2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 hood release

Contents
At the gas station .............................. 283
Refueling ...................................... 283
Check regularly and
before a long trip.......................... 285
Engine compartment ......................... 286
Hood ............................................ 286
Engine oil ..................................... 287
Transmission fluid level ................ 289
Coolant level ................................ 290
Battery ......................................... 291
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 292
Tires and wheels ................................ 293
Important guidelines .................... 293
Tire care and maintenance........... 294
Direction of rotation ..................... 295
Loading the vehicle ...................... 296
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 301
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 302
MOExtended system* .................. 313
Tire labeling.................................. 313
Load identification ....................... 317DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) .............................................. 318
Maximum tire load ........................ 319
Maximum tire inflation pressure ... 320
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading Standards (U.S. vehicles). 320
Tire ply material ............................ 322
Tire and loading terminology......... 323
Rotating tires ................................ 326
Winter driving ..................................... 327
Winter tires ................................... 327
Block heater* (Canada only) ......... 328
Snow chains.................................. 328
Maintenance....................................... 329
Maintenance service indicator
message ....................................... 329
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 331
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator ........................... 331
Vehicle care........................................ 332
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 332
Practical hints.................................. 341
What to do if … ................................... 342
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 342
Lamp in center console ................ 353
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 356
Where will I find...? ............................. 391
First aid kit.................................... 391
Spare wheel .................................. 391
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 393
Luggage box ................................. 395
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 396
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 396
Locking the vehicle ....................... 397
Fuel filler flap emergency release . 398
Manually unlocking
the gear selector lever .................. 398
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 400
Power tilt/sliding sunroof ............. 400
Resetting activated head restraints.... 401
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 402
SmartKey/SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* ............................... 402

25 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Combination switch

Turn signals
55


Windshield wipers
56


High beam
55
2
Steering wheel gearshift
control*
179
3
Cruise control lever

Cruise control
215


Distronic*
218
4
Multifunction steering
wheel
28,
142
5
Instrument cluster
26,
138
6
Horn
Item
Page
7
Lever for Voice Control Sys-
tem*, see separate
operating instructions
8
Front Parktronic* warning
indicator
235
9
Overhead control panel
31
a
Glove box lid release, glove
box lock
244
b
Glove box
244
c
Center console
29
d
Starter switch
38
e
Steering wheel adjustment
stalk
44
Heated steering wheel
(Canada only)
252
Item
Page
f
Headlamp cleaning button*
185
g
Parking brake pedal
53, 59
h
Hood lock release
286
j
Parking brake release
53
k
Exterior lamp switch
55,128
l
Door control panel
34

286 OperationEngine compartmentHood
Opening
1Release leverWarning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
This could cause the hood to come loose
and injure you and/or others.Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.
Warning!
G
You could be injured when the hood is open
– even when the engine is turned off.
Parts of the engine can become very hot. To
prevent burns, let the engine cool off com-
pletely before touching any components on
the vehicle. Comply with all relevant safety
precautions.Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running.
The radiator fan may continue to run for
approximately 30 seconds or even restart
after the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.
Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually

287 Operation
Engine compartment

Pull release lever1.
The hood is unlocked.
1Lever for opening the hood

Push lever1 on the hood upwards.

Pull up on the hood and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.Closing

Let the hood drop from a height of
approximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new


the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
!
To avoid damage to the windshield wipers or
hood, never open the hood if the wiper arms are
folded forward away from the windshield.
Warning!
G
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure that the hood is securely en-
gaged before driving off. Do not continue
driving if the hood can no longer engage af-
ter an accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and endanger you and/or others.
i
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies. Us-
ing special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. More
information on this subject is available at any
Mercedes-Benz Center.

290 OperationEngine compartmentCoolant 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.
1Marking bar in the expansion tank
2Cap
3Coolant expansion tank

Using a rag, turn cap2 slowly approx-
imately one half turn counterclockwise
to release any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap2 counter-
clockwise and remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level:

for cold coolant: reaches marking
bar1 in the expansion tank3


for warm coolant: is approximately
0.6 in (1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap2.
For more information on coolant, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 453).
Warning!
G
In order to avoid potentially 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.


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
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.

410 Practical hintsReplacing wiper blades
Wiper blades

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingU (
page 57).

With wiper arms in the vertical position,
turn SmartKey in the starter switch to
position0.
Wiper blades in vertical position
Remove SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Make sure the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch (vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO*: make sure the
vehicle’s on-board electronics have
status0) before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise, the wiper motor could suddenly
turn on and cause injury.Warning!
G
Wiper blades are components that are sub-
ject to wear and tear. Change the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the windows will not be
properly wiped. As a result, you may not be
able to observe surrounding traffic condi-
tions and could cause an accident.
!
Never open the hood when the wiper arms
are folded forward.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact the wind-
shield glass without a wiper blade inserted.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!
To avoid damage to the hood the wiper arms
should only be folded forward when in the verti-
cal position.