check engine MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET 2011 User Guide

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz Service Centre, immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at aqualified specialist work-
shop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz Service Centre, immediately. Releasing the parking lock manually
In the event of an electrical fault, it is possible
to release the selector lever lock manually to
move it out of position P,e.g. if you wish to
tow the vehicle away. !
Do not use any sharp-edged objectstol ift
up the selector lever cover in the centre
console. Otherwise, the selector lever
cover could be damaged.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Prise out selector lever gaiter :with aflat,
blunt object,( e.g.ascrewdriver wrappe dincloth
)from the right-hand edge, pulling it
up and out.
X Press release button ;dow nand simul-
taneousl ymovet he selecto rlever out of
position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely
until it is returned to position P. Refuelling
Important safet
ynotes G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Switc hoff the engin eand the auxiliary heating
before refuelling. G
WARNING
Do not come into contact with fuels.
It is hazardous to your health if your skin
comes into direct contact with fuels or you
breathe in fuel vapours. 160
RefuellingDriving and parking

or winding roads). You may otherwise
cause an accident.
R on slippery roads. The drive wheels may
lose their grip when braking or accelerating
and the vehicle may skid.
R when there is low visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In the multifunction display,
the segment sbetween the stored speed and
the maximum speed light up. Selecting cruise control X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
If it is not,p ress the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing and maintaining the current
speed You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever
up : or down ?to the pressure point.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at atime.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up astored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggerin gsudden acceleration or
braking. 170
Driving systemsDriving and parking

G
WARNING
Do not change downf or additional engine
braking on aslippery road surface. This could
cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and
the vehicle could skid.
You can set avariable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 183) G
WARNING
Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist
driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's
speed and for braking in good time.
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw hile
the engine is running. :
To store the current speed or ahigher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or to call up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or alower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or DIS-
TRONIC PLUS and variable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp ;is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever lights up. VariableS PEEDTRONIC is
selected. G
WARNING
If there is achange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
Only use variable SPEEDTRONIC if you will not
have to accelerate suddenly to aspeed above
that stored as the limit speed. You could oth-
erwise cause an accident.
You can only exceed the limit speed stored if
you deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC:
R using the cruise control lever
R by depressing the accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point (kickdown) Driving systems
181Driving and parking
Z

