2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 cooling

178 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control*This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when windows and
sliding/pop-up roof are closed).Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.

Switch off air recirculation, if selected.

Press buttonO.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.

Close center air outlets.

Adjust side air outlets upwards.Deactivating

Press buttonP.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press buttonO.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
iIf you keep buttonO pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof* will be closed.
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically:

at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel (charcoal filter activated
(page 180))
If you have turned off the air condition-
er (
page 170) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.

181 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Air conditioner
The air conditioner is operational while the
engine is running and cools the interior air
to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press buttonAC
OFF
.
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air conditioner.

PressAC
OFF
again.
The indicator lamp on
theAC
OFF
button goes out.
The air conditioner uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the air conditioner cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioner is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioner checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

265 Operation
Engine compartment
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 370).
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
1⁄2 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.

292 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
lights up when the engine is run-
ning.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
If this warning lamp lights up frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric ra-
diator fan may be broken.

Immediately add coolant to prevent
engine from overheating
(page 264).

Have the cooling system checked.

If the coolant temperature is below
257 °F (125 °C), you can continue
driving to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
D
The red coolant warning lamp
lights up while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
257 °F (125 °C).

Stop as soon as possible and allow
the engine and coolant to cool down.
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.

311 Practical hints
What to do if …
W
Washer fluid
Check level
The fluid level has dropped to about 1/3 of total reservoir capacity.

Add washer fluid (
page 267).
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 264).

If you have to add coolant frequently, have
the cooling system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Ï
Coolant
Visit workshop!
The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.

Observe the coolant temperature display.

Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
Display
Possible cause
Suggested solution
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 sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat causing major en-
gine damage.

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)

370 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection


Freeze protection


Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. You should have it replaced every
15 years or 150 000 miles (250 000 km),
whichever comes first.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The
above replacement interval is only applica-
ble if MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level. To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F (-30°C)]. If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze protec-
tion to approx. - 49°F (-45°C)], the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
Therefore, do not use more than this
amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.

371 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
If the coolant level is low, water and MB
Anticorrosion /Antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/Anti-
freeze Agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
E320
5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
5.9 US qt (5.5 l)
E500
6.0 US qt (5.65 l)
6.6 US qt (6.2 l)