2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER engine coolant

Troubleshooting
20
2 Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
A coolant temperature of over
120 °C is displayed. The coolant level is too low. The
coolant is too hot and the engine
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
Stop as soon as possible and allow the engine and the coolant to
cool down.
X Check the coolant level (Y page 154). Observe the warning notes
as you do so and top up the coolant if necessary. If the coolant level is correct, the
radiator fan may be faulty. The
coolant is too hot and the engin
e
is no longer being cooled suffi-
ciently. X
If the coolant temperature is less than 120°C, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. when driving on
mountain roads and stop/start driving .Practical advice
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 202

Service products and capacities
255Service products and capacities
Notes on service products and capaci-
ties
Service products are:
R fuel s
R lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R coolant
R brake fluid
R windscreen washer fluid
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you onl y
use those products which have been tested
and specially approved by Mercedes-Benz for
your vehicle and are listed in the Mercedes-
Benz Owner's Manual in the relevant chapter
since :
R parts and service products are matched
R damage caused by the use of non-approved
service products is not covered by the war-
rant y
You can recognise service products approved
by Mercedes-Benz by the following inscrip-
tion on the containers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approval (e.g. MB Approval 229.51) Other designations or recommendations that
relate to a level of quality or a specification in
accordance with an MB Approval have not
necessarily been approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
You can obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
When handling, storing and disposing of
any service products, please observe the
relevant regulations, as you could other-
wise endanger yourself and others.
Keep service products away from children.
To protect your health, do not allow service
products to come into contact with your
eyes or open wounds. See a doctor imme-
diately if any service product is swallowed. H
Environmental not
e
Dispose of service products in an environ-
mentally-responsible manner. Fuel
s G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Before refuelling, always turn off the
engine. G
Risk of injury
Do not allow fuel to come into contact with
skin or clothing .
Allowing fuels to come into direct contact
with your skin or inhaling fuel vapours is
damaging to your health.
Tank capacity Total capacity 70
l Of which reserve
fuel Approximately 9
l SLK 55 AMG Approximately 10
l !
Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
petrol engine. Never mix petrol with diesel.
Even small amounts of diesel result in dam- Technical data
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 255 Z

Service products and capacities
259Coolant
The coolant is a mixture of water and anti-
freeze/corrosion inhibitor. It performs the
following tasks:
R anti-corrosion protection
R antifreeze protection
R raising the boiling point
i When the vehicle is first delivered, it is
topped up with a coolant that will ensure
adequate antifreeze and corrosion protec -
tion.
! Only top up with coolant that has been
premixed with the desired quantity of anti -
freeze protection. You could otherwise
damage the engine.
There is more information about coolant
and topping it up on Mercedes-Benz Spec-
ifications for Service Products Sheet
310.1.
! Always use a suitable coolant mixture,
even in countries where high temperatures
prevail.
Otherwise, the cooling system will not be
sufficiently protected from corrosion, and
the boiling point will be too low .If antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor is present in
the correct concentration, the boiling point of
the coolant will be around 130 °C.
The antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor concentra-
tion in the cooling system should:
R
be at least 50%. This will protect the coolin g
system against freezing down to around –
37 °C.
R not exceed 55% concentration (antifreeze
protection down to –45 °C), otherwise hea t
will not be effectively dissipated .
If the vehicle has lost coolant, top it up with
equal amounts of water and antifreeze/cor-
rosion inhibitor. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends using an antifreeze/corrosion inhibi -
tor which has been approved for Mercedes-
Benz.
! The cooling system contains a lifetime
supply which must be renewed after 15
years, or after 250, 000 km at the latest.
Have the renewal confirmed in the Service
Booklet.
The warranty is only valid if you top up with
an antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor which
has been approved by Mercedes-Benz. Technical data
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-G
B
vpfaff7, 2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 259

Service products and capacities
260
Capacities The following values indicate the total cooling system capacities.
SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR SLK 280 SLK 350 SLK 55 AMG
Coolant 8.2
l 9.8
l 9.8
l 11.1
l Amount of antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor required for antifreeze protection
Down to –37 °C
(approximately 50%) 4.1
l 4.9
l 4.9
l 5.55
l Down to –45 °C
(approximately 55%) 4.5
l 5.4
l 5.4
l 6.1
l Brake fluid
Over a period of time, the brake fluid absorbs
moisture from the air; this lowers its boiling
point. G
Risk of accident
If the boiling point of the brake fluid is too
low, vapour pockets may form in the brake
system when the brakes are applied hard
(e.g. when driving downhill). This woul d
impair braking efficiency.
Have the brake fluid renewed every two
years with a brake fluid that has been approved by Mercedes-Benz and have this
confirmed in the Service Booklet.
i There is usually a notice in the engine
compartment to remind you when the next
brake fluid change is due. Windscreen washer system
The washer fluid reservoir holds approxi-
mately 7 litres.
The headlamp cleaning system* and the
windscreen washer system are both supplied
from the washer fluid reservoir.
X At temperatures above freezing point:
Top up the washer fluid reservoir with a
mixture of water and windscreen washer
concentrate (Y page 154).
X At temperatures below freezing point:
Top up the washer fluid reservoir with a
mixture of water, antifreeze and wind-
screen washer concentrate (Y page 154). Technical data
* optional
171_AKB; 3; 4, en-GB
vpfaff7,
2007-11-13T10:50:25+01:00 - Seite 260