headlamp MERCEDES-BENZ C300 2008 W204 Owner's Guide

330 Operation
Engine compartment
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*
The washer fluid reservoir is located on the
left-hand side of the engine compartment
when looking in the direction of travel. It
supplies the windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system with wash-
er fluid.
1Cap
Fluid for the windshield washer system and
the headlamp cleaning system is supplied
from the windshield washer reservoir. It
has a capacity of approximately 6.34 US qt
(6.0 l).During all seasons, add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB SummerFit” to
water. Premix the windshield washer fluid
in a suitable container.
To open washer fluid reservoir: Pull
tab of cap1 upward.
Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or
commercially available premixed wind-
shield washer solvent/antifreeze, de-
pending on ambient temperatures).
To close washer fluid reservoir:
Press cap1 onto filler hole until it en-
gages.
For more information, see “Windshield
washer system and headlamp cleaning
system*” (
page 486).
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 could be seriously burned.
!Always use washer solvent/antifreeze
where temperatures may fall below freezing
point. Failure to do so could result in damage to
the washer system/reservoir.
!Only use washer fluid which is suitable for
plastic lenses. Improper washer fluid can dam-
age the plastic lenses of the headlamps.

360 Operation
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.

Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning* system. Add MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate “MB Summerfit”
to a premixed windshield washer sol-
vent/antifreeze which is formulated for
below freezing temperatures
(
page 485).

Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure the engine can be started, even at
low ambient temperatures.

Tire change.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and the Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS, EBP,
ESP
® and 4MATIC in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have
the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your
vehicle, you must place a notice to this
effect where it will be seen by the driver.
Such notices are available at your tire
dealer or any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Winter tires with a tread depth of less than 1/6in (4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.

367 Operation
Vehicle care
Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
To protect the filter system, switch the
automatic climate control to air recir-
culation mode (
page 265).
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of ornamen-
tal moldings, use a damp cloth.Headlamps, tail lamps, side markers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.
!Make sure the windshield wiper switch is
set to0 (
page 117). Otherwise, e.g. the rain
sensor* could activate and cause the wipers to
move unintentionally. This may lead to vehicle
damage.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in exterior
rear view mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent dam-
age to the mirrors.
iAfter running the vehicle through an auto-
matic car wash, wipe any wax off of the wind-
shield (
page 368). This will prevent smears
and reduce wiping noise which can be caused by
residual wax on the windshield.
When leaving the car wash, make sure the mir-
rors are folded out. Otherwise they may vibrate.
!Do not use chrome cleaner on ornamental
moldings. Although ornamental moldings may
have chrome appearance, they could be made of
anodized aluminum that will be damaged when
cleaned with chrome cleaner. Instead, use a
damp cloth to clean those ornamental moldings.
For very dirty ornamental moldings of which you
are sure are chrome-plated, use a chrome clean-
er. If in doubt whether an ornamental molding is
chrome-plated, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Only use window cleaning solutions that are
suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Window clean-
ing solutions which are not suitable may damage
the plastic lamp lenses of the headlamps. There-
fore, do not use abrasives, solvents or cleaners
that contain solvents.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the lenses.
Do not attempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage the lens
surface.

388 Practical hints
What to do if …?
On the pages that follow, you will find a
compilation of the most important warning
and malfunction messages that may ap-
pear in the malfunction display.
For your convenience the messages are di-
vided into two sections:

Text messages (page 389)

Symbol messages (page 397)
Warning!G
All categories of messages contain impor-
tant information which should be taken note
of and, where a malfunction is indicated, ad-
dressed as soon as possible at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Failure to repair condition noted may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty, or result in property dam-
age or personal injury.
iSwitching on the ignition causes all instru-
ment cluster lamps (except high beam headlamp
indicator lamp and turn signal indicator lamps
unless activated) as well as the multifunction dis-
play to come on. Make sure the lamps and multi-
function display are in working order before
starting your journey.

