Advice
For the sake of the environment
The oil level must never be above area
›› ›
Fig. 238 A . Otherwise oil can be drawn in
through the c r
ankcase breather and escape
into the atmosphere via the exhaust system. Changing engine oil
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 58
The engine oil must be changed at the inter-
vals given in the service schedule.
We recommend that you have the engine oil
changed by a Technical Service.
The oil change intervals are shown in the
Maintenance Programme. WARNING
Only change the engine oil yourself if you
hav e the s
pecialist knowledge required!
● Before opening the bonnet, read and ob-
serve the w
arnings ››› page 273, Safety notes
for work in the engine compartment .
● Wait for the engine to cool down. Hot oil
may
cause burn injuries.
● Wear eye protection to avoid injuries, such
as ac
id burns, caused by splashes of oil.
● When removing the oil drain plug with your
finger
s, keep your arm horizontal to help pre-
vent oil from running down your arm. ●
Wa sh
your skin thoroughly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
● Engine oil is poisonous! Used engine oil
must
be stored in a safe place out of the
reach of children. CAUTION
No additives should be used with engine oil.
Thi s c
ould result in engine damage. Any dam-
age caused by the use of such additives
would not be covered by the factory warranty. For the sake of the environment
● Bec au
se of disposal problems and the spe-
cial tools and specialist knowledge required,
we recommend that you have the engine oil
and filter changed by a Technical Service.
● Never pour oil down drains or into the
ground.
● U
se a suitable container when draining the
used oil
. It must be large enough to hold all
the engine oil. Cooling system
C ontr o
l lamp There is a fault if:
● The l amp does not go out again after a
f ew sec
onds. ●
The lamp lights up or fl
ashes while the
vehicle is running, and three acoustic warn-
ing signals are emitted ››› .
Thi s
me
ans that either the coolant level is too
low or the coolant temperature is too high.
Coolant temperature too high
If the lamp lights up, stop the vehicle,
turn off the engine and wait for it to cool
down. Check the coolant level.
If the coolant level is correct, the overheating
may be caused by a malfunction of the radia-
tor fan. Check the radiator fan fuse and have
it replaced if necessary ››› page 104.
If the control lamp lights up again after driv-
ing on for a short distance, stop the vehicle
and switch the engine off. Contact a Techni-
cal Service or a specialised workshop.
Coolant level too low
If the lamp lights up, stop the vehicle,
turn off the engine and wait for it to cool
down. First check the coolant level. If the lev-
el of the coolant is below the “MIN” mark,
top up with coolant liquid ››› .
WARNING
● If y
our vehicle is immobilised for technical
reasons, move it to a safe distance from traf-
fic. Turn the engine off, turn the hazard lights
on and place the warning triangle. 278
Checking and refilling levels
●
Never open the bonnet if
you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the en-
gine compartment. Risk of scalding. Wait un-
til you can no longer see or hear escaping
steam or coolant.
● The engine compartment is a dangerous
area. B
efore carrying out any work in the en-
gine compartment, switch off the engine and
allow it to cool down. Always note the corre-
sponding warnings ››› page 273. Topping up coolant
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 59
Top up coolant when the level is below the
MIN (minimum) mark.
Checking coolant level – Park the vehicle in a horizontal position.
– Switch the ignition off.
– Read off the coolant level on coolant ex-
pans
ion tank. When the engine is cold, the
coolant level should be between the marks.
When the engine is hot, it may be slightly
above the upper mark.
Topping up coolant – Wait for the engine to cool down. –
Cov
er the coolant expansion tank cap with
a cloth and carefully unscrew it to the left
››› .
– Top up the coolant only if there is still cool-
ant in the e
xp
ansion tank, otherwise you
could damage the engine. If there is no
coolant in the expansion tank, do not con-
tinue driving. You should obtain professio- nal assistance ››› .
– If there is still some coolant in the expan-
sion t
ank, t
op up to the upper mark.
– Top up with coolant until the level becomes
stab
le.
– Screw the cap back on correctly.
Any lo
ss of coolant fluid normally indicates a
leak in the cooling system. Take the vehicle
straight to a specialised workshop to have
the cooling system examined. If there are no
leaks in the engine cooling system, a loss of
coolant can only occur if the coolant boils
and is forced out of the system as a result of
overheating. WARNING
● The coo lin
g system is under pressure. Do
not unscrew the cap on the coolant expan-
sion tank when the engine is hot: risk of
burns!
● The antifreeze and coolant fluid can be a
health h
azard. Therefore, the antifreeze
should be stored in the original container in a safe place out of reach of children. Failure to
comp
ly
could result in poisoning.
● If working inside the engine compartment,
remember that, ev
en when the ignition is
switched off, the radiator fan may start up au-
tomatically, and therefore there is a risk of in-
jury. WARNING
If there is not enough anti-freeze in the cool-
ant sys
tem, the engine may fail leading to se-
rious damage.
● Please make sure that the percentage of
additiv
e is correct with respect to the lowest
expected ambient temperature in the zone in
which the vehicle is to be used.
● When the outside temperature is very low,
the cool
ant could freeze and the vehicle
would be immobilised. In this case, the heat-
ing would not work either and inadequately
dressed passengers could die of cold. CAUTION
Do not top up the expansion tank with cool-
ant fluid if it
is empty! Air could enter the
cooling system. In this case, stop driving.
Seek specialist assistance. Otherwise, there
is a risk of engine damage. » 279
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety