-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. At
t he same time, t he un dersi de of the vehi cle s hould be w ashed as well.
If the engine com partment is clea ned at any t ime with grease
removing so lutions
2
), o r if yo u have the engine was hed, the anti
c o rros ion treatment is almost al ways removed as we ll.
It is th erefo re
e ssential to have a long-last ing corrosion p rotect ion reapplied to all
su rfac es, sea ms, joi nts and compo nent s in t he engi ne c om par tment .
& WARNING
Be aware : The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area .
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to read the
information =>
page 267.
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel, always remove
the ignition key. Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could
unintentionally 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 under side of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts w ithout protecting your hands
and arm s. You may cut yourself on sharp -edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 256 . •
2
l Use on ly th e co rrect clean ing solut ions. Neve r use gas oline o r diese l fuel.
Checking and filling Ill
-------------~--
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail 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=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& 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: ..,
Vehicle care Technical data
•--=C:.:.h.:.. e=. c=.:..:: k .:.:in ..:. g ~ a::..:..: n~d .:...:.. f:....:il ..:.li :.:.n.;.: g~ ------------------------------------------
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 a nd antifreeze ::::>
page 281 must be restored as soon
as possible.
ci> For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always dispose of used coolant
wh ile observ ing all environmental regulations.•
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine v ia the V-belt. The viscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the temperature of
t he coo lant.
An auxiliary electr ic radiator fan* sw itches on and off depending on
coolant temperature and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can cont inue running
for up to 10 minutes- even with the ignition off. It can even switch on
again later by itse lf::::>
/1 , 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 veh icle is parked in
intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan.
/1 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 . 209 Engine
co mpartm ent : 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 275.
-Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 209. The brake fluid level must be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 276. .,