Page 520 of 723

517 Operation
Engine compartment
Example illustration from CL 550
1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 684) and
(
page 686).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.
Active Body Control (ABC) fluid level
Regular fluid level check is not required. If
you notice fluid leaks or malfunction mes-
sages in the multifunction display, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center check
the ABC-system.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained off.
It will cause damage to the engine and emission
control system not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 525 of 723

522 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths of less
than
1/8in (3 mm).
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately
1/16in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires 1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires 1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
readWear Indicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tiresWarning!G
Although the applicable federal motor safety
laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recom-
mend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches 1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible. Pro-
tect tires from contact with oil, grease and gaso-
line.
!Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in dam-
age to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Page 555 of 723

552 Operation
Maintenance
To clear the maintenance service
indicator message: Press L
(
page 257).
The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 260).Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested
maintenance service term, you will see the
following message in the multifunction
display:
“Service A exceeded by XXX miles (km)
Service A exceeded by XX days”
In addition, a signal sounds when the
message appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.
iVehicles equipped with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles. Canada vehicles, depend-
ing on vehicle production date):
The Maintenance System in your vehicle tracks
distance driven and the time elapsed since the
last maintenance service and calculates other
maintenance service work required.
iVehicles equipped with FSS PLUS (Flexible
S
ervice System PLUS) only (Canada vehicles, de-
pending on vehicle production date):
FSS PLUS evaluates engine temperature, oil
level, vehicle speed, engine speed, distance
driven and the time elapsed since the last
maintenance service and calculates other
maintenance service work required.
The interval between maintenance services
depends on your driving habits. A gentle driv-
ing style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short-distance trips will length-
en the interval between services.
iThe maintenance service indicator message
is automatically cleared
after approximately 10 seconds when you
switch on the ignition or when reaching the
service threshold while driving
after approximately 30 seconds, once the
suggested maintenance service term has
passed
You can also clear it yourself.
Page 596 of 723
593 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Symbol messages
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
Malfunction
Stop Vehicle!You have started driving although the vehi-
cle level is still too low.
The vehicle is raised. The ABC message
goes out after a few seconds.Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.
Wait until the message disappears from the
multifunction display.
You may then drive off.
The vehicle is losing oil.
The ABC message is continuously shown.Stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so.
Call Roadside Assistance.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
ABC is malfunctioning.
The ABC message is continuously shown.Do not turn steering wheel too far to avoid
damaging the front fenders.
Listen for scraping noises.
Do not exceed a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
Page 626 of 723
623 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
Night View Assist
Lights ON or AUTO,
not in R gearYou have tried to switch on Night View
Assist* but the light switch is not set
to*or B.
In addition, the automatic transmission is in
positionR.Turn the exterior lamp switch
to*orB (
page 363).
Shift the automatic transmission to P, N or D
(
page 389).
Night View Assist
only when
it is darkYou have tried to switch on Night View
Assist* by daylight.You can only switch on Night View Assist* when
it is dark.
Engine oil level
Stop vehicle!
Switch engine offCL 600 only
There is no oil in the engine. There is a dan-
ger of engine damage.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt as soon
as it is safe to do so in a safe location.
Turn off the engine.
Add engine oil (page 516) and check the
engine oil level (
page 513).
Page 627 of 723

624 Practical hints
What to do if …?
When the message “Check engine oil level
at next refueling” (CL 550) or “Add 1.0 qts.
(Canada:1.0 l) engine oil at next refueling”
(CL 600) appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine 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.
If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the required
level with an approved engine oil.
For information on approved engine oils,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
USA only:
Add 1.0 qts. engine oil
at next refueling
(USA only)
Add 1.0 l engine oil
at next refueling
(Canada only)CL 600 only:
The engine oil level is too low.Check the engine oil level (page 513) and
add engine oil as required (
page 516).
If you must add engine oil frequently, have
the engine checked for possible leaks.
Check engine oil level
at next refuelingCL 550 only:
The engine oil level has dropped to approx-
imately the minimum level.Check the engine oil level (page 513) and
add engine oil as required (
page 516).
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.
Page 628 of 723
625 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
Engine oil level
cannot be
measuredCL 600 only:
The measuring system is malfunctioning.Have the measuring system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Engine oil level
Reduce oil levelCL 600:
You have added too much engine oil.
There is a risk of damaging:
the engine
the catalytic converter
Have excess oil siphoned or drained off.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Page 692 of 723

689 Technical data
Fuels, 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 -35°F (-37°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-35°F (-37°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 corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for re-
placement 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 are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 50% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately -35°F
[-37°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 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).
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 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 Lim-
ited Warranty.