warning light MERCEDES-BENZ CL600 2005 C215 User Guide

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, BAS, and the
ESP is only achieved with winter tires
(M + S tires), or snow chains as re-
quired.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS and ESP cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on the ignition (
page 34). It goes
out when the engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 326).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance.
Apply continuous full braking pressure
until the emergency braking situation is
over.
The ABS will prevent the wheels from
locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeop-
ardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Warning!
G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning normally, but without
the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.

103 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the trunk
Closing the trunk from the inside auto-
matically*
In vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system* you can close the trunk from the
inside using the remote trunk lid switch.
Press remote trunk lid switch
(page 102) until the indicator lamp in
the switch goes out and trunk lid is
closed.
To interrupt the closing procedure:

Release remote trunk lid switch.If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high) in the upper motion
sequence, the closing procedure is
stopped and the trunk reopens slightly.iYou can also close the trunk by hand
(page 104).
Warning!
G
Maintain sight of trunk area while operating
door mounted switch. Monitor the closing
procedure carefully to make sure no one is
in danger of being injured.
To interrupt the closing procedure, release
the door mounted remote trunk lid switch.
Even with the SmartKey or the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* removed from the start-
er switch or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* removed from the vehicle,
the remote trunk lid switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.

105 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Closing the trunk from the outside
(vehicles without KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system* you can close the trunk separate-
ly from the outside using the trunk lid clos-
ing switch.
1Trunk lid closing switch

Press trunk lid closing switch1 brief-
ly.
The trunk lid closes.
If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the trunk reopens slightly.iYou can also close the trunk by hand
(page 104).
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the trunk opening when closing the trunk.
Be especially careful when small children
are around. To stop the closing procedure,
do one of the following:

press trunk lid closing switch1


press the Š button on the SmartKey


press the remote trunk lid switch (on the
driver’s door)
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the trunk lid closing switch
can be operated. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Closing the trunk from the outside
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*)
In vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system* you can close the trunk separate-
ly from the outside using the trunk lid clos-
ing switch.
1Trunk lid closing switch
Make sure you have the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.

Press trunk lid closing switch1 brief-
ly.
The trunk lid closes. If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the trunk reopens slightly.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
trunk. You may lock yourself out.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk will lock automatical-
ly after closing it. The turn signals flash
three times to confirm locking.
iYou can also close the trunk by hand
(page 104).
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
recognized inside the vehicle or in the
trunk.

108 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Press switch1 briefly.
The vehicle is locked and the trunk lid
closes automatically. The turn signals
flash three times to confirm locking.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
activated.
If the trunk lid comes into contact with an
object while closing (e.g. luggage that has
been piled too high), the closing procedure
is stopped and the trunk reopens slightly.iYou can also close the trunk by hand
(page 104).
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk lid will open automatical-
ly if a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
recognized inside the vehicle or in the
trunk.
Warning!
G
Monitor the closing procedure carefully to
make sure no one is in danger of being in-
jured. To prevent possible personal injury,
always keep hands and fingers away from
the trunk opening when closing the trunk.
Be especially careful when small children
are around. To stop the closing procedure,
do one of the following:

press KEYLESS-GO locking/closing
switch1


press the Š button on the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO


press the remote trunk lid switch (on the
driver’s door)
Even with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
removed from the vehicle, the KEYLESS-GO
locking/closing switch can be operated.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.

126 Controls in detailLightingManual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch. For exterior lamp
switch, see (
page 125).Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:


Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps.
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch or the engine turned off
with KEYLESS-GO* and the driver’s
door open, a warning sounds if the
parking lamps or low beam headlamps
are switched on.
The message
TURN OFF LIGHTS
appears in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.iThe front fog lamps and rear fog lamp
cannot be switched on manually with
exterior lamp switch in positionU.
To activate the fog lamps, turn exterior
lamp switch to positionB and pull
the exterior lamp switch to first or sec-
ond stop (
page 128).

128 Controls in detailLightingSwitching on fog lamps
Switching on front fog lamps

Switch on the low beam headlamps
(page 52).

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The front fog lamps are switched on.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch comes on (
page 125).

Push in the exterior lamp switch.
The front fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch goes out (
page 125).Switching on rear fog lamp (driver’s side
only)

Switch on the front fog lamps
(page 128).

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The rear fog lamps are switched on.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
lamp switch comes on (
page 125).

Push n the exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The rear fog lamps are switched off.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch goes out (
page 125).
The front fog lamps remain lit.
Warning!
G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from position U to B with
the vehicle at a standstill. Switching from
U to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps
on. Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding permis-
sible lamp operation.
iFog lamps cannot be switched on with
exterior lamp switch in position
U
.
For switching on the fog lamps, turn ex-
terior lamp switch to position B first.

130 Controls in detailLightingHazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter switch
or with the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
removed from the vehicle.
The hazard warning flasher switches on au-
tomatically when an airbag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is locat-
ed on the upper part of the front center
console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch.
All turn signals will flash.Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.
iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective left or right turn signals will
operate when the SmartKey in the
starter switch is in position 1 or 2 or
the KEYLESS-GO** start/stop button
(page 35) is pressed once or twice.
iIf the hazard warning flasher was acti-
vated automatically, also press hazard
warning flasher switch 1 to switch off
the hazard warning flasher.

141 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1
Standard dis-
play
Menu2
AUDIO
Menu3
Telephone*
Menu4
NAVI
Menu5
Distronic*
Menu6
Trip computer
Menu7
Vehicle status
message memory
Menu8
Settings
(page 142)
(page 142)
(page 147)
(page 149)
(page 150)
(page 151)
(page 153)
(page 154)
Commands/submenusCall up mainte-
nance service
display
Select radio
station
Load phone
book
Activate
route guid-
ance
Call up set-
tings
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
after start
Call up vehicle mal-
function, warning
and system status
messages stored in
memory
Reset to fac-
tory settings
Check tire in-
flation pres-
sure*
Select satellite
radio station*
(USA only)
Search for
name in
phone book
Fuel consump-
tion statistics
since the last
reset
Instrument
cluster
submenu
Check engine
oil level
Select CD
track
Select
number last
dialed
Call up range
Lighting
submenu
Digital speed-
ometer
Select MP3-CD
track
Vehicle
submenuConvenience
submenu