MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2008 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: MERCEDES-BENZ, Model Year: 2008, Model line: G-CLASS SUV, Model: MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2008Pages: 293, PDF Size: 4.49 MB
Page 211 of 293

Display
messages 208 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
N Engine oil level
Consult workshop The engine oil level has dropped to a crit-
ical level. X
Check the engine oil level (Y page 159) and top
up the engine oil if necessary.
X Have the engine checked for leaks if the engine
oil needs topping up more often than usual. N Cannot measure
engine oil level The measuring system is faulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. I Replace key The key no longer functions. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. ( Lock driver's seat
or
Lock front-pass.
seat The seat backrest is not engaged. X
Push the backrest back until it engages. Ñ Cr. control and
SPEED-TRONIC inop-
erative Speedtronic and cruise control are
unavailable. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 4 Reserve fuel level The fuel level has fallen below the reserve
range. The operation of the auxiliary heat-
ing* can no longer be guaranteed. X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. t Telephone Enter
PIN
or
TEL PIN? You have not yet logged on to your mobile
phone*. X
Enter the PIN for the SIM card. Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 208Dateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 212 of 293

Display
messages 209Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
t Function unavaila-
ble Yo
u have pressed the sort but-
ton on the multi-function steering wheel
although your vehicle is not equipped with
a mobile phone*. W Top up washer fluid The washer fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir has dropped below the mini-
mum. X
Top up the washer fluid ( Ypage 162). < Your seat belt is not fastened. This mes-
sage reminds you to fasten your seat belt. X
Fasten your seat belt (Y page 71). Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 209 ZDateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 213 of 293

Troubleshooting
210 Troubleshooting
Points to remember
G
Risk of accident and injury
If maintenance work is carried out incorrectl y this can jeopardise the operating safety of your vehicle. You risk losing control of your vehicle
and thereby causing an accident. The safety systems may also no longer be able to protect you or others as they are designed to do.
Always have maintenance work carried out at a qualified specialist workshop which has the necessary specialist knowledge and tools to
carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this purpose.
In particular, all work relevant to safety or on safety-related systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist workshop. Warning and indicator lamps in switches and buttons
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
One or all of the indicator lamps
in the seat heating button are
flashing. There is insufficient voltage
because too many consumers are
switched on. The seat heating has
switched itself off automatically. X
Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. reading lamps,
interior lighting, etc.
The seat heating will automatically switch back on as soon as there
is sufficient voltage again. The indicator lamp in the
9
button on the Thermatic control
panel is on or flashes when you
press the button. The cooling sys-
tem cannot be switched on. The cooling system is losing
refrigerant. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 210Dateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 214 of 293

Troubleshooting
211Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The indicator lamp in the
F
rear-window heating button is
flashing. The rear-window heat-
ing has switched itself off prema-
turely or cannot be switched on. There is insufficient voltage
because too many consumers are
switched on. X
Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. reading lamps,
interior lighting, etc.
The rear-window heating will automatically switch back on as soon
as there is sufficient voltage again. The
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF warning lamp on the centre
console is lit. A special Mercedes-Benz child
seat with automatic child seat
recognition has been fitted to the
front-passenger seat. Therefore,
the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. The
5 PASSENGER AIRBAG
OFF warning lamp on the centre
console is lit. G
Risk of injury
There is no child seat fitted to the
front-passenger seat. The auto-
matic child seat recognition is
malfunctioning. X
Onl y use a rearward-facing child restraint system on the rear seat.
X Remove electronic equipment from the front-passenger seat, e.g.:
R
notebooks
R mobile phones
R cards with transponders, e.g. ski passes or access passes
If the 5 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF warning lamp is still lit:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 211 ZDateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 215 of 293

Troubleshooting
212 Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
-
Theyellow ABS warning
lamp comes on while the
engine is running. G
Risk of accident
ABS has been deactivated due to
a malfunction. ESP ®
, BAS and the
tyre pressure monitor* are there-
fore also deactivated.
The brake system continues to
function normally, but without
electronic support. Therefore,
the wheels could lock if you brake
hard.
If the ABS control unit is faulty,
there is also a possibility of mal-
functions in other systems, such
as the ultrasonic reversing aid ®
,
the navigation system ®
or the
automatic transmission. X
Drive on carefully.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194).
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop as soon as possible. Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 212Dateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 216 of 293

