Engine Oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their suitability in our engines. Therefore, use only engine oils
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Information on recommended brands is available at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer. Please follow service Booklet recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so could result in engine damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Engine Oil Additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil. They may be harmful to the engine operation.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending oil additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Air Conditioner Refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG lubricat ing oil is used in the air conditioner system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral ba sed lubricating oil, otherwise damage to the system will occur.
Brake Fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of the brake fluid is continuously reduced through the
absorption of moisture from the atmosphere. Under extremely hard operating conditions, this
moisture content can lead to the formation of bubbl es in the system thus reducing the system's
efficiency.
The brake fluid must therefore be replaced every two years, pr eferably in the spring. It is
recommended to use only brake fluid approved by Mercedes- Benz. Your authorized Mercedes-
Benz dealer will provide you with additional information.
Premium Unleaded Gasoline
Caution !
To maintain the engine's durability and performance, premium unleaded gasoline must be used. If
premium unleaded is not available and low octane fuel is used, follow these precautions:
• have the fuel tank filled only partially with unleaded regular and fill up with premium unleaded
as soon as possible,
• avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceleration,
• do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm, if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage,
• do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator pedal positi on, if the vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.
Fuel Requirements
Use only Premium unleaded meeting ASTM standar d D 439: The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average of both the Research (R) octane number and the Motor (M)
octane number: [(R+M)/2]. This is also k nown as ANTI-KNOCK INDEX. Unleaded gasoline
containing oxygenates such as Ethanol, I PA, IBA and TBA can be used provided the ratio of any
one of these oxygenates to gasoline does not exce ed 10%, MTBE not to exceed 15%. The ratio of
Methanol to gasoline must not exceed 3% plus additional components. Using mixtures of Ethanol
and Methanol is not allowed. Gasohol, which c ontains 10% Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can
be used. These blends must also meet all other fuel requirements such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc..
Gasoline Additives
A major concern among engine manufacturers is carbon build up caused by gasoline. Mercedes-
Benz recommends the use of only quality gasoline cont aining additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits. After an extended period of using fu els without such additives, carbon deposits can
build up especially on the intake valves and in the combustion area, leading to engine performance
problems such as:
• warm-up hesitation,
• unstable idle,
• knocking/pinging,
• misfire,
• power loss.
Do not blend other specific fuel additives with fuel. They only result in unnecessary cost, and may be
harmful to the engine operation. Damage or malfunct ions resulting from poor fuel quality or from
blending specific fuel additives are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
