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•
& WARNING (continued)
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel, always remove the
ignition key. Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could unin
tentionally be switched on, possibly causing personal injury from
the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
- even when the ignition is off .
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with the engine running .
Moving or hot parts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers , or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 230. •
Vehic le care
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Closing the engine hood
-Pull t he hood down until the pressure from the strut is
reduced.
- Let t he hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fai l to engage ~& .
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ 6 .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood .
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary :
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine
is running or being started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running:
~
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0 Note
• Coolant pollutes the environment and could cause an engine
fire. Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief
valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
• If, in an emergency, only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze~
page 257must be restored as soon
as possible.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always dispose of used
coolant while observing all environmental regulations. •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V-belt. The viscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the temperature
of the coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on and off depending on coolant temperature and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition off. It can even
switch on again later by itself~&, if
• the temperature of the engine coolant rises due to the heat
build -up from the engine in the engine compartment, or
• the engine compartment heats up because the vehicle is parked
in intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
_& WARNING (continued)
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick glance.
Fig. 203 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS:::::, & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 250.
Pull the rubber strip@ up partially and lift the cover @
slightly :::::, fig. 203.
- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
©. The brake fluid level must be between the "MIN" and
"MA X" markings. _..