2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 KOMPRESSOR spark

233 Operation
At the gas station
At the gas station
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the remote control automatically
locks/unlocks the fuel filler flap.
Remove the key from the starter
switch.

Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow.
The fuel filler flap springs open.

Turn the fuel cap to the left and hold on
to it until possible pressure is released.

Take off the cap and set it in the recess
on the fuel filler flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.

Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or overfill.

Replace the fuel cap by turning it to the
right.
You will hear when the fuel cap is tight-
ened.

Close the fuel filler flap.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline! Warning!
G
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (MY 2003
Mercedes-Benz C 320 models, except those
equipped with manual transmission or
4MATIC*) only:
Ethanol fuel (E85) and its vapors are highly
flammable, poisonous and burn easily. Etha-
nol fuel can cause serious injuries if ignited
or if you come into contact with it or inhale
fumes of it. Avoid inhalation of Ethanol
fumes and skin contact with Ethanol. Extin-
guish all open flames before fueling. Never
smoke or create sparks close to Ethanol.
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.

236 OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from 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
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.

240 OperationEngine compartmentBattery
Your vehicle’s battery is located in the en-
gine compartment (
page 303).
The battery should always be sufficiently
charged in order to achieve its rated ser-
vice life.
If you use your vehicle mostly for short dis-
tance trips, you will need to have the bat-
tery charge checked more frequently.
When replacing the battery, always use
batteries approved by Mercedes-Benz.
If you do not intend to operate your vehicle
for an extended period of time, consult an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center about
steps you need to observe.Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.
G
Observe all safety instructions
and precautions when handling
automotive batteries.
A
Risk of explosion
D
Keep flames or sparks away
from battery. Do not smoke.
B
Battery acid is caustic. Do not
allow it to come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with clear
water and seek medical help if
necessary.
E
Wear eye protection.
C
Keep children away.
F
Follow the instructions in this
Operator's Manual.

303 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right hand side.
Removal of filter box:
Release the three clamps1.

Remove filter box.
Installation of filter box:

Insert filter box properly.

Secure it with the three clamps1.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the key is in the starter switch. Oth-
erwise the alternator and other elec-
tronic components could be severely
damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.

306 Practical hintsJump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump
starting with a more powerful battery
could damage the vehicle’s electrical
system, which will not be covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure that the jumper
cables are not on or near pulleys, fans,
or other parts that move when an
engine is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine
using a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

307 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift selector lever to positionP (man-
ual transmission to Neutral).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery

Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with the under hood
terminal2 in front of the discharged
battery with the jumper cables. Clamp
cable to charged battery1 first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with the under hood
terminal4 of the discharged battery
with the jumper cables. Clamp cable to
charged battery3 first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and2.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 240).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.

326 Technical dataElectrical system
Electrical system
C230KompressorSport
C 240 / C 320 (all models)
C32AMG
Generator (alternator)
14 V/120 A
14 V/120 A
14 V/120 A
Starter motor
12 V/1.1 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
12 V/1.7 kW
Battery
12 V/100 Ah
12 V/100 Ah
12 V/100 Ah
Spark plugs
Bosch F 6 MPP 332
Bosch F 8 DPP332
NGK PFR 5 R-11
NGK IFR 6 D 10
Electrode gap
0.031 in (0.8 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
0.039 in (1.0 mm)
Tightening torque
18–22ft.lb (25–30Nm)
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)
15 – 22 ft.lb (20 – 30 Nm)

333 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2. This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 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.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled 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
3 000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (MY 2003
Mercedes-Benz C 320 models, except
those equipped with manual transmis-
sion or 4 - MATIC system*) are
designed to operate on premium
unleaded gasoline or Ethanol fuel (E85)
or any mixture of these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 334).