engine MERCEDES-BENZ E WAGON 2005 S211 Owner's Manual

376 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
(USA only);(Canada only)3
Reduced braking power
Visit workshop
The SBC brake system is in emergency
operation mode. Considerable brake ped-
al force is required and the stopping dis-
tance is increased.

Continue driving with added caution.

Adjust driving to be consistent with
reduced braking responsiveness.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Service brake
Visit workshop
There are malfunctions, but the SBC
brake system is operating normally.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Brake overheated
Drive carefully
The brake system is overheated due to an
excessive load on the brakes.

Relieve the load on the brake system.

Drive more smoothly and think ahead
to avoid unnecessary braking.

When driving down slopes, shift into a
lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power (
page 185).

Cautiously continue driving so that
the air stream will cool down the
brakes.
Release
parking brake
You are driving with the parking brake
set.

Release the parking brake
(page 49).

377 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
(USA only);(Canada only)3
Brake fluid
Visit workshop
There is insufficient brake fluid in the
reservoir.

Risk of accident! Stop the vehicle and
notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center. Do not add brake fluid! This
will not solve the problem.
Warning!
G
Driving while these messages are displayed
can result in an accident. Have your brake
system checked immediately.
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift / dolly
equipment.
A tow bar must be used if circumstances do
not permit the use of the recommended
towing methods and the vehicle requires
towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Towing the vehicle with all four wheels on
the ground is only permissible for distances
u p t o 3 0 m i l e s ( 5 0 k m ) a n d a t a s p e e d n o t t o
exceed 30 mph (50 km / h). For more infor-
mation, refer to “Towing the vehicle”
(page 430).
If the SBC brake system enters its emergen-
cy operation mode, the driver must apply
significantly greater brake pedal pressure
and depress the pedal much further than
normal to obtain braking effect. If neces-
sary, apply full pressure to the brake pedal.
Brakes may only be applied to the front
wheels. Stopping distance is increased!
Do not add brake fluid before checking the
brake system. Overfilling the brake fluid res-
ervoir 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.

378 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
?
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
Visit workshop
There may be a malfunction in the:

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 303).

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 sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat causing major en-
gine damage.

379 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operation conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle.

Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could other-
wise 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
damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

380 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:

Do not continue to drive the vehicle
with this message displayed. Doing so
could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Warranty.

Drive immediately to the nearest au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Coolant
Visit workshop
The cooling fan for the coolant is malfunc-
tioning.

Observe the coolant temperature dis-
play.

Have the fan replaced as soon as pos-
sible.

382 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:Add 1 Qt. engine oil
at next refuelingCanada only:Add 1 Liter engine oil
at next refueling
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 302) and
check the engine oil level
(
page 301).
Engine oil level
Stop, engine off
There is no oil in the engine. There is a
danger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as
soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil (
page 302) and
check the engine oil level
(
page 301).
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:

the engine


the catalytic converter

Have oil siphoned or drained off. Ob-
serve all legal requirements with re-
spect to its disposal.

383 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the
Engine oil - Visit workshop

message appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the required
level with an approved oil specified in the
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet.
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
Engine oil
Visit workshop
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 301) and add oil as required
(page 302).

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.

Have the engine oil checked.
Engine oil level
Visit workshop
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

384 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
%
Hood open
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 299).
F
Key
Check battery
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* batter-
ies are discharged.

Change the batteries (
page 408).
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is not
recognized while the engine is running
because

the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is
not in the vehicle


there is strong radio-frequency inter-
ference

Stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so.

Search for the SmartKey.
Otherwise the vehicle cannot be cen-
trally locked nor can the engine be
started again after the engine is
stopped.
Key
not recognized
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* is mo-
mentarily not recognized.

Change the position of the SmartKey
in the vehicle.

Operate the vehicle with the
SmartKey in the starter switch if nec-
essary.
Key
still in vehicle
A SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* left in the
vehicle was recognized while locking the
vehicle from the outside.

Take the SmartKey out of the vehicle.
Keyless Go
Check system
The KEYLESS-GO* system is malfunction-
ing.

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

385 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
F
Do not
forget key
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no SmartKey
in the starter switch.
This message is only a reminder.

Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.

Take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.

Remove the SmartKey from the start-
er switch.
Replace key
There is no additional code available for
SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
A
Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 296).
Check gas cap
See Operator’s Manual
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 297).
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.

418 Practical hintsFlat tireIn the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the spare wheel when observing
the following restrictions:

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


Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.


Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight-ahead position and set the
parking brake.

Move the selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn off the engine (
page 57).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:

Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button on the
gear selector lever once (
page 59).

Open the driver’s door (this puts the ig-
nition in position0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel and
the collapsible tire are different from those
of the road wheels. As a result, the vehicle
handling characteristics change when driv-
ing with a spare wheel mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quickly as possible.
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.