MERCEDES-BENZ R500 2006 W251 Owner's Manual

420 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ESP
unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
If the yellow ESP
® warning
lampv flashes while driving and
this message appears, the electron-
ic 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 yet been
completed yet.
The display will clear after driving a short
distance at a vehicle speed of above
12 mph (20 km/h).
Malfunction
Visit workshop
In 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.
Display malfunction
Visit workshop
In addition, the yellow ESP
® warning
lampv comes on.
The ESP
® or the ESP
® display is
malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of an accident.

421 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
P
Gear selector lever
in Park
You have started the engine or
switched on the ignition with
KEYLESS-GO* and opened the
driver’s door with the automatic
transmission not set to positionP.

Set the automatic transmission to
positionP.
or

Close the driver’s door
Gear selector lever
in Neutral or Park
You have attempted to start the
engine with the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button while the auto-
matic 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.
PRE-SAFE
unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
If ESP
® and PRE-SAFE
®* malfunc-
tion messages are displayed simul-
taneously, PRE-SAFE®* has been
deactivated as a result of these mal-
functions. All other occupant safety
systems, such as the air bags are
still available.

Visit an authorizes Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.
PRE-SAFE
®* itself has failed. All oth-
er occupant safety systems, such as
the air bags are still available.

Visit an authorizes Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck Center as soon as possible.

422 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
SRS
Restraint sys.
malfunction
Drive to workshop
The system is malfunctioning.

Drive with added caution to the nearest
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 visit 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 result in serious or fatal injury,
or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnec-
essarily which could also result in injury.

423 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
enabled
see Operator’s Manual
Front 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:
Turn off the ignition (
page 38).

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 heavier weight than actually present.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and turn on the igni-
tion (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

424 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
enabled
see Operator’s Manual
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (
page 89) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) 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 85) 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 last 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 85),
the 59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
If the 59indicator 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.

425 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
disabled
see Operator’s Manual
Front passenger front
air bag is deactivated
while driving even
though an adult or
someone larger than a
small individual is oc-
cupying the front pas-
senger seat. Forces
acting on the seat may
make the system
sense a decrease in
weight.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and check the front passen-
ger seat for the following:
Turn off the ignition (
page 38).

Have the front passenger vacate the seat and exit the vehicle.

Adjust the seat in a height position (
page 43).

Make sure that no objects which apply forces to the seat are present (e.g. ob-
jects such as books, briefcases etc. lodged underneath, behind or around the
seat). Such forces may cause the system to sense that an occupant of a lesser
weight than actually present is on the front passenger seat.

Keep the seat unoccupied, close the front passenger door and switch on the
ignition (
page 38).
(Continued on next page)

426 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible
cause/consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger airbag
disabled
see Operator’s Manual
Monitor the 59indicator lamp on the center console (
page 89) and
the multifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) 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 85) 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 last 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 85),
the 59indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
If the 59indicator 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.

427 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Check tires
Then reactivate
Run Flat Indicator
There was a warning message about
a loss in the tire inflation pressure
and the Run Flat Indicator has not
been reactivated yet.

Make sure that the correct tire inflation pressure is set
for each tire.

Then reactivate the Run Flat Indicator.
Run Flat Indicator
inactive
Run Flat Indicator is malfunctioning.

Have the Run Flat Indicator checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Run Flat Indicator
unavailable
The Run Flat Indicator has been
switched off due to an error.

Have the Run Flat Indicator checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Tire pressure
Check tires
The Run Flat Indicator indicates that
the pressure is too low in one or more
tires.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding abrupt
steering and braking maneuvers. Observe the traffic sit-
uation around you.

Check and adjust tire inflation pressure as required
(page 365).

If necessary, change the wheel (
page 478).

Reactivate the Run Flat Indicator after adjusting the tire
inflation pressure values (
page 365).

428 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Tire pressure displayed
only after driving
a few minutes
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
The tire inflation pressure is being checked.

Drive the vehicle for a few minutes.
Tire pressure monitor
inoperative
The TPMS or Advanced TPMS* is
malfunctioning.

Have the TPMS or Advanced TPMS* checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Tire pressure monitor
inoperative
No wheel sensors
There are wheels without wheel sensors
mounted (e.g. winter tires).

Have the TPMS or Advanced TPMS* checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Have the wheel sensors installed by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Tire pressure monitor
temporarily
unavailable
The TPMS or Advanced TPMS* is unable to
monitor the tire pressure due to

a nearby radio interference source


excessive wheel sensor temperatures

As soon as the causes for the malfunction are no
longer present, the TPMS or Advanced TPMS* auto-
matically becomes active again after a few minutes
of driving.
Tire pressure monitor
Wheel sensor missing
One or more sensors malfunction (e.g. bat-
tery in one or more wheel sensor is empty).
One or more wheels without wheel sensors
mounted (e.g. spare tire).

Have the TPMS or Advanced TPMS* checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.

Have the wheel sensors installed by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Vehicles with Advanced TPMS*:
The tire pressure for the respective tire is shown in
the multifunction display.

429 Practical hints
What to do if …
Symbol messagesDisplay symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
#
malfunction
Visit workshop
The battery is no longer charg-
ing.
Possible causes:

alternator malfunctioning


broken poly-V-belt
Do not forget that the brake sys-
tem requires electrical energy
and may be operating with re-
stricted capability. Considerably
greater brake pedal force is
required and the stopping dis-
tance is increased.

Stop in a safe location or as soon as it is
safe to do so and check the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the
engine will overheat due to an inoperative
water pump which may result in damage
to the engine. Notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
If it is intact:

Drive immediately to the nearest autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Light Truck Center.
Adjust driving to be consistent with
reduced braking responsiveness.