409 Practical hints
What to do if …?
ITake Your Key
From IgnitionYou have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
.AUTO Lamp Function
InoperativeThe light sensor is malfunctioning. Daytime
driving lamps are switched on.In the instrument cluster control system, set
lamp operation to manual mode.
Switch on headlamps using the exterior lamp
switch.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
Check
Center Brake LampThe high mounted brake lamp is malfunc-
tioning. This message will only appear if all
light emitting diodes have stopped working.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter as soon as possible.
Check
Left Brake LampThe left brake lamp is malfunctioning.Replace the bulb as soon as possible
(
page 436).
Check
Right Brake LampThe right brake lamp is malfunctioning.Replace the bulb as soon as possible
(
page 436).
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution

414 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
.Check
Left Mirror
Turn SignalThe turn signal in the left exterior rear view
mirror is malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if all light emitting diodes have
stopped working.Have the LEDs replaced as soon as possible.
Check
Right Mirror
Turn SignalThe turn signal in the right exterior rear view
mirror is malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if all light emitting diodes have
stopped working.Have the LEDs replaced as soon as possible.
Switch Off LightsYou are getting out of the vehicle and the
lights are still switched on.Switch off the headlamps (page 108).
Turn Lights Off
Or
Remove KeyThe exterior lamp switch is set to * and
you have forgotten to take out the
SmartKey. The parking lamps remain
switched on.Switch off the headlamps (page 108).
or
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

430 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp
assemblies are in good working order at all
times.Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. See an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for headlamp
adjustment.iIf the headlamps or front fog lamps are
fogged up on the inside as a result of high
humidity, driving the vehicle a distance with the
lights on should clear up the fogging.
iBackup bulbs will be brought into use when
lamps malfunction. Read and observe the mes-
sages in the multifunction display (
page 413).

431 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Bulbs Front lamps Rear lamps
LampType
1Additional turn signal
lampLED
2Turn signal lampPY 21 W
3Halogen headlamp:
Low beam
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
Low and high beam
1
1Regarding vehicles with Bi-Xenon headlamps*, do
not replace the Bi-Xenon bulbs yourself.
H7 (55 W)
D1S-35 W
4Halogen headlamp:
High beam/high beam
flasher
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
High beam flasher
H7 (55 W)
H7 (55 W)
5Front fog lamp
Corner-illuminating
front fog lamp*H11 (55 W)
H11 (55 W)
6Side marker lampW 5 W
7Parking and standing
lamp2 x
W5W-BV
LampType
8High mounted brake
lampLED
9Side markerW 5 W
aTurn signal lampPY 21 W
bBrake lamp, parking
and standing lamp, tail
lamp2 x P 21 W
cBackup lampP 21 W
dLicense plate lampsW 5 W
eRear fog lamp
(driver’s side only),
Side markerP 21 W
W 5 W

433 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Front lamps halogen-type
1Bulb socket for turn signal lamp bulb
2Housing cover for parking and standing
lamp
3Housing cover for parking and standing
lamp
4Housing cover for high beam headlamp
5Housing cover for low beam headlamp6Bulb socket for parking and standing
lamp bulb
7Bulb holder of high beam bulb
8Bulb holder of low beam bulb
Low beam bulb
Turn housing cover5 counterclock-
wise and remove it.
Pull electric plug off the bulb.
Remove wire clip from bulb holder8
by pushing down and release from ar-
restor hook.
Pull the bulb at its socket out of bulb
holder8.
Insert the new bulb so that its socket
locates in the recess of bulb holder8
and is level to it.
Fold wire clip back and press it down
on bulb holder8 to engage it in the ar-
restor hook.
Connect electric plug on the bulb.
Align housing cover5 and turn it
clockwise.
High beam bulb
Turn housing cover4 counterclock-
wise and remove it.
Turn bulb holder7 with the bulb coun-
terclockwise and remove it.
Pull the bulb at its socket out of bulb
holder7.
Insert the new bulb so that its socket
locates in the recess of bulb holder7
and is level to it.
Reinsert bulb holder7 with the bulb in
the lamp and turn clockwise.


434 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Align housing cover4 and turn it
clockwise.
Front turn signal lamp bulb
1Mark
2Handle
3Bulb socket
Turn bulb socket3 with handle2
counterclockwise and remove it.
Press gently onto the bulb and turn
counterclockwise out of bulb
socket3.
Press the new bulb gently into bulb
socket3 and turn clockwise until it
engages.
Place bulb socket3 back into the
lamp. Handle2 must be in a horizon-
tal line and mark1 is on the upper
part.
Turn bulb socket3 clockwise until it
engage.
Parking and standing lamp bulb
Turn housing cover2 or3 counter-
clockwise and remove it.
Pull out bulb socket6 with the bulb.
Pull the bulb out of the bulb socket6.
Press the new bulb into bulb socket6.
Press bulb socket6 back into the
lamp.
Align housing cover2 or3 and turn
it clockwise.Front lamps Bi-Xenon*-type
Warning!G
Do not remove the cover5 for the Bi-Xe-
non* headlamp. Because of high voltage in
Xenon lamps, it is dangerous to replace the
bulb or repair the lamp and its components.
We recommend that you have such work
done by a qualified technician.