I was going out of a parking lot yesterday and my car makes this noise and right were the miles are there is a ! sign and it said something. I couldnt make out what it said but I shut it off and it hasnt done it again, when I bouth the car (1 week ago) it didnt have an owners manual in it. Is that the check engine light or what is it. Thank you Tory

 

Tory,
You turned off the ESP function by mistake. The button to turn off the ESP is located very close to your left window control. This causes a triangular light with ! to appear above your odometer. It turns itself back on when you restart the car.

Trivett

 

My car is an 1996 e320 I dont have any other buttons buy the window control, just child locks and rear shape, but ya that was the sign, I hope its nothing big, 1 week and I hat this car, love the looks and how it drives , but the oil leak and this. Oh well thanks for the help, Tory

 

Don't think so,did you turn off the switch or did the light just appear after the noise you felt and heard?
As above, if you flipped that switch you deactivated the esp function,on the newer models they call it the combined abr/bas light, then if you flipped it on again the light went out. If I suspect you did neither,in that case your wheels spun,you went off a curb,you goosed the gas a little to much and broke traction leaving the shopping store? the esp function clicked in ,you got traction back and the light went out,correct ?problem solved....btw it's the little yellow triangle with an (!) point in it,right?
ohlord
"GOT CODES?"
get a manual,ask here,mbworld.org,benzworld.org, someone prob has one kicking around.
till then if that light comes on and stays on and you haven't flipped the switch to deactivate the esp,it's a warning light also that is telling you something is wrong with the system.Don't ignore it.
Don't know how the 96 looked but--------

On the 99 it's on the center console above the drivers window switch look around it says ESP or ABR youll see it.

 

ya I dont have a button to hit and it did go off after I leaft a big dip but it didnt go off by itself I drove it about 2 blocks down the road and shut her down restarted once and it was still there restarted it again and gone. Hasnt came back since then. Ill have the dealer look at it when they look at my oil leak. Just cant win buy a car and all hell breaks on her. Thanks again Tory

 

It will be okay..... if the light did not go out right away it was just sensing the loss of traction and had not reset.It goes out on restart if that's the way it was on shut down.
Be calm,any used car has it's issues and help is here or over on mbworld.com,Don't go to the dealer before you check here first ,preferably never go to the dealer,If we can't teach you how to do what needs to be done ,then someone will know of an independent shop near you that won't rip you a new...
ohlord
"GOT CODES?"
keep looking for that switch,if not ,maybe the 96 didn't allow the driver to disable that function.

AS to the oil problem reread that post you can do it if not your are armed with the knowledge when you go to the indie!!!!!