2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C WAGON air condition

287 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle care
Cleaning and care of the vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the under-
body and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:


Air pollution


Road salt


Tar


Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should
immediately 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
applied 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
designed for cleaning your vehicle.

301 Practical hints
What to do if …
Vehicle status messages in the multifunction display
Warning and malfunction messages
appear in the multifunction display located
in the instrument cluster.
Certain warning and malfunction messag-
es are accompanied by an audible signal.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.
Selecting the vehicle status message
memory menu in the control system
(page 128) displays both cleared and
uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the
multifunction display in red color.
Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 116).Other messages of high priority and
messages of less immediate priority can
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 116). They
are then stored in the vehicle status mes-
sage memory (
page 128). Remember
that clearing a message will only make the
message disappear. Clearing a message
will not correct the condition that caused
the message to appear.
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may
appear in the multifunction display. High
priority messages appear in red color.
Warning!
G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated,
addressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property
damage or personal injury.
Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
Contact your nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.iSwitching on ignition, causes all lamps
as well as the multifunction display to
come on. Make sure that they are all in
working order before starting your jour-
ney.

365 Technical data
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
C 240 (all models)
1Automatic belt tensioner
2Power steering pump
3Air conditioning compressor
4Crankshaft
5Coolant pump
6Generator (alternator)
7Idler pulley

374 Technical dataFuels, 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:
Minimum 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)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant
oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer
3.2 US qt (3.0 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning system*
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
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 381).

375 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, 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, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly
required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), 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 Vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will 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.

385 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
BabySmart
TM1
air bag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is
installed on the front passenger seat.
The system will automatically deacti-
vate the passenger front air bag when
such a seat is properly installed
(the56indicator lamp located
in the center console comes on). See
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the
passenger front air bag if a
BabySmartTM compatible child seat is
installed.
BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking
situations. The system is activated
when it senses an emergency based on
how fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more
intense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service
center, which can help you with any
questions about your vehicle and
provide assistance in the event of a
breakdown.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control
vehicle functions such as door locking
or windshield wiping depending on
vehicle settings and/or ambient
conditions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the
passenger compartment needed for
vehicle operation and monitoring.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.

391 Index
A
ABS 79, 385
ABS control 79
Indicator lamp 25
Malfunction indicator lamp 294
Messages in display 302
Accelerator position,
automatic transmission 159
Accident
In case of 54
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 173
Air recirculation mode 171
Anti-theft alarm system* 86
Central locking (control system) 143
Climate control 167
Climate control system 169
Defrosting 171
Easy-entry/exit feature* 144
ESP 83
Exterior headlamps 49Exterior lamps 109
Exterior rear view mirror
parking position* 163
Hazard warning flasher 113
Headlamps 49
High beam headlamps 49
High beams 112
Ignition 33
Immobilizer 57, 85
Low beam headlamps 49
Rear window defroster 165
Seat heating* 104
Tow-away alarm* 87
Windshield wipers 51
Adding
Coolant 275
Engine oil 274
Additional turn signals 333
Adjustable air vents,
rear passenger compartment 174Adjusting 35
Air distribution 170
Air volume 170
Backrest contour 103
Backrest side bolsters 103
Backrest tilt, manual seat 36
Backrest tilt, power seat* 38
Exterior rear view mirrors 41
Folding back rear seat
head restraints 101
Head restraint height,
manual seat 37
Head restraint height,
power seat* 38
Head restraint height, rear seats 100
Head restraint tilt, manual seat 37
Head restraint tilt, power seat* 39
Head restraint tilt, rear seats 102
Instrument cluster illumination 116
Interior rear view mirror 41
Manual seat 36

392 Index
Mirrors 41
Multicontour seat* 103
Placing upright rear seat
head restraints 101
Power seat* 38
Rear seat head restraints 100
Seat belt height 45
Seat cushion depth 103
Seat cushion tilt, manual seat 36
Seat cushion tilt, power seat* 38
Seat fore and aft adjustment,
manual seat 36
Seat fore and aft adjustment,
power seat* 38
Seat height, manual seat 36
Seat height, power seat* 38
Seats 35
Steering column height,
electrical* 41
Steering column height,
manual 40Steering column length,
electrical* 41
Steering column length,
manual 40
Steering wheel 39
Adjusting air distribution
and volume 170
Adjusting sound functions 179
Adjusting the volume 179
Aids for changing fuses 357
Air bags 61
BabySmart
TM
deactivation system 72, 385
Children 62
Front 65
Passenger 65
Safety guidelines 64
Side impact 66
Window curtain 66
Air conditioning (cooling) 173
Turning off 173
Turning on 173Air conditioning refrigerant 375
Air distribution
Adjusting 170
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 171
Activating 171
Deactivating 172
Air vents, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 174
Air volume
Adjusting 170
Alarm
Audible 78, 85
Canceling 86, 88
Visual 85
Alarm system
Anti-theft* 85
Tow-away* 87
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 344, 385
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 380
Antiglare
Automatic* 162
Manual 161