Page 326 of 514
325 Operation
Engine compartment
1Release lever
Pull release lever1.
The hood is unlocked. 2Handle for opening the hood
Lift the hood slightly.
Handle2 will extend out of the radia-
tor grille.
Pull handle2 to its stop out of radia-
tor grille.
Lift bottom of hood at edge of radiator
grille.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
!
To avoid damage to the windshield wipers or
hood, never open the hood if the wiper arms are
folded forward away from the windshield.
!
To avoid damage to handle2 never pull up
the hood on handle2.
Page 327 of 514

326 OperationEngine compartmentClosing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1ft (30cm).
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.Checking engine oil level
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least 5 minutes with the
engine turned off
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 5 minutes
with the engine turned off
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 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.
Page 328 of 514

327 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 324).
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 engine
oil”.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.”
(
page 486).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 416).Adding engine oil
i
All models (except E 63 AMG):
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
E63AMG:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
1.6 US qt. (1.5 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 fil-
ters, refer to the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet (USA only) in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specification
other than those expressly required for the Main-
tenance 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
or emission control system damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 330 of 514

329 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.
1Marking bar in the expansion tank
2Cap
3Coolant expansion tank
Using a rag, turn the cap2 slowly ap-
proximately one half turn counterclock-
wise 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 491).
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any 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.
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.
Page 373 of 514

372 OperationVehicle careCleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic system sensor cover
Switch off the ignition (
page 38).
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Sham-
poo, with plenty of water and a
non-scratching cloth to clean sensor
cover1.
Restart the engine after cleaning sen-
sor cover1.
Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Switch on the ignition (
page 38).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 58).
With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 63).
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild win-
dow cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
!
To prevent scratches or damage, never ap-
ply strong force and only use a soft, non-scratch-
ing cloth when cleaning the sensor cover1. Do
not attempt to wipe dirty sensors with a dry cloth
or sponge.
!
The windshield wipers must be in a vertical
position before folding them away from the wind-
shield. They could otherwise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper arms are
folded forward.
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 cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.!
Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
Page 385 of 514

384 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
D
The red coolant temperature
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 329).
Have the cooling system checked.
If the coolant temperature is below
248°F (120°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 temperature
warning lamp comes on while
driving and you hear a warning
sound.
The coolant temperature has exceeded
248°F (120°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 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 which can occur just by open-
ing the engine hood. Stay away from the en-
gine 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.
Page 414 of 514

413 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operation conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, turn engine off
The coolant is too hot.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so and immediately
turn off the engine.
Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise dam-
age the engine.
Apply the parking brake (
page 62).
Observe the coolant temperature indicator
in the instrument cluster (
page 27).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.
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 which can occur just by
opening the engine hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. 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 damage which is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Page 429 of 514
428 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
t
Function
unavailable
This display appears if button t or
s on the multifunction steering wheel
is pressed and the vehicle is not equipped
with a telephone.
W
Top up
washer fluid
The fluid level has dropped to about
1/3 of
total reservoir capacity.
Add washer fluid (
page 331).
&
The cargo compartment is open.
Close the cargo compartment.
%
You are driving with the hood open.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as
soon as it is safe to do so.
Close the hood (
page 326).
There is otherwise danger of an accident.
V
You are driving with one or more doors
open.
The display symbol shows you which
doors are open.
Close the doors.
@
Vehicle rising
Your vehicle is adjusting to your level se-
lection.