2011 MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS SUV coolant

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
8
The yellow reserve fuel
warnin glamp lights up
while the engine is run-
ning. The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
Operation of the auxiliary heating is deactivated when the fuel level
drops into the reserve range.
X Refuel at the nearest filling station. ?
The red coolant warn-
ing lamp lights up while
the engine is running
and the coolant tem-
perature gauge is at the
start of the scale.
The temperature senso
rfor the coolant temperatur egauge is
faulty.
The coolant temperature is no longer being monitored. There is a
risk of engine damage if the coolant temperature is too high.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine. Do not continue driving
under any circumstances.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Consult aqualified specialist workshop. Warnin
gand indicator lam psin the instru ment cluster
291On-boardcomput er anddisplay s Z

Problem Possible causes/consequences and
M Solutions
?
The red coolant warn-
ing lam
pcomes on
while the engin eisrun-
ning. The coolant level is too low.
If the coolant level is correct, the airflow to the engine radiator
may be blocked or the electric engine radiator fan may be mal-
functioning.
The coolant is too hot and the engine is no longer being cooled
sufficiently.
X Observe the additional display messages in the multifunction
display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Let the engine and coolant cool down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant (Y page 321).
Observe the warning notes as you do so.
X If you have to top up the coolant frequently, have the engine
cooling system checked.
X Make sure that the air suppl ytot he engin eradiator is not
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X If the coolant temperature is less than 120 †, you can continue
driving to the nearest qualified specialis tworkshop.
X Avoid heav yloads on the engin easyou do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop-star ttraffic. ?
Th
er ed coolan twarn-
ing lamp comes on
while the engine is run-
ning. Awarning tone
also sounds. The coolant temperature has exceeded 120 †. The airflow to the
engine radiator may be blocked or the coolant level may be too
low.
The engine is not being cooled sufficiently and may be damaged.
X Observe the additional display message sint he multifunc tion
display.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to roa dand traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Let the engine and coolant cool down.
X Check the coolant level and top up the coolant (Y page321).
Observe the warning notes as you do so.
X If you have to top up the coolan tfrequently, have th eengine
cooling system checked.
X Make sure that the air supply to the engine radiato risnot
blocked, e.g. by frozen slush.
X If the coolant temperatur eisless than 12 0†,you can con tinue
driving to the neares tqualified specialist workshop.
X Avoid heavy loads on the engine as you do so, e.g. driving on
mountain roads and stop-s tart traffic. 292
Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument clusterOn-boar
dcomputer and displays

Examp
le:e ngine oi lcap
X Turn cap :anti-clockwise and remove it.
X Top up the engine oil.
If the oi llev el is at or belo wthe MIN mark
on the dipstick ,top up with
0. 5to1 .0 litres of engine oil.
X Replace cap :on the fille rneck and turn
clockwise.
Make sure that the cap locks into place
securely.
X Check the oil level agai nwith the oil dip-
stick (Y page 320).
Further information on engine oil
(Y page 375). Checking and adding other service
products
Checking the coolant level Only check the coolant level when the vehicle
is on alevel surface and the engine has cooled
down.
X Turn the key to position 2(Y page 139) in
the ignition lock.
On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, press the
Start/Stop button twic e(Ypage 139).
X Check the coolant temperatur egauge in
the multifunction displ ay.G
WARNING
Th ec ooling system is pressurised. Therefore,
only unscrew the cap once the engin ehas
cooled down. The coolant temperature gauge must display less than 70
†.Otherwi se,you
could be scalded if ho tcoolant escapes. X
Slowl yturn cap :half aturna nti-clock-
wis eand allo wexcess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap :further anti-clockwis eand
remove it.
If the coolant is at the level of markerbar
= in the filler nec kwhen cold ,ther eis
enough coolan tincoolant expansion
tank ;.
If the coolant leve lisapproximately 1.5 cm
above marker bar =in the filler nec kwhen
warm, ther eisenoughcoolant in coolant
expansion tank ;.
X If necessary ,top up with coolant that has
been tested and approved by Mercedes-
Ben z.
X Replace cap :and turn it clockwise as far
as it will go.
For further information on coolant, see
(Y page 377).
Windscreen washer system and head-
lamp cleanin gsystem Th
ew asher fluid reservoir is used for both the
windscreen washe rsystem and the headlamp
cleaning system.
i Components and service products must
be matched. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use products teste dand approved
by Mercedes-Be nz.T hey ar elisted in this
Mercedes-Ben zOwner's Manual in the
appropriat esection. Engine compartment
321Maintenance andcare Z

