ESP MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2012 Owners Manual

#
Drain off any excess engine oil that has been
added. Todo so, consult a qualified specialist
wo rkshop.
R For engine oil level turn on ignition #
Switch on the ignition tocheck the engine oil
le ve l.
R Engine oil level System inoperative : The oil
le ve l sensor is defective or not connecte d.#
Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
R Engine oil level System currently unavail. #
Close the bonn et.
To pping up engine oil &
WARNING Risk of burn s from hot com‐
ponent parts in the engine compartment
Cer tain component parts in the engine com‐
partment can be very hot, e.g. the engine,
th e cooler and parts of theex haust sy stem. #
Allow the engine tocool down and only
to uch co mponent parts described in
th efo llowing. &
WARNING Risk offire and injury from
engine oil
If engine oil comes into con tact with hot
component parts in the engine compart‐
ment, it may ignite. #
Make sure that no engine oil is spilled
next tothefiller opening. #
Allow the engine tocool off and thor‐
oughly clean the engine oil from compo‐
nent parts before starting theve hicle. *
NO
TEEngine damage causedbyan
incor rect oil filter, incor rect oil or addi‐
tives #
Do not use engine oils or oil filters
which do not cor respond tothe specifi‐
cations explicitly prescribed forthe
service inter vals. #
Follow the instructions on the service
inter val display forch anging the engine
oil and obser vethe prescribed change
inter vals. #
Do not use additives. *
NO
TEDama gecaused bytopping up too
much engine oil To
o much engine oil can damage the engine
or the catalytic con verter. #
Have excess engine oil remo ved at a
qu alified specialist workshop. %
Depending on driving style, theve hicle con‐
sumes up to0.8 litr e of oil pe r10 00 km. The
oil consum ption may be higher than this
when theve hicle is new or if you frequently
drive at high engine speeds. 378
Maintenance and care
Internal use only

Note
s on paint work/matt finish paintwork
care Obse
rveth e no tes on cleaning and care toavo id
damaging the paintwor k.
Pa int
R Insect remains: soak with insect remo ver and
ri nse off the treated areas af terw ards.
R Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse off
af te rw ards.
R Tree resin, oils, fuels and greases: remo veby
ru bbing gently wi tha clo thsoaked in petro‐
leum ether or lighter fluid.
R Coolant and brake fluid: remo vewith a damp
clo thand clean water.
R Tarst ains: use tar remo ver.
R Wax: use silicone remo ver.
R Do not attach sticke rs,fi lms or similar mate‐
ri als.
R Remo vedirt immediately, where possible.
Matt finish
R Only use care products appr ovedfor
Mercedes-Benz. R
Do not polish theve hicle and light-alloy
wheels.
R Only use car washes that cor respond tothe
latest engineering standards.
R Do not use car wash programmes with a final
hot wax treatment.
R Do not use paint cleane rs, buf fing or polish‐
ing products, gloss preser vers, e.g. wax.
R Alw ays ha vepaintwork repairs car ried out at
a qu alified specialist workshop. Note
s on cleaning decorative foils Obser
vethe no tes on matt finish care in the
ch ap ter "No tes on paintwork/matt finish paint‐
wo rkcare" (/ page 383). They also apply to
matt decorative foils.
Obser vethe no tes on cleaning decorative foils to
av oid vehicle damage.
Cleaning
R For cleaning, use plenty of water and a mild
cleaning agent without additives or abrasive
subs tances, e.g. a car sha mpoo appr ovedfor
Mercedes-Benz. R
Remo vedirt immediatel y,where possible,
whilst avoiding rubbing too hard. There is
ot herwise a risk of damaging the decorative
fo il ir reparabl y.
R Ifth ere is dirt on thefinish or if the decora‐
tive foil is dull: use thePa int Cleaner recom‐
mended and appr oved for Mercedes-Benz.
R Insect remains: soak with insect remo ver and
ri nse off the treated areas af terw ards.
R Bird droppings: soak with water and rinse off
af te rw ards.
R Topreve ntwate rst ains, dry a foil-wrapped
ve hicle with a soft, absorbent clo thafter
eve rycar wash.
Av oiding dama getothe decorative foil
R The service life and colouring of decorative
foils are impaired by:
- sunlight
- temp erature, e.g. hot air blo wer
- weather conditions
- stone chippings and dirt
- chemical cleaning agents Maintenance and care
383
Internal use only

