2004 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 coolant level

Contents
At the gas station .............................. 278
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 279
Engine compartment ......................... 281
Hood ............................................ 281
Engine oil ..................................... 282
Transmission fluid level ................ 285
Coolant level ................................ 285
Battery ......................................... 287
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 288
Tires and wheels ................................ 289
Important guidelines .................... 289
Life of tire..................................... 290
Direction of rotation ..................... 290
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 290
Rotating wheels ........................... 293Winter driving ..................................... 295
Winter tires ................................... 295
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 296
Snow chains.................................. 296
Maintenance....................................... 297
Flexible Service System PLUS
(FSS PLUS).................................... 297
Clearing the service indicator ....... 298
Service term exceeded ................. 298
Calling up the service indicator..... 298
Resetting the service indicator ..... 298
Setting the date for special
works ............................................ 300
Calling up the service data
information ................................... 301
Vehicle care........................................ 302
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 302
Practical hints.................................. 309
What to do if … ................................... 310
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 310
Lamp in center console ................ 317
Messages in the display................ 318
Where will I find ...? ............................ 350
First aid kit.................................... 350
Vehicles with TIREFIT kit
(E 55 AMG) ................................... 350
Spare wheel .................................. 350
Luggage box ................................. 351
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 352
Unlocking / locking in an emergency .. 353
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 353
Locking the vehicle ....................... 354
Changing batteries in the
SmartKey/ SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* ............................... 355
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 357
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever ........... 357
Opening / closing in an emergency..... 358
Sliding / pop-up roof* or panorama
sliding / pop-up roof* .................... 358

50 Getting startedDrivingProblems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 285).
In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount

Start the engine in the usual manner.

279 Operation
At the gas station

Replace the fuel cap by turning it to the
right.
You will hear when the fuel cap is tight-
ened.

Close the fuel filler flap.
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on refilling the
reservoir (
page 288).
2Brake fluid
More information on brake fluid can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 403).
3Coolant level
More information on the coolant level
(page 285).
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.
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.iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the ? lamp to
illuminate.

285 Operation
Engine compartment
1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 400) and (
page 403).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the transmission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the driver’s side of the engine compart-
ment.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

286 OperationEngine 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 approximately
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 405).
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.

314 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
If this warning lamp comes on 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 285).

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
comes on 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 the
engine has cooled down.

329 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
?
Visit workshop!
There may be a malfunction in the:

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 285).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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.

405 Technical data
Fuels, 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. Refer to Service Booklet for
replacement interval
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The re-
placement interval published in the Ser-
vice Booklet is only applicable if MB 325.0
anticorrosion/antifreeze solution or other
Mercedes-Benz approved products of
equal specification (see Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet) are used to re-
new the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level. To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45%
anticorrosion / antifreeze [equivalent to
freeze protection to approximately - 22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion / antifreeze [freeze
protection to approximately - 49°F
(-45°C)], the engine temperature will in-
crease due to the lower heat transfer capa-
bility of the solution. Therefore, do not use
more than this amount of
anticorrosion / antifreeze.