ContentsReplacing bulbs ................................. 417
Bulbs ............................................ 417
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 420
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 422
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 423
Removing wiper blades ................ 423
Installing wiper blades.................. 424
Flat tire .............................................. 425
Preparing the vehicle.................... 425
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 425
Bleeding the fuel system
(Diesel engine only) ........................... 432
Batteries ............................................ 433
Disconnecting the battery ............ 434
Removing the battery ................... 435
Charging and reinstalling the
battery.......................................... 435
Reconnecting the battery ............. 435
Jump starting ..................................... 436
Towing the vehicle ............................. 439
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 442
Fuses ................................................. 443
Fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 443
Technical data................................. 445
Parts service ...................................... 446
Warranty coverage............................. 447
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 447
Identification labels ........................... 448
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 449
E 320/E 500 ................................ 449
E 55 AMG ..................................... 449
E 320 CDI..................................... 449
Engine................................................ 450
Rims and tires.................................... 453
Same size tires ............................. 454
Mixed size tires ............................ 456
Spare wheel ................................. 457
Electrical system ............................... 458
Main dimensions ............................... 459
Weights.............................................. 460Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 461
Capacities .................................... 461
Engine oils ................................... 464
Engine oil additives ...................... 464
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 464
Brake fluid.................................... 464
Premium unleaded gasoline
(Gasoline engine) ......................... 465
Gasoline additives
(Gasoline engine) ......................... 465
Fuel requirements ........................ 466
Coolants ...................................... 466
Windshield and headlamp washer
system ......................................... 469
Technical terms............................... 471Index................................................. 477
301 Operation
At the gas station
Low outside temperatures (Diesel en-
gine)
To prevent malfunctions, diesel fuel with
better cold flow characteristics is offered
in the winter months. Check with your fuel
retailer.
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on refilling the
reservoir, see “Windshield washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 310).
2Brake fluid
For more information on brake fluid,
see “Brake fluid” (
page 464).
3Coolant level
For more information on the coolant
level, see “Coolant level” (
page 308).
!Diesel engine:
The engine is more susceptible to wear
and damage if you use
marine diesel fuel
heating oil
If you use such non-approved fuels
and/or special additives, your warranty
rights will be limited.
!Do not fill the tank with gasoline. Do
not mix diesel fuel with gasoline or ker-
osene. The fuel system and engine will
otherwise be damaged.
!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 358).
464 Technical dataFuels, 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 re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance Sys-
tem (U.S. vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet, or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System (U.S.
vehicles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so could 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 are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating 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 bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.Therefore, the brake fluid
must be replaced every two years, prefera-
bly in the spring.Only brake fluid approved
by Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
465 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline (Gasoline engine)
Gasoline additives (Gasoline engine)
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to en-
gine performance problems such as:
Warm-up hesitation
Unstable idle
Knocking/pinging
Misfire
Power lossIn areas where carbon deposits may be en-
countered due to lack of availability of gas-
olines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Refer to Factory
Approved Service Products Pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow di-
rections on product label.
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the Fac-
tory Approved Service Products pamphlet
are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
gasoline 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 per-
sons and no luggage
Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain