MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 2008 C209 Owner's Manual

380 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
;
3 (USA only)
(Canada only)The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving and
you hear a warning sound.You are driving with the parking
brake set.Release the parking brake
(
page 53).
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving.There is insufficient brake fluid
in the reservoir.Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Do not add
brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.
Warning!G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your
brake system checked immediately if the
brake warning lamp stays on. Do not add
brake fluid before checking the brake
system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can re-
sult in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
could be seriously 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.

381 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
ú
±(USA only)
(Canada only)The yellow engine
malfunction indi-
cator lamp comes
on while driving.There is a malfunction in:

The fuel management system

The ignition system

The emission control system

Systems which affect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in ex-
cessive emissions values and may
switch the engine to its Limp-Home
Mode (emergency operation).
Have the vehicle checked as soon as possi-
ble at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is used by
the service station to link the vehicle to the
shop diagnostics system. It allows the accu-
rate identification of system malfunctions
through the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located in the front left area of the
footwell next to the parking brake pedal.
iIn some states you may be required by law
to have the vehicle serviced as soon as the
engine malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Check local requirements.

382 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
ú
±(USA only)
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.A loss of pressure has been
detected in the fuel system. The fuel
cap may not be closed properly or
the fuel system may be leaky.Check the fuel cap (page 320).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
•The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is run-
ning.There is insufficient coolant in the
reservoir.Add coolant to prevent engine from overheat-
ing (
page 328).
If this warning lamp comes on fre-
quently, there is a leak in the cooling
system.Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant level is correct, the
electric radiator fan may be broken.If the coolant temperature is below 248 °F
(120 °C), you can continue driving to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving uphill)
and stop-and-go driving.

383 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
•The red coolant warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.The coolant temperature has exceeded
248 °F (120 °C).Stop in a safe location as soon as pos-
sible and allow the engine and coolant
to cool down.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated 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 which can occur just by open-
ing the 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.

384 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
vThe yellow ESP® warn-
ing lamp comes on while
the engine is running.The ESP® has been switched off with the
ESP® switch or has been switched off due
to a malfunction.
Risk of accident!
When the ESP
® is switched off it will not
stabilize the vehicle if the system recog-
nizes that the vehicle starts to skid or that
a wheel is spinning.
The cruise control is deactivated and can-
not be switched on.
Switch the ESP® back on (page 96).
Exceptions: (
page 94).
If leaving the ESP® switched off, adapt your speed
and driving to the prevailing road, weather and
traffic conditions.
If the ESP
® cannot be switched on:
Continue driving with added caution.
Observer additional messages that may appear in
the multifunction display (
page 394).
Have the system checked at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
vThe yellow ESP® warn-
ing lamp flashes while
driving.The ESP® or traction control has come
into operation because of detected trac-
tion loss in at least one tire.
The cruise control is deactivatedWhen driving off, apply as little throttle as possi-
ble.
While driving, ease up on the accelerator.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road, weather and traffic conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP®.
Exceptions: (
page 94).
Failure to follow these instructions increases the risk
of an accident.

385 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
AThe yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp comes on while
driving.The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.Refuel at the next gas station
(
page 320).
CThe yellow roll bar warning lamp
comes on or flickers when the
engine is running.The roll bar system is malfunctioning.Release the roll bars manually.
Have the system checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
on for a maximum of 6 seconds
after starting the engine.The seat belt telltale reminds you and your
passengers to fasten your seat belts before
driving off.Fasten your seat belts.
Regardless of whether the seat belts
are fastened or not, the seat belt tell-
tale always comes on and remains lit
for 6 seconds after starting the
engine.
maximum of 6 seconds after
starting the engine.You have forgotten to fasten your seat belt.Fasten your seat belt.
The warning chime stops sounding.

386 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
on while the vehicle is standing
still and the engine is running or
during driving.You and/or your front passenger have for-
gotten to fasten your seat belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out.
telltale flashes and you addition-
ally hear an intermittent warning
chime with increasing intensity.The vehicle’s speed once exceeded 15 mph
(25 km/h) and you and/or your front pas-
senger have forgotten to fasten your seat
belts.Fasten your seat belts.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
There are items placed on the front passen-
ger seat and therefore the system senses the
front passenger seat as being occupied.Remove the items from the front pas-
senger seat and put them in a safe
place.
The seat belt telltale goes out and the
warning chime stops sounding.
iAfter 60 seconds with an unfastened seat
belt the warning chime stops sounding and the
seat belt telltale illuminates continuously. The
seat belt telltale will only go out if both,the driver’s and the front passenger’s seat belt
are fastened, or the vehicle is standing still and a
door is opened.

387 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
1The red SRS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.There is a malfunction in the supplemental
restraint systems. The air bags or Emergency
Tensioning Devices (ETDs) could deploy un-
expectedly or fail to deploy in an accident.Drive with added caution to the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz
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 Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be deployed when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in an
accident and / or injury to you or to others.

388 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction
telltale for the TPMS illuminates
continuously.The TPMS detects a loss of pressure in at least
one tire.Carefully bring the vehicle to a
halt, avoiding abrupt steering and
braking maneuvers. Observe the
traffic situation around you.
Read and observe messages in
the multifunction display.
If the tire inflation pressure in the
respective tire(s) has (have) been
corrected, the combination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale
goes out after a few minutes of
driving.
HCombination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction
telltale for the TPMS flashes
60 seconds and then stays
illuminated.There is a malfunction in the TPMS.Read and observe messages in
the multifunction display.
Have the TPMS checked at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
After the malfunction has been
remedied the combination low tire
pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale
goes out after a few minutes of
driving.

389 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Warning!G
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar (
page 334) or, if
available, the tire inflation pressure label on
the inside of the fuel filler flap (
page 320).
If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the Tire and
Loading Information placard or the tire
inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor-
ing system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly underinflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significant-
ly underinflated tire causes the tire to over-
heat and can lead to tire failure.
Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability. Please
note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv-
er’s responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if underinflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of
the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately 1 minute
and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal-
function exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on
the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing
one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or alternate
tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue
to function properly.