the warning onl
yoccurs if the differenc ein
spee dislesst han1 2km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gearise ngaged. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning
lamps is adjusted automaticallya ccording to
the ambient light. G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
30 km/h, and the indicator lamps in the exte-
rior mirrors are yellow. Vehicles in the moni-
toring range are then not indicated.
Always pay attention to traffic conditions and
your surroundings. Otherwise, you may fail to
recognise dangers in time, cause an accident
and injure yourselfa nd others.
Collisio nwarning
If av ehicl eisd etected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spo tAssist and you switch on the turn
signal, adoublew arning tone sounds. Red
warning lamp :flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated
by the flashing of red warning lamp :.There
are no further warning tones.
Switching on Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that the radar sensor system
(Y page 229) and Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 224) are activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :light up red in the exte-
rior mirrors for approximately 1.5 seconds
and then turn yellow.
Trailer towing
If you attach atrailer, make sure you have
correctly established the electrical connec-
tion. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. In this event, Blind Spot
Assist is deactivated. The indicator lamp in
the exterior mirrors lights up yellow, and the
Blind Spot Assist currently unavail‐ able See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, switch off Blind Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition
lock.
R the engine is not running.
R the electrical connection to the trailer
has been established.
Lane Keeping Assist Important safety notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of
acamera at
the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detectsl ane markings on the road and
warns you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
If you have chosen the (Y page 225) function
in the on-board computer and select km as
the unit of measurement, Active Lane Keep-
ing Assist is active from speeds of 60 km/h.
If the displayu nit is selected, the assistance
range begins at 40 mph. G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist does not keep your vehi-
cle in its lane. It is only an aid and may detect
the lane markings on the road incorrectly or
not at all.
The system may be impaired or may not func-
tion if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insuffi-
cient illumination of the road, or due to
snow, rain, fog or spray.
R there is glare, e.g. from oncomingt raffic,
the sun, or reflection from other vehicles.
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up or cov-
ered, for instancebyas ticker, in the vicinity
of the camera
R several or no lane markings for asingle lane
are present. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
J
Brake immediately Am
alfunction has occurred while th eHOLDf unction or DIS-
TRONIC PLU Sisactive.
or
Vehicles wit hmanual transmission: wit hthe HOLD function acti-
vated, you hav eeither:
R opened th edriver's doo rand released the sea tbelt or
R switched off the engin eor
R opened the bonnet
At one may also sound at regular intervals. The toneb ecomes
louder if you attempt to lock the vehicle.
You cannot start the engine.
X Paying attention to the traffic situation, immediately depress the
brake pedal firmly and hold until the display message disap-
pears.
X Prevent the vehicle from rolling away before you leave it
(Y page 301).
You can restart the engine. J
Check brake fluid
level G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. In addi-
tion, the red Jwarning lamp in the instrument cluster lights
up and awarning tone sounds.
X Pullo ver and stop the vehicl esafel yass oon as possible,p aying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
X Do not top up the brake fluid. This does not correct the error. #
Check brake wear The brake pads/linings have reache
dtheir wearl imit.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. PRE-SAFE
inoperative See
Owner's Man. G
Risk of injury
Important function sofPRE-SAFE ®
have failed .All other occupant
safet ysystems, e.g. airbags, remain available.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop immediately. Display messages
235On-board computer and displays Z

