MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class 2008 C216 Comand Manual
Page 611 of 769
610 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
v
The yellow ABS malfunc-
tion indicator lamp and 
the yellow ESP
® warning 
lamp come on while the 
engine is running and an 
acoustic warning sounds.
ABS and ESP
® are switched off due to a 
malfunction.
The BAS, EBP and PRE-SAFE
® are also 
switched off.
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
Continue driving with added caution. 
Wheels may lock during hard braking, 
reducing steering capability. 
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 622).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as 
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident.
0(USA only)!(Canada only)
The red indicator lamp 
for the electronic parking 
brake flashes and/or the 
yellow warning lamp for 
the electronic parking 
brake is on.
The electronic parking brake is malfunction-
ing or defective.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 622).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as 
possible. 
Page 612 of 769
611 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
;(USA only)3(Canada only)
The red brake warning 
lamp comes on while the 
engine is running and an 
acoustic warning sounds.
There is insufficient brake fluid in the reser-
voir.
Risk of accident!
Carefully stop the vehicle in a safe loca-
tion or as soon as it is safe to do so. 
Engage the electronic parking brake 
(page 412).
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Center.
Do not add brake fluid! This will not 
solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your 
brake system checked immediately if the 
brake warning lamp stays on. Do not add 
brake fluid before checking the brake 
system. Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir 
can result in spilling brake fluid on hot en-
gine parts and the brake fluid catching fire. 
You can be seriously burned.
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake 
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or 
below, have the brake system checked for brake 
pad thickness and leaks. 
Page 613 of 769
612 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
±
The yellow engine malfunc-
tion indicator lamp comes 
on while driving.
There is a malfunction in:
The fuel management system
The ignition system
The emission control system
Systems which affect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in excessive 
emissions values and may switch the en-
gine to Limp-Home Mode (emergency oper-
ation).
Have the vehicle checked as soon as 
possible by an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is 
used by the service station to link the 
vehicle to the shop diagnostics system. 
It allows the accurate identification of 
system malfunctions through the read-
out of diagnostic trouble codes. It is lo-
cated in the front left area of the 
footwell.
i
Some states may by law require you to visit 
a workshop as soon as the engine malfunction 
indicator lamp comes on. Check local require-
ments. 
Page 614 of 769
613 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
±
The yellow engine malfunc-
tion indicator lamp comes 
on while driving.
A loss of pressure has been detected in the 
fuel system. The fuel cap may not be closed 
properly or the fuel system may be leaky.
Check the fuel cap.
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Your fuel tank is empty.
After refueling, start, turn off, and re-
start the engine three or four times in 
succession. 
The Limp-Home Mode is canceled. You do 
not need to have your vehicle checked. 
Page 615 of 769
614 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
l
PRE-SAFE
® Brake*: The red dis-
tance warning lamp comes on 
while driving.
You are too close to the vehicle in front of 
you to maintain selected speed.
Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
l
DISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE
® 
Brake*: The red distance warn-
ing lamp comes on while driving 
and an acoustic warning 
sounds.You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle 
ahead of you.
Apply the brakes immediately.
DISTRONIC Plus* or PRE-SAFE
® Brake* has 
recognized a stationary obstacle on your 
probable line of travel.
Apply the brakes immediately.
Carefully observe the traffic situation. 
You may need to brake or maneuver to 
avoid hitting an obstacle.
v
The yellow ESP
® warning lamp 
flashes while driving.
The ESP
® or electronic traction system has 
come into operation because of detected 
traction loss in at least one tire.
Cruise control and DISTRONIC Plus* are de-
activated.
When driving off, apply as little throttle 
as possible.
While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor.
Adapt your speed and driving to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP
®. Exceptions: 
(
page 72).
Failure to follow these instructions increas-
es the risk of an accident. 
Page 616 of 769
615 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ESP
® warning lamp 
comes on while the engine is 
running.
The ESP
® is deactivated.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road, weather, and traffic conditions.
Switch the ESP
® back on (
page 70). 
