MERCEDES-BENZ CL600 2005 C215 Owner's Manual
Page 271 of 458
269 Operation
Driving instructions
Coolant temperature
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to approx. 248°F
(120°C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature over 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while driving,
have the cause determined and corrected
immediately. If you must drive under these
conditions, drive with at least one window
fully open at all times.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids, which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment, to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
Page 272 of 458
270 OperationAt the gas stationRefuelingThe fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* automatically locks/un-
locks the fuel filler flap.
Turn the engine off
by turning the SmartKey to
position0. Remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
by pressing the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35).
Open the driver’s door (with the
driver’s door open, starter switch is now in position0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch).
Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by the arrow.
The fuel filler flap springs open.
Turn the fuel cap to the left and hold on
to it until possible pressure is released.
Take off the cap and set it in the recess
on the fuel filler flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.
Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or over-
fill.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Whenever you are around gasoline,
avoid inhaling fumes and skin contact, extin-
guish all smoking materials. Never allow
sparks, flame or smoking materials near
gasoline!
Page 273 of 458
271 Operation
At the gas station
Replace the fuel cap by turning it to the
right.
You will hear when the fuel cap is tight-
ened.
Close the fuel filler flap.
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
2Brake fluid
3Coolant level
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.
iOnly use premium unleaded gasoline
with a minimum Posted Octane Rating
of 91 (average of 96 RON/86 MON).
Information on gasoline quality can
normally be found on the fuel pump.
More information on gasoline can be
found in the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet.iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the yellow engine
malfunction indicator lamp ?
(USA only),
±
(Canada only)
to illuminate.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 329).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 273).
Page 274 of 458
272 OperationAt the gas stationWindshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system
For more information on refilling the wash-
er reservoir, see “Windshield washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system”
(page 282).
Coolant
For more information, see “Coolant level”
(page 279) and see “Coolants”
(page 415).Brake fluid
For more information on brake fluid, see
“Brake fluid” (
page 414).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 274).Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 373).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 125).
Tire inflation pressure
For information on tire inflation pressure,
see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
(
page 294).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately. Do not add brake
fluid as this will not solve the problem.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 327).
Page 275 of 458
273 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
The hood lock release lever is located in
the driver’s footwell to the left of the park-
ing brake pedal.
1Release lever
Pull release lever 1 in direction of ar-
row.
The hood is unlocked and handle 2
will extend out of the radiator grille.
2Handle for opening the hood
Pull handle 2 to its stop out of radiator
grille.
Pull up on the hood (do not pull up on
the handle) and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, never open the hood if the
wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.
Page 276 of 458
274 OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.
Check to make sure the hood is fully
closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when
the vehicle is new
the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled down. If neces-
sary, call the fire department.Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system
with the engine running
while starting the engine
if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually
Warning!
G
Be careful that you do not close the hood on
anyone.
iDo not use any special lubricant addi-
tives, as these may damage the drive
assemblies. Using special additives not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may
cause damage not covered by the Mer-
cedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is
available at any Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Page 277 of 458
275 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking the engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least five minutes with the
engine turned off
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the multi-
function display, do the following:
Switch on ignition (
page 34).
The standard display (
page 142) should
appear in the multifunction display.
Press buttonk or j on the
steering wheel until the following mes-
sage is seen in the multifunction dis-
play:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOW
CORRECT MEASUREMENT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVELOne of the following messages will sub-
sequently appear in the indicator:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK
ADD 1.0 QT. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)
ADD 1.5 QTS. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL(Canada:
1.5 LITERS
)
ADD 2.0 QTS. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL(Canada:
2.0 LITERS
)
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 278).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 411) and
(
page 413).iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press the k or j but-
ton on the multifunction steering
wheel.
Page 278 of 458
276 OperationEngine compartmentOther display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (
page 35) is not in po-
sition 2, the following message will appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH IGNITION ON
Switch on ignition (
page 34).
If you see the message:
PERF. SERV ON TIME
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, wait 30 minutes before re-
peating check procedure.If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
NOT WHEN ENGINE ON
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait five minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating temper-
ature yet, you must wait 30 minutes be-
fore checking oil.
If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the fol-
lowing message will appear:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 348).!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.iPerform the engine oil level check with
the dipstick (CL 500, and CL 55 AMG
only) if it cannot be completed with the
control system.
In this case we recommend that you
have the system checked at a
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 279 of 458
277 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking the engine oil level with the
oil dipstick (CL 500, CL 55 AMG only)
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least five minutes with the
engine turned off
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 273).
Pull out oil dipstick1 (
page 278).
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick1 again after ap-
proximately three seconds to obtain
accurate reading.
Oil dipstickThe oil level is correct when it is between
the lower (min) and upper (max) mark of
the oil dipstick.
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil see (
page 278).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 411) and
(
page 413).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 348)
iThe engine oil level can be checked by
either the oil dipstick or via the multi-
function display in the instrument clus-
ter (
page 275). The amount of engine
oil needed is shown more precisely in
the multifunction display.
iThe filling quantity between upper and
lower oil dipstick marking level is ap-
proximately 2.1 US qt (2.0 l).
Page 280 of 458
278 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
CL 500, CL 55 AMG1Oil dipstick
2Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap2 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
CL 6001Filler cap
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with Main-
tenance System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS
(Canada vehicles). For a listing of ap-
proved engine oils and oil filters, refer
to the Factory Approved Service Prod-
ucts pamphlet in your vehicle literature
portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of spec-
ification other than those expressly re-
quired for the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles), or changing of oil and oil filter at
change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada Vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the en-
gine and catalytic converter not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.