2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CL55AMG tow

237 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
The hood lock release lever is located in
the driver’s footwell to the left of the park-
ing brake pedal.
1Hood lock release

Pull lever 1 towards you in the direction
of the arrow.
The hood is unlocked and handle 2 will
extend out of the radiator grill.
2Handle for opening the hood

Pull handle 2 to its stop out of radiator
grill.

Pull up on the hood (do not pull up on
the handle) and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, never open the hood if the
wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.


258OperationVehicle careCorrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax should be applied to the engine
compartment after every engine cleaning.
Before applying, all control linkage bush-
ings and joints should be lubricated. The
poly-V-belt and all pulleys should be pro-
tected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Use only a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently.
Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in out-
side mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal
lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a KEYLESS-GO* card is in
close proximity, i.e. within approx. 3 ft.
(approx. 1 m), the vehicle could be in-
advertently locked or unlocked.

263 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Where will I find...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

295 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
Where will I find...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored in the rear center
armrest.
Fold rear arm rest down1.

Press handle1 upwards.

Fold lid2 up.

Remove first aid kit.Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit, luggage
bowl, spare wheel
The spare wheel, the vehicle tool kit and
the luggage bowl are stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor.
1Vehicle jack
2Vehicle tool kit
3Luggage bowl
4Spare wheel
Lift up the trunk floor cover and engage
trunk floor handle in upper edge of
trunk.
You can now remove the tools and ac-
cessories.The vehicle tool kit includes:


One pair of universal pliers


Two open-end wrenches


One hex-socket wrench


One interchangeable slot/Phillips
screwdriver


One towing eye bolt


One wheel wrench


One alignment bolt


One fuse extractor


One fuse chart for the main fuse box


Spare fuses
iCheck expiration dates and contents
for completeness at least once a year
and replace missing/expired items.
!To prevent damage, always disengage
trunk floor handle from trunk edge and
lower trunk floor before closing the
trunk lid.

305 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Parking and standing lamp bulb
Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 237).

Press ends of housing cover1 tab to-
gether and remove cover.

Pull out the bulb socket with the bulb.

Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert a new bulb in the socket.

Reinstall the bulb socket.

Align housing cover and click into
place.Side marker lamp bulb

Switch off the lights.

Carefully slide lamp towards rear.

Remove front end first.

Twist bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull out.

Pull bulb out of the bulb socket.

Insert new bulb in socket.

Reinstall bulb socket, push in and twist
clockwise.

To reinstall lamp, set rear end in
bumper and let front end snap into
place.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Tail lamp assemblies
1Backup lamp (black socket)
2Turn signal lamp (white socket)
3Tail, standing and parking lamp (red
socket)
4Driver’s side: tail, parking and rear fog
lamp
Passenger’s side: tail and parking lamp
(red socket)

310 Practical hintsFlat tire1Jack support tube cover
Move cover1 toward rear by pressing
at point indicated by arrow.

Remove cover1 carefully to avoid
damage to the locking tabs.1Jack arm
2Jack support tube hole
3Crank

Insert jack arm1 fully into tube hole2
up to the stop.

Keeping jack in this position, turn
crank3 clockwise until the jack base
meets the ground. Make sure the jack
is vertical (plumb line).

Continue to turn the crank until the tire
is a maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground.
Warning!
G
Insert the jack arm fully into the jack sup-
port tube hole up to the stop. Otherwise the
vehicle may fall from the jack and cause per-
sonal injury or damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the vehi-
cle briefly for wheel changes. It is not suited
for performing maintenance work under the
vehicle.

Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.


Never lie down under the raised vehicle.

317 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located on the right side of
the trunk under the battery cover
(page 313).

Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.

Open the trunk lid.

Remove battery cover.

Connect positive terminals 1 and3 of
the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to charged battery3 first.1Positive terminal of discharged battery
2Negative terminal of discharged bat-
tery
3Positive terminal of charged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

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

Connect negative terminals 2 and4 of
the batteries with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to charged battery4 first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now turn on the electrical con-
sumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals2 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and3.
You can now turn on the lights.

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 243).
!Never invert the terminal connections.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

318 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Towing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised 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.
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 78) and the automatic central
locking (
page 139).
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised, 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 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 dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph (50
km/h).