MERCEDES-BENZ R350 2008 W251 Owner's Manual

430 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
ABSUnavailable
See Operator’s ManualThe self-diagnosis has not yet been
completed yet.The display will clear after driving a short
distance at a vehicle speed of above
12 mph (20 km/h).
Cruise
Control And
SPEEDTRONIC

InoperativeThe cruise control is malfunctioning.Have cruise control checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Cruise
Control––– MPHYou have attempted to set a
speed while driving below
20 mph (30 km/h).Accelerate to a speed exceeding
20 mph (30 km/h) and set the speed
(
page 257).
The ESP® is switched off.Switch on the ESP® (page 105).
The automatic transmission is set to
position P, R, or N.Set the automatic transmission to
positionD (
page 190).
The vehicle is secured with the
parking brake.Release the parking brake (page 56).

431 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
DISTRONIC––– MPHYou have attempted to set a
speed while driving below
20 mph (30 km/h).Accelerate to a speed exceeding
20 mph (30 km/h) and set the speed
(
page 257).
The ESP® is switched off.Switch on the ESP® (page 105).
The automatic transmission is set to
position P, R, or N.Set the automatic transmission to posi-
tion D (
page 190).
The vehicle is secured with the
parking brake.Release the parking brake (page 56).
InoperativeThe Distronic* or the Distronic*
display are malfunctioning.Have the system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
OverrideYou have accelerated. The
Distronic* has switched off.Stop accelerating.

432 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
DISTRONICAvailable AgainDistronic* had been deactivated and
is available again.Activate Distronic* (page 268).
Currently Unavailable
See Operator’s ManualDistronic* is deactivated because
the functionality is impaired by
external interferences, e.g.
high-frequency sources such as toll
stations, speed measuring systems
etc.Leave the area of the external
interference.
Activate Distronic* again (page 268)
when the message
DISTRONIC Available
Again
appears.
Distronic* is deactivated because
the Distronic* sensor has not
sensed any other vehicles or
objects, e.g. road sign or such, for a
long time.Try to activate Distronic* again
(
page 268) when the message
DISTRONIC Available Again appears.

433 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
DISTRONICCurrently Unavailable
See Operator’s ManualDistronic* is deactivated because

the Distronic* cover in the
radiator grille is dirty

the functionality is impaired by
heavy precipitation or fog
Clean the Distronic* cover in the radiator
grille (
page 407).
Restart the vehicle.
Distronic* becomes operational again with-
out the engine being restarted when

dirt on the radiator grille has fallen off
while driving (e.g. slush or snow)

the system recognizes full sensor
availability due to lessening rain or
because the road is drying, for example

the message in the multifunction display
disappears
You can then operate Distronic* as usual
again.

434 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Depress brake
to shift out of P.You have tried to shift the automatic
transmission into position D, R or N
using the gear selector lever without
depressing the brake pedal.Depress the brake pedal.
Door Open
Vehicle Not In ParkYou have opened the driver’s door
and the automatic transmission is
still in position D, R or N.Before you leave the vehicle, make sure
that the automatic transmission is set to
position P and that the parking brake is
engaged.
Drive to workshop
without
shifting gears
.
The automatic transmission cannot
be shifted out of the set position be-
cause of a malfunction.If the automatic transmission is set to
positionD:
Without changing the automatic transmis-
sion from position D, drive to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
If the automatic transmission is set to
positionN, R or P:
Do not drive.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center.

435 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
ESPInoperative
See Operator’s ManualIn addition, the yellow ESP® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® has detected a malfunc-
tion and switched off.
The ABS may still be operational.
Continue driving with added caution.
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.
In addition, the yellow ESP® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® or the ESP® display is
malfunctioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.
In addition, the yellow ESP® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® is deactivated because of
a malfunction or interrupted power
supply.
Continue driving with added caution.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.

436 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
ESPUnavailable
See Operator’s ManualThe ESP® was deactivated because
of insufficient power supply. The
charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts.
The brake system is still functioning
normally but without the ESP
®
available.
When the voltage is above this value again, the
ESP® is 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.
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center as soon
as possible.
If the yellow ESP® warning
lampv flashes while driving
and this message appears, the
Electronic Traction System has
switched off to prevent overheating
of the drive wheel brakes.As soon as the brakes have cooled off, the
Electronic Traction System switches on again.
The message in the multifunction display disap-
pears and the ESP
® warning lampv goes
out.
The self-diagnosis has not been
completed yet.The display will clear after driving a short
distance at a vehicle speed of above
12 mph (20 km/h).

437 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
PShift to P or N
to start engine
.
You have attempted to start the
engine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button while the
automatic transmission was set
to positionR orD.Set the automatic transmission to
positionP orN.
Make sure the brake pedal is
depressed when attempting to start
the engine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button.
Only shift to P
when vehicle
is at a standstill.You have tried to shift the
automatic transmission into
position P using the gear selec-
tor lever although the vehicle
was still in motion.Stop the vehicle.
SRSRestraint Sys. Malfunction
Service RequiredThe system is malfunctioning.Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck 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 Light Truck Center
immediately to have the system checked;
otherwise the SRS may not be activated
when needed in an accident, which could re-
sult in serious or fatal injury, or it might de-
ploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which
could also result in injury.

438 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible
cause/consequencePossible solution
Front Passenger Airbag
Enabled
See Operator’s ManualFront passenger front
air bag is activated
while driving even
though a child, small
individual, or object
below the system’s
weight threshold is on
the front passenger
seat, or the front pas-
senger seat is empty.
Objects on the seat or
forces acting on the
seat may make the
system sense supple-
mental weight.Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front passen-
ger seat for the following:
Apply the parking brake (page 65).
Switch off the ignition (page 39).
Remove child and child restraint from front passenger seat and properly secure
the child in rear seat employing the child restraint if necessary.
Remove any other items from on and around the front passenger seat and
make sure the storage bag on the back of the front passenger seat is empty.
Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present (e.g. ob-
jects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged behind or around the seat, head re-
straints pushing against roof etc.). The system may recognize such forces as
supplemental weight and sense that an occupant on the front passenger seat
is of a greater weight than actually present.
Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and switch on the
ignition (
page 39).
(Continued on next page)

439 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible
cause/consequencePossible solution
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (page 81) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 29) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,

the 59indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and
remain illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 77) has deactivated the air
bag.

the message Front Passenger Airbag Enabled See Operator’s Manual or the
message
Front Passenger Airbag Disabled See Operator’s Manual should
not appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait
at least 60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and
to make sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again.
Depending on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 77),
the 59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the
system checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck
Center.
Warning!G
If the 59 indicator lamp re-
mains out even after performing the above
corrective steps, do not have any children
12 years old and under and other small individuals use the front passenger seat
until the system has been repaired.