Cleaning th
epaintwork Scra
tches, corrosiv edeposits ,area saffected
by corrosion and damage ca used by inade-
quate care canno talways be completely
repaired. In such cases, visit aqualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. aMercedes-Benz
Servic eCentre.
X Remov eimpurities immediately, where
possible, whilst avoiding rubbing to ohard.
X Soak insect remain swith insec tremover
and rinse off the treated area safterwards.
X Soa kbird droppings with water and rinse
off the treated areas afterwards.
X Remove coolant, brak efluid, tree resin,
oils, fuels and greases by rubbin ggently
with acloths oaked in petroleum ether or
lighter fluid.
X Use tar rem overtor emove tar stains.
X Use silicone rem overtor emove wax.
! Do not affix:
R stickers
R films
R magnetic plates or simila ritems
to painted surfaces. You could otherwise
damage the paintwork.
Car eand treatment of matt paintwo rkIf
your vehicle has aclear mat tfinish, observe
the followin ginstructions in order to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
care.
These notes also appl ytolight alloy wheels
with aclear mat tfinish.
! Neve rpolish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing makes the paintwork
shiny. !
The following ma ycause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matt
effect:
R Vigorous rubbing with unsuitable mate-
rials.
R Frequent use of car washes.
R Washing the vehicle in direct sunlight.
! Never use paint cleaner, buffing or pol-
ishing products, or glos spreserver, e.g.
wax .These product sare onl ysuitable for
high-glos ssurfaces. Thei ruse on vehicles
wit hm att finish leads to considerable sur-
face damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs performed
at aq ualified specialist workshop, e.g. a
Mercedes-Benz Servic eCentre.
! Do not use wash programs with ahot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
i The vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using asoft sponge, car shampoo
and plent yofwater.
i Use only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the windows G
WARNING
Switch off the windscreen wipers and remove
the key from the ignition lock before cleaning
the windscreen or the wiper blades. On vehi-
cles with KEYLESS-GO, press the Start/Stop
button repeatedly until all indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster have gone off. The
windscreen wipers could otherwise move and
injure you.
X Clean the inside and outside of the win-
dows with adamp cloth and acleaning
agent that is recom mended and approved
by Mercedes-Benz.
! Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vent stoc lean the inside of the windows. 326
CareMaintenance and care

