MERCEDES-BENZ CL55AMG 2006 C215 Owner's Manual

340 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ABC
ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
STOP, CAR TOO LOW
ABC is malfunctioning.

Stop and press the vehicle level control but-
ton to select a higher vehicle level
(page 222).
If the vehicle is not raised, observe the fol-
lowing when you continue to drive:

Do not turn steering wheel too far to
avoid damaging the front fenders.

Listen for scraping noises.

Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
ABC
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE
VISIT WORKSHOP
The display for ABC or the ABC system itself
is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
ACTIVE BODY CONTROL
VISIT WORKSHOP
The capability of the ABC system is restrict-
ed.

Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

341 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ABS
MALFUNCTION
VISIT WORKSHOP
The ABS has detected a malfunction and
has switched off. The ESP
® and the BAS are
also deactivated.
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 steer-
ing capability.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE
VISIT WORKSHOP
The ABS or the ABS display is malfunction-
ing.

Continue driving with added caution. Wheels
may lock during hard braking, reducing steer-
ing capability.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
AIR CLEANER
CHANGE CARTRIDGE
VISIT WORKSHOP
The air filter is clogged.

Have the air filter checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

342 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC
EXTERNAL MALFUNCTION
REACTIVATE
Distronic* is switched off and is temporarily
unavailable.

Try activating Distronic* again later.
DISTRONIC
CURRENTLY
UNAVAILABLE
SEE OPERATORS MANUAL
Distronic* is switched off because the Dis-
tronic* cover in the radiator grille is dirty.

Clean the Distronic* cover in the radiator
grille (
page 322).

Restart the vehicle.
DISTRONIC
DRIVE TO WORKSHOP
Distronic* is malfunctioning or the display
is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
ESP
MALFUNCTION
VISIT WORKSHOP
The ESP
® has detected a malfunction and
switched off.
The ABS may still be operational.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE
VISIT WORKSHOP
The ESP
® or the ESP
® display is malfunc-
tioning.

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.

343 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ESP
UNAVAILABLE
SEE OPERATORS
MANUAL
The ESP
® was deactivated because the
power supply has been interrupted.
The ABS is still operational.

Synchronize the ESP
®. With the vehicle sta-
tionary and the engine running, turn the
steering wheel completely to the left and
then to the right to synchronize the ESP
®.
If the ESP
® message does not go out:

Continue driving with added caution.

Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions increases the
risk of an accident.
!When synchronizing the ESP
®, make
sure you can turn the steering wheel in
both directions as far as it will go with-
out the wheel hitting any objects, e.g.
aroad curb.

344 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
MOVE SELECTOR LEVER
TO PARK
You have tried to turn off the engine with
the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(page 35) with the gear selector lever not
inP.

Place the gear selector lever in positionP.

345 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Symbol messagesDisplay
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
#
BATTERY CHARGE
VISIT WORKSHOP
The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:

alternator malfunctioning


broken poly-V-belt
Do not forget that the brake system re-
quires electrical energy and may be oper-
ating with restricted capability.
Considerably greater brake pedal force is
required and the stopping distance is
longer.

Stop immediately 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 Center.
If it is intact:

Drive immediately to the nearest autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. Adjust driv-
ing to be consistent with reduced braking
responsiveness.
;(USA only)3(Canada only)
RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE
You are driving with the parking brake en-
gaged.

Release the parking brake (
page 50).

346 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
2
BRAKE PAD WEAR
VISIT WORKSHOP
The brake pads have reached their wear
limit.

Have the brake pads replaced as soon as
possible.
;(USA only)3(Canada only)
BRAKE FLUID
VISIT WORKSHOP
There is insufficient brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle in a
safe location and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Do not add brake
fluid! This will not solve the problem.
Failure to follow these instructions increases
the risk of accident.
Warning!
G
Driving with the message
BRAKE FLUID
VISIT WORKSHOP
displayed can result in an
accident. Have your brake system checked
immediately. Do not add brake fluid before
checking the brake system. Overfilling the
brake fluid reservoir can result in spilling
brake fluid on hot engine parts and the
brake fluid catching fire. You can be serious-
ly 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.
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet.

347 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
±
VISIT WORKSHOP
There may be a malfunction in the:

Fuel injection system


Ignition system


Exhaust system


Fuel system

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
B
COOLANT
CHECK LEVEL
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 280).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without a sufficient
amount of coolant in the cooling sys-
tem. The engine will overheat, causing
major engine damage.

348 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location and
turn off the engine.

Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise
damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

349 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop the vehicle in a safe location and im-
mediately turn off the engine.

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 Center.
If it is intact:

Restart the engine only after the message
disappears from the multifunction dis-
play. Doing so could result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge
in the instrument cluster (
page 24).

Drive immediately to the nearest autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center. Adjust driv-
ing to be consistent with reduced braking
responsiveness.