2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 WAGON manual transmission

225 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so that the air stream will cool
down the brakes faster.Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow one drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move selector lever to positionP (man-
ual transmission: first or reverse gear).
In addition, when parking on hills, turn
front wheel towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the key to starter switch position0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 225 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

228 OperationDriving instructionsWinter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to positionN or in
case of manual transmission declutch. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information on winter driving
(
page 244).
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 245).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 228 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

232 OperationAt 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.

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.

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 refueling. 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.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 232 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

289 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Manually unlocking the transmission selector lever
In the case of power failure the transmis-
sion selector lever can be manually un-
locked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
Open the storage compartment in front
of the center armrest.

Release coin holder1 (e.g. using a
small coin).

Swing coin holder1 aside.

Insert a tool2 (e.g. the screwdriver)
into the opening.

Perform the following two steps simul-
taneously:
Push the tool down.

Move selector lever from
positionP.

Reinstall the coin holder after removing
the tool from the opening.iThe selector lever is locked again when
moving it to positionP.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 289 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

300 Practical hintsFlat tire
Flat tirePreparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.

Turn on the hazard warning flashers.

Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.

Move the selector lever toP (manual
transmission to first or reverse gear).

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
Prepare the vehicle as described under
"Preparing the vehicle" on this page.

Take the spare wheel out of the trunk
as described on (
page 281) (full size
tire spare wheel) or (page 282)
(Minispare wheel).
Lifting the vehicle

Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:

Place one chock in front of and one be-
hind the wheel that is diagonally oppo-
site to the wheel being changed.When changing wheel on a hill:

Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.

Take the two-piece wheel wrench and
the jack out of the cargo compartment
(page 279). Assemble wheel wrench.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
S203 MY03_A.book Page 300 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

310 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Towing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground or front wheels raised (except
vehicles with 4MATIC*) only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with key in starter switch turned
to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 80) and deactivate the auto-
matic central locking (
page 88).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.!Vehicles with 4MATIC*:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC*), the engine must be
shut off (key in starter switch
position0 or1). Otherwise the ESP will
immediately be engaged and will apply
the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN (manual transmission:
gears disengaged) and the key must be
in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and
at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 310 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

328 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and recommended by us.
Please refer to the Factory Approved Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
C 240
C 320
C 240 4MATIC
C 320 4MATIC
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Manual transmission
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
MB Manual Transmission Oil
2
2MB part no. 001 989 26 03 10Rear axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Front axle
C 240 4MATIC
C 320 4MATIC
0.5 US qt (0.46 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer case
C 240 4MATIC
C 320 4MATIC
approx. 0.62 US qt (0.59 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 2.1 oz (60 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.5 US qt (0.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
approx. 6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze Agent
S203 MY03_A.book Page 328 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

329 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
16.4 US gal (62.0 l)
2.1 US gal (8.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96 RON / 86 MON)Flexible Fuel Vehicle (MY 2003 Mercedes-Benz C 320
models, except those equipped with manual transmission or
4MATIC*):
Alternative fuel -- ethanol fuel (E85)
Air conditioner system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning
system:
Without headlamp
cleaning system
With headlamp cleaning
system
3.2 US qt (3 l)
6.4 US qt (6 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (
page 336).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 329 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM