317 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle as far as possible from
moving traffic on a hard surface.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Engage the steering wheel lock in the
straight ahead position and set the
parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever toP
(manual transmission to first or reverse
gear).
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the Minispare wheel
In the case of a flat tire, you may
temporarily use the Minispare wheel when
observing the following restrictions:
Do not exceed vehicle speed of 50 mph
(80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or
replaced as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described on
(
page 317).
Take the wheel wrench and the jack
out of the vehicle tool kit storage well
casing underneath the trunk floor
(page 300).
Take the Minispare wheel and wheel
bolts out of the storage compartment
underneath the trunk floor
(page 302).
Lifting the vehicle
Prevent the vehicle from rolling away
by blocking wheels with wheel chocks
(not included) or other sizable objects.
When changing wheel on a level surface:
Place one chock in front of and one
behind the wheel that is diagonally
opposite to the wheel being changed.
When changing wheel on a hill:
Place chocks on the downhill side
blocking both wheels of the other axle.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used
temporarily, and replaced with a regular
road wheel as quick as possible.
318 Practical hintsFlat tire
Wheel cover on vehicles with steel rims
(Canada only)
On wheel to be changed, remove wheel
cover by reaching into two openings of
the wheel cover and pulling away from
the wheel.
On wheel to be changed, loosen but do
not yet remove the wheel bolts
(approximately one full turn with
wrench).
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,
especially 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.
320 Practical hintsFlat tireMounting the new wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel or other
steel rims (located in trunk with spare
wheel)
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Guide Minispare wheel onto the
alignment bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting the Minispare wheel or other
steel rims. The use of any wheel bolts
other than wheel bolts2 for the
Minispare wheel or other steel rims will
physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while
installing first wheel bolt.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
327 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply parking brake.
Shift gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission to Neutral).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery
Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive under
hood terminal2 in front of the
discharged battery with the jumper
cables. Clamp cable to charged
battery1 first.
Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with negative under
hood terminal4 of the discharged
battery with the jumper cables. Clamp
cable to charged battery3 first.
Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and2.
You can now turn on the lights.
Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 258).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
328 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Towing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground or front wheels raised (except
vehicles with 4MATIC) only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 79) and deactivate the auto-
matic central locking (
page 133).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC), the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1). Otherwise the ESP will
immediately be engaged and will apply
the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in positionN (manual trans-
mission: gears disengaged) and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and
at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
330 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the
following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, the vehicle doors
lock if the left front wheel as well as the
right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 79).
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 133).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed
towing eye bolt. Never attach tow
cable, tow rope or tow rod to vehicle
chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iIf the battery is disconnected or
discharged
the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch. See notes on the
battery (
page 323) or on jump
starting (page 326).
the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP. See notes on
manually unlocking transmission
gear selector lever (
page 308).
350 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Front axle
C2404MATIC
C3204MATIC
0.5 US qt (0.46 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer case
C2404MATIC
C3204MATIC
approx. 0.62 US qt (0.59 l)
MB Transfer case fluid
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 2.1oz (60g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.5 US qt (0.5 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
C 230 Kompressor Sport
C 240 (all models)
C 320 (all models)
C32AMG
approx. 5.9 US qt (5.6 l)
approx. 6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
approx. 6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
approx. 6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/antifreeze agent
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 Vehicle (identified by a label
reading Premium gasoline or E85 only! on
fuel filler flap):
Alternative fuel: Ethanol fuel (E85)
352 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, only
use engine oils approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on approved
engine oils 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 damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil is used in the air
conditioning system.Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating 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
bubbles in the system, thus reducing the
system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be
replaced every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.
!Always check the oil filler cap
(page 255) for important information
pertaining to the engine oil needing to
meet a specific Mercedes-Benz specifi-
cation (e.g. MB 229.5). If such informa-
tion is printed on the oil filler cap, only
use an engine oil from the list of ap-
proved engine oils in the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet that
meets the specification indicated on
the oil filler cap.
Using engine oils of other specification
may cause the FSS to incorrectly deter-
mine the next service interval and will
result in engine damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.