2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C280 coolant temperature

347 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 24).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.
•The cooling fan for the coolant is mal-
functioning.Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the in-
strument cluster (
page 24).
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated 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.!The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

348 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the message Check oil level at
next gas station
appears while the en-
gine is running and at operating tempera-
ture, the engine oil level has dropped to
approximately the minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest
service station where the engine oil should
be topped to the required level with an
approved oil specified in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet.
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
±Certain electronic systems are unable to
relay information to the control system.
The following systems may have failed:

Coolant temperature display

Tachometer

Cruise control display
Have the electronic systems checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
:Check oil level
at next gas stationThe engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.Check the engine oil level
(
page 276) and add oil as required
(
page 277).
If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
!The engine oil level warnings should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol dis-
played could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limit-
ed Warranty.

410 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Rear axleC 230 (all models)
C 280 (all models)
C 350
C 350 Sport
C 350 4MATIC1.0 US qt (1.0 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.0 US qt (1.0 l)Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Front axleC 280 4MATIC
C 350 4MATIC0.5USqt (0.46l)Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Transfer caseC 280 4MATIC
C 350 4MATICapprox. 0.62 US qt
(0.59 l)MB Transfer case fluid
Power steeringapprox. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin
CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubsapprox. 2.1oz (60g)
eachHigh temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system0.5 US qt (0.5 l)MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling systemapprox. 7.8 US qt (7.4 l)MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/antifreeze
agent

411 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuel tank
including
a reserve of16.4 US gal (62.0 l)
2.1 US gal (8.0 l)Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91
(Avg. of 96 RON/86 MON)
C 230/C 230 Sport:
Flexible Fuel Vehicle (identified by a label
reading Premium gasoline or E85 only!
on fuel filler flap):
Alternative fuel: Ethanol fuel (E85)
Air conditioning systemR-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubri-
cant oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer3.2 US qt (3.0 l)MB Windshield Washer Concentrate1
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit” and water for temperatures above freezing point or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit”
and commercially available premixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing point. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 418).

415 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Switching fuels
For best performance and driveability it is
recommended to use either one or the oth-
er fuel. A refueling pattern that alternates
between the two different fuels should be
avoided if possible.
When switching fuels, make sure:

Fuel level is below half full.

Fuel level is above reserve (reserve
warning lamp is not lit).

Amount of added fuel is more than
5 gallons (20 liters).

Ignition is off during refill.

Immediately after refueling engine is
started and operated for at least five
minutes.
These precautions and recommendations
are supposed to prevent any difficulties
when starting and operating the engine
which otherwise may be experienced
before the engine has fully adapted to the
different fuel.If in spite of these recommendations the
engine does not perform properly, adding
more gasoline (at least 3 gallons
[12 liters]) to the fuel may improve the
engine behavior.
Cruising range
E85 fuel contains less energy per gallon
than gasoline. To ensure that engine per-
formance with Ethanol fuel is similar to
that when using gasoline, the engine must
burn more Ethanol fuel. As a result, it is to
be expected that the fuel consumption will
increase when using E85 compared to
gasoline operation.
Maintenance
Please inform your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center if you use or have
used E85 fuel when your vehicle is deliv-
ered for maintenance or repairs.Cold weather performance
It is possible that starting times will signif-
icantly increase at temperatures below
32°F (0°C). At low temperatures the use
of a block heater is recommended (see an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for fur-
ther information). Rough idling may also be
experienced at such temperatures before
the engine is fully warmed up.
Hot weather performance
At ambient temperatures above 95°F
(35°C) start times may increase and be
accompanied by a rough idle following the
start.iUse of E85 may reduce your driving range.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when ambient
temperatures fall below 14°F (-10°C).

416 Technical data
Fuels, 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
protection. 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
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet) are used to renew the coolant
concentration or bring it back up to the
proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [equivalent to
freeze protection to approx. -22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection to approx. -49°F (-45°C)], the
engine temperature will increase due to
the lower heat transfer capability of the
solution. Therefore, do not use more than
this amount of anticorrosion/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,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty

418 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
Both the windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system* are supplied from the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approx.:

3.2 US qt (3.0 l) in vehicles without
headlamp cleaning system*

6.4 US qt (6.0 l) in vehicles with
headlamp cleaning system*
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit”
and water (or concentrate and com-
mercially available premixed wind-
shield washer solvent/antifreeze,
depending on ambient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and water:

1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
water
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gallon [4.0 l] water)
For temperatures below freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze:

1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
solvent
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gallon [4.0 l] solvent)
Warning!G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may ignite
and burn. You could be seriously burned.

422 Index
COMAND* see separate COMAND
operating instructions
Combination switch 50, 113
Control system 121
Multifunction display 121
Multifunction steering wheel 122
Resetting to factory default 131
Control system menu 121
AUDIO 127
Menus overview 124
NAV* 129
Settings 131
Standard display 126
TEL* 146
Trip computer 144
Vehicle status
message memory 130
Control system submenus 123, 125
Convenience 143
Instrument cluster 134
Lighting 139
Time/Date 136
Vehicle 142Coolant 278, 416
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
quantity 416
Capacities 409, 410
Checking coolant level 273, 278
Messages in display 345–347
Temperature 270
Temperature gauge 25, 119
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 113
Replacing bulbs 368
Cruise control 227
Cruising range, fuel 415
Cup holder 239, 241
Curb weight 304D
Date display, setting 138
Daytime running lamp mode 111
Setting 139
Deep water see Standing water
Defogging windshield
Automatic climate control* 180
Climate control 170
Defrosting, Front
Automatic climate control* 179
Climate control 169
Defrosting, Rear 163
Delayed shut-off
Exterior lamps 141
Interior lighting 142
Department of Transportation see DOT
Difficulties
While driving 53
With starting 47
Digital clock see clock
Digital speedometer 126
Dimensions, vehicle 408
Direction of rotation (tires) 284