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Citation from the 2003 SL55 AMG owners manual under "what to do if ... the yellow check engine indicator light comes on" Have the vehicle checked as soon as

Citation from the 2003 SL55 AMG owners manual under "what to do if ... the yellow check engine indicator light comes on" 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 readout of diagnostic trouble codes. It is located in the front left area of the footwell next to the parking brake. And this is only after checking the fuel cap and ensuring the fuel tank isn't empty. They don't recommend towing the vehicle. There are surprisingly few conditions mentioned in the manual where a tow to the service center is recommended: brake system failure indicators, and visibly dangerous tire damage/vibrations. There is however substantial discussion of towing methods and proper towing procedure, mentioning significant risks of damage when done incorrectly. So we see, towing isn't some kind of panacea the manufacturers are eager to suggest - the process may break things like the transmission or body if done incorrectly, especially over long distances. It's a noteworthy difference in the failure modes of Teslas (and perhaps EVs in general) vs. conventional ICE vehicles. ICE vehicle drivetrains often fail more gracefully. The first vehicle I purchased, to rebuild before getting a driver's license, had a broken con-rod, yet it still drove noisily with a hole in the side of the engine block. ICE vehicle manufacturers do not actively disable a vehicle in a CEL-triggering condition. They want nothing to do with potentially pro-actively stranding someone, which could be a life-or-death situation like a snowstorm, just because some sensor is malfunctioning on an otherwise perfectly operable automobile. Requiring a tow is a self-evident condition. It's been generally left up to the owner to decide if they want to risk potentially costly repairs driving with an indicator light flashing.

LoSboccacc 7y ago
> Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. what do you think that means? there are four conditions listed, more or less the same as indicated above, emission trouble or ignition trouble. are you going to play roulette with your car because you're engine light doesn't differentiate which is which via blinking like modern cars do? or are you just grasping straws? because two can play: "I said blink and you picked the section for fixed on light" no wonder they had to add the blinking failure mode, there's truly irresponsible people out there
- newnewpdro 7y ago
  I pasted the only section speaking to handling the check engine light, it's not cherry-picked. If you read my comment, it clearly states that few parts of the manual explicitly recommend towing. But some do, and none of them are surrounding CELs. Which makes it rather clear that a CEL condition doesn't warrant an immediate tow, unlike the brake system light or dangerous tire wear/damage where they do recommend a tow. A charitable interpretation of my comment would accept that nowhere else was there a section about blinking lights recommending towing. Grasping at straws? Are you kidding? You suggested I look in an owners manual, that's precisely what I did, and you're unhappy with what it states. Instead of making me do the legwork of disproving your claim, the onus is really on you to back it up so why don't you materialize an owners' manual explicitly recommending towing when a check engine light starts flashing? > no wonder they had to add the blinking failure mode, there's truly irresponsible people out there I don't appreciate your borderline personal attack, are you implying I'm an irresponsible person?
  - LoSboccacc 7y ago
    I don't understand where I lost you. facts are quite clear, let's recap I talked about blinking lights your car doesn't have the blinking mode for engine check I and another commenter both explained that blinking lights were specifically added to disambiguate between critical and non critical issues these issue are deemed critical specifically because they are immediate danger of engine damage blinking lights were specifically added because people were ignoring static check lights your vintage car comes from an era before the disambiguations, fair enough, still not the common case today. the respondible thing to do if your car passes the fuel and fuel cap test is to stop it and call a tow truck, specifically because as the manual started the light cover issues that might cause an engine seizure. it's likely my fault for not disambiguating towing and tow truck early in the discussion, we have two different words for that here. (traino vs rimorchio)

LoSboccacc 7y ago

> Have the vehicle checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. what do you think that means? there are four conditions listed, more or less the same as indicated above, emission trouble or ignition trouble. are you going to play roulette with your car because you're engine light doesn't differentiate which is which via blinking like modern cars do? or are you just grasping straws? because two can play: "I said blink and you picked the section for fixed on light" no wonder they had to add the blinking failure mode, there's truly irresponsible people out there

newnewpdro 7y ago
I pasted the only section speaking to handling the check engine light, it's not cherry-picked. If you read my comment, it clearly states that few parts of the manual explicitly recommend towing. But some do, and none of them are surrounding CELs. Which makes it rather clear that a CEL condition doesn't warrant an immediate tow, unlike the brake system light or dangerous tire wear/damage where they do recommend a tow. A charitable interpretation of my comment would accept that nowhere else was there a section about blinking lights recommending towing. Grasping at straws? Are you kidding? You suggested I look in an owners manual, that's precisely what I did, and you're unhappy with what it states. Instead of making me do the legwork of disproving your claim, the onus is really on you to back it up so why don't you materialize an owners' manual explicitly recommending towing when a check engine light starts flashing? > no wonder they had to add the blinking failure mode, there's truly irresponsible people out there I don't appreciate your borderline personal attack, are you implying I'm an irresponsible person?
- LoSboccacc 7y ago
  I don't understand where I lost you. facts are quite clear, let's recap I talked about blinking lights your car doesn't have the blinking mode for engine check I and another commenter both explained that blinking lights were specifically added to disambiguate between critical and non critical issues these issue are deemed critical specifically because they are immediate danger of engine damage blinking lights were specifically added because people were ignoring static check lights your vintage car comes from an era before the disambiguations, fair enough, still not the common case today. the respondible thing to do if your car passes the fuel and fuel cap test is to stop it and call a tow truck, specifically because as the manual started the light cover issues that might cause an engine seizure. it's likely my fault for not disambiguating towing and tow truck early in the discussion, we have two different words for that here. (traino vs rimorchio)