12 IntroductionOperator’s ManualMaintenance
The Maintenance Booklet describes all the
necessary maintenance work which should
be performed at regular intervals.
Always have the Maintenance Booklet with
you when you take the vehicle to your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for ser-
vice. The service advisor will record each
service in the booklet for you.
Roadside Assistance
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program provides factory trained technical
help in the event of a breakdown. Calls to
the toll-free Roadside Assistance number
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA)
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada)
will be answered by Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Representatives
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For additional information refer to the
Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
Program brochure in your vehicle literature
portfolio.
Change of address or ownership
If you change your address, be sure to
send in the “Change of Address Notice”
found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or simply call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.
It is in your own interest that we can con-
tact you should the need arise.
If you sell your Mercedes, please leave all
literature with the vehicle to make it avail-
able to the next operator.
If you bought this vehicle used, be sure to
send in the “Notice of Purchase of Used
Car” found in the Service and Warranty
Information Booklet, or call the
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center (in the USA) at
1-800-FOR-MERCedes, or Customer
Service (in Canada) at 1-800-387-0100.
278 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
CL 500, CL 55 AMG1Oil dipstick
2Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap2 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
CL 6001Filler cap
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of
approved engine oils and oil filters, re-
fer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet in your vehicle liter-
ature portfolio, or contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
315 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Maintenance Booklet at the times
called for by the maintenance service indi-
cator.
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
and maintenance service indicator at the
designated times/mileage will result in ve-
hicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Maintenance service indicator
message
The maintenance service indicator will no-
tify you when your next maintenance ser-
vice is due.
Starting approximately 1 month before
your next maintenance service is due, one
of the following messages will appear in
the multifunction display while you are
driving or when you switch on the ignition
(example service A):'A' SERVICE
IN XXXXX MI(Canada:
IN XXXXX KM
)
'A' SERVICE
IN XXX DAYS
'A' SERVICE
IN X DAY
'A' SERVICE DUE NOW
The type of maintenance service due is in-
dicated in the multifunction display:9
Basic service (A)
´
Extended service (B)
iVehicles equipped with FSS (Flexible
Service System) only (Canada vehi-
cles):
The interval between services depends
on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short-distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.
420 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
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
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 is 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.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those express-
ly required for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) recommendations for scheduled
oil changes. Failure to do so will result
in engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement.
422 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Gasoline additives
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 other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.
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
Factory Approved Service Products
Pamphlet are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:
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 cor-
rosion 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 approximately 266°F
(130°C).
The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement interval.
423 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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 solu-
tion 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% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. –22°F (–30°C)]. If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze protec-
tion 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, con-
sult an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorrosion/
antifreeze coolant will result in a signifi-
cantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 anticorrosion/
antifreeze agent.
Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
447 Index
Research Octane Number see RON
Reset button in the instrument
cluster 134, 154
Residual engine heat and
ventilation 194, 431
REST see Residual engine heat and ventila-
tion
Restraint system
See Children in the vehicle
See SRS
Reverse gear position, Automatic
transmission 48, 165, 167
Reverse lamps
Messages in display 357
Rims 310, 410
Roadside Assistance 12
Tele Aid 244
RON 271, 419, 431
Roof rack* 228
Rubber parts, cleaning 324S
Safety
Driving safety systems 80
Occupant 62
Reporting defects 18
Safety belts see Seat belts
Satellite radio* 143
Seat belts 68
Children in the vehicle 72
Cleaning 325
Fastening 45
Force limiter 71
Message in display 359
Proper use of 47, 70
Safety guidelines 66
Telltale 333
Warning sounds 68
Seating capacity 288
Seats see Power seats
Securing cargo 229
Selector lever see Gear selector lever
Self-test
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system 74
Lamps in instrument cluster 328
Tele Aid 242Service and warranty information 10
Service intervals see Maintenance, Service
indicator
Service life, Tires 284
Service see Maintenance
Service system see FSS (Canada vehicles)
or Maintenance System (US vehicles)
Service, Parts 404
Settings
Control system menus 139, 154
Control system submenus 155, 156
Factory, SmartKey 92
Factory, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 97
Individual, Vehicle 162
Memory function 122
Menus, submenus and functions 141
Resetting all, Control system 154
Selective, SmartKey 92
Selective, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 98
Shelf below rear window, cleaning 325
Shift lever position indicator 166
Shift lock 431
Shift program mode, Automatic
transmission 171