-
oily products
R Do not use polish on matt decorative foil.
Po lishing will ha vethe ef fect of shining the
fo il-wrapped sur face.
R Do not treat matt or stru ctured deco rative
fo ils with wax.Pe rm anent stains may occur.
Sc ratches, cor rosive deposits, areas af fected by
cor rosion and damage caused byincor rect care
cannot al ways be comple tely re paired. In such
cases, visit a qualified specialist workshop.
Yo u can obtain more information on care and
cleaning products from the manufacturer.
In the case of foil-wrapped sur faces, optical dif‐
fe re nces may occur between the sur faces that
we renot pr otected bya decorative foil af ter
re moving a decorative foil.
% Have wo rkor repairs todecorative foils car‐
ri ed out at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. in a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. Note
s on care of car parts &
WARNING Risk of entrapment if the
windscreen wipers are swit ched on while
th e windscreen is being cleaned
If th e windscreen wipers are set in motion
while you are cleaning the windscreen or
wiper blades, you can be trapped bythe
wiper arm. #
Alw ays switch off the windscreen wip‐
ers and the ignition before cleaning the
windscreen or wiper blades. &
WARNING Risk of burn s fromtheta il‐
pipe and tailpipe trims
The exhaust tailpipe and tailpipe trims can
become very hot. If you come into contact
with these parts of theve hicle, you could
burn yourself. #
Alw ays be particular lycareful around
th eta ilpipe and theta ilpipe trims and
supervise children especially closely in
th is area. #
Allow vehicle parts tocool down before
to uching them. To
avo id damage totheve hicle, obser vethe
no tes on cleaning and care of thefo llowing vehi‐
cle parts:
Wheels and rims
R Use wate r and acid-free alloy wheel cleaners.
R Do not use acidic alloy wheel cleaners to
re mo vebrake dust. This could damage wheel
bolts and brake components.
R Toavo id cor rosion of the brake disks and
brakepads, drive theve hicle for a few
minutes af ter cleaning before parking it. The
brake disks and brakepads warm up and dry
out.
Wi ndo ws
R Clean the windo wsinside and outside with a
damp clo thand with a cleaning agent recom‐
mended for Mercedes-Benz.
R Do not use dry clo ths or abrasive or sol vent-
based cleaning agents toclean the inside of
windo ws. 384
Maintenance and care
Internal use only

Wi
per blades
R Movethe wiper arms into there placement
position (/ page139).
R With th e wiper arms folded out, clean the
wiper blades with a damp clo th.
R Do not clean the wiper blades too of ten.
Ex terior lighting
R Clean the lenses with a wet sponge and mild
cleaning agent, e.g. car sha mpoo.
R Only use cleaning agents or cleaning clo ths
th at are suitable for plast ic lenses.
Sensors
R Clean the sensors in the front and rear
bumpers with a soft clo thand car shampoo
(/ page 186).
R When using a high -pressure cleaner,maintain
a minimum dis tance of 30 cm.
Re versing camera and 360° Camera
R Open the camera co ver with the multimedia
sy stem (/ page 227).
R Use clean water and a soft clo thtoclean the
came ralens. R
Do not use a high-pressure cleaner.
Ta ilpipes
R Clean with a cleaning agent recommended
fo r Mercedes-Benz, especially inthe winter
and af terwa shing theve hicle.
R Do not use acidic cleaning agents.
Tr ailer hitch
R Obse rveth e no tes on care in the trailer hitch
manufacturer's operating instructions.
R Do not clean the ball neck with a high-pres‐
sure cleaner or solvent.
R Remo vetraces of rust on the ball, forex am‐
ple, with a wire brush.
R Remo vedirt with a lint-free clo th.
R After cleaning, lightly oil or grease the ball
head.
% Before using trailers with anti- torsional cou‐
pling, obser vethe manufacturer's operating
instructions. Note
s on care of the interior &
WARNING Risk of injury from plastic
parts breaking off af terth e use of sol‐
ve nt-based care products
Ca reand cleaning products con taining sol‐
ve nts can cause su rfaces in the cockpit to
become porous. When the airbags are
deplo yed, plastic parts may break away. #
Do not use any care or cleaning prod‐
ucts containing sol vents toclean the
cockpit. &
WARNING Risk of injury or death from
bleached seat belts
Bleaching or dyeing seat belts can se verely
we aken them.
This can, forex ample, cause seat belts to
te ar or fail in an accident. #
Never blea chor dye seat belts. To
avo id damage totheve hicle, obser vethefo l‐
lowing no tes on cleaning and care: Maintenance and care
385
Internal use only

Note
s on MOExtended tyres (run-flat tyres) &
WARNING Risk of accident when driving
in limp -home mode
Driving in emergency mode impairs the han‐
dling characteristics of theve hicle. #
Do not exceed the permissible maxi‐
mum speed of the MOEx tended tyres. #
Avoid any abrupt steering and driving
manoeuvres as well as driving over
obs tacles (kerbs, pot holes, off-road).
This applies, in pa rticular, toa loaded
ve hicle. #
Stop driving in the emer gency mode if
yo u notice:
R banging noise
R vehicle vibration
R smoke which smells like rubber
R continuous ESP ®
inter vention
R crac ksinthe tyre side walls #
After driving in emergency mode, ha ve
th erims checkedby aqu alified special‐ ist
workshop with rega rd totheir fur ther
use. #
The defective tyre must be replaced in
eve rycase. Wi
th MOExtended tyres (run-flat tyres), you can
continue todrive your vehicle even if there is a
tot al loss of pressure in one or more tyres. How‐
eve r,th e tyre af fected must not show any clearly
visible damage.
Yo u can recognise MOExtended tyres bythe
MOExtended marking which appears on the side
wa ll of the tyre.
Ve hicles with tyre pressure monitoring sys‐
te m: MOExtended tyres may only be used in
conjunction wi than activated tyre pressure mon‐
itoring sy stem.
If a pressure loss warning message appears in
th e multifunction displa y,proceed as follo ws:
R Check the tyre for dama ge.
R If driving on, obser vethefo llowing no tes. Driving distance possible in emer
gency
mode af ter the pressure loss warning: Load condition Driving distance pos‐
sible in emergency
mode
Pa rtially laden 80 km
Fu lly laden 30 km The driving dis
tance possible in emergency
mode may vary depending on the driving style.
Obser vethe maximum permissible speed of
80 km/h.
If a tyre has gone flat and cannot be replaced
with an MOEx tended tyre, you can use a stand‐
ard tyre as a temp orary measure. TIREFIT kit
storage location The TIREFIT kit is located under
the boot floor. Breakdown assis
tance 391
Internal use only

1
Tyre sealant bottle
2 Tyre inflation compressor
Depending on the model, the TIREFIT kit may
also be located in other places under the boot
fl oor.
% Depending on the po wer category (LK), the
tyre inflation compressor weighs as follo ws:
R LK1 – 12V/10 A,120W, 0.8 kg
R LK2 – 12V/15 A,180W, 0.9 kg
Yo u can find information on the po wer cate‐
gory (LK) and/or electrical data on the back
of the tyre inflation compressor. The tyre inflation compressor is mainte‐
nance-free. If
there is a malfunction, please
conta ct aqualified specialist workshop. Using
the TIREFIT kit Re
quirements:
R Tyre sealant bottle
R TIREFIT sticker
R Tyre inflation compressor
R Gloves (depending on theve hicle equipment)
TIREFIT kit storage location: (/ page 391)
Yo u can use TIREFIT tyre sealant toseal per fora‐
tion dama geof up to4 mm, particular lythose in
th e tyre conta ct surface.You can use TIREFIT in
outside temp eratures down to-20 °C. &
WARNING Risk of accident when using
tyre sealant
The tyre sealant may be unable toseal the
tyre properly, especially in thefo llowing
cases: R
there are cuts or punctures in the tyre
lar gerth an damage pr eviously men‐
tioned.
R the wheel rim is dama ged.
R you ha vedriven at very low tyre pres‐
sures or on a flat tyre. #
Do not drive on. #
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. &
WARNING Risk of injury and poisoning
from tyre sealant
Ty re sealant is hazardous tohealth and cau‐
ses ir rita tion. Do not allow it tocome into
contact wi thyour skin, eyes or clo thing, and
do not swallow it. Do not inhale any vapours.
Ke ep the tyre sealant away from children.
Obser vethefo llowing if you come into con‐
ta ct with th e tyre sealant: #
Rinse off the tyre sealant from your skin
using water immediatel y. 392
Breakdown assis tance
Internal use only

#
Alw ays ha vewo rkon the battery car ried
out at a qualified specialist workshop. R
Further information on ABS (/ page187)
R Further information on ESP ®
(/ page 188)
Fo r saf etyre asons, Mercedes-Benz recommends
th at you on lyuse bat teries which ha vebeen tes‐
te d and appr ovedfo ryo ur vehicle byMercedes-
Benz.
All vehicles except vehicles with a lithium-
ion battery &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion due toelec‐
tros tatic charge
Electros tatic charge can igni tethe highly
ex plosive gas mixture in the batter y. #
Todischar geany electros tatic charge
th at may ha vebuilt up, touch the me tal
ve hicle body before handling the bat‐
te ry. The highly
flammable gas mixture is created
while the battery is charging and during starting
assis tance. &
WARNING Danger of chemical burns
from the battery acid
Battery acid is caustic. #
Avoid contact with the skin, eyes or
clo thing. #
Do not lean overth e batter y. #
Do not inhale battery gases. #
Keep children away from the batter y. #
Immedia tely rinse battery acid off thor‐
oughly with plenty of clean water and
seek medical attention immediately. All
vehicles
+ ENVIRONMENTAL
NOTEEnvironmental
dama gedue toimproper disposal of bat‐
te ries Batteries conta
in pollutants. It is
illegal todispose of them with the household
ru bbish. #
Dispose of batteries in an
environmen tally responsible manner.
Ta ke dischar ged batteries toaqu alified
specialist workshop or toa collection
point for used batteries. If
yo u ha vetodisconnect the12 V batter y,con‐
ta ct a qualified specialist workshop.
Comply with saf ety no tes and take protective
measures when handling batteries. Breakdown assis
tance 397
Internal use only

&
WARNING Risk ofexplosion from hydro‐
ge nga s igniting
There is a danger of hydrogen gas igniting
when charging the battery if there is a short
circuit or spar ksstart toform. #
Make sure that the positive term inal of
th e connected battery does not come
into conta ct withvehicle parts. #
Never place me tal objects or tools on a
batter y. #
The described order of the battery
clamps must be obser ved when con‐
necting and disconnecting the batter y. #
When giving starting assis tance, al ways
make sure that you on lyconnect bat‐
te ry term inals with identical polarity. #
During starting assis tance, you must
obse rveth e described order for con‐
necting and disconnecting the jump
lead. #
Do not connect or disconnect the bat‐
te ry cla mp s while the engine is running. &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion during
ch arging process and starting assis tance
During thech arging process and starting
assis tance, the battery may release an explo‐
sive gas mixture. #
Avoid fire , naked flames, creating
spar ksand smoking. #
Make sure there is suf ficient ventila‐
tion. #
Do not lean over a batter y. &
WARNING Risk ofexplosion from a fro‐
zen battery
A dischar ged battery may freeze at temp era‐
tures slightly abo veor below freezing point.
During starting assis tance or battery charg‐
ing, bat tery gas can be released. #
Alw ays allow a battery tothaw before
ch arging it or per form ing starting assis‐
ta nce. If
th e indicator/warning lamps in the instrument
clus ter do not light up at low temp eratures, it is
ve ry likely that the dischar ged battery has fro‐
zen. In this case you may neither jump-s tart the
ve hicle nor charge the batter y.
The service life of a battery that has been
th awe d may be dramatically shor tened. The
st arting characteristics may be impaired, espe‐
cially at low temp eratures.
It is recommended that you ha veathaw ed bat‐
te ry checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Plug-in hybrid: be sure toobser vethe no tes in
th e Supplement. You could otherwise failto rec‐
ognise dangers.
All vehicles
* NO
TEDama gecaused bynumerous or
ex tended attempt sto start the engine Nume
rous or extended attempt sto start the
engine may damage the catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel. #
Avoid numerous and extended attem pts
to start the engine. Breakdown assis
tance 399
Internal use only

