESP
® available.
When the voltage is above this value again, the ABS
and ESP® are operational again and the message in
the multifunction display should disappear.
If the message in the multifunction display does not
disappear:
Have the generator (alternator) and the battery
checked.
ABS and ESP
Inoperative
See Operator’s ManualABS and ESP® are switched off due to a malfunction.
BAS and the hill start assist are also switched off.
The brake system still functions normally but without
the ABS and ESP
® available.
Continue driving with added caution. Wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing steering
capability.
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.