Page 236 of 370

242 OperationTires and wheelsLife of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better aquaplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure that the tires rotate in the direc-
tion specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of tire rotation.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure repeatedly drops
check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects
check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim
S203 MY03_A.book Page 242 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 325 of 370

331 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 ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.
iMY 2003 Mercedes-Benz C 320 mod-
els, except those equipped with manu-
al transmission or 4MATIC*, are
Flexible Fuel Vehicles.
These vehicles are designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline or Etha-
nol fuel (E85), or on any mixture of
these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 332).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 331 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 342 of 370

348 IndexButton
Audio system 164
C
CAC (Customer assistance center) 339
California
Important notice 11
Calling up
Range (distance to empty) 130
Service indicator 247
CAN system 339
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 328
Cargo area see Cargo compartment 87
Cargo compartment
Auxiliary fuse box 315
Lighting 103
Parcel net 196
Storage compartment inside 197
Tailgate 87
Tie-down rings 202
Cargo tie-down rings 202
Casette mode
Playing cassettes 170
Cassette player
Operating 114
Catalytic converter 230CD changer* 174
CD mode 174
CD player
Operating 113
Center console 25
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 259
Lower part 26
Upper part 25
Centigrade
Setting temperature units 119
Central locking
Automatic 88
From inside 89
Switch 89
Switching on/off (control
system) 125
Unlocking from inside 89
Central locking switch 89
Certification label 320
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey) 287
Key setting 126
Changing CDs 174
Charcoal filter 157
Charging
Vehicle battery 306CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 23, 258
Checking
Coolant level 233, 238
Oil level 233, 235
Tire inflate pressure 233
Vehicle lighting 233
Child safety 65
Airbags 58
Infant and child restraint systems 62,
65
LATCH child seat anchors 70
Child safety switch see Blocking of rear
door window operation 71
Child seat anchors see LATCH child seat
anchors 70
Cigarette lighter 208
Cleaning
Cup holder 251
Gear selector lever 251
Hard plastic trim items 252
Headlamps 143
Headliner 252
Instrument cluster 251
Leather upholstery 252
Light alloy wheels 251S203 MY03_A.book Page 348 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM