2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE oil change

Contents
Air recirculation mode .................. 154
Charcoal filter .............................. 156
Rear window defroster ................. 156
Air conditioning ............................ 157
Residual heat and ventilation* ..... 158
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents ...................... 158
Audio system ..................................... 159 Audio and telephone, operation ... 159
Operating safety ........................... 159
Operating and display elements ... 160
Button and soft key operation ...... 162
Operation ..................................... 162
Radio mode .................................. 165
Cassette mode ............................. 168
CD changer* operating mode ...... 172
Telephone* operation .................. 176
Power windows .................................. 182 Opening and closing the windows 182
Synchronizing power windows ..... 184
Panorama sliding/pop-up roof* ......... 185 Opening and closing the
sunshades for the panorama
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 185
Opening and closing the panorama
sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 186 Synchronizing the panorama
sliding / pop-up roof ..................... 188
Driving systems ................................. 189 Cruise control .............................. 189
Loading .............................................. 192 Roof rack* ................................... 192
Luggage cover ............................. 192
Split folding rear bench seat ......... 192
Loading instructions .................... 194
Useful features .................................. 195 Interior storage spaces ................ 195
Ashtrays ....................................... 198
Cigarette lighter ........................... 199
Telephone* ................................... 200
Tele Aid* ...................................... 201
Garage door opener ...................... 209
Operation ......................................... 213
The first 1000 miles (1500km) .......... 214
Driving instructions ........................... 215 Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 215
Drinking and driving ..................... 215
Pedals .......................................... 215
Power assistance .......................... 216
Brakes........................................... 216 Driving off .....................................217
Parking .........................................217
Tires ..............................................218
Hydroplaning ................................ 219
Tire traction ..................................219
Tire speed rating ...........................219
Winter driving instructions ............220
Standing water .............................221
Passenger compartment ...............221
Driving abroad ..............................221
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ....................................222
Catalytic converter .......................222
Emission control ...........................223
Coolant temperature ....................223
At the gas station ...............................224 Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................225
Engine compartment .......................... 226 Hood .............................................226
Engine oil ......................................227
Transmission fluid level ................229
Coolant level .................................229
Battery ..........................................231
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ...........232

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.

319
Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS 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 opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating 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 strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.

328 Technical termsCollapsible tireAn especially compact spare tire that
must be inflated with a provided air
pump before using. It should only be
used to bring the vehicle to the nearest
service station.
COMAND* (C
ockpit M
anagement and D
ata Sys-
tem)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio and navi-
gation system, as well as for other op-
tional equipment (CD changer,
telephone, etc.).
Control system The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings. Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.
Engine number The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP (E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability. ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRS
FSS (F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the multifunction
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.

336 IndexCassette playerOperating 112
Catalytic converter 222
CD changer* 172
CD mode 172
CD player Operating 111
Center console 25 AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 251
Centigrade Setting temperature units 117
Central locking From inside 87
Switch 87
Switching on/off (control system) 122
Unlocking from inside 87
Central locking switch 87
Certification label 308
Changing Batteries (SmartKey) 276
Key setting 123
Changing CDs 172
Charcoal filter 156
Charging Vehicle battery 295 CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 250
Checking Coolant level 225, 229
Oil level 225, 227
Tire inflate pressure 225
Vehicle lighting 225
Child safety 65 Airbags 58
Infant and child restraint systems 62, 65
LATCH child seat mounts 70
Child seat mounts see LATCH child seat mounts 70
Cigarette lighter 199
Cleaning Cup holder 243
Gear selector lever 243
Hard plastic trim items 244
Headlamps 140
Headliner 244
Instrument cluster 243
Leather upholstery 244
Light alloy wheels 243
MB Tex upholstery 244
Plastic and rubber parts 244 Seat belts 244
Steering wheel 243
Windows 243
Windshield 49
Wiper blades 243
Climate control 142 Adjusting 145
Defogging windshield 145
Defrosting 146
Rear window defroster 147
Setting the temperature 145
Clock 23, 116
Closing Glove box 195
Hood 227
Side windows 182
Sliding/pop-up roof 186, 278
Sliding/pop-up roof with SmartKey 187
Sunshades for the sliding/pop-up roof 185
Trunk lid 86
Windows 182
Windows with SmartKey 183
Closing sliding/pop-up roof
In an emergency 278