?
Vehicl eidentification number (VIN)
A Maximum permissible gross vehicle
weight
B Gross combination mass
C Maximum permissible front axle load
D Maximum permissible rear axle load
E Paint code Vehicle identification number (VIN)
In addition to being stamped on the vehicle
identification plate, the vehicle identification
number (VIN) is also stamped onto the vehicle
body. It is located in the lower part of the
right-han dA-pillar. X
Ope nthe front right-hand door.
X Open cover :in the direction of the arrow
and remove it.
You will see the vehicle identification num-
ber (VIN). Engine number
The engin enumber is stamped into the crank-
case. More information can be obtained from
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Service products and capacities
Important safety notes
Service products include the following:
R fuels (e.g. petrol, diesel)
R additives for exhaust gas aftertreatment
(AdBlue ®
)
R lubricants (e.g. engine oil, transmission oil)
R coolant
R brake fluid
R windscreen washe rfluid
Vehicle component sand thei rrespective
lubricants must match. Mercedes-Ben zrec-
ommends that you use products that have
been tested and specially approved by
Mercedes-Ben z.These product sare listed in
this Mercedes-Be nzOwner's Manual in the
relevant section.
You can recognise service product sapproved
by Mercedes-Ben zbythe fol lowinginscrip-
tion on the cont ainers:
R MB-Freigabe (e.g. MB-Freigabe 229.51)
R MB Approva l(e.g. MB Approval 229.51)
Other designation sorrecommendations
relat etoal evel of qualit yoras pecification in
accordance wit hanMBSheet number (such
as MB 229.5). They hav enot necessaril ybeen
approved by Mercedes-Benz.
You can obtain further information from any
Mercedes-Benz Ser vice Centre. G
WARNING
Whe nhandling, storing and disposing of any
servic eproducts, please observe th erelevant
regulations, as you could otherwise endanger
yourself and others.
Keep servic eproducts awa yfrom children.
To protect your health ,donot allow service
products to com einto contact with your eyes
or ope nwounds. See adoctor immediately if
any service product is swallowed. H
Environmental note
Dispose of service products in an environ-
men tally-responsible manner. Service products and capacities
373Technicaldata Z

Coolant
Important safety notes The coolan
tisamixture of water and anti-
freeze/corrosio ninhibitor. It performs the
following tasks:
R anti-corrosio nprotection
R antifreeze protection
R raising th eboiling point
i When the vehicle is first delivered, it is fil-
led with acoolant mixtur ethat ensures
adequate antifreeze and corrosion protec-
tion.
! Only add coolant that has been premixed
with the desired antifreeze protection. The
engin ecould otherwise be damaged.
Further information on coolants and on fill-
ing can be found in the Mercedes-Benz
Specifications for Servic eProducts ,MB
Approval 310.1 ,e.g. on the Internet at
http ://bevo.mercedes-benz.com .You can
also consult aMercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
! Alway suseasuitable coolant mixture,
even in countries where high temperatures
prevail.
Otherwise, the engine cooling system is not
sufficiently protected from corrosion and
overheating.
If antifreeze/corrosio ninhibitor is present in
the correc tconcentration, the boilin gpoint of
the coolant during operation will be around
13 0†.
The antifreeze/ corrosion inhibitor con centra-
tion in the engine cooling system should:
R be at leas t50%. This wil lprotect the engine
coolin gsystem agains tfreezin gdown to
around -3 7†.
R not excee d55% (antifreeze protection
down to -45 †);otherwise, heat will not be
dissipated as effectively.
If the vehicle has los tcoolant, top it up with
equal amount sofwater and antifreeze/cor- rosion inhibitor. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends an antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor
which has been approved for Mercedes-Benz.
! The engin ecoolin gsystem is filled with
coolant that must be renewed after 15
years, or after 250,000 km at the lates t. Vehicl
edata
Pleas enotet hat for the speci fied vehicle
data:
R the height sspecified may var yasaresult
of:
- tyres
- load
- conditio nofthe suspen sion
- optional equipment
R item sofo ptional equipmen tincrease the
unlade nweight and reduc ethe maximum
payload. The unladen weight is speci fied in
accordanc ewith EC directive and includes:
- driver (68 kg)
- luggage (7 kg)
- all fluids (fuel tan k90% full)
R veh icle-specific weigh tinformation can be
found on the vehicl eidentification plate
(Y page 37 2).
R only for cer tain countries: you can find vehi-
cle-specific vehicle data in the COC docu-
ment s(CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY).
Thes edocuments ar edelivered with your
vehicle.
Missing values were not available at tim eof
going to print. All models
Vehicle lengt
h(ECE) 480
4mm Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors
214
1mm Vehicle width with-
out exterior mirrors 192
6mm Vehicl
edata
377Techni caldata Z