358 OperationWinter drivingBefore the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:
Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.
Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system.
Add MB Concentrate “S” to a premixed
windshield washer solvent/antifreeze
which is formulated for temperatures
below freezing point (
page 490).
Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started and
the electrohydraulic brake system will
be fully operational, even at low ambi-
ent temperatures.
Tire change.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and The Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS, ESP
®
and 4MATIC in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your ve-
hicle, you must place a notice to this effect
where it will be seen by the driver. Such no-
tices are available at your tire dealer or any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.
Warning!
G
If you use your spare tire when winter tires
are fitted on the other wheels, be aware that
the difference in tire characteristics may
very well impair turning stability and that
overall driving stability may be reduced.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
359 Operation
Winter driving
Block heater* (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heat-
er.
The electrical cable may be installed at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Snow chains
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:
Use of snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations.
Snow chains should only be used on
the rear wheels. Follow the manufac-
turer’s mounting instructions.
Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.
Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check
local and state laws before installing
snow chains.
Have the spare tire replaced with a winter
tire at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.!When driving with snow chains, always
select the raised level of the level con-
trol system Airmatic* (
page 260).
Other settings may result in damage to
your vehicle.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
®
(
page 96) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle’s traction.
!Even on vehicles with all-wheel-drive,
use snow chains on rear tires only.
Some tire sizes do not leave adequate
clearance for snow chains. To help
avoid serious damage to your vehicle or
tires, use of snow chains is not permis-
sible with the following tire sizes:
265/35 ZR18 XL (Extra Load)
T 155/70 R17 110 M
T 175/55-18 95 P
403 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
ú
(USA only)
±
(Canada only)
Engine
Service
There may be a malfunction in the:
fuel injection system
ignition system (Gasoline engine)
exhaust system
fuel system
Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
B
Coolant
Check level
The coolant level is too low.
Add coolant (
page 325).
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.
441 Practical hints
Flat tire
Flat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flasher
(page 146).
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead po-
sition.
Set the parking brake (
page 61).
Move the gear selector lever toP.
Vehicles with SmartKey:
Turn off the engine (
page 62).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.Vehicles with SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*:
Turn off the engine by pressing the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button on the
gear selector lever once (
page 62).
Open the driver’s door (this puts the ig-
nition in position0, same as with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch). The driver’s door then can be
closed again.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the spare wheel
iOpen door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the spare wheel
(Minispare or collapsible tire) are different
from those of the road wheels. As a result,
the vehicle handling characteristics change
when driving with a spare wheel mounted.
Adapt your driving style accordingly.
The spare wheel is for temporary use only.
When driving with spare wheel mounted,
ensure proper tire pressure and do not ex-
ceed a vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the spare wheel
replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare or collapsible tire is mounted.
444 Practical hintsFlat tire
Removing the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.
Replace this wheel bolt with alignment
bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.Mounting the spare wheel
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Warning!
G
The jack is intended only for lifting the
vehicle briefly for wheel changes. It is not
suited for performing maintenance work
under the vehicle.
Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised.
Never lie down under the raised vehicle.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident. Be
sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
488 Technical dataFuels, 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 loss
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious inju-
ry. Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin contact, extinguish
all smoking materials. Never allow sparks,
flame or smoking materials near gasoline!
!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
490 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.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 corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant 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.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 pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration 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 approximately - 22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more
than 55% anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection to approximately - 49°F
(-45°C)], the engine temperature will in-
crease due to the lower heat transfer capa-
bility of the solution. Therefore, do not use
more than this amount of anticorro-
sion/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 your 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 anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)
506 IndexEngine
Belt layout 469
Block heater* (Canada only) 359
Cleaning 366
Compartment 319
Malfunction indicator lamp 377, 378,
403
Maximum engine speed 471
Message in the display 377, 378,
403
Number 468, 494
Starting 50
Starting with KEYLESS-GO* 51
Starting with the SmartKey 51
Tachometer 25
Technical data 471
Turning off with KEYLESS-GO* 62
Turning off with the SmartKey 62
Engine compartment
Hood 319
Engine coolant see Coolant
Engine malfunction indicator lamp 377,
378, 403Engine oil
Adding 323
Additives 487
Changing 323
Checking level (Control system) 321
Checking level (Dipstick) 322
Consumption 320
Filler neck 324
Messages in display 321, 408
Recommended engine oils and oil
filter 487
Viscosity 494
Engine oil level 318
ESP
®
94, 494
Four wheel electronic traction system
with ESP
®
100
Messages in display 391
Warning lamp 375
ETD 494
Safety guidelines 70
Exterior rear view mirrors
Parking position 176
F
Factory, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 114
Filler neck, Engine oil 324First aid kit 422
Flat tire 441
Lowering the vehicle 447
Mounting the spare wheel 441, 444
Preparing the vehicle 441
Spare wheel 441
Flexible Service System see FSS
Floormats 284
Fluids
Automatic transmission fluid 484
Brake fluid 485
Capacities 484
Engine coolant 485
Engine oil 484
Power steering fluid 485
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system 486
Fog lamps 144
Messages in display 412
Replacing bulbs 435
Four wheel electronic traction system with
ESP
® see 4MATIC
4MATIC 100
Front air bags 71
Front lamps see Headlamps