Exceptions: (
page 72).
If the ESP
® cannot be switched back on:
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as 
possible.
ESP
® is switched off due to a malfunction.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road, weather, and traffic conditions.
Continue driving with added caution.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 622).
Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as 
possible.
<
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 before 
driving off.
Fasten your seat belts.
Regardless of whether the seat belts are 
fastened or not, the seat belt telltale al-
ways comes on and remains lit for 
6 seconds after starting the engine. 
Page 617 of 769
616 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
<
You hear a warning chime for a 
maximum of 6 seconds after 
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 for-
gotten to fasten your seat belts.
Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger 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 addition-
ally hear an intermittent warning 
chime with increasing intensity.
The vehicle’s speed once exceeded 15 mph 
(25 km/h) and you and/or your front pas-
senger 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 passen-
ger 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.
i
After 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 and front passenger’s, seat belt arefastened, or the vehicle is standing still and a 
door is opened. 
Page 618 of 769
617 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
=
The red SRS indicator lamp 
comes on while the engine is 
running.
There is a malfunction in the supplemental 
restraint systems. The air bags or emergen-
cy tensioning devices (ETDs) could deploy 
unexpectedly or fail to deploy in an 
accident.
Drive with added caution to the nearest 
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
In the event that a malfunction of the SRS is 
indicated as outlined above, the SRS may 
not be operational. For your safety, we 
strongly recommend that you contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediate-
ly to have the system checked; otherwise 
the SRS may not be deployed when needed 
in an accident, which could result in serious 
or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpect-
edly and unnecessarily which could result in 
an accident and/or injury to you or to 
others. 
Page 619 of 769
618 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
H
USA only:
Combination low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunction telltale 
for the Advanced TPMS illumi-
nates continuously.
Canada only:
Low tire pressure telltale for the 
Advanced TPMS illuminates 
continuously.
The Advanced TPMS detects a loss of pres-
sure 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 mul-
tifunction display (
page 622).
If the tire inflation pressure in the respec-
tive tire(s) has (have) been corrected, the 
combination low tire pressure/TPMS mal-
function telltale goes out after a few min-
utes of driving.
H
USA only:
Combination low tire pres-
sure/TPMS malfunction telltale 
for the Advanced TPMS flashes 
for 60 seconds and then stays il-
luminated.
There is a malfunction in the Advanced 
TPMS.
Read and observe messages in the mul-
tifunction display (
page 622).
Have the Advanced TPMS checked by 
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
After the malfunction has been remedied 
the combination low tire pressure/TPMS 
malfunction telltale goes out after a few 
minutes of driving. 
Page 620 of 769
619 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 
vehicle placard or the tire inflation pressure 
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different 
size than the size indicated on the vehicle 
placard or the tire inflation pressure label, 
you should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has 
been equipped with a Advanced Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (Advanced TPMS) 
that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale 
when one or more of your tires is significant-
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low 
tire pressure telltale illuminates, you should 
stop and check your tires as soon as possi-
ble, and inflate them to the proper pressure. 
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire 
causes the tire to overheat and can lead to 
tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency 
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please 
note that the Advanced TPMS is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is 
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation has 
not reached the level to trigger illumination 
of the Advanced TPMS low tire pressure 
telltale.
USA only
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a 
Advanced TPMS malfunction indicator to in-
dicate when the system is not operating 
properly. The Advanced TPMS malfunction 
indicator is combined with the low tire pres-
sure telltale. When the system detects a 
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approx-
imately 1 minute and then remain continu-
ously illuminated. This sequence will 
continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups 
as long as the malfunction exists. When the 
malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low 
tire pressure as intended.
Advanced TPMS malfunctions may occur for 
a variety of reasons, including the installa-
tion of replacement or alternate tires or 
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the Ad-
vanced TPMS from functioning properly. Al-
ways check the Advanced TPMS 
malfunction telltale after replacing one or 
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to en-
sure that the replacement or alternate tires 
and wheels allow the Advanced TPMS to 
continue to function properly.