MERCEDES-BENZ C300 4MATIC 2008 W204 Owner's Manual

480 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines and durability for
our service intervals. Therefore, only use
approved engine oils and oil filters
required for vehicles with Maintenance
System.
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil
filters, refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet (USA only), or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may damage the engine.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
blending oil additives are not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Air conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. An
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System, or changing of oil and oil
filter at change intervals longer than those called
for by the Maintenance System will result in
engine or emission control system damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System
recommendations for scheduled oil changes.
Failure to do so will result in engine or emission
control system damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere.
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.

481 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasolineGasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build-up of carbon
deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation

Unstable idle

Knocking/pinging

Misfire

Power loss
Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors can damage your
health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able and low octane fuel is used, follow these
precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3 000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.

Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

482 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
In areas where carbon deposits may be
encountered due to lack of availability of
gasolines which contain these additives,
Mercedes-Benz recommends the use of
additives approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Refer to Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet (USA only), or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional co-solvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (USA only)
C 300 and C 300 Sport (with automatic
transmission*) are Flexible Fuel Vehicles.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles are identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or E85
only! on fuel filler flap).
These vehicles are designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline or Ethanol fuel
(E85), or on any mixture of these two.
Ethanol fuel (E85) is a mixture of approxi-
mately 85% Ethanol and 15% unleaded
gasoline.
!Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel addi-
tives other than those tested and approved by us
for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
For a listing of approved products, refer to the
Factory Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only) or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Warning!G
Ethanol fuel (E85) and its fumes are highly
flammable, poisonous and burn easily. Etha-
nol fuel can cause serious injuries if ignited
or if you come into contact with it or inhale
fumes of it. Avoid inhalation of Ethanol
fumes and skin contact with Ethanol. Extin-
guish all open flames before fueling. Never
smoke or create sparks close to Ethanol.

483 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Switching fuels
For best performance and driveability it is
recommended to use either one or the oth-
er fuel. A refueling pattern that alternates
between the two different fuels should be
avoided if possible.
When switching fuels, make sure:

Fuel level is below half full.

Fuel level is above reserve (reserve
warning lamp is not lit).

Amount of added fuel is more than
5 gallons (20 liters).

Ignition is off during refill.

Immediately after refueling engine is
started and operated for at least five
minutes.
These precautions and recommendations
are supposed to prevent any difficulties
when starting and operating the engine
which otherwise may be experienced
before the engine has fully adapted to the
different fuel.If in spite of these recommendations the
engine does not perform properly, adding
more gasoline (at least 3 gallons
[12 liters]) to the fuel may improve the
engine behavior.
Cruising range
E85 fuel contains less energy per gallon
than gasoline. To ensure that engine per-
formance with Ethanol fuel is similar to
that when using gasoline, the engine must
burn more Ethanol fuel. As a result, it is to
be expected that the fuel consumption will
increase when using E85 compared to
gasoline operation.
Maintenance
Please inform your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center if you use or have
used E85 fuel when your vehicle is deliv-
ered for maintenance or repairs.Cold weather performance
It is possible that starting times will signif-
icantly increase at temperatures below
32°F (0°C). At low temperatures the use
of a block heater is recommended (see an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for fur-
ther information). Rough idling may also be
experienced at such temperatures before
the engine is fully warmed up.
Hot weather performance
At ambient temperatures above 95°F
(35°C) start times may increase and be
accompanied by a rough idle following the
start.iUse of E85 may reduce your driving range.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when ambient
temperatures fall below 14°F (-10°C).

484 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

Corrosion protection

Freeze protection

Boiling protection (by increasing the
boiling point)
The cooling system was filled at the factory
with a coolant providing freeze protection
to approximately -22°F (-30°C) and corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for re-
placement interval.
Coolant system design and coolant used
determine the replacement interval. The
replacement interval published in the
Maintenance Booklet is only applicable if
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze solu-
tion or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification are used to
renew the coolant concentration or bring it
back up to the proper level.
For information on other Mercedes-Benz
approved products of equal specification,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet (USA only) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 50% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approximately –35°F
[–37°C]).If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion to approximately –49°F [–45°C]), the
engine temperature will increase due to
the lower heat transfer capability of the so-
lution. Therefore, do not use more than
this amount of anticorrosion/ antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for
signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet
minimum requirements, which are usually
satisfied by normal drinking water. If you
are not sure about the water quality,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!Add premixed coolant solution only. Adding
water and MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
separately from each other, could cause engine
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Lim-
ited Warranty.

485 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum parts. Failure to use such anticorrosion/
antifreeze coolant will result in a signifi-
cantly shortened service life.
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/
Antifreeze agent.Before the start of the winter season (or
once a year in hot southern regions), you
should have the anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration checked. The coolant is also
regularly checked each time you bring your
vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantity
ModelApprox. freeze protection
– 35°F (– 37°C)– 49°F (– 45°C)
C 3002.54 US qt. (2.4 l)2.79 US qt. (2.64 l)
C 3502.54 US qt. (2.4 l)2.79 US qt. (2.64 l)

486 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*
Both the windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning systems are supplied
from the windshield washer fluid reservoir.
The windshield washer reservoir has a ca-
pacity of approximately 6.34 US qt (6.0 l).
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit”
and water (or concentrate and com-
mercially available premixed wind-
shield washer solvent / antifreeze,
depending on ambient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and water:

1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
water
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gal [4.0 l] water).
For temperatures below freezing point, use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
“MB SummerFit” and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer
solvent/antifreeze:

1 part “MB SummerFit” to 100 parts
solvent
(1.34 fl oz [40 ml] “MB SummerFit” to
1 gal [4.0 l] solvent).
Warning!G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flam-
mable. Do not spill washer
solvent/antifreeze on hot engine parts, be-
cause it may ignite and burn. You could be
seriously burned.

