Checking and refilling levels
214
WARNING
•
The coolant additive is toxic. There is a toxic risk. Always keep the
coolant additive in the original container which should be stored out of the
reach of children. The same applies to coolant that you have drained off.
•
The coolant additive G 12+ must be added in sufficient quantities to
provide anti-freeze protection at the coldest ambient temperatures that
can be expected. At extremely cold ambient temperatures, the coolant
could freeze, causing the vehicle to breakdown. As the heater would also
not work in this situation, there is a risk of suffering exposure!Caution
•
Other additives may give considerably inferior corrosion protection. The
resulting corrosion in the cooling system can lead to a loss of coolant,
causing serious damage to the engine.
•
The coolant additive G 12+ (purple) ca n be mixed with the additive G 12
(red) or G 11. Never mix G12 (red colour) with G 11.
Checking the coolant level and topping up
The correct coolant level is important for fault-free func-
tioning of the engine cooling system.Before opening the bonnet, read and observe the warnings ⇒ in
“Safety instructions on working in the engine compartment” on
page 206 .
Opening the coolant expansion tank
– Switch off the engine and allow it to cool.
– To prevent scalding, cover the cap on the expansion tank with a thick cloth and carefully unscrew the cap ⇒ .
Checking coolant level
– Look into the open coolant expansion tank and read off the coolant level.
Fig. 161 In the engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank cap
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Checking and refilling levels215
Safety First
Operating instructions
Tips and Maintenance
Te c h n i c a l D a t a
– If the level is underneath the “MIN” mark, top up with coolant.
To p p i n g u p c o o l a n t
–Only use new coolant.
– Do not fill above the “MAX” mark.
Closing the coolant expansion tank
–Screw the cap on again tightly .The position of the coolant expansion reservoir is shown in the corresponding
engine compartment diagram ⇒page 268.
Make sure that the coolant meets the required specifications ⇒page 213.
Do not use a different type of additive if coolant additive G 12+ is not avail-
able. In this case use only water and bring the coolant concentration back up
to the correct level as soon as possible by putting in the specified additive
⇒ page 213.
Always top up with new coolant.
Do not fill above the “MAX” mark. Otherwise the excess coolant will be forced
out of the cooling system when the engine is hot.
The coolant additive G 12+ (dyed purple) may be mixed with G 12 (dyed red)
and also with G 11.
WARNING
Any work carried out in the engine compartment or on the engine must be
carried out cautiously.• When working in the engine c ompartment, alway
s observe the saf
ety
w
arnings ⇒ page 206.
•
When the engine is warm or hot, th e cooling system is pressurised! Do
not unscrew the cap on the expansion tank when the engine is hot. This is
a burn injury risk.Caution
•
When mixed with other additives the col our of G 12 will change to brown.
If this occurs you should have the coolant changed immediately. Failure to do
so will result in engine damage!
•
If a lot of coolant has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down before
putting in cold coolant. This avoid s damaging the engine. Large coolant
losses are an indication of leaks in the cooling system. See a specialised
workshop immediately and have the cooling system checked. Otherwise,
there is a risk of engine damage.WARNING (continued)
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