327 Operation
Engine compartment
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. Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 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.
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.
328 OperationEngine compartmentChecking 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 off1Oil dipstick
2Upper (max) mark
3Lower (min) mark
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 325).
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 491).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 418).
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).
330 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 498).
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.
374 OperationVehicle careCleaning 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.
!
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.
!
Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
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.
!
To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners con-
taining solvents. Do not touch the inside of the
front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
386 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 330).
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.
415 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 immediate-
ly turn off the engine.
Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could other-
wise damage the engine.
Apply the parking brake (
page 62).
Observe the coolant temperature indica-
tor 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.
430 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 332).
Ê
The trunk is open.
Close the trunk.
Y
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 327).
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.
446 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsHave the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:
Additional turn signals in the exterior
rear view mirrors
High mounted brake lamp
Bi-Xenon* lamps
Front fog lamps
Rear lamps (except license plate
lamps)
Front side marker lamps
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
1Housing cover for low beam halogen or
Bi-Xenon* headlamp2Bulb socket for high beam head-
lamp/high beam flasher bulb
3Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp bulb
4Bulb socket for low beam headlamp
bulb (halogen headlamps only)
5Bulb socket for turn signal lamp bulb
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 137).
Open the hood (
page 325).
!
Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the vehi-
cle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover1 for the
Bi-Xenon* headlamp. Because of high volt-
age in Bi-Xenon* lamps, it is dangerous to
replace the bulb or repair the lamp and its
components. We recommend that you have
such work done by a qualified technician.