technical data MERCEDES-BENZ C COUPE 2005 CL203 Owner's Guide

426 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please refer to the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet, or inquire at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
C230Kompressor
C320
5.8 US qt (5.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual transmission
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
MB Manual Transmission Oil
Rear axle
1.2 US qt (1.1 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid (Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 2.1 oz (60 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Cooling system
C230Kompressor
C320
approx. 5.9 US qt (5.6 l)
approx. 6.8 US qt (6.4 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze Agent

427 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
16.4 US gal (62.0 l)
2.1 US gal (8.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Minimum Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96 RON / 86 MON)
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a label reading
Premium gasoline or E85 only! on fuel filler flap):
Alternative fuel: Ethanol fuel (E85)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lubricant oil
(never R-12)
Windshield washer
3.2 US qt (3.0 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning system*
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing point or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available
premixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze for temperatures below freezing point. Follow suggested mixing ratios (page 435).

428 Technical dataFuels, 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 re-
quired for vehicles with Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles). For a listing of approved engine
oils and oil filters, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System (U.S.
vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles) will result in engine
damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited WarrantyPlease follow Maintenance System (U.S.
vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles) recom-
mendations for scheduled oil changes.
Failure to do so will result in engine dam-
age not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
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 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 re-
placed every two years, preferably in the
spring.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. An
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.

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

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
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 must not 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
3000 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 ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! on fuel filler flap) are de-
signed to operate on premium unlead-
ed gasoline or Ethanol fuel (E85), or any
mixture of these two.
For more information, see “Flexible
Fuel Vehicles” (
page 431).

430 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
engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking/pinging


Misfire


Power lossIn 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 Products Pamphlet for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.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 malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending addition-
al fuel additives other than those tested
and approved by us for use on
Mercedes-Benz vehicles listed in the
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

431 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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.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.
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
further information). Rough idling may also
be experienced at such temperatures
before the engine is fully warmed up.
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.
!E85 fuel is unsuitable for use when am-
bient temperatures fall below 14°F
(-10°C).

432 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.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
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.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze, which
provides:

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 corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over pro-
tection. Refer to Maintenance Booklet for
replacement 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 (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion 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 approximately - 22°F
[-30°C]).
iUse of E85 may reduce your driving
range.

433 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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). Please make sure the mixture is
in accordance with label instructions.
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 an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.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 anticorro-
sion/antifreeze 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 an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.

434 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection–35°F (–37°C)
–49°F (–45°C)
C 230 Kompressor
3.0 US qt (2.8 l)
3.3 US qt (3.1 l)
C320
3.4 US qt (3.2 l)
3.8 US qt (3.6 l)

435 Technical data
Fuels, 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
approximately

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.