engine coolant MERCEDES-BENZ C240 2005 W203 User Guide

317 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle and turn off the
engine.

Only start the engine again after the
message disappears. You could
otherwise damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which may
have leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously 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 coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

318 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
•
Coolant
Stop, engine off!
The poly-V-belt could be broken.

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise the
engine will overheat due to an inoperative
water pump which may result in damage to
the engine. Notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:

Do not continue to drive the vehicle with
this message displayed. Doing so could
result in serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 24).

Drive immediately to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Coolant
Visit workshop.
The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.

Observe the coolant temperature gauge in
the instrument cluster (
page 24).

Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.

373 Technical data
Parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and Tires
Electrical system
Main dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Consumer information

387 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respectivelubricants must match. Therefore only use
brands tested and approved 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 (all models)
C240
C2404MATIC
C320
C3204MATIC
C320Sport
C55AMG
5.8 US qt (5.5 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
7.4 US qt (7.0 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
9.0 US qt (8.5 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
C 230 Kompressor (all models)
C240 (all models)
C320 (all models)
C55AMG
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
9.3 US qt (8.7 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual transmission
1.3 US qt (1.2 l)
MB Manual Transmission Oil
Rear axle
C 230 Kompressor (all models)
C240 (all models)
C320 (all models)
C55AMG
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

390 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
required 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
specification 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
intervals 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 Warranty.Please follow Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehicles)
recommendations for scheduled oil
changes. Failure to do so will 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 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
conditioning 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
bubbles in the system, thus reducing the
system’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.

391 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

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
3 000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons 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 (identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! are designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline or Ethanol
fuel (E85) or any mixture of these two.
For more information, see “Flexible
Fuel Vehicles” (
page 392).

392 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits.
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
operation.
Damage or malfunction resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending
additional 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.
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
approximately 85% Ethanol and 15%
unleaded gasoline.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.

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

Fuel level is below half full.


Fuel level is above reserve (fuel 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 (Canada only) 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.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 make sure that engine
performance 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 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
ambient temperatures fall below 14°F
(-10°C).
iUse of E85 may reduce your driving
range.

394 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.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
corrosion 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 approx. 266°F (130°C).The coolant solution must be used
year-round to provide the necessary corro-
sion protection and increase boil-over
protection. 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
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see
Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet) are used to renew the coolant
concentration or bring it back up to the
proper level.
To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [equivalent to
freeze protection to approx. -22°F
(-30°C)]. If you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze [freeze
protection 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 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,
consult an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

395 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of
aluminum parts. The use of aluminum
components in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifi-
cally 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/Antifreeze 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.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection–35°F (–37°C)
–49°F (–45°C)
C 230 Kompressor (all models)
3.0 US qt (2.8 l)
3.3 US qt (3.1 l)
C 240 (all models)
3.4 US qt (3.2 l)
3.8 US qt (3.6 l)
C 320 (all models)
3.4 US qt (3.2 l)
3.8 US qt (3.6 l)
C55AMG
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
7.0 US qt (6.6 l)