2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 Owner's Manual

297 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing 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
behind the wheel that is diagonally
opposite 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 trunk (
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
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure that the jack
arm is fully seated in the jack take-up
bracket. Always lower the vehicle onto suffi-
cient capacity jackstands before working
under the vehicle.


298 Practical hintsFlat tireWheel cover on vehicles with steel rims
(Canada only)
O n w h e e l t o b e c h a n g e d , r e m o v e w h e e l
cover by reaching into two openings of
the wheel cover and pulling away from
the wheel.

On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with
wrench). The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.

Place jack on firm ground.

Position jack1 under the take-up
bracket2 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an
incline.

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while
vehicle is raised.

299 Practical hints
Flat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and
remove.

Replace this wheel bolt with the
alignment bolt1 supplied in the tool
kit.

Remove the remaining bolts.

Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel or other
steel rims

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the
alignment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting steel wheel rims or the
Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for steel
wheel rims or the Minispare wheel can
cause physical damage to the vehicle. !To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while
installing first wheel bolt.


300 Practical hintsFlat tire

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.Minispare wheel
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an
accident. Be sure to use the correct mount-
ing bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the
vehicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle
could tip over.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used
temporarily, and replaced with a regular
road wheel as quick as possible.

301 Practical hints
Flat tire
In the case of a flat tire, you may
temporarily use the Minispare wheel when
observing the following restrictions:

Do not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).


Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or
replaced as appropriate.


Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank
counterclockwise until vehicle is
resting fully on its own weight.

Remove the jack.
1-5 Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly,
following the diagonal sequence
illustrated (1to5), until all bolts are
tight. Observe a tightening torque
of 80 ft lb (110 Nm).

Before storing the jack in the trunk, it
should be fully collapsed, with handle
folded in (storage position)
(page 280).
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque
of 80 ft lb (110 Nm).

302 Practical hintsFlat tireWheel cover on vehicles with steel rims
(Canada only)
Position small wheel cover opening
over tire valve and press wheel cover
against wheel rim.

Now press (do not hit) opposite side of
wheel cover against wheel rim until
seated.
Make certain that the springs of the
wheel cover are firmly seated in the
outer rim of the steel wheel.

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.

304 Practical hintsBattery1Negative terminal
2Positive terminal cover
Disconnecting the battery
Turn off all electrical consumers.

Open the hood (
page 235).

Remove the filter box.

Disconnect the battery negative
lead1.

Remove the cover2 from the positive
terminal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw-nuts securing the
battery.

Remove the battery bracket.

Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling the battery
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged battery. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

y o u w i l l n o l o n g e r b e a b l e t o t u r n t h e k e y
in the starter switch will have no effect


the selector lever will remain locked in
positionP
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.