Engine technical data MERCEDES-BENZ C320 2003 W203 User Guide

329 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only brands tested and
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or inquire at
your Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filter
C 230 Kompressor Sport
C240
C320
C320Sport
C2404MATIC
C3204MATIC
C3204MATICSport
C32AMG
5.8 US qt (5.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
Recommended engine oils
Automatic transmission
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
1
1MB part no. 001 989 21 03 10Manual transmission
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
MB Manual Transmission Oil
2
2MB part no. 001 989 26 03 10Rear axle
C 230 Kompressor Sport
C 240 (all models)
C 320 (all models)
C32AMG
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
1.5 US qt (1.4 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90

332 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on
recommended brands is available in the
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet, or at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could result in engine damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil.
They may be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
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 is 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
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere. Under extremely strenu-
ous operating conditions, this moisture
content can lead to the formation of bub-
bles in the system, thus reducing the sys-
tem’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be
replaced every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.

333 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 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 not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
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.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded 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 per-
sons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (MY 2003
Mercedes-Benz C 320 models, except
those equipped with manual transmis-
sion or 4 - MATIC system*) are
designed to operate on premium
unleaded gasoline or Ethanol fuel (E85)
or any mixture of these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 334).

334 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Gasoline 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 depos-
its.
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 en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to engine opera-
tion.Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles
MY 2003 Mercedes-Benz C 320 models,
except those equipped with manual trans-
mission or 4MATIC*, are Flexible Fuel Ve-
hicles.
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.Switching fuels
For best performance and driveability it is
recommended to use either one or the
other fuel. A refueling pattern that
alternates between the two different fuels
should be avoided if possible.
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.

335 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
When switching fuels, make sure that:

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.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 your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for further 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.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 gas-
oline operation.
Maintenance
Please inform your Mercedes-Benz Center
if you use or have used E85 fuel when your
vehicle is delivered for maintenance or
repairs.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when am-
bient temperatures fall below 14°F
(-10°C).
iUse of E85 may reduce your driving
range.

336 Technical dataFuels, 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
coolant 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 corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. You should have it replaced every
15 years or 150 000 miles (250 000 km),
whichever comes first. Coolant system
design and coolant used stipulate the
replacement interval. The above replace-
ment interval is only applicable if
MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products pam-
phlet) are used to renew the coolant con-
centration or bring it back up to the proper
level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze [equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. -22°F (-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze protec-
tion to approx. -49°F (-45°C)], the engine
temperature will increase due to the lower
heat transfer capability of the solution.
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). Please make sure that the mix-
ture is in accordance with label instruc-
tions.
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, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

337 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/anti-
freeze coolant will result in a significantly
shortened service life.
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion/Anti-
freeze 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 your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection–35°F (–37°C)
–49°F (–45°C)
C230KompressorSport
4.2 US qt (4.0 l)
4.7 US qt (4.4 l)
C 240 / C 320 (all models)
4.8 US qt (4.5 l)
5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
C32AMG
7.7 US qt (7.3 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)

338 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Windshield washer and headlamp cleaning* system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approx.

6.4 US qt (6.0 l) in vehicles with head-
lamp cleaning system*


3.2 US qt (3.0 l) in vehicles without
headlamp cleaning system

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “S” and water (or
concentrate and commercially avail-
able premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze, depending on ambient
temperatures).Washer fluid mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:


1part“S” to 100parts water
[40ml“S” to 1gallon (4l) water]
For temperatures below freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1part“S” to 100parts solvent
[40ml“S” to 1gallon (4l) solvent]
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may burn.
You can be seriously burned.

344 Technical termsPoly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


engine


clutch/torque converter


transmission


transfer case*


drive shaft


axle shafts/axles
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operationS and
winter operationW.Remote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, airbags and
child restraint systems. As indepen-
dent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.
RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the transmission selector le-
ver from being moved out of positionP
without key turned and brake pedal
depressed.
SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and airbags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.

353 Index
Driving
Driving abroad 230
General instructions 41, 223
Hydroplaning 227
In winter 228
Problems 49
Safety systems 73
Through standing water 229
Driving abroad 230
Driving instructions 223
Driving off 225
Driving safety systems
4MATIC 78
ABS 73
BAS 74
ESP 75
Driving systems 193
Cruise control 193
Driving safety systems 73
E
Easy-entry/exit feature* 93
Activating 129
Interrupting movement 93, 130
Electrical fuses 312
Electrical system
Technical data 326Electronic Stability Program
see ESP 23, 75, 342
Emergency call system* 210
Emergency calls
Initiating an emergency call 212
Telephone* 185
With Tele Aid* 211
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 143
Emergency operations
Closing sliding/pop-up roof* 289
Locking the vehicle 286
Opening sliding/pop-up roof* 289
Releasing trunk lid from inside 89
Remote door unlock 216
Unlocking the vehicle 285
Emergency tensioning device
see ETD 64, 342
Emission control 231
Emission control label 318
Ending
A call (telephone) 135
Engine 320
Compartment 235
Message in display 259Starting with automatic
transmission 44
Starting with manual
transmission 44
Starting with the key 44
Turning off with the key 53
Engine cleaning 250
Engine compartment 235
Fuse box in 312
Hood 235
Engine malfunction indicator
lamp 23, 259
Engine number 342
Engine oil 236, 332
Adding 237
Additives 332
Checking level 236
Consumption 236
Display messages 270
Filler neck 237
Messages in display 238, 270
Viscosity 342
Engine oil level see Oil level 234
ESP 23, 75, 342
Four wheel electronic traction
system with ESP 78