2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CL600 coolant level

Contents
Engine compartment ......................... 237
Hood ............................................ 237
Engine oil ..................................... 238
Transmission fluid level ................ 242
Active Body Control (ABC)
fluid level...................................... 242
Coolant ........................................ 242
Battery ......................................... 243
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 244
Tires and wheels ................................ 246
Important guidelines .................... 246
Life of tires ................................... 247
Direction of rotation ..................... 247
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 247
Rotating wheels ........................... 251
Winter driving .................................... 252
Winter tires .................................. 252
Block heater* ............................... 253
Snow chains................................. 253Maintenance....................................... 254
Clearing the service indicator ....... 254
Service term exceeded ................. 254
Calling up the service indicator..... 255
Resetting the service indicator ..... 255
Vehicle care........................................ 256
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 256
Practical hints.................................. 263
What to do if …? ................................. 264
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 264
Lamp in center console................. 269
Messages in the display ................ 270
Where will I find...? ............................. 295
First aid kit .................................... 295
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, spare wheel ............ 295
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 297
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 297
Locking the vehicle ....................... 298
Changing batteries........................ 299
Fuel filler flap ................................ 300Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 301
Sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 301
Replacing bulbs .................................. 302
Bulbs............................................. 302
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 304
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 305
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 307
Removing ...................................... 307
Installing ....................................... 307
Flat tire............................................... 308
Preparing the vehicle .................... 308
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 308
Battery ............................................... 313
Disconnecting the battery ............ 314
Removing the battery ................... 314
Charging and reinstalling
the battery .................................... 314
Reconnecting the battery ............. 315
Jump starting...................................... 316
Towing the vehicle.............................. 318
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 321

48 Getting startedDriving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 242).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and / or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount

Start the engine in the usual manner.
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw key
from starter switch. Remove block-
age.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI:


Set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


Have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

236OperationAt the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
More information on refilling the reser-
voir (
page 244).
2Brake fluid
More information on brake fluid can be
found in the “Technical data” section
on (
page 340).
3Coolant level
More information on coolant
(
page 242).Engine oil level
More information on engine oil
(
page 238).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness.More infor-
mation on replacing light bulbs can be
found in the “Practical hints” section on
(page 302).
Tire inflation pressure
More information on tire inflate pressure
(page 247).
Opening hood (
page 237).
Exterior lamp switch (
page 108).
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the
?
lamp to
illuminate.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 268).

238OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1 ft (30 cm).
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
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.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.

242OperationEngine compartmentTransmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.Active Body Control (ABC) fluid level
Regular fluid level check is not required. If
you notice fluid leaks or malfunction mes-
sages in the multifunction display, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center check
the ABC system.
Coolant
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
194°F (90°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately ½ turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

243 Operation
Engine compartment
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
1Coolant expansion tank
Using a rag, turn the cap slowly approx-
imately one half turn to the left to re-
lease any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.The coolant level is correct if the level


for cold coolant: reaches the black top
part of the reservoir


for warm coolant: is approx. 0.6 in
(1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap.
More information on coolant can be found
in the “Technical data” section
(
page 342).
Battery
Your vehicle’s battery is located in the
trunk under the right hand wheel well cov-
er panel (
page 313).
The battery should always be sufficiently
charged in order to achieve its rated ser-
vice life. Refer to Service Booklet for bat-
tery maintenance intervals.
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.

277 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
F
CHIP CARD
DO NOT FORGET
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no key in the
starter switch.
Message is only a reminder.

Insert key in the starter switch.

Take the KEYLESS-GO*card with you
when leaving the vehicle.
B
COOLANT
CHECK LEVEL!
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 242).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without a sufficient
amount of coolant in the cooling sys-
tem. The engine will overheat, causing
major engine damage.

294 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?ì
FUNCTION
NOT AVAILABLE!
This display appears if button
ì
or
í

on the multifunction steering wheel is
pressed and the vehicle is not equipped
with a telephone.
Ê
TRUNK OPEN!
This message will appear whenever the
trunk lid is open.

Close the trunk lid.
W
WASHER FLUID
CHECK LEVEL!
The fluid level has dropped to about
1/3 of
total reservoir capacity.

Add washer fluid (
page 244).
Î
CRUISE CONTROL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
Cruise control or Distronic* is malfunction-
ing.

Have cruise control or Distronic*
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
_
ENTRY POSITION
DO NOT DRIVE!
Seat, mirrors and steering wheel have not
yet moved to their preset driving positions.

Wait until the seat, mirrors and steer-
ing wheel have moved to their driving
positions.
The message will disappear.
±
DISPLAY MALFUNCTION
VISIT WORKSHOP!
Certain electronic systems are unable to
relay information to the control system.
The following systems may have failed:

Coolant temperature display


Tachometer


Cruise control display

Have the electronic systems
checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution