warning MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE 2004 Owners Manual

315
Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position
2, the vehicle doors
lock if the left front wheel as well as the
right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 79).
To prevent the vehicle doors from lock-
ing, deactivate the automatic central
locking (
page 129).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to vehicle chassis,
frame or suspension parts.
iIf the battery is disconnected or dis-
charged

the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch. See notes on the
battery (
page 307) or on jump
starting (page 310).


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in position P. See notes on
manual unlocking of gear selector
lever (
page 291).

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
Flexible Fuel Vehicles are identified by a la-
bel 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 gas-
oline. 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.
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:

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 be-
fore the engine has fully adapted to the dif-
ferent 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 en-
gine 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 be-
fore the engine is fully warmed up.
Hot weather performance
At ambient temperatures above 95°F
(35°C) start times may increase and be ac-
companied 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 re-
pairs.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when am-
bient temperatures fall below 14°F
(-10°C).
iUse of E85 may reduce your driving
range.

338 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Windshield washer system 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 and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze, depending on ambient
temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing point use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:


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


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

339
Technical data
Consumer information
 Consumer information
The following text is published as required
of all manufacturers of passenger cars un-
der Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regula-
tions, Part 575 pursuant to the “National
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of
1966”.Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades. Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1½) times as well on the gov-
ernment course as a tire graded 100. The
relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Tread wear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straightahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

340 Technical dataConsumer informationTemperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. Grade C corresponds to a level
of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
Warning!
G
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.

341
Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Alignment bolt Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front airbag when such a
seat is properly installed (indicator
lamp PASS. AIRBAG OFF in the center
console comes on). See your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for avail-
ability. BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front airbag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed.
BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps* Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam. CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
CAN system (C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
Cockpit All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.

343
Technical terms
GPS*
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer
and fuel gauge.
Kickdown Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Lock button Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door. Memory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each SmartKey.
Menu The control system displays are ar-
ranged in menus. Each menu contains
a number of commands for particular
systems. In the Audio menu, for exam-
ple, you will find the commands
Select
radio station
or Operate CD player
.
Using commands, you can directly
change the settings for your vehicle.
MON (M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as AN-
TI-KNOCK INDEX. Multifunction display
Display field in the instrument cluster
used to present information provided
by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Overspeed range Engine speeds within the red marking
of the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gine speed range, as it may result in se-
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

347
Index
A
ABS 23, 73, 341
Malfunction indicator lamp 258
Messages in display 268
Warning lamp 258
Accelerator position, automatic transmission 145
Accident In case of 51
Activating Air conditioning (cooling) 156
Air recirculation mode 154
Anti-theft alarm system 78
Central locking (control system) 129
Climate control 151
Defrost 154
Easy-entry/exit feature 130
ESP 77
Exterior headlamps 48
Exterior lamps 99
Hazard warning flasher 102 Headlamps 48
High beams 102
Ignition 31
Immobilizer 78
Rear fog lamp 100
Rear window defroster 149
Seat heater* 94
Tow-away alarm 79
Windshield wipers 49
Adding Coolant 241
Engine oil 239
Additional turn signals 293
Adjustable air outlets Rear passenger compartment 158
Adjusting 32 Air distribution 153
Air volume 153
Backrest tilt 33, 35
Exterior rear view mirror 40 Head restraint height 34, 36, 91
Head restraint tilt 34, 36
Head restraints 92
Instrument cluster illumination 105
Interior rear view mirror 39
Manual seat 33
Mirrors 39
Rear seat head restraints 91
Seat cushion tilt 33, 35
Seat fore and aft adjustment 33, 35
Seat height 33, 35
Seats 32
Steering column height 38
Steering column length 38
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioner (cooling) Turning off 156
Turning on 156
Air conditioner refrigerant 332

350 Index
Warning lamp 259
Break-in period 222
Bulbs, replacing 293 Additional turn signals 293
Brake lamps 294
Fog lamps 293
Front lamps 293
High beam 293
High mounted brake lamp 294
License plate lamps 294, 299
Low beam 293
Parking lamps 293, 294, 296, 297
Rear fog lamp 294
Rear fog lamps 298
Side marker lamps 294, 298
Standing lamps 293, 294, 296, 297
Tail lamp assemblies 294, 298
Turn signal lamps 293, 294
Button Audio system 162 C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 341
Calling up
Range (distance to empty) 134
Service indicator 250
CAN system 341
Capacities Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 330
Cargo compartment Lighting 104
Cassette operation Playing cassettes 172
Cassette player Operating 116
Catalytic converter 231
CD changer* 175
CD operation 175
CD player Operating 116
Center console 25 Lower part 26
PASS.AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp 263
Upper part 25
Centigrade Setting temperature units 123
Central locking From inside 88
Switch 88
Switching on/off (control system) 129
Unlocking from inside 88
Central locking switch 88
Changing Batteries (SmartKey) 290
Key setting 129
Changing CDs 175
Charging Vehicle battery 308
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator lamp 260
Check gas cap Message in display 277