2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C280 automatic transmission

331 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.
Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km). Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.
DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.

350 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the
ignition, have the respective bulb checked
and replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and
has switched off. The BAS and the ESP
®
are also switched off (see messages in dis-
play).
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning,
other systems such as the navigation
system* or the automatic transmission*
may also be malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the dis-
play (
page 358).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below ten
volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery might not be charged suffi-
ciently.

Switch off electrical consumers that are
currently not needed, e.g. seat heating*.

If necessary, have the generator
(alternator) and battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value again,
the ABS is operational again.

416 Practical hintsJump startingThe battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: to Neutral).

Open the hood (
page 297).

Flip up cover positive under hood
terminal2 in front of the filter box
(page 412).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive under
hood terminal2 in front of the filter
box with the jumper cables. Clamp ca-
ble to charged battery1 first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal4 of the
charged battery with negative under
hood terminal3 in front of the filter
box with the jumper cables. Clamp ca-
ble to charged battery4 first.

Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals2 and1.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 302).
!Never invert the terminal connections!
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.

417 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground or front wheels raised (except
vehicles with 4MATIC) only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with the SmartKey in the starter
switch turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm*
(page 95) and deactivate the auto-
matic central locking (
page 152).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.!Vehicles with 4MATIC:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC), the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch
position0 or1). Otherwise the ESP
®
will immediately be engaged and will
apply the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever
must be in positionN (manual trans-
mission: gears disengaged) and the
SmartKey must be in starter switch
position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and
at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).

419 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the
following:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, the vehicle doors
lock if the left front wheel as well as the
right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm*
(page 95).
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 152).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed
towing eye bolt. Never attach tow
cable, tow rope or tow rod to vehicle
chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iIf the battery is disconnected or
discharged

the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch. For more informa-
tion, see “Battery” (
page 412)
and “Jump starting” (page 415).


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP. For informa-
tion on manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever
see (
page 392).

440 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
C230 (all models)
C280
C350
C3504MATIC
C3504MATIC
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
8.3 US qt (7.8 l)
8.3 US qt (7.8 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual transmission
C230 (all models)
C350
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
1.6 US qt (1.5 l)
MB Manual Transmission Oil
Rear axle
C230 (all models)
C280 (all models)
C350
C350Sport
C3504MATIC
1.0 US qt (1.0 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.0 US qt (1.0 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Front axle
C2804MATIC
C3504MATIC
0.5USqt (0.46l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer case
C2804MATIC
C3504MATIC
approx. 0.62 US qt
(0.59 l)
MB Transfer case fluid

450 Technical termsControl system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to
adjust settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system that
automatically maintains the vehicle
speed set by the driver.
Curb weight
(
page 331)
DOT
(Department o
f Transportation)
(
page 331)Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine
produced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction
(viscosity) of the oil at different temper-
atures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can
tolerate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
®(Electronic S
tability P
rogram)
Improves vehicle handling and
directional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the
system’s threshold to tighten the
seat belts.
->SRSFSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates
engine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
maintenance service, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 331)
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector
lever.

452 Technical termsMON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a
gasoline’s ability to resist undesired
detonation (knocking). The average of
both the MON (Motor Octane Number)
and ->RON (Research Octane Number)
is posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
Display field in the instrument cluster
used to present information provided
by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for
operating the control system.
Normal occupant weight
(
page 332)OCS
(O
ccupant C
lassification S
ystem)
The system automatically turns the
front passenger front air bag on or off
based on the classified occupant size
category determined by weight sensor
readings from the seat.
Occupant distribution
(
page 332)
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
of the tachometer dial. Avoid this
engine speed range, as it may result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all
components used to generate and
transmit motive power to the drive
axles, including


engine


clutch/torque converter


transmission


transfer case


drive shaft


differential


axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 333)
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic
transmission* between standard
operationS and comfort operationC.