2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS coolant

312 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
Ï
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The coolant is too hot.
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop the vehicle.

Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine.

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken, do not drive any further.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If it is in order, drive immediately to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down. The engine should not be oper-
ated with the coolant temperature above
266°F (130°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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323 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display
Possible cause
Possible solution
I
Remove key!
You have forgotten to remove the key.

Remove the key from the starter switch.
Replace key
The batteries in the key are dead.

Change the batteries (
page 328).
Automat. light on
Remove key!

Remove the key from the starter switch.
A

Reserve fuel
The fuel level has dropped below the re-
serve mark.

Refuel at the next filling station
(page 259).
J

Door open
You are attempting to drive with one or
more doors open.

Close the doors.
?
Visit workshop!
There may be a malfunction in the:

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the measuring system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
±
Display defective
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.
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355 Technical data
Spare parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and tires
Electrical system
Main dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Consumer information
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359 Technical data
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
E320/E500
1Automatic belt tensioner
2Power steering pump
3Air conditioner compressor
4Crankshaft
5Coolant pump
6Generator (alternator)
7Idler pulley
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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)
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367 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Windshield washer
E320, E500
4.8 US qt (4.5 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 372).Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning
system
E320, E500
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
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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.
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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
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