check engine light MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2014 User Guide

Problems with the seat ventilation
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The seat ventilation has
switched off prema-
turely or cannot be
switched on. The on-board voltage is too low because too many electrical con-
sumers are switched on.
X Switch off electrical consumers that you do not need, such as
the rear window heating or interior lighting.
Once the battery is sufficiently charged, the seat ventilation can
be switched back on. Steering wheel
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
You could lose control of the vehicle while
driving if you:
R adjust the driver's seat, steering wheel or
mirrors
R fasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirrors and fasten your seat
belt before starting the engine. G
WARNING
Children could become trapped by the steer-
ing wheel if they adjust it. There is a risk of
injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle.
The electrically adjustable steering wheel can
still be adjusted when there is no key in the
ignition lock. Adjusting the steering wheel man-
ually
:
Release lever
; To adjust the steering wheel height
= To adjust the steering wheel position
(fore-and-aft adjustment)
X Push release lever :down completely.
The steering column is unlocked.
X Adjust the steering wheel to the desired
position.
X Push release lever :up completely.
The steering column is locked.
X Check if the steering column is locked.
When doing so, try to push the steering
wheel up or down or try to move it in the
fore-and-aft direction. Steering wheel
125Seats, steering wheel and mirrors Z

Problems with the windscreen wipers
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The windscreen wipers
are jammed. Leaves or snow, for example, may be obstructing the windscreen
wiper movement. The wiper motor has been deactivated.
X For safety reasons, you should remove the key from the ignition
lock.
or
X Switch off the engine using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door.
X Remove the cause of the obstruction.
X Switch the windscreen wipers back on. The windscreen wipers
fail completely. The windscreen wiper drive is malfunctioning.
X Select another wiper speed on the combination switch.
X Have the windscreen wipers checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. The windscreen washer
fluid from the spray
nozzles no longer hits
the centre of the wind-
screen. The spray nozzles are misaligned.
X Have the spray nozzles adjusted at a qualified specialist work-
shop. 148
Windscreen wipersLights and windscreen wipers

Starting the engine
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they could:
R open doors, thereby endangering other per-
sons or road users
R get out and be struck by oncoming traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped, for example
In addition, the children could also set the
vehicle in motion, for example, if they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position P or shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children and animals unattended in the vehi-
cle. Keep the keys out of the reach of children. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation. G
WARNING
Flammable materials introduced through
environmental influence or by animals can
ignite if in contact with the exhaust system or parts of the engine that heat up. There is a risk
of fire.
Carry out regular checks to make sure that
there are no flammable foreign materials in
the engine compartment or in the exhaust
system.
! Do not depress the accelerator when
starting the engine. General notes Vehicles with a petrol engine:
the catalytic
converter is preheated for up to 30 seconds
after a cold start. The sound of the engine may
change during this time.
Manual transmission You can only start the engine when the clutch
pedal is fully depressed.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Fully depress the clutch pedal.
X Shift to neutral N.
Automatic transmission X
Shift the transmission to position P
(Y page 193).
The transmission position indicator in the
multifunction display shows P
(Y page 195).
You can also start the engine when the trans- mission is in position N.
Starting procedure with the key To start the engine using the key instead of
the Start/Stop button, pull the Start/Stop
button out of the ignition lock.
X To start a petrol engine: turn the key to
position 3in the ignition lock (Y page 181)
and release it as soon as the engine is run- ning.
X To start a diesel engine: turn the key to
position 2in the ignition lock (Y page 181).
The % preglow indicator lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
X When the %preglow indicator lamp
goes out, turn the key to position 3
(Y page 181) and release it as soon as the
engine is running.
You can start the engine without preglow if
the engine is warm. Driving
183Driving and parking Z

Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Vehicles with a petrol
engine:
The engine is not run-
ning smoothly and is
misfiring. There is a malfunction in the engine electronics or in a mechanical
component of the engine management system.
X Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist
workshop. The coolant tempera-
ture display is showing
more than 120 †. A
display message may
also appear in the mul-
tifunction display and a warning tone may
sound. The coolant level is too low. The coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled sufficiently.
X Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 393). Observe the warning
notes as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the engine radiator fan may be faulty.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X If the coolant temperature is below 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 in
mountainous terrain and stop-start traffic. Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting between
5thand 6thgear,
you should always push the gear lever all
the way to the right. Otherwise, you could
shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th gear
and damage the transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients,
especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear
1, 2or3in
good time. This uses the engine's braking
effect. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over- heating and wearing too quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears 190
Manual transmissionDriving and parking

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.
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds. In addition, the ésymbol
appears in the multifunction display. In the
speedometer, the segments between 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, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
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 ;.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the 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 braking the vehicle.
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 a time
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the Driving systems
217Driving and parking
Z