Note
s on noise or unusual handling charac‐
te rist ics
Make sure there are no vibrations, noises or
unusual handling characteristics when theve hi‐
cle is in motion. This may indicate that the
wheels or tyres are damaged. Hidden tyre dam‐
age could also be causing the unusual handling
ch aracteristics.
If yo u suspect that a tyre is defective, reduce
yo ur speed immediately and ha vethe tyres and
wheels checked at a qualified specialist work‐
shop. Note
s onregular lyinspecting wheels and
tyres &
WARNING Risk of injury duetodamaged
tyres
Damaged tyres can cause tyre pressure loss. #
Check the tyres regularly for signs of
dama geand replace any damaged tyres
immediatel y. &
WARNING Risk of aquaplaning due to
insuf ficient tyre tread
Insu fficient tyre tread will result in reduced
tyre grip.
The risk of aquaplaning is increased on wet
ro ads, especially when the speed of theve hi‐
cle is not adap tedto suit the conditions. #
Thus, you should regularly check the
tread de pth and the condition of the
tread across the entire width of all
tyres.
Minimum tread dep thfor:
R Summer tyres: 3 mm
R M+S tyres: 4 mm #
For saf etyre asons, replace the tyres
before the legally-prescribed limit for
th e minimum tread dep thisreached. Car
ryout thefo llowing checks on all wheels reg‐
ularly, at least once a month or as requ ired, for
ex ample, prior toa long journey or driving off-
ro ad:
R Check the tyre pressure (/ page411).
R Visually inspect wheels and tyres for dam‐
age.
R Check theva lve caps.
R Visual check of the tyre tread dep thand the
tyre contact su rface across the entire width.
The minimum tread dep thfor summer tyres
is 3 mm and for winter tyres 4 mm. Note
s on snow chains &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct snow chain fitting
If yo u ha vefitted snow chains tothe front
wheels, the snow chains may drag against
th eve hicle body or chassis components.
This could cause damage totheve hicle or
th e tyres. 41 0
Wheels and tyres
Internal use only

#
Neverfit snow chains on the front
wheels. #
Only fit snow chains on there ar wheels
in pairs. *
NO
TEDama getocomponents of the
ve hicle body or chassis due tofitted
snow chains If
yo ufit snow chains tothe front wheels of
4MATIC vehicles, you may damage co mpo‐
nents of theve hicle body or chassis. #
Onlyfit snow chains tothere ar wheels
of 4MATIC vehicles. Obser
vethefo llowing no tes when using snow
ch ains:
R Snow ch ains are on ly permissible for cer tain
wheel/tyre combinations. You can obtain
information about this from a Mercedes-Benz
Service Cent re.
R For saf etyre asons, only use snow chainsthat
ha ve been specifically appr ovedfo ryo ur ve
hicle byMercedes-Benz, or snow chains
with the same quality standard.
R If sn ow ch ains are fitted, the maximum per‐
missible speed is 50 km/h.
R Vehicles with Active Park ing Assis t:do
not use Active Parking Assist when snow
ch ains are fitted.
R Vehicles with le vel control: if snowchains
are fitted, only drive at raised vehicle le vel
( / page 219).
% You can permanently limit the maximum
ve hicle speed for driving with winter tyres
(/ page 196).
% You can deactivate ESP ®
to pull away
( / page 190). This all owsth e wheels to
spin, achieving an increased driving forc e. Ty
re pressure Note
s on tyre pressure Ty
re pressure which is too high or too low can:
R Shor tenth e service life of the tyres. R
Cause increased tyre damage.
R Adversely af fect driving characteristics and
th us driving saf ety, e.g. due toaquaplaning. &
WARNING Risk of accident due torepea‐
te d pressure drop in the tyres
The wheels, valves or tyres could be dam‐
aged.
To o low a tyre pressure can lead tothe tyres
bur sting. #
Examine the tyres forfo re ign objects. #
Check whe ther the tyre has a puncture
or theva lve has a leak. #
Ifyo u are unable torectify the damage,
conta ct aqualified specialist workshop. Information on
there commended tyre pressure
fo rth eve hicle's factor y-fitted tyres can be found
on the tyre pressure table on the inside of the
fuel filler flap (/ page412).
Use a suita ble pressure gauge tocheck the tyre
pressure. The outer appearance of a tyre does Wheels and tyres
411
Internal use only