ignition MERCEDES-BENZ G-CLASS SUV 2008 Repair Manual

Care
184
Cleaning the wiper blades and the out-
side of the windscreen G
Risk of injury
Before cleaning the windscreen or wiper
blades, turn the key in the ignition lock to
0. The windscreen wipers could otherwise
move and cause injury.
X Turn the key to position 1in the ignition
lock (Y page 59).
X Set the windscreen wipers to position Ion
the combination switch (Y page 82).
X Turn the key to position 0or remove it when
the wiper arms are vertical (Y page 59).
! Only fold the wiper arms away from the
windscreen when they are in a vertical posi-
tion, otherwise you will damage the bonnet.
X Fold the wiper arms away from the wind-
screen until you feel them snap into place.
X Clean the windscreen and the wiper blades.
X Fold the windscreen wipers back again
before the ignition is switched on.
! Do not clean the wiper blades too often
as this will result in the rubber becoming
porous, leading to wiper noise. Cleaning the windows !
Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows.
Clean the insides of the windows with a
damp cloth or commercially-available glass
cleaner. Avoid touching the inside of the
rear windscreen and the side windows with
hard objects, e.g. ice scrapers or rings. You
could otherwise cause damage to the win-
dows, rear window heating or aerial on the
rear window.
i Anti-glare film retrofitted to the insides of
the windows could interfere with radio or
mobile phone reception, especially if it is
conductive or metal-coated film. Informa-
tion about anti-glare film can be obtained
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Cleaning the headlamps X
Clean the headlamp lenses with a wet
sponge.
! Only use washer fluid which is suitable
for plastic lenses. Unsuitable washer fluid
could damage the plastic lenses of the
headlamps.
Do not use the following: R
dry cloths
R abrasive cleaning agents
R solvents
R cleaning agents containing solvent
You could otherwise scratch or damage the
surface of the lenses.
Plastic trim !
Do not use dry, coarse or hard cloths and
do not scrub. Doing so will scratch or dam-
age the surfaces.
! In order to protect the vehicle's high-qual-
ity surfaces and to retain the overall
appearance, avoid contact with cosmetics
and suntan lotion.
X Wipe plastic parts with a damp, lint-free
cloth (e.g. a microfibre cloth).
X Light soiling: use a low-foaming soap (e.g.
a light liquid hand soap) diluted in water.
X Heavy soiling: use a cleaning agent that is
solvent-free and non-corrosive. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz cleaning product for this
purpose. Operation
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Display
messages 206 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
. Main-beam left
or
Main-beam right The left-hand or right-hand main-beam
headlamp is fa
ulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. . Licence plate
lamp, left
or
Licence plate
lamp, right The left-hand or right-hand licence plate
lamp is faulty. X
Replace the bulb (Y page 235).. Remove key You have left the key in the ignition lock. X
Remove the key from the ignition lock. . Switch off lights
or remove key You have left the key in the ignition lock. X
Remove the key from the ignition lock. . Fog-lamp left
or
Fog-lamp right The front left-hand or right-hand foglamp
is faulty. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. . Rear foglamp Back-
up bulb on The rear foglamp is faulty. Another lamp
has taken over its function. X
Replace the bulb (Y page 235).. Parking lamp front
left Back-up bulb
on
or
Parking lamp front
right Back-up bulb
on The front left-hand or right-hand parking
lamp is faulty. Another lamp has taken
over its function. X
Replace the bulb (Y page 235).Practical advice
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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
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Troubleshooting
218 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
You hear a warning tone. Vehicles with automatic trans-
mission:
You have:
R
switched off the engine
R opened the driver's door
R not moved the selector lever to
position P X
Move the selector lever to P.Accident
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
Fuel is leaking from the vehicle.
G
Risk of fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank has
been damaged. The leaking fuel
creates a risk of fire or explosion. X
Switch off the ignition immediatel y.
X Remove the ignition key.
Do not restart the engine under any circumstances. The leaking fuel
creates a risk of fire or explosion.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. You are unable to determine the
extent of the damage. X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. You cannot detect any damage. X
Start the engine as normal. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
219Fuel and fuel tank
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
Fuel is leaking from the vehicle.
G
Risk of explosion or fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank is
defective. X
Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock immediatel y and
remove it.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap cannot be
opened. The fuel filler flap is not released. X
Unlock the vehicle (Y page 229). The opening mechanism is jam-
med. X
Release the fuel filler flap by hand (Y page 230).
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel tank of a vehicle with a
diesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry. There is air in the fuel system. X
Refuel the vehicle.
