ContentsOperation......................................... 255
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 256
Driving instructions ............................ 257
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 257
Drinking and driving ..................... 257
Pedals .......................................... 257
Power assistance ......................... 257
Brakes .......................................... 258
Driving off..................................... 259
Parking ......................................... 259
Tires ............................................. 260
Hydroplaning ................................ 260
Tire traction .................................. 261
Tire speed rating .......................... 261
Winter driving instructions ........... 262
Standing water ............................. 263
Passenger compartment .............. 263
Driving abroad .............................. 263
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ................................... 264
Catalytic converter ....................... 264
Emission control........................... 265
Coolant temperature .................... 266At the gas station .............................. 267
Refueling ...................................... 267
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 269
Engine compartment ......................... 270
Hood ............................................ 270
Engine oil ..................................... 272
Transmission fluid level ................ 274
Coolant level ................................ 275
Battery ......................................... 276
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 277
Tires and wheels ................................ 278
Important guidelines .................... 278
Life of tire..................................... 279
Direction of rotation ..................... 279
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 279
Rotating tires ............................... 281Winter driving .................................... 282
Winter tires .................................. 282
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 283
Snow chains................................. 283
Maintenance...................................... 284
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 285
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 285
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 285
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 286
Vehicle care....................................... 287
Cleaning and care of the
vehicle ......................................... 287
269 Operation
At the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Coolant
2Brake fluid (fuse box cover removed)
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant level” (
page 275) and see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 373).
Brake fluid
Removing fuse box cover (
page 358).Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 277).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil level,
see “Engine oil” (
page 272).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (page 332).
Exterior lamp switch (page 108).
Tire inflation pressure
More information on tire inflation pressure
(
page 279).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 270).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately. Do not add brake
fluid as this will not solve the problem.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 295).
279 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of tire rotation.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at
intervals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm you should only
correct the tire pressure if it is too low for
current operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the
specified tire inflation pressures for warm
and cold tires as well as for various
operating conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!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.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure drops repeatedly:
Check the tires for punctures from
foreign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
292 OperationVehicle careCloth upholstery
Clean with soft bristle brush, or use a
dry-shampoo cleaner in case of excessive
dirt.
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.
376 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:
The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
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-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
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
3 000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.
Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! are designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline or Ethanol
fuel (E85) or any mixture of these two.
For more information, see “Flexible
Fuel Vehicles” (
page 377).
396 IndexChecking
Brake fluid 269
Coolant level 269, 275
Engine oil level 269, 272
Tire inflation pressure 269
Vehicle lighting 269
Washer reservoir level 269
Child safety 69
Air bags 62
Infant and child
restraint systems 66, 69
LATCH-type child seat anchors 75
Child safety switch see
Blocking of rear door window operation
Child seat anchors see
LATCH-type child seat anchors
Cigarette lighter 239
Cleaning
Cloth upholstery 292
Cup holders 291
Gear selector lever 291
Hard plastic trim items 291Headlamps 161
Headliner and shelf below
rear window 291
Instrument cluster 290
Leather upholstery 291
Light alloy wheels 290
MB Tex upholstery 292
Plastic and rubber parts 292
Rear window 53
Seat belts 291
Steering wheel 291
Upholstery 291
Windows 290
Windshield 52
Wiper blades 290
Wood trims 292
Climate control 166
Clock 25, 119, 135, 136
Closing
Cup holder, in rear seat armrest 238
Glove box 234
Hood 271
Tailgate 94Tilt/sliding sunroof* 219
Tilt/sliding sunroof*
in an emergency 329
Tilt/sliding sunroof*
with SmartKey 221
Windows 215, 216
Windows with SmartKey 217
Cloth upholstery
Cleaning 292
Cockpit 22, 385
Cockpit Management and
Data System see COMAND*
Collapsible wheel chock 323
COMAND* 386
COMAND* see
separate operating instructions
Combination switch 112
High beam flasher 49
Rear window wiper 53
Turn signals 50
Windshield wipers 50
Consumer information 382
Control and operation of
radio transmitter 264