2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 coolant level

Contents
Luggage cover .............................. 262
Wind screen ................................. 263
Driving systems ................................. 265
Cruise control............................... 265
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)*, Canada only ..... 269
Loading .............................................. 273
Ski sack* (Canada only) ............... 273
Loading instructions ..................... 277
Useful features .................................. 278
Storage compartments................. 278
Center armrest ............................. 281
Armrest in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 283
Cup holders .................................. 283
Ashtrays ....................................... 284
Cigarette lighter ........................... 286
Power outlet in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 287
Floormats* ................................... 287
Telephone*................................... 288
Tele Aid ........................................ 289
Garage door opener* ................... 296
Operation......................................... 305
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 306
Driving instructions............................ 307
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 307
Drinking and driving ..................... 307
Pedals .......................................... 307
Power assistance ......................... 307
Brakes .......................................... 308
Driving off .................................... 310
Parking ......................................... 310
Tires ............................................. 311
Hydroplaning ................................ 311
Tire traction.................................. 312
Tire speed rating .......................... 312
Winter driving instructions ........... 313
Standing water ............................. 314
Passenger compartment .............. 314
Driving abroad.............................. 315
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 315
Catalytic converter ....................... 316
Emission control .......................... 316
Coolant temperature .................... 317At the gas station .............................. 318
Refueling ...................................... 318
Check regularly
and before a long trip................... 320
Engine compartment ......................... 321
Hood ............................................ 321
Engine oil ..................................... 322
Transmission fluid level................ 326
Coolant ........................................ 327
Battery ......................................... 328
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 329
Tires and wheels................................ 330
Important guidelines .................... 330
Tire care and maintenance........... 331
Direction of rotation..................... 333
Loading the vehicle ...................... 333
Recommended
tire inflation pressure ................... 339
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 341
MOExtended system* .................. 345
Tire labeling ................................. 345
Load identification ....................... 349
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 350
Maximum tire load ....................... 351

56 Getting startedDrivingProblems 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 in a safe location as
soon as possible and turn off the en-
gine. Allow engine and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add
coolant if necessary (
page 327).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.

320 OperationAt the gas stationCheck regularly and before a long tripEngine compartment (CLK 500, example)1Coolant level
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” (
page 327) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 479).
Brake fluid
Removing fuse box cover (
page 463).Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 329).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 322).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 438).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 52).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Recommended
tire inflation pressure” (
page 339).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 321).
!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 also “Practi-
cal hints” (
page 375).

325 Operation
Engine compartment
1Oil dipstick
2Upper (max) mark
3Lower (min) mark
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 321).

Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately 3 seconds to obtain ac-
curate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween the lower (min) mark3 and
upper (max) mark2 of oil dipstick1.

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see “Adding en-
gine oil” (
page 325).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 479).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 401).Adding engine oiliThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!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 in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those
expressly required for the Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles), 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.

327 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant
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
compartment.
1Coolant expansion tank
2Cap

Using a rag, turn cap2 slowly
approximately one half turn to the left
to release any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap2 to the left
and remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level


for cold coolant: reaches the marking
(plastic bridge) inside the reservoir


for warm coolant: is approx. 0.6 in
(1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap2.
More information on coolant can be found
in the “Technical data” section
(
page 484).
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 the coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow the coolant
to cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately
1/2 turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.

377 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
•
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.

Add coolant to prevent engine from
overheating (
page 327).
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.

Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric ra-
diator fan may be broken.

If the coolant temperature is below
257 °F (125 °C), you can continue
driving to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
•
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on while driving and you
hear a warning sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
257 °F (125 °C).

Stop as soon as possible and allow
the engine and coolant to cool down.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the hood. Stay away from the engine if you
see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.

397 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ú
Visit workshop
There may be a malfunction in the

fuel injection system


ignition system


exhaust system


fuel system

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 327).

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 en-
gine damage.

484 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 pro-
tection. 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 solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion 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% anti-
corrosion/antifreeze (freeze protection to
approx. -49°F [-45°C]), the engine temper-
ature will increase due to the lower heat
transfer capability of the solution. There-
fore, do not use more than this amount of
anticorrosion/antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and MB
Anticorrosion /Antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
Please make sure the mixture is in accor-
dance 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.