2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 KOMPRESSOR COUPE engine

272 Practical hintsWhat to do if …
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle and turn off the
engine.

Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could
otherwise damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated 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 operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

273 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an
inoperative water pump which may
result in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:

Do not continue to drive the vehicle
with this message displayed. Doing so
could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
COOLANT
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.

Observe the coolant temperature
display.

Have the fan replaced as soon as
possible.

275 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:ADD 1.0 Qt. ENGINE OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!Canada only:ADD 1.0 LITER ENG. OIL
WHEN NEXT REFUELING!
The engine oil level is too low.

Add engine oil (
page 239) and check
the engine oil level (
page 238).
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
There is no oil in the engine. There is a
danger of engine damage.

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

Turn off the engine.

Add engine oil.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL!
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging the engine or
the catalytic converter.

Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Observe all legal requirements
with respect to its disposal.

276 Practical hintsWhat to do if …When the message
ADD 1.0 Qt. ENGINE
OIL WHEN NEXT REFUELING!
(Canada:
1.0
Liter
) appears while the engine is running
and at operating temperature, the engine
oil level has dropped to approximately the
minimum mark on the dipstick.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the “full” mark on the dipstick
with an approved oil.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
ENGINE OIL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.

Have the engine oil checked.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 238) and add oil as required.

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
ENGINE OIL SENSOR
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

279 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
.
LIGHTS
TURN OFF LIGHTS!
This display appears if the driver’s door is
opened with the engine shut off and no
SmartKey in the starter switch.

Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.

Switch off the headlights.
LOW BEAM, L
CHECK LIGHT!
The left low beam lamp is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
LOW BEAM, R
CHECK LIGHT!
The right low beam lamp is
malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
REVERSE LIGHT, L
CHECK LIGHT!
The left backup lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
REVERSE LIGHT, R
CHECK LIGHT!
The right backup lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
MARKER LIGHT, FL
CHECK LIGHTS!
BACK-UP LIGHT ON!
The left side marker/parking lamps are
malfunctioning. A backup bulb is being
used.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
MARKER LIGHT, FR
CHECK LIGHTS!
BACK-UP LIGHT ON!

The right side marker/parking lamps are
malfunctioning. A backup bulb is being
used.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
TAIL LIGHT, L
CHECK LIGHTS!

BACK-UP LIGHT ON!

The left tail lamp is malfunctioning.
A backup bulb is being used.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.

302 Practical hintsFlat tireWhen changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.

Take the two-piece wheel wrench and
the jack out of the vehicle tool kit
(page 285). Assemble wheel wrench.

On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts (ap-
proximately one full turn with wrench).
The jack take-up brackets are located di-
rectly behind the front wheel housings and
in front of the rear wheel housings.1Jack
2Crank
3Take-up bracket

Place jack on firm ground.

Position jack1 under the take-up
bracket3 so that it is always vertical
(plumb-line) as seen from the side,
even if the vehicle is parked on an in-
cline.

Jack up the vehicle until the wheel is a
maximum of 1.2 in (3 cm) from the
ground. Never start engine while vehi-
cle is raised.
Warning!
G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use, es-
pecially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. make sure the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient ca-
pacity jackstands before working under the
vehicle.

307 Practical hints
Battery
Battery
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right hand side.
Removal of filter box:
Release the three clamps1.

Remove filter box.
Installation of filter box:

Insert filter box properly.

Secure it with the three clamps1.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting,
you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
!Never loosen or detach battery termi-
nal clamps while the engine is running
or the SmartKey is in the starter switch.
Otherwise the alternator and other
electronic components could be se-
verely damaged.
Have the battery checked regularly by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Refer to Service Booklet for mainte-
nance intervals or contact your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information.Warning!
G
Do not place metal objects on the battery as
this could result in a short circuit.
Use leak-proof battery only to avoid the risk
of acid burns in the event of an accident.

310 Practical hintsJump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Use only jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cabels
are not on or near pulleys, fans or other
parts that move when an engine is
started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several un-
successful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.