2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CL-Class hood open

552 OperationAt the gas stationCheck regularly and before a long tripExample illustration from CL 5501Coolant level
2Brake fluid
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning systemWindshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system
For more information on refilling the wash-
er reservoir, see “Windshield washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system”
(
page 560).
Coolant
For more information on coolant, see
“Coolant level” (
page 559) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 733).
Brake fluid
For information on brake fluid, see “Brake
fluid” (
page 736).Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 554).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 688).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 391).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on tire inflation pressure,
see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
(page 571).
i
Opening the hood (
page 553).
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks immediately. Notify an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Do not add brake fluid as this will not solve the
problem. For more information, see “Practical
hints” (page 611) and (
page 643).

553 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening1Release lever

Pull release lever 1.
The hood is unlocked.
2Lever for opening the hood

Push lever 2 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.
Warning!
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
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, only touch owner serviceable
components described in the Operator’s
Manual and comply with all relevant safety
precautions.
!
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
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 ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.


554 OperationEngine compartment
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
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 down. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.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
cranked manually
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.
!
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.


557 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick (CL 550 and CL 63 AMG)
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 553).
Example illustration from CL 5501Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Pull out oil dipstick1.

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.

Pull out oil dipstick1 again after ap-
proximately 3 seconds to obtain accu-
rate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is between
lower mark3 (min.) and upper mark2
(max.) mark of the oil dipstick.

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil (
page 557).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (page 733) and
(
page 736).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 622).Adding engine oil
i
CL 550 only:
The filling quantity between the upper and lower
marks on the oil dipstick is approximately
2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
i
AMG vehicles only:
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.
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters, refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products 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, or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those called for
by the Maintenance System will result in engine
or emission control system damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

559 Operation
Engine compartment
Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze.
When checking the coolant level,

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground


the coolant temperature must be
below 158°F (70°C)
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
Example illustration from CL 5501Cap
2Coolant expansion tank

Using a rag, turn cap1 slowly approx-
imately one half turn counterclockwise
to release any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap counterclock-
wise and remove it.
The coolant level is correct if the level


for cold coolant: reaches the white
marking (plastic bridge) inside the cool-
ant expansion tank


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

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap1.
For more information on coolant, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 738).
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 un-
der 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.

603 Operation
Vehicle care
2Camera
Clean inside of windshield in front of
camera2 with a soft, non-scratching
cloth.

Use recessed handles1 to swing
camera cover up.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades

Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Placing wiper arms in vertical position
Vehicles with SmartKey:

Turn SmartKey in starter switch
position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 400).

With wiper arm in vertical position, turn
the SmartKey in starter switch to
position0.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Make sure the vehicle’s on-board elec-
tronics have status 1 (
page 366).

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingu (
page 400).

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
repeatedly until windshield wipers
start.

Press KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
when the wiper arms are in a vertical
position.
Cleaning

Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.
!
If you use a windshield cleaning product,
make sure that none of the cleaning product
comes into contact with the lens of the Night
View Assist camera.
!
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.


626 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
DISTRONIC PLUS
Inoperative
DISTRONIC Plus* is malfunctioning.
BAS Plus* and PRE-SAFE
® Brake* are also
not available.

Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as pos-
sible.
DISTRONIC PLUS
Override
You have depressed the accelerator pedal,
DISTRONIC Plus* is no longer controlling
the speed of the vehicle.

Release the accelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - mph
(USA only)
DISTRONIC PLUS
- - - kmh
(Canada only)
You have attempted to activate DISTRONIC
Plus* at a speed below 20 mph (30 km/h)
without the vehicle in front being displayed
in the multifunction display (
page 443).

Drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h) and activate DISTRONIC
Plus* again.
ESP
® is switched off.

Switch on ESP
® (page 70).
The driver’s door is open and the drivers
seat belt is unbuckled.

Close the driver’s door and fasten your seat belt.
The hood is open.

Close the hood (
page 554).
The automatic transmission is in park posi-
tion P, reverse gearR or neutral positionN.

Shift the automatic transmission to drive positionD
(page 417).
The vehicle is secured in place by the elec-
tronic parking brake.

Release electronic parking brake (
page 412).
The system is overheated.

Wait until the system cools down.

657 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
Coolant Low
Stop Vehicle
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.

Engage the electronic parking brake
(page 412).

Only start the engine again after the message
disappears. You could otherwise damage the
engine.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 30).
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 engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.