Troubleshooting
213Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
-
Theyellow ABS warning
lamp comes on while the
engine is running. G
Risk of accident
ABS has been deactivated due to
undervoltage. It is possible that
the battery is not being charged.
Therefore, the following systems
are, for example, also deactiva-
ted: ESP ®
, BAS, 4ETS and the tyre
pressure monitor*.
The brake system continues to
function normally, but without
electronic support. The wheels
could therefore lock if you brake
hard. X
Switch off consumers that are not required, e.g. reading lamps,
interior lighting, etc.
ABS will be available again as soon as the vehicle's electrical sys-
tem voltage increases.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194). You have engaged the differential
locks. X
Disengage the differential locks.
Subsequently ABS is reactivated. v
The yellow ESP ®
warning
lamp flashes while the
vehicle is in motion. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
, ABS or traction control has
intervened because at least one
wheel has reached its grip limit
and is threatening to spin or lock. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as necessary when pull-
ing away.
X Release the accelerator pedal while you are driving.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions.
X Do not deactivate ESP ®
.
Exceptions: (Y page 48) Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 213 ZDateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 217 of 293

Troubleshooting
214 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
v
Theyellow ESP ®
warning
lamp is lit while the engine
is running. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated. ESP ®
will
not stabilise the vehicle if it starts
to skid or if a wheel starts to spin. X
Reactivate ESP ®
.
X Adapt your driving style to suit the road and weather conditions. You have engaged the differential
locks. ABS, ESP
®
, 4ETS and BAS
have been deactivated. X
Disengage the differential locks.
Subsequently ABS, ESP ®
, 4ETS and BAS are reactivated.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194). 1
The red SRS warning lamp
is lit while the engine is
running. G
Risk of injury
The restraint systems are mal-
functioning. The airbags or belt
tensioners may either be trig-
gered unintentionally or, in the
event of an accident, not at all. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. The parking brake is applied. X
Release the parking brake.
The warning lamp goes out. 3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while you are driving. You
will also hear a warning
tone. You are driving with the parking
brake applied. X
Release the parking brake.
The warning lamp goes out and the warning tone ceases. Practical advice
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 214Dateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 218 of 293

Troubleshooting
215Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
3
The red brake system
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. G
Risk of accident
There is insufficient brake fluid in
the fluid reservoir. X
Do not continue driving under an y circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
X Observe the additional messages in the multi-function display
(Y page 194).
X Under no circumstances should you top up the brake fluid. This will
not rectify the fault. ±
The yellow engine diagnos-
tics warning lamp comes
on while the engine is run-
ning. Vehicles with a diesel engine: the
fuel tank has run dry. X
Start the engine three to four times after refuelling.
Emergency running mode is cancelled. The vehicle need not be
checked. There may be a malfunction:
R
in the fuel injection system
R in the exhaust system
R in the ignition system (on vehi-
cles with a petrol engine)
The emission limit values may be
exceeded and the engine may be
running in emergency mode. X
Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. The engine electronics are mal-
functioning. The engine power
output is reduced. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately.
X Do not drive at full throttle and do not exceed an engine speed of
2,500 rpm. The diesel particle filter* is full
and can no longer be regenerated
(self-cleaning). X
Have the diesel particle filter* checked at a qualified specialist
workshop as soon as possible. Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 215 ZDateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 219 of 293

Troubleshooting
216 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
<
The red seat belt warning
lamp lights up for 6 sec-
onds at most after starting
the engine. G
Risk of injury
The driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. X
Fasten your seat belt ( Ypage 71).
The warning lamp goes out. G
Risk of injury
There are objects on the front-
passenger seat X
Remove the objects from the front-passenger seat and stow them
safely.
The warning lamp goes out. A
The yellow reserve fuel
warning lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. The fuel level has fallen below the
reserve range. The operation of
the auxiliary heating* can no lon-
ger be guaranteed. X
Refuel at the nearest filling station. q
On diesel engine vehicles
the preglow indicator lamp
does not light up when the
key is in position 2. The pre-glow system is malfunc-
tioning. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop immediately. Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 216Dateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight
Page 220 of 293

Troubleshooting
217Warning tones
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The alarm of the anti-theft warn-
ing system* is triggered. You have opened the vehicle
using the emergency key element
without deactivating the anti-
theft alarm system* first. X
Switch off the alarm (Y page 51).You hear a warning tone. A message appears in the multi-
function displa
y. X
Observe the messages in the multi-function display (Y page 194).You hear a warning tone. You are driving with the parking
brake applied. X
Release the parking brake. You hear a warning tone. You have opened the driver's
door without switching off the
lights first. X
Turn the light switch to MorU. You hear a warning tone.
G
Risk of injury
The driver or front passenger has
not fastened their seat belt X
Fasten your seat belt ( Ypage 71). Practical advice
* optional
463_AKB; 1; 8, en-GB
wobuchh,
Version: 2.10.6 2008-07-17T15:19:41+02:00 - Seite 217 ZDateiname: 6515_4091_02_buchblock.pdf; preflight