Page 55 of 442

53 Getting started
Driving
Problems 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 
above 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 
coolant if necessary (
page 283).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. 
     
        
        Page 177 of 442
175 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel
Item
1
Left side defroster vent, fixed
2
Left side air vent, adjustable
3
Thumbwheel for air volume control 
for left side air vent
4
Thumbwheel for air volume control 
for left center air vent
5
Left center air vent, adjustable
6
Right center air vent, adjustable
7
Thumbwheel for air volume control 
for right center air vent 
8
Thumbwheel for air volume control 
for right side air vent
9
Right side air vent, adjustable
a
Right side defroster vent, fixed
b
Climate control panel
iFor draft-free ventilation, move the 
sliders for the side air vents2 and9 
and center air vents5 and  6 to the 
middle position.
Item
1
Air volume control
2
Left side temperature control
3
Right side temperature control
4
Air distribution control
5
Rear window defroster
6
AC cooling on/off (AC
OFF
)
7
Air distribution and air volume 
(automatic mode)
8
Air recirculation
9
Defrosting 
     
        
        Page 178 of 442

176 Controls in detailClimate controlThe climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. You can oper-
ate the climate control system in either the 
automatic or manual mode. The system 
cools or heats the interior depending on 
the selected interior temperature and the 
current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and 
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through 
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no 
cooling) if the modeAC
OFF
 is selected 
(
page 181).
Warning!
G
When operating the climate control, the air 
that enters the passenger compartment 
through the air vents in the footwell can be 
very hot or very cold (depending on the set 
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate 
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient 
distance between unprotected parts of the 
body and the footwell air vents. If necessary, 
change the air flow using the air distribution 
controls to direct the air away from the foot-
well air vents (
page 178).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up, 
impairing visibility and endangering you and 
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air 
pollution) may require replacement of 
the filter before its scheduled interval. 
A clogged filter will reduce the air 
volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate 
the interior before driving off, see 
“Opening (Summer opening feature)” 
(page 229).
Keep the air intake grille in front of the 
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing 
objects on the air flow-through exhaust 
slots below the rear window. 
     
        
        Page 183 of 442

181 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while 
the engine is running and cools the interior 
air to the temperature set by the operator.Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate 
control system. The air in the vehicle will 
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press button± (
page 175). 
The indicator lamp on the button 
comes on.
The cooling function switches off after 
a short delay.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can 
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
Press button± (
page 175). 
The indicator lamp on the button goes 
out.
The air conditioning uses the 
refrigerant R134a. This refrigerant is free 
of CFCs which are harmful to the ozone 
layer.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and 
not an indication of a malfunction.Warning!
G
If you turn off the cooling function, the 
vehicle will not be cooled when weather 
conditions are warm. The windows can fog 
up more quickly. Window fogging may 
impair visibility and endanger you and 
others.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned 
on again, this indicates that the air 
conditioning is losing refrigerant. The 
compressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at 
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz 
Center. 
     
        
        Page 189 of 442

187 Controls in detail
Audio system
Switching off
Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
or
Press M button.
Adjusting the volume
Turn rotary control of N button.
The volume will increase or decrease 
depending on the direction turned.Adjusting sound functions
The bass and treble functions are called up 
by pressing the O button.
Settings for bass and treble are stored 
separately for the AM and FM wavebands, 
weather band, CD mode and telephone 
mode.
Bass
Press O button repeatedly until BASS
 appears in the display.
Press 
+ or
– soft key to increase or 
decrease tone level accordingly.
or
Press 
RES
 soft key briefly to reset bass 
tones to their center level.
The radio switches back to the 
standard radio menu eight seconds 
after the last soft key is pressed.
iShould excessively high temperatures 
occur while the audio system is being 
operated, the display will dim. If tem-
peratures continue to rise, 
HIGH TEMP
 
will appear in the display, after which 
the audio system will be switched off 
for a cooling-down period.
iIf your vehicle equipment includes a 
Mercedes-Benz specified mobile 
telephone*, you can adjust its volume 
separately from the volume of the 
audio system while the telephone is 
being used. 
     
        
        Page 285 of 442

283 Operation
Engine compartment
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 passenger side of the engine compart-
ment. 
1Coolant expansion tank
2Cap
Using a rag, turn cap2 slowly approx-
imately one half turn to the left to 
release 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 approx. 0.6 in 
(1.5 cm) higher
Add coolant as required.
Replace and tighten cap.
For more information on coolant, see 
“Coolants” (
page 394).
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 coolant temperature is 
above 158°F (70°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 
approximately
1/2 turn to relieve excess 
pressure. If opened immediately, scald-
ing hot fluid and steam will be blown out 
under pressure.
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine 
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene 
glycol which may burn if it comes into 
contact with hot engine parts. 
     
        
        Page 318 of 442
316 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.
Add coolant (
page 283).
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 
engine damage. 
     
        
        Page 320 of 442
318 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The poly-V-belt could be broken.
Stop immediately and check the 
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the 
engine will overheat due to an inoperative 
water pump which may result in damage to 
the engine. Notify an authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Do not continue to drive the vehicle with 
this message displayed. Doing so could 
result in serious engine damage that is not 
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited 
Warranty.
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in 
the instrument cluster (
page 24).
Drive immediately to the nearest authorized 
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Coolant
Visit workshop.
The cooling fan for the coolant is 
malfunctioning.
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in 
the instrument cluster (
page 24).
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.