487 Index
A
ABS 27, 59
Indicator lamp 59, 374
Messages in display 389, 398
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 142
Accessory weight 356
Accident 132
Air bags 36
Children 51
Front 39
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 29, 45
OCS 41
Safety guidelines 38
Side impact 40
Window curtain 40, 41
Air conditioning system see Climate con-
trol system
Air conditioning, Cooling 258, 267
Air conditioning, Refrigerant 478, 480
Air distribution 254, 263
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 257, 265Air vents 247
Center air vents 248
Rear center console air vents 249
Air volume 254, 263, 268
Alarm
Audible alarm and flashing exterior
lamps (Panic alarm) 58
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Antiglare
Rear view mirrors 100
Anti-theft systems 66
Alarm, visual and audible 66
Anti-theft alarm system 66
Immobilizer 66
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest 284, 286
Ashtrays 291, 292
Aspect ratio 356
Audio Aux mode 220
AUDIO menu (Control system) 158Audio system 176
“911” emergency call 231
Audio and telephone, operation 176
Audio Aux mode 220
Audio control unit 177
Audio display 180
Bluetooth
® operation 222
Call lists 236
CD changer* 208, 214
CD operation 208
CD player 160, 208
CD, fast forward/rewind 219
CD, pause function 218
CD, submenu overview 208
Components 177
Controller 182
Example, how to use 187
Functions during a single call 240
Making calls 237
On/Off 188
Operating 185
Operating and display elements 178
Operating CD player 213
Operating safety 177
Operation 188
Overview 176

488 Index
Phone cook 233
Radio operation 194
Satellite radio* operation 200
Sound settings 189
Surround sound* (Canada only) 190
SYS menu 192
SYS menu, Bluetooth
® settings 192
SYS menu, display settings 192
SYS menu, language settings 193
SYS menu, reset to factory
settings 193
Telephone menu* 222
Volume 189
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 100
Automatic central locking 80
Activating/deactivating
(Control system) 173
Automatic climate control (3-zone) see Cli-
mate control system
Automatic headlamp mode 109, 172
Automatic lighting control, Interior
lighting 115
Automatic shift program 144Automatic transmission
Accelerator position 142
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode) 146
Fluid 476, 477
Fluid level 328
Gear ranges 143
Gear shifting malfunctions 146
Hill start assist system 246
Kickdown 142
Shifting procedure 139
Starting the engine 127
Transmission fluid 328
Automatic transmission*
Automatic shift program 144
Gear selector lever 138
Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 145
Gear selector lever positions 140
Program mode selector switch 144
Aux socket 220B
Backrest 281
Backup lamps
Replacing bulbs 430, 431
Bar 356
BAS 60
Batteries, SmartKey
Checking battery condition 78
Replacing 428
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
(Canada only)
Checking battery condition 78
Replacing 428
Battery 448
Battery, vehicle 446
Charging 449
Discharged, Jump starting 451
Disconnecting 448
Message in display 399
Reconnecting 450
Removing 449
Bead 356
Beverage holder see Cup holder

489 Index
Bluetooth®
Settings (Audio system) 192
Telephone* (Audio system) 222
Brake assist system (BAS) 60
Brake fluid 324, 478, 480
Brake lamp
High mounted 431
Replacing bulbs 431, 436
Brake pads
Message in display 399
Brake warning lamp 27
Brakes 312
Warning lamp 27, 376
Break-in period 310
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbsC
California retail buyers and lessees,
important notice for 11
Can holder see Cup holder
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants 476
Cargo area see Trunk
Carpets, Cleaning and care of 371
Catalytic converter 319
CD
CD changer* 208
CD player 160, 208
MP3 playback options 220
MP3, selecting a track 219
Playback options 220
Selecting a track 219
Submenu overview 208
CD changer* 208
CD player 160, 208
Centigrade see Temperature display
mode 167
Central locking
Automatic 80, 173
Locking/unlocking from inside 81
Locking/unlocking switches 81
Central locking/unlocking switches 80Certification label 462
Change of address or ownership 12
Checking tire pressure electronically
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), (USA only) 344
Children in the vehicle 51
Air bags 51
Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 45, 385
Infant and child restraint systems 51
LATCH-type child seat anchors 55
Override switch for rear door window
operation 57
Tether attachment points 54
Cigarette lighter 292
Climate control system 250, 259
3-zone automatic climate control
(Canada only) 259
Air conditioning, Cooling 258, 267
Air distribution 254, 263
Air recirculation mode 257, 265
Air volume 254, 263
Air volume, rear 268
Automatic mode 253
Deactivating/Reactivating 252
Defrosting 264