Page 235 of 376
235 Operation
At the gas station
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 237).
Opening hood, see (
page 236).
Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information on
coolant, see “Coolant level” (
page 241)Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For infor-
mation on replacing light bulbs, see “Re-
placing bulbs” (
page 293).
Exterior lamp switch (
page 98).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on tire inflation pressure,
see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
(
page 245).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately. Noti-
fy an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as
this will not solve the problem. For
more information, see “Practical Hints”
(page 259).
Page 245 of 376
245 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better aquaplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
ensure that the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of tire rotation.Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days. If the tires are warm you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly:
Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
iThe pressures listed for light loads are
minimum values offering high driving
comfort.
Increased inflation pressures listed for
heavier loads may also be used for light
loads. These higher pressures produce
favorable handling characteristics. The
ride of the vehicle, however, will be
somewhat harder. Never exceed the
max. values or inflate tires below the
min. values listed in the fuel filler flap.
Page 333 of 376
333 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded 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 must not 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.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
l i n e m u s t b e u s e d . I f p r e m i u m u n l e a d e d
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.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! on fuel filler flap) are de-
signed to operate on premium unlead-
ed gasoline or Ethanol fuel (E85), or any
mixture of these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 334).
Page 351 of 376
351 Index
Checking
Coolant level 235, 241
Oil level 235, 237
Tire inflate pressure 235
Vehicle lighting 235
Child safety 65
Airbags 58
Infant and child
restraint systems 62, 65
LATCH child seat mounts 70
Child seat mounts see LATCH child seat
mounts 70
Cigarette lighter 204
Cleaning
Cup holder 255
Gear selector lever 255
Hard plastic trim items 255
Headlamps 148
Headliner and shelf
below rear window 255
Instrument cluster 255
Leather upholstery 256
Light alloy wheels 254MB Tex upholstery 256
Plastic and rubber parts 256
Seat belts 255
Steering wheel 255
Upholstery 256
Windows 254
Windshield 50
Wiper blades 254
Wood trims 256
Climate control 150
Adjusting 153
Defogging windshield 153
Defrosting 154
Rear window defroster 149
Setting the temperature 153
Clock 23, 122
Closing
Glove box 200
Hood 237
power window with SmartKey 188Roller sunblind for the
sliding/pop-up roof 189
Side windows 187
Sliding/pop-up roof 190, 292
Trunk lid 86
Windows 186
Windows with SmartKey 188
Closing sliding/pop-up roof
In an emergency 292
Cockpit 20, 341
Cockpit management and data system
(COMAND*) 342
Collapsible tire 342
COMAND* 342
COMAND* see separate operating instruc-
tions
Combination switch 102
High beam flasher 102
Turn signals 48
Windshield wipers 49
Consumer information 339
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 230
Control system 109, 342
