MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 2006 W219 Owner's Manual

350 OperationVehicle careHeadliner and shelf below rear window
Use a soft bristle brush or a dry-sham-
poo cleaner in case of excessive dirt.
Seat belts

Only use clear, lukewarm water and
soap.Leather upholstery

Wipe leather upholstery with a damp
cloth and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning per-
forated leather as its underside should not
become wet.
Wood trims

Dampen cloth using water and use
damp cloth to clean wood trims in your
vehicle.
!The webbing must not be treated with
chemical cleaning agents. Do not dry
the webbing at temperatures above
176°F (80°C) or in direct sunlight.Warning!
G
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
!Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as
these may be abrasive.

351 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Resetting activated head restraints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

352 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the igni-
tion, have the respective bulb checked and
replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and has
switched off. The BAS and the ESP
® are also
switched off (see messages in multifunction
display).
The electro-hydraulic brake system is still
functioning normally but without the ABS
available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning, oth-
er systems such as the Parktronic system*,
Distronic*, or the automatic transmission
may also be malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display (
page 363).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon
as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery may not be sufficiently charged.

Switch off electrical consumers that
are currently not needed, e.g. seat
heating.

If necessary, have the generator and
battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value
again, the ABS is operational again.

353 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
v
The yellow ABS/ESP
® warning
lamp comes on while driving.
The ESP
® is deactivated.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road, weather, and traffic conditions.

Switch the ESP
® back on (
page 89).
If the ESP
® cannot be switched back on,
have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
v
The yellow ABS/ESP
® warning
lamp flashes while driving.
The ABS, ESP
® or traction control has come
into operation because of detected traction
loss in at least one tire.
Distronic* is deactivated.

When driving off, apply as little throt-
tle as possible.

While driving, ease up on the acceler-
ator.

Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.

Do not deactivate the ESP
®.
Exceptions: (
page 89).
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of accidents.

354 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
;
(USA only)
3
(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.

Observe the additional message in
the multifunction display.
;
(USA only)
3
(Canada only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running and you hear a warning
sound.


There is a malfunction in the
electro-hydraulic brake system.


There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.

Read and observe messages in the
multifunction display (
page 376).

Risk of accident! Do not drive any
further. Consult a Mercedes-Benz
Service Center. Under no circum-
stances should you top up the 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
result in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
can 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.

355 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
ú
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
The yellow engine malfunction
indicator 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 excessive
emissions values and may switch the engine
to its limp-home (emergency operation)
mode.

Have the vehicle checked as soon as
possible by 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 accurate identification of
system malfunctions through the read-
out of diagnostic trouble codes. It is
located in the front left area of the foot-
well next to the parking brake.
iSome states may by law require you to
visit a workshop immediately as soon
as the engine malfunction indicator
lamp comes on. Check local require-
ments.

356 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested 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.
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Your fuel tank is empty.

After refuelling start, turn off and re-
start the engine three or four times in
succession.
The limp-home mode is canceled. You do
not need to have your vehicle checked.

357 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric
radiator fan may be broken.

Immediately add coolant to prevent
engine from overheating
(page 297).

Have the cooling system checked.

If the coolant temperature is below
266°F (130°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.
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
266°F (130°C).

Stop as soon as possible and allow
the engine and coolant to cool down.
l
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving.
You are too close to the vehicle in front of you
to maintain selected speed.

Apply the brakes immediately to in-
crease the following distance.
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.

358 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
l
The red distance warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning chime sound.


You are gaining too rapidly on the vehicle
ahead of you.


The distance warning system has recog-
nized a stationary obstacle on your prob-
able line of travel.

Apply the brakes immediately.

Carefully observe the traffic situation.
You may need to brake or maneuver
to avoid hitting an obstacle.
W
The 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 290).
<
The red seat belt telltale comes
on for a brief period 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.
The telltale goes out.
<
The red seat belt telltale comes
on and a warning chime sounds
for approximately six seconds af-
ter starting the engine.
The driver’s seat belt is not fastened before
the engine is started.

Fasten the driver’s seat belt.
The telltale goes out.

359 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
1
The red SRS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The air bags or emergency tensioning
devices (ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to activate 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 activated 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.