2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 COUPE octane

13 Introduction
Operator’s Manual
Operating your vehicle outside the USA or Canada
If you plan to operate your vehicle in for-
eign countries, please be aware that:

service facilities or replacement parts
may not be readily available,


unleaded gasoline for vehicles with cat-
alytic converters may not be available;
the use of leaded fuels will damage the
catalysts,


gasoline may have a considerably low-
er octane rating, and improper fuel can
cause engine damage.Certain Mercedes-Benz models are avail-
able for delivery in Europe under our Euro-
pean Delivery Program. For details, consult
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or
write to:
In the USA:
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
European Delivery Department
One Mercedes Drive
Montvale, NJ 07645-0350
In Canada:
Mercedes-Benz Canada, Inc.
European Delivery Department
849 Eglinton Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario M4G 2L5

234 OperationAt the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Coolant level
For more information, see “Coolant lev-
el” (
page 241).
2Brake fluid (fuse box cover removed)
Removing fuse box cover, see “Fuses”
(
page 317).
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system” (
page 243).
iUse only premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON / 86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
More information on gasoline can be
found in the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles are identified by
a label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! on the fuel filler flap.
For more information,see “Flexible Fuel
Vehicles” (
page 334).
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the ? lamp to
illuminate.
For more information , see“Practical
hints” section (
page 260).


331 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
16.4 US gal (62.0 l)
2.1 US gal (8.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96 RON / 86 MON)
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a label reading Premium
gasoline or E85 only! on fuel filler flap):
Alternative fuel: Ethanol fuel (E85)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning sys-
tem:
Without headlamp clean-
ing system
With headlamp cleaning
system
3.2 US qt (3 l)
6.4 US qt (6 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing point or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing point. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 338).

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).

343 Technical terms
GPS*
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer
and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.Memory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each SmartKey.
Menu
The control system displays are ar-
ranged in menus. Each menu contains
a number of commands for particular
systems. In the Audio menu, for exam-
ple, you will find the commands
Select
radio station
or Operate CD player
.
Using commands, you can directly
change the settings for your vehicle.
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as AN-
TI-KNOCK INDEX.Multifunction display
Display field in the instrument cluster
used to present information provided
by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
of the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gine speed range, as it may result in se-
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

344 Technical termsPower train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


engine


clutch/torque converter


transmission


transfer case


drive shaft


differential


axle shafts/axlesPoly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operation S and
winter operation C.
Remote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, airbags and
child restraint systems. As indepen-
dant systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as AN-
TI-KNOCK INDEX.
Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being moved out of positionP without
SmartKey turned and brake pedal de-
pressed.

361 Index
Mechanical key 288, 289
Memory function 95, 343
Recalling positions from memory 96
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking positions 97
Storing key dependent settings 96
Menus 110
AUDIO 114
Control system 343
In control system 112, 113
Malfunction memory 117
NAV 117
Settings menu 118
Standard display 114
Submenus 111
TEL* 134
Trip computer 132
Microphone
Hands-free microphone 27
Miles/kilometers in speedometer
Setting 124Mirrors
Adjusting 39
Automatic antiglare for
rear view mirror 146
Exterior rear view mirror 40
Exterior rear view mirror
parking positions 132
Interior rear view mirror 39
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position 97
MON 234
MON (Motor Octane Number) 343
Mph or km/h in speedometer 124
Multifunction display 109, 343
Displaying gear range 141
Selecting language 124
Standard display 113
Multifunction display messages
ABS 268
BAS 265
Battery 269
Brake fluid 270
Brake pads 270Check engine 260
Check gas cap 277
Coolant 272
Coolant level 271
Cruise control 274
Display 274
Doors 274
Engine 260
Engine oil 276
ESP 266
Fuel reserve tank 277
Hood 277
Key 277
Lamps 277, 279–??
Parking brake 269
Steering column
not properly locked 282
Steering gear oil level 282
Tele Aid* 283
Telephone* 283
Trunk lid 283

366 IndexRON 234
RON (Research Octane Number) 344
Roof rack 197
Rotating wheels 246
Rubber parts
Cleaning 256
S
Safety
Occupant 56
Safety belts see Seat belts 41
Safety systems
Driving 73
Saving current speed 195
Searching
Radio station 115
Seat belt force limiter 64
Seat belt outlet height adjustment 43
Seat belts 62
Cleaning 255
Fastening 41Height adjustment 43
Proper use of 43, 63
Safety guidelines 60
Warning lamp 262
Seat heater*
Switching off 94
Switching on 94
Seats 89
Adjusting 32
Easy entry/exit feature 89
Heater 93
Manual 33
Rapid seat heating 94
Split rear bench seat 197
Selecting
Display 125
Selector lever 23
Lock 45
Position
(automatic transmission) 23, 139Self-test
BabySmartTM
airbag deactivation system 68
Tele Aid* 207
Service
Calling up the service indicator 250
Major service (Service B) 249
Minor service (Service A) 249
Overdue 249
Spare parts 320
Types 249
When due 249
Service and Warranty Booklet
Loss of 321
Service indicator 249
Calling up 250
Clearing 249, 250
Service life (tires) 245
Service System see FSS 249
Setting
Convenience functions 121, 129
Cruise control 195