2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 coolant level

ContentsOperation......................................... 263
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 264
Driving instructions ............................ 265
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 265
Drinking and driving ..................... 265
Pedals .......................................... 265
Power assistance ......................... 265
Brakes .......................................... 266
Driving off..................................... 267
Parking ......................................... 267
Tires ............................................. 268
Hydroplaning ................................ 268
Tire traction .................................. 269
Tire speed rating .......................... 269
Winter driving instructions ........... 270
Standing water ............................. 271
Passenger compartment .............. 272
Driving abroad .............................. 272
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 272
Catalytic converter ....................... 273
Emission control........................... 273
Coolant temperature .................... 274At the gas station .............................. 275
Refueling ...................................... 275
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 277
Engine compartment ......................... 278
Hood ............................................ 278
Engine oil ..................................... 279
Transmission fluid level ................ 282
Coolant level ................................ 283
Battery ......................................... 284
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 285
Tires and wheels ................................ 286
Important guidelines .................... 286
Life of tire..................................... 287
Direction of rotation ..................... 287
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 287
Rotating tires ............................... 289Winter driving .................................... 290
Winter tires .................................. 290
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 291
Snow chains................................. 291
Maintenance...................................... 292
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 293
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 293
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 293
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 294
Vehicle care....................................... 295
Cleaning and care of the
vehicle ......................................... 295

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.

277 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 283) and see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 387).
Brake fluid
Removing fuse box cover (
page 370).Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 285).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil level,
see “Engine oil” (
page 279).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (page 344).
Exterior lamp switch (page 109).
Tire inflation pressure
More information on tire inflation pressure
(
page 287).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 278).
!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 303).

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.

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.

393 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Switching fuels
For best performance and driveability it is
recommended to use either one or the
other fuel. A refueling pattern that
alternates between the two different fuels
should be avoided if possible.
When switching fuels, make sure:

Fuel level is below half full.


Fuel level is above reserve (fuel reserve
warning lamp is not lit).


Amount of added fuel is more than
5 gallons (20 liters).


Ignition is off during refill.


Immediately after refueling engine is
started and operated for at least five
minutes.
These precautions and recommendations
are supposed to prevent any difficulties
when starting and operating the engine
which otherwise may be experienced
before the engine has fully adapted to the
different fuel. If in spite of these recommendations the
engine does not perform properly, adding
more gasoline [at least 3 gallons
(12 liters)] to the fuel may improve the
engine behavior.
Cold weather performance
It is possible that starting times will signif-
icantly increase at temperatures
below 32°F (0°C). At low temperatures
the use of a block heater (Canada only) is
recommended (see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information). Rough idling may also be
experienced at such temperatures before
the engine is fully warmed up.Hot weather performance
At ambient temperatures above 95°F
(35°C) start times may increase and be
accompanied by a rough idle following the
start.
Cruising range
E85 fuel contains less energy per gallon
than gasoline. To make sure that engine
performance with Ethanol fuel is similar to
that when using gasoline, the engine must
burn more Ethanol fuel. As a result, it is to
be expected that the fuel consumption will
increase when using E85 compared to
gasoline operation.
Maintenance
Please inform your Mercedes-Benz Center
if you use or have used E85 fuel when your
vehicle is delivered for maintenance or
repairs.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when
ambient temperatures fall below 14°F
(-10°C).
iUse of E85 may reduce your driving
range.

394 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which
provides:

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
corrosion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective
to -22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the
coolant in the pressurized cooling system
is reached at approx. 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over
protection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet
for replacement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance 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 renew 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 approx. -22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection to approx. -49°F (-45°C)], the
engine temperature will increase due to
the lower heat transfer capability of the
solution. Therefore, do not use more than
this amount of anticorrosion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze should
be used to bring it up to the proper level
(have cooling system checked for signs of
leakage). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

410 IndexCharging
Vehicle battery 361
Checking
Brake fluid 277
Coolant level 277, 283
Engine oil level 277, 280
Tire inflation pressure 277
Vehicle lighting 277
Washer reservoir level 277
Child safety 67
Air bags 60
Infant and child restraint
systems 64, 67
LATCH-type child seat anchors 73
Child safety switch see
Blocking of rear door window operation
Child seat anchors see
LATCH-type child seat anchors
Cigarette lighter 246
Cleaning
Cloth upholstery 300
Cup holders 299
Gear selector lever 299Hard plastic trim items 299
Headlamps 168
Headliner and shelf below
rear window 299
Instrument cluster 298
Leather upholstery 299
Light alloy wheels 298
MB Tex upholstery 300
Plastic and rubber parts 300
Seat belts 299
Steering wheel 299
Upholstery 299
Windows 298
Windshield 52
Wiper blades 298
Wood trims 300
Climate control 174
Clock 25, 121, 137, 138
Closing
Cup holder, in rear seat armrest 245
Glove box 241
Hood 279Tilt/sliding sunroof* 227
Tilt/sliding sunroof*
in an emergency 341
Tilt/sliding sunroof*
with SmartKey 229
Trunk lid 94
Windows 223, 224
Windows with SmartKey 225
Cloth upholstery
Cleaning 300
Cockpit 22, 399
Cockpit Management and
Data System see COMAND*
Collapsible tire 383
Collapsible tire (C 55 AMG only) 334
Collapsible wheel chock 332
COMAND* 400
COMAND* see separate
operating instructions
Combination switch 113
High beam flasher 50
Turn signals 50
Windshield wipers 51