Engine
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
+
Top
up coolant See
Owner'
sManual The coolant leve
listoolow.
X Top up th ecoolant ,observing th ewarning note sbefore doing
so (Y page 283).
X If th ecoolant needs toppin gupmoreo ften than usual, have the
engin ecoolant system checked at aqualifie dspecialist work-
shop. ?
Coolan
tStopv ehi‐ cle Switch engine
off The coolant is to
ohot.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Stop th evehicle immediately, payin gattentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiator is not
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X Wait until the display message disappears before restarting the
engine. Otherwise, there is arisk of engine damage.
X Pay attention to the coolant temperature display.
X If the temperature increases again, visit aqualified specialist
workshop immediately. The poly-V-belt may have torn.
X
Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Wait until the display message disappears before restarting the
engine. Otherwise, there is arisk of engine damage.
X Pay attention to the coolant temperature display.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. ? The fan motor is faulty.
X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop/start driving. 242
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
# The battery is no
tbeing charged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
Possible causes are:
R af ault yalternator
R at ornp oly-V-belt
R am alfunctio nintheelectronics
X Stop th evehicle immediately, payin gattentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Open the bonnet.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is OK:
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. 4
Check eng. oil
lev. when next
refuelling The engine oil level has dropped to
acritical level.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kthe oil level (Y page 282).
X If necessary, top up the engine oil (Y page 283).
X Have the engine checked for leaks if the engine oil needs top-
ping up more often than usual. 8
Reserve fuel level The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated when the fuel level
drops into the reserve range.
X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. C There is only
avery small amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
The auxiliary heating cannot be operated.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station without fail. ¸
Replace
air cleaner Vehicles with
adiesel engine: the engine air filter is dirty and must
be replaced.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. !
Clean
the fuel fil‐
ter Vehicles with
adiesel engine: there is water in the fuel filter. The
water must be drained off.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. Display messages
243On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
DISTRONIC PLUS
currently unavail‐
abl
eS ee Owner's Manual DISTRONIC PLU
Sisdeactivated and is temporarily inoperative if:
R the DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grille is dirty.
R the sensors in the bumpers are dirty.
R the radar sensor system is temporarily inoperative, e.g. due to
electromagnetic radiation emitted by nearby TV or radio sta-
tions or other sources of electromagnetic radiation.
R its function is impaired due to heavy rain or snow.
R the system is outside the operating temperature range.
R the on-board voltage is too low.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
DISTRONI CPLUSiso perational againa nd the display message
disappears if:
R the dirt (e.g. slush) drops away whil ethe vehicl eisinmotion.
R the system detects tha tthe sensors are fully available again.
R the system is within the operating temperature range.
If the displaym essage continues to be displayed:
X Cleant he DISTRONIC PLUS cover in the radiator grille
(Y page 290).
X Cleant he bumpers (Y page 290).
X Restart the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS is faulty. BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE
®
Brake may
also have failed.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Visi taq ualified specialist workshop. DISTRONIC PLUS
suspended You have depressed the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS is no
longer controlling the speed of the vehicle.
X
Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. DISTRONIC PLUS
--- km/h An activation condition for DISTRONIC PLUS is not fulfilled.
X
Check the activation condition sfor DISTRONIC PLUS
(Y page 171). DISTRONIC PLUS and
SPEEDTRONIC
inoperative DISTRONIC PLUS and SPEEDTRONIC are faulty.
Awarning tone
also sounds.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. Cruise control and
SPEEDTRONIC
inoperative Cruise contro
land SPEEDTRONIC are malfunctioning.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Visi taq ualified specialist workshop. 248
Display messagesOn-boar
dcomputer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
C At leas
tone door is open. Awarning tone also sounds.
X Close all doors. _
Rea
rl efts eat backrest not locked
or
Rea rr ight seat backrest not locked G
Ris
kofi njury
The backres tinthe rear is not engaged on the left-hand and/or
right-hand side. Awarning tone also sounds.
X Push th ebackres tback until it engages. _
Front lef
tseat backrest not locked
or
Front right sea
tb ackrest not locked The driver'
sorfront-pa ssenger seat backres tisnot engaged. A
warning tone also sounds.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. j
Check trailer
hitch lock G
Risk of accident
The trailer tow hitch is not correctly engaged.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Stop th evehicle immediately, payin gattentio ntoroad and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Apply the parking brake.
X Allow the trailer tow hitch ball coupling to engage in the end
position (Y page 206). J
Close boot separa‐
tor The boot separator is open.
X
Close the boot separator (Y page 92).D
Power
steering mal‐
function See Own‐
er's Manual G
Risk of accident
The power steerin gassistance is faulty.
You will need to use more force to steer.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kwhether you are able to apply the extraf orce required.
X If you are able to steer safely: carefully drive on toaqualified
specialist workshop.
X If you are unable to steer safely: do not drive on. Contact the
nearest qualified specialist workshop. Display messages
251On-board computer and displays Z

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
Jäå!
The red brake warning
lamp, the yellowE
SP®
and ESP ®
OFF warning
lamps and the yellow
ABS warning lamp are
lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of accident
ABS and ESP ®
are malfunctioning. Therefore, BAS,B AS PLUS,
EBD,P RE-SAFE ®
,P RE-SAFE ®
Brake, the HOLD function, hill start
assist, the adaptive brake lights and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation, for
example, are not available either due to amalfunction.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit aqualified specialist workshop. ä
The yellowE
SP®
warn-
ing lamp flashes while
the vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
or traction control has intervened because there is arisk 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 Release the accelerator pedal while the vehicle is in motion.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
For exceptions: (Y page 64).å
The yellow ESP
®
OFF
warning lamp is lit while
the engine is running. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
and ESP ®
trailer stabilisation are deactivated. ESP ®
will not
stabilise the vehicle if it starts to skid or if awheel starts to spin.
X Reactivate ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 64).
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
If ESP ®
cannot be activated:
X Have ESP ®
checked at aqualified specialist workshop. 258
Warning and indicator lampsint
he instrument clusterOn-board computer and displays