364 OperationVehicle careCleaning and care of vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subject to varying external
influences which, if gone unchecked, can
attack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by
extreme and varying climatic conditions,
but also by:
Air pollution
Road salt
Tar
Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:
Grease and oil
Fuel
Coolant
Brake fluid
Bird droppings
Insects
Tree resins, etc.
Frequent washing reduces and / or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:
near the ocean
in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)
during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
Any damage should be repaired as soon as
possible to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others
applied later.
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.
383 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Vehicle status messages in the multifunction display
Warning and malfunction messages
appear in the multifunction display located
in the instrument cluster.
Certain warning and malfunction messag-
es are accompanied by an audible signal.
Address these messages accordingly and
follow the additional instructions given in
this Operator’s Manual.
Selecting the vehicle status message
memory menu in the control system
(page 146) displays both cleared and
uncleared messages.
High-priority messages appear in the
multifunction display in red color.Certain messages of high priority cannot
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (
page 136) or
button k,j, è, orÿ on the
steering wheel.
Other messages of high priority and
messages of less immediate priority can
be cleared from the multifunction display
using the reset button (page 136) or
button k,j, è, orÿ on the
steering wheel. They are then stored in the
vehicle status message memory
(
page 146). Remember that clearing a
message will only make the message dis-
appear. Clearing a message will not
correct the condition that caused the
message to appear.
Warning!
G
All categories of messages contain
important information which should be
taken note of and, where a malfunction is
indicated, addressed as soon as possible at
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property
damage or personal injury.Warning!
G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
Contact your nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
390 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display message
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger
air bag
activated
see Oper.’s Man.
Monitor the 56indicator lamp on the center console (
page 27) and the mul-
tifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,
the 56indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and remain
illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 78) has deactivated the air bag.
the message
Front passenger air bag activated see Oper.’s Man.
or the mes-
sage
Front passenger air bag deactivated see Oper.’s Man.
should not ap-
pear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait at last
60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and to make
sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again. Depend-
ing on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 78), the
56indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the system
checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the 56indicator lamp remains
out even after performing the above correc-
tive steps, do not have any children 12 years
old and under and other small individuals
use the front passenger seat until the sys-
tem has been repaired.
392 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display message
Possible cause/
consequence
Possible solution
Front passenger
air bag
deactivated
see Oper.’s Man.
Monitor the 56indicator lamp on the center console (
page 27) and the mul-
tifunction display in the instrument cluster (
page 24) for the following:
With the seat unoccupied and the ignition turned on,
the 56indicator lamp on the center console should illuminate and remain
illuminated, indicating that the OCS (
page 78) has deactivated the air bag.
the message
Front passenger air bag activated see Oper.’s Man.
or the
message
Front passenger air bag deactivated see Oper.’s Man.
should not
appear in the multifunction display at any time the seat is unoccupied. Wait at last
60 seconds for the system to complete the necessary check cycles and to make
sure neither message appears in the multifunction display.
If above conditions are met, you can occupy the front passenger seat again. Depend-
ing on the front passenger classification sensed by the OCS (
page 78), the
56indicator lamp will remain illuminated or go out.
If above conditions are not met, the system is not working properly. Have the system
checked as soon as possible by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
If the 56indicator lamp remains
illuminated with an adult occupant on the
front passenger seat even after performing
the above corrective steps, do not have any
passenger use the front passenger seat until
the system has been repaired.
469 Technical data
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
CLK 350
1Idler pulley
2Idler pulley
3Automatic belt tensioner
4Power steering pump
5Air conditioning compressor
6Crankshaft
7Coolant pump
8Generator (alternator)
CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG
1Automatic belt tensioner
2Power steering pump
3Air conditioning compressor
4Crankshaft
5Coolant pump
6Generator (alternator)
7Idler pulley
480 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Cooling system
CLK 350
CLK 500
CLK 55 AMG
approx. 7.5 US qt (7.1 l)
approx. 12.8 US qt (12.0 l)
approx. 12.8 US qt (12.0 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Agent
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
CLK 350
CLK 500
CLK 55 AMG
16.35 US gal (62.0 l)
2.11 US gal (8.0 l)
2.11 US gal (8.0 l)
2.64 US gal (10.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg. of 96 RON / 86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning system*
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing point or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing point. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 486).
481 Technical data
Fuels, 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
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory Ap-
proved 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 are used in the air
conditioning system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating 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. An
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.
!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.
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 Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.
491 Technical terms
Restraint systems
Seat belts, child restraints, lower an-
chors and tethers for children (LATCH).
As independent systems, their protec-
tive functions complement one anoth-
er.
Rim
(
page 356)
Roll bars
Occupant protection system which
consists of tubular steel, integrated in
the rear head restraints. The roll bars
are lowered into the car body during
normal driving conditions and raised
automatically in an accident or in a crit-
ical driving situation.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (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.
RFI*
(R
un F
lat I
ndicator)
The Run Flat Indicator monitors the set
tire inflation pressures by evaluating
each wheel’s rotational speed. If a
wheel’s rotational speed changes due
to falling tire inflation pressure, a corre-
sponding warning message appears in
the multifunction display.Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of
positionP without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Sidewall
(
page 356)
Soft top
Soft top roof that can be opened by
pulling and closed by pressing a switch
and stored in the soft top compartment
in the trunk area.
SRS
(Supplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Air bags, air bag control unit (with
crash sensor), emergency tensioning
device. Though independent systems,
they are closely interfaced to provide
effective occupant protection.
Steering wheel gearshift control
(CLK 500*, CLK 55 AMG)
You can change the gears yourself with
the steering wheel gearshift buttons.