294 OperationEngine compartmentIf you see the message:Observe waiting time
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before
repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait five minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see “Practi-
cal hints” (
page 363).Adding engine oil
!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.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of
approved engine oils and oil filters,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
295 Operation
Engine compartment
C 230 Kompressor1 Filler 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.
C3201Filler 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.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 426) and
(
page 428).
!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.
!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.
302 OperationTires and wheelsTread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths under 1/8in (3 mm).
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
readW
ear I
ndicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tires
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor safety
laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we
recommend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
!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.!Never use a round nozzle to power
wash tires. The intense jet of water can
result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
323 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.
Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km). Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maxi-
mum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and,
if so equipped, air conditioning and
additional optional equipment, but without
passengers and cargo.
DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
Certification label located on the driver's
door B-pillar.
331 Operation
Maintenance
Clearing the maintenance service indicator
The maintenance service indicator is
automatically cleared
after ten seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the main-
tenance service threshold while driving
after 30 seconds, once the suggested
maintenance service term has passed
You can also clear it yourself.
1Reset button
Press reset button1 on the
instrument cluster.
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested
maintenance service term, you will see the
following message in the multifunction
display:Service A exceeded by XX Days
Service A exceeded by XX Miles
(Km)
In addition, a signal sounds when the
message appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
The standard display of the control
system appears (
page 128).
Press buttonk orj on the
multifunction steering wheel until the
maintenance service indicator with the
service symbol9 or´ and the
service deadline appears in the
multifunction display.iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator.
Do not confuse the maintenance
service indicator with the engine oil
level indicator:.
333 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by ex-
treme and varying climatic conditions, but
also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and/or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:
near the ocean
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)
during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.
338 OperationVehicle careUpholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently dis-
colored. By lining the seats with a proper
intermediate cover, contact-discoloration
will be prevented.
Leather upholstery
Wipe leather upholstery with a damp cloth
and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning per-
forated leather as its underside should not
become wet.MB Tex upholstery
Pour Mercedes-Benz approved Interior
Care onto soft lint-free cloth and apply
with light pressure.
Plastic and rubber parts
Do not use oil or wax on these parts.Wood trims
Dampen cloth using water and use damp
cloth to clean wood trims in your vehicle.
Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as
these may be abrasive.
363 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
:
USA only:At next gas station
add 1.0 qt engine oilCanada only:At next gas station
add 1.0 l engine oil
The engine oil level is too low.
Add engine oil (
page 294) and check
the engine oil level (
page 293).
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 (
page 294) and check
the engine oil level (
page 293).
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 oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with
respect to its disposal.
Change engine oil
Visit workshop.
It may be that there is water in the engine
oil.
Have the engine oil checked.