2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS engine oil

264 OperationEngine compartmentOther display messages
If there is excessive engine oil with the en-
gine at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:Engine oil level Reduce oil level!
Have excess oil siphoned.
If the key is not turned to position 2 in the
starter switch:
Turn on ignition to see engine oil
level
!

Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
Observe waiting time
Wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.If you see the message:
Engine oil level Not when engine on! 
Turn off the engine. If engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature, wait five
minutes before checking oil. If the en-
gine is not yet at normal operating tem-
perature, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.
See "Practical hints" (
page 299) if the
engine oil level indicator lights up in the
display while the engine is running.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the "Technical data"
(
page 368).
Transmission 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 transmission.Coolant level
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.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the driver’s side of the engine compart-
ment.
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press the k or j but-
ton on the multifunction steering
wheel.
ProCarManuals.com

276 OperationMaintenance
The service indicator is cleared and the
standard display appears in the multi-
function display.
Service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the multifunction display:Service A exceeded by XXXXX miles (km)
Service A exceeded by XXX days
Service A exceeded by X day An authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the service indicator following a com-
pleted service.
Calling up the service indicator
Switch the ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 121).

Press buttonk orj on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the
FSS PLUS indicator appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
Resetting the service indicator
In the event that a service on your vehicle
is not carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, you can reset the
service indicator yourself.
Switch the ignition on.
The standard display of the control sys-
tem appears (
page 121).

Press buttonk orj on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the
FSS PLUS indicator appears in the mul-
tifunction display.

Press the reset knob (
page 22) for
about five seconds.
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the service indica-
tor. To arrive at the true service dead-
line, you will need to subtract these
days from the days shown in the ser-
vice indicator.
Do not confuse the service indicator
with the engine oil level indicator :.
ProCarManuals.com

277 Operation
Maintenance
The
SERVICE MENU
appears in the multi-
function display.

Select the
CONFIRMATION
menu with the
+ or - button.

Press the ÿ button.
The service indicator now displays the CONFIRMATION
menu.
The selection marker is on
CONFIRM
.

Press the ÿbutton.
The service indicator now displays the CONFIRM
menu.The selection maker is on
STANDARD
OIL
.

Press the ÿ button.
The words
SERVICE CONFIRMED
appear
in the multifunction display.
The service indicator is reset.

Press buttonè on the multifunction
steering wheel until the standard dis-
play appears in the multifunction dis-
play.FSS PLUS now recalculates the values.
You cannot call up the service display or
the service menu during this time.
iIf the service indicator was inadvertent-
ly reset, have an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center correct it.
Only reset if the proper service has
been performed. Resetting the system
without proper service as called for by
the FSS PLUS will cause the FSS PLUS
to incorrectly determine the next ser-
vice interval which will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
ProCarManuals.com

299 Practical hints
What to do if …
ESP
Display defective
Visit workshop!
The BAS or the BAS display is malfunction-
ing.

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of accident.
ESP
not available!
See operator‘s manual
The ESP is deactivated because of a mal-
function or interrupted power supply. The
SBC brake system is still functioning nor-
mally. The ABS may still be operational.

With the vehicle stationary, turn the
steering wheel completely to the left
and then to the right to synchronize
the ESP.
If the ESP message does not go out:

Continue driving with added caution.

Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions in-
creases the risk of accident.
:
Engine oil leve
l
Stop, engine off!
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.

Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt
as soon as possible.

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
ProCarManuals.com

300 Practical hintsWhat to do if …:
Engine oil level
Check level!
The engine oil level is too low.

Check the engine oil level
(page 262) and add oil as required.
:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level!
You have added too much engine oil. There
is a risk of damaging the engine or the cat-
alytic converter.

Have oil siphoned. Observe all legal
requirements with respect to its dis-
posal.
Engine oil
Visit workshop!
The engine oil has dropped to a critical lev-
el.

Check the engine oil level
(page 262) and add oil as required.

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
There is water in the oil.

Have the oil checked.
Engine oil level
Visit workshop!
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Distronic
External interference
Reactivate!
The Distronic* is switched off and is tem-
porarily unavailable.

Try activating the Distronic* again
later.
Clean sensor!
see oper. Manual
The Distronic* is switched off because the
Distronic* cover in the radiator grille is
dirty.

Clean the Distronic* cover in the ra-
diator grille (
page 283).

Restart the vehicle.
Visit workshop!
The Distronic* is malfunctioning or the dis-
play is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
ProCarManuals.com

366 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and recommended by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products Pamphlet, or inquire at your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
E320
E500
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
8.0 US qt (7.5 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Rear axle
E320
E500
1.06 US qt (1 l)
1.37 US qt (1.3 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 3.0 oz (85 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.64 US qt (0.6 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
E320
E500
approx. 10.7 US qt (10 l)
approx. 11.9 US qt (11.3 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion / Antifreeze
Fuel tank including a reserve of
21.12 US gal (80.0 l)
2.38 US gal (9.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96
RON / 86 MON)
Air conditioner system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
ProCarManuals.com

368 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could result in engine damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioner refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air conditioner
system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
ProCarManuals.com

369 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
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 is 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.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
gasoline 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
3000 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
ProCarManuals.com