Contents
At the gas station .............................. 315
Refueling ...................................... 315
Check regularly and before a
long trip........................................ 317
Engine compartment ......................... 319
Hood ............................................ 319
Engine oil ..................................... 320
Transmission fluid level ................ 324
Coolant level ................................ 325
Batteries ...................................... 326
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 327
Tires and wheels ................................ 328
Important guidelines .................... 328
Tire care and maintenance........... 329
Direction of rotation ..................... 331
Loading the vehicle ...................... 331
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 337
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 339
MOExtended system* .................. 343
Tire labeling.................................. 344
Load identification ....................... 348
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 349
Maximum tire load ....................... 350Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 351
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) .............. 351
Tire ply material ............................ 353
Tire and loading terminology......... 353
Rotating tires ................................ 356
Winter driving ..................................... 358
Winter tires ................................... 358
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 359
Snow chains.................................. 359
Maintenance....................................... 360
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 360
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display ............... 362
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 362
Vehicle care........................................ 364
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 364
Practical hints.................................. 373
What to do if … ................................... 374
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 374
Lamp in center console ................ 384
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 386
Where will I find ...? ............................ 422
First aid kit.................................... 422
Spare wheel .................................. 422
Luggage box ................................. 423
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 424
Vehicle jack .................................. 424
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 426
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 426
Locking the vehicle ....................... 427
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 428
Manually unlocking the gear
selector lever ................................ 428
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 429
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* or
panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel* ......................... 429
Resetting activated head restraints.... 430
59 Getting started
Driving
The coolant temperature is above
248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible in
a safe location and turn off the engine.
Allow engine and coolant to cool.
Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 325).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking fuel:
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.
317 Operation
At the gas station
Low outside temperatures
(Diesel engine)
To prevent malfunctions, diesel fuel with
better cold flow characteristics is offered
in the winter months. Check with your fuel
retailer.
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
2Brake fluid
3Coolant level
!Diesel engine:
The engine is more susceptible to wear
and damage if you use
marine diesel fuel
heating oil
If you use such non-approved fuels
and/or special additives, your warranty
rights will be limited.
!Do not fill the tank with gasoline. Do
not mix diesel fuel with gasoline or ker-
osene. The fuel system and engine will
otherwise be damaged.
318 OperationAt the gas stationWindshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*
For information on refilling the reservoir,
see “Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*”
(page 327).
Brake fluid
For information on brake fluid, see “Fuels,
coolants, lubricants etc.” (
page 484).Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information on
coolant, see “Coolant level” (
page 325)
and see “Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.”
(
page 484).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil level,
see “Engine oil” (
page 320).Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 433).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 141).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Checking tire
inflation pressure” (
page 339).
!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. Noti-
fy an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately. Do not add brake fluid as
this will not solve the problem. For
more information, see “Practical hints”
(page 376).
323 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 319).
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”.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.”
(
page 484).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 386).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 PLUS (Canada vehicles). For a
listing of approved engine oils and oil
filters, refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet in your ve-
hicle literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized 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 PLUS (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 PLUS (Canada
vehicles) will result in engine damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
325 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant level
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 driver’s side of the engine compart-
ment.
1Coolant expansion tank
Using a rag, turn the cap slowly approx-
imately one half turn to the left to re-
lease any excess pressure.
Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level:
for cold coolant: reaches the black
top part of the reservoir
for warm coolant: is approximately
0.6 in (1.5 cm) higher
Add coolant as required.
Replace and tighten cap.
For more information on coolant, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 490).
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 coolant temperature is
above 158°F (70°C). Allow engine to
cool down before removing cap. The
coolant reservoir contains hot fluid and
is under 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.
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.
379 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant warning lamp
comes on when the engine is
running.
There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric ra-
diator fan may be broken.
Immediately add coolant to prevent
engine from overheating
(page 325).
Have the cooling system checked.
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 in a safe lo-
cation and allow the engine and cool-
ant 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 engine 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.
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.