2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE headlamp

227
Operation
Engine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop fr
om a height of ap-
proximately 1ft (30cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure that the hood is
fully closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at high-
er engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Checking engine oil level
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must


be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually
Warning!
G
Be careful that you do not close the hood on
anyone.

232 OperationEngine compartmentWindshield washer system and headlamp cleaning system
Fluid for the windshield washer system and
the headlamp cleaning system is supplied
from the windshield washer reservoir. It
has a capacity of

Vehicles without headlamp cleaning
system: approx. 3.2 US qt. (3 l).


Vehicles with headlamp cleaning sys-
tem: approx. 6.4 US qt. (6 l).
During all seasons, add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “S” to water. Premix
the windshield washer fluid in a suitable
container.

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or
commercially available premixed wind-
shield washer solvent / antifreeze, de-
pending on ambient temperatures). Always use washer solvent/antifreeze
where temperatures may fall below
freezing. Failure to do so could result in
damage to the washer system/reser-
voir.
More information can be found in the
“Technical data” (
page 324). 1
Washer fluid reservoir
Warning!
G
Washer solvent / antifreeze is highly flam-
mable. Do not spill washer
solvent / antifreeze on hot engine parts, be-
cause it may ignite. You could be seriously
burned.
!Only use washer fluid which is suitable
for plastic lenses. Improper washer flu-
id can damage the plastic lenses of the
headlamps.

236 OperationWinter driving
Winter drivingBefore the onset of winter have your vehi-
cle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service in-
cludes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze which is formulated
for below freezing temperatures
(page 324).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to ensure
that the engine can be started, even at
low ambient temperatures.


Tire change. We recommend M+S rat-
ed radial-ply tires on all four wheels for
the winter season.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 39°F (4°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS and ESP in winter
operation.
For safe handling, ensure that all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have
the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your ve-
hicle, you must place a notice to this effect
where it will be seen by the driver. Such no-
tices are available from your tire dealer or
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under 0.16 in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no long-
er suitable for winter operation.

242 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from contact with
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax should be applied to the engine
compartment after every engine cleaning.
Before applying, all control linkage bush-
ings and joints should be lubricated. The
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be pro-
tected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Use only a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently.
Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in out-
side mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.
Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal
lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.

263
Practical hints
What to do if …
When the “ENGINE OIL LEVEL – CHECK
LEVEL!” message appears while the engine
is running and at operating temperature,
the engine oil level is low.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest gas station where the en-
gine oil should be filled up with an ap-
proved oil (
page 227).
!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in se-
rious engine damage that is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
A
RESERVE FUEL
VISIT FILLING STATION!
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 224).
Y
HOOD OPEN!
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 226).
I
REPLACE KEY
VISIT WORKSHOP!
No additional code available for SmartKey.

Change the batteries (
page 294).
AUTOM. LIGHT ON
REMOVE KEY!
You have forgotten to remove the key.

Remove the key from the starter
switch.
.
LAMP SENSOR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The lamp sensor is malfunctioning. The
headlamps switch on automatically.

Set lamp operation to manual.

Switch on headlamps using the exte-
rior lamp switch.

280 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs
Replacing bulbsSafe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp as-
semblies are in good working order at all
times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp
adjustment.
BulbsFront lamps
iBackup bulbs will be brought into use
when the following lamps malfunction:

Rear fog lamp


Tail lamps


Standing lamps
Lamp
Type
1
Additional turn sig-
nal lamps
LED
2
Turn signal lamp
Halogen headlamp
Turn signal lamp
Bi-Xenon* headlamp
1156A
2357A
3
Low beam Halogen
Low and hi beam*
H7 (55W)
Bi-Xenon*
4
High beam
H7 (55 W)
Parking and stand-
ing lamp
W 5 W
5
Fog lamp
HB4/9006
(55 W)
6
Side marker lamp
W 5 W

282 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsReplacing bulbs for front lamps
Halogen headlamps1 Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
2 Headlamp cover for high beam head-
lamp and for parking and standing
lamp
3 Headlamp cover for low beam head-
lamp 4
Low beam bulb
5 High beam bulb
6 Parking and standing lamp
Low and high beam bulb

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 226).

Turn headlamp cover 2 or 3 to the left
and remove.

Turn bulb holder with bulb to the left
and pull out.

Pull out the bulb from the base (do not
pull on glass tube).

Insert new bulb so that the base fits in
the bulb holder recess and is level.

Place the bulb holder with bulb on the
headlamp mounting and turn the bulb
holder to the righ t until it engages.

Replace headlamp cover 2 or 3 and
turn to the right until it engages.
Front turn signal lamp bulb

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 226).

Turn bulb socket 1 to the left and pull
out.

Push bulb into socket, turn to the left
and remove.

Insert new bulb in socket, push in and
turn to the right.

Reinsert bulb socket in lamp and turn
to the right.

283
Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Parking and standing lamp bulb
Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 226).

Turn headlamp cover
2 to the left and
remove.

Pull out the bulb socket with the bulb.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert a new bulb in the socket.

Reinstall the bulb socket.

Replace headlamp cover 2 and turn to
the right until it engages. Bi-Xenon* headlamps
1 Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
2 Headlamp cover for high beam head-
lamp 3
Headlamp cover for Bi-Xenon head-
lamp
4 High beam bulb
5 Bulb holder
6 Parking and standing lamp
High beam bulb

Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 226).

Turn headlamp cover 2 to the left and
remove.
iIf the inside of the headlamps is fogged
up, switch the lights on for a sufficient
amount of time.
Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover 3 for the Bi-Xenon
headlamp. Because of high voltage in Bi-Xe-
non lamps, it is dangerous to replace the
bulb or repair the lamp and its components.
We recommend that you have such work
done by a qualified technician.