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.
Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
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 ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever is on. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selec-
ted.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
The speedometer dial lights up between
the start of the scale and the stored speed.
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :. 220
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 401)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
i The reversing camera is protected from
raindrops and dust by means of a flap.
When the reversing camera is activated,
this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring proc-
ess
R you switch off the engine
R you open the boot
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 401).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the reversing camera has been deactivated.
Activating/deactivating the reversing
camera X
To activate: make sure that the key is in
position 2in the ignition lock.
X Make sure that the Activation by R Activation by R
gear
gear function is selected in Audio 20/
COMAND Online; see the Digital Owner's
Manual.
X Engage reverse gear.
The reversing camera flap opens. The area
behind the vehicle is shown with guide lines
in the Audio 20/COMAND Online display.
The image from the reversing camera is
available throughout the manoeuvring
process.
X To change the function mode for vehi-
cles with trailer tow hitch: using the
Audio 20/COMAND controller, select sym-
bol :for the "Reverse parking" function or
symbol ;for "Coupling up a trailer".
The symbol of the selected function is high-
lighted.
Further information on the Audio 20/
COMAND controller, see the Digital Owner's
Manual.
To deactivate: the reversing camera deacti-
vates if you shift the transmission to Por after
driving forwards a short distance.
Messages in the Audio 20/COMAND
Online display The reversing camera may show a distorted
view of obstacles or show them incorrectly or
not at all. Obstacles are not shown by the
reversing camera in the following locations:
R very close to the rear bumper
R under the rear bumper
R in the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
! Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
R the bumper of a parked vehicle
R the drawbar of a trailer
R the ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch Driving systems
245Driving and parking Z

Activating Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist
(Y page 309) is activated in the on-board
computer.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red until the engine is started.
Display in the assistance graphic When Blind Spot Assist is activated, grey
radar waves propagating backwards appear
next to the vehicle in the assistance display in the multifunction display. Above a speed of
30 km/h, the colour of the radar waves in the
assistance display changes to green ;. Blind
Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con- nection. This can be accomplished by check-ing the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The Blind Spot Assist
Blind Spot Assist
not not available
available when
whentowing
towing a
atrailer
trailer
See Owner's Manual
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display. Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in
front of your vehicle by means of camera
:
at the top of the windscreen. Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally.
This function is available in the range between
60 km/h and 200 km/h.
A warning may be given if a front wheel
passes over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of intermittent vibration through the
steering wheel for up to 1.5 seconds.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Lane Keeping Assist cannot always clearly
identify lane markings.
In these cases, Lane Keeping Assist may:
R give an unnecessary warning
R not give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep in lane, especially if Lane
Keeping Assist alerts you. G
WARNING
The Lane Keeping Assist warning does not
return the vehicle to the original lane. There is a risk of an accident. Driving systems
261Driving and parking
Z

R
you have switched on the turn signals. In
this event, the warnings are suppressed
for a certain period of time.
R a driving safety system intervenes, such
as ABS, BAS or ESP ®
.
R you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lane quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
In order that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane marking, the system recognises certain con-
ditions and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend.
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a motor-
way.
R the system recognises solid lane markings.
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes.
R you cut the corner on a bend.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by check- ing the trailer lighting. Hybrid operation
Points to remember
General notes Hybrid technology combines a fuel efficient
internal combustion engine with a powerful
electric motor. The hybrid system automati-
cally selects the most efficient operating
mode for every driving situation. Drive the
vehicle in the usual manner.
To save fuel, the hybrid system switches off
the combustion engine as often as possible
during the journey when power output requirements are low. When power output
requirements are low, the electric motor pow-
ers the vehicle. When power output require-
ments are high, the combustion engine is
switched on, even during a journey. When the vehicle is stationary, the combustion engine
is usually switched off. Consequently, there is
usually no engine idling as with combustion
engine vehicles.
For pulling away and accelerating, the electric motor supports the internal combustion
engine using the power stored in the high-
voltage battery. In addition, the power is used
for partially electric driving, operation of the
electric coolant compressor and to support
the 12 V on-board electrical system. In this
way the hybrid drive helps to reduce your
vehicle's fuel consumption.
Observe the driving tips on hybrid operation
(Y page 278).
RBS (Recuperative Brake System) If you release the accelerator pedal when the
vehicle is in motion, overrun recuperation is
initiated. The electric motor is operated as a
generator when in overrun mode and when
you brake. Hybrid technology converts the
kinetic energy of the vehicle into electricity
and stores it in the high-voltage battery. Important safety notes
All of the vehicle's systems remain active, if: R the vehicle is stationary,
R the combustion engine is switched off and
R the READY-indicator in the instrument clus-
ter is lit.
If you remove your foot from the brake pedal
while in transmission position D or R, the
vehicle could pull away automatically.
Observe the notes on the READY display of
the ECO start/stop function (Y page 279).
Vehicles with an electric motor generate sig-
nificantly less noise than vehicles with inter-
nal combustion engines. As a result, in certain Hybrid operation
269Driving and parking Z

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions !
Turn on the igni‐ Turn on the igni‐
tion to release tion to release
the parking brake the parking brake The red
!indicator lamp lights up.
You attempted to release the electric parking brake while the igni-
tion was switched off.
X Switch the ignition on. J
Check brake fluid Check brake fluid
level level There is insufficient brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir.
In addition, the red Jwarning lamp lights up in the instrument
cluster and a warning tone sounds.
G WARNING
Braking efficiency may be impaired.
There is a risk of an accident. X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 207).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
X Do not top up the brake fluid. This does not correct the fault. #
Check brake pad Check brake pad
wear wear The brake pads/linings have reached their wear limit.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Collision Preven‐
Collision Preven‐
tion Assist Plus tion Assist Plus
currently unavail‐ currently unavail‐
able See Owner's able See Owner's
Manual Manual COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is temporarily inoperative.
Possible causes:
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 the system is outside the operating temperature range
R the on-board voltage is too low
Once the causes listed above no longer apply, the display message goes out.
COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS is operational again.
If the display message does not disappear:
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 207).
X Restart the engine. 322
Display
messagesOn-board computer and displays