X Switch on the ignition for approximately 10 seconds (key in posi-
tion 2in the ignition lock).
X Start the engine continuously for up to 40 seconds until it runs
smoothly.
The fuel system is now free of air.
If the engine does not start:
X Wait two minutes.
X Repeat the starting procedure for up to 40 seconds.
If the engine still does not start:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
220 Engine
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The engine will not start. You can
hear the starter motor operating. R
There is a malfunction in the
engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the
fuel supply. X
Turn the key back to position 0in the ignition lock before the next
starting attempt.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 86). When doing so, remember
that excessively long and frequent attempts to start the engine will
drain the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a diesel engine:
The engine will not start. You can
hear the starter motor operating.
The reserve fuel warning lamp is
on and the fuel gauge shows 0. The fuel tank has been run dry. X
Refuel the vehicle.
X Bleed the fuel system (Y page 219).The engine will not start. You can-
not hear the starter motor oper-
ating. The on-board voltage is too low
because the starter battery is too
weak or discharged. X
Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 251).
If the engine does not start despite attempting to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles with a petrol engine:
The engine is not running
smoothly and is misfiring. There is a malfunction in the
engine electronics or a mechani-
cal component of the engine con-
trol unit. X
Only depress the accelerator pedal slightly.
X Have the cause rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Otherwise, non-combusted fuel may get into the catalytic converter
and damage it. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
222 Automatic transmission
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The transmission has problems
shifting gear The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediatel y. The acceleration ability is deteri-
orating.
The transmission no longer
changes gear. The transmission is in emergency
mode.
It is only possible to shift into
2nd
gear and reverse gear. X
Stop the vehicle.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock.
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into 2ndgear; if Ris selec-
ted, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately. Ultrasonic reversing aid*
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
When you engage the selector
lever into position
R, you will not
hear a warning tone and none of
the segments of the ultrasonic
reversing aid will light up. You have a trailer connected.
You have an adapter plug inser-
ted into the trailer power socket. X
Unplug the adapter plug.
The ultrasonic reversing aid functions again as usual. Practical advice
* optional
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Troubleshooting
223Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
You hear a warning signal when
reversing. The ultrasonic reversing aid sen-
sors are dirty or there is interfer-
ence. X
Clean the ultrasonic reversing aid sensors (Y page 186).
X Switch the ignition back on. The problem ma
y be caused by an
external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves. The ultrasonic
reversing aid is switched off. X
See if ultrasonic reversing aid functions in a different location. You hear a warning tone when
reversing or you do not hear a
warning tone and none of the seg-
ments light up. The ultrasonic reversing aid has
malfunctioned and has switched
itself off. X
Have the ultrasonic reversing aid checked at a qualified specialist
workshop as soon as possible. Headlamps and turn signals
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The headlamps or the turn signals
in the exterior mirrors are misted
up on the inside. Air humidity is very high. X
Drive with the headlamps switched on.
The headlamps are demisted after a short distance. The headlamp housing is not
sealed and moisture has been
able to enter. X
Have the headlamps checked at a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
224 Windscreen wipers
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The windscreen wipers are jam-
med. Leaves or snow, for example, may
be obstructing the windscreen
wiper movement. The wiper
motor has been deactivated. X
For safety reasons, you should remove the key from the ignition
lock.
X Remove the cause of the obstruction.
X Switch the windscreen wipers back on. The windscreen wipers fail com-
pletely. The windscreen wiper drive is
malfunctioning. X
Select another wiper speed on the combination switch.
X Have the windscreen wipers checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop. Windows
Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
A side window will not close. Something is trapped between
the window and the door frame. X
Remove the objects.
X Close the side window. There are objects in the window
guide rail which are preventing
the window from being raised. X
Remove the objects.
X Close the side window. You cannot see the cause. X
Close the side window with increased force or without the anti-
entrapment feature (Y page 84).Practical advice
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Troubleshooting
226 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
You have lost the emergency key
element. X
Report the loss immediatel y to the vehicle insurers.
X If necessary, have the manual locks changed too. The key cannot be turned in the
ignition lock. The key has been in position
0for
a considerable time. X
Remove the key and reinsert it into the ignition lock.
X Check the starter battery and recharge it if necessary
(Y page 250).
X Start the engine. The on-board voltage is too low. X
Switch off non-essential consumers, e.g. seat heating or interior
lighting, and try to turn the key again.
If this does not work:
X Check the starter battery and recharge it if necessary
(Y page 250).
or
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 251).
or
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Practical advice
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