oil additives MERCEDES-BENZ C300 4MATIC 2008 W204 Owner's Manual

Contents
Flat tire .............................................. 440
Preparing the vehicle.................... 440
Mounting the Minispare wheel ..... 441
Battery ............................................... 446
Disconnecting the battery ............ 448
Removing the battery ................... 449
Charging and reinstalling
the battery.................................... 449
Reconnecting the battery ............. 450
Jump starting ..................................... 451
Towing the vehicle ............................. 453
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 455
Fuses ................................................. 456
Fuse box
in passenger compartment .......... 457
Fuse box
in engine compartment ................ 457
Fuse box
in the trunk................................... 458
Technical data................................. 459
Parts service ...................................... 460
Warranty coverage............................. 461
Loss of Service and
Warranty Information Booklet ...... 461
Identification labels ........................... 462
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 464
C 300/C 350 ............................... 464
Engine................................................ 465
Rims and tires.................................... 467
Same size tires ............................. 468
Mixed size tires ............................ 469
Minispare wheel ........................... 471
Electrical system ............................... 473
Main dimensions and weights............ 474
Main dimensions .......................... 474
Weights ........................................ 475
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 476
Capacities .................................... 476
Engine oils.................................... 480
Engine oil additives ...................... 480
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 480
Brake fluid .................................... 480
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 481
Gasoline additives ........................ 481Fuel requirements ........................ 482
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (USA only) . 482
Coolants ...................................... 484
Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system* .. 486
Index................................................. 487

327 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine oil
The amount of oil your engine needs will
depend on a number of factors, including
driving style. Higher oil consumption can
occur when

the vehicle is new

the vehicle is driven frequently at
higher engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.Notes about checking engine oil level
When checking the oil level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground

with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off

with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned offChecking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (page 325).
1Oil dipstick
2Upper mark
3Lower mark
Pull out oil dipstick1.
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube.
!Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may damage the drive assemblies. Us-
ing special additives not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may cause damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is available at
any Mercedes-Benz Center.


480 Technical data
Fuels, 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.
For a listing of approved engine oils and oil
filters, refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet (USA only), or con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.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 are 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
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. An
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required for the
Maintenance System, or changing of oil and oil
filter at change intervals longer than those called
for by the Maintenance System will result in
engine or emission control system damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System
recommendations for scheduled oil changes.
Failure to do so will result in engine or emission
control system damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of
the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from the
atmosphere.
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.

482 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
In 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 Prod-
ucts pamphlet (USA only), or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for a
listing of approved product(s). Follow
directions on product label.
Do not blend other fuel additives with fuel.
This only results in unnecessary cost and
may be harmful to the engine operation.Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/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 co-solvents.
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.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles (USA only)
C 300 and C 300 Sport (with automatic
transmission*) are 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.
!Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel addi-
tives other than those tested and approved by us
for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
For a listing of approved products, refer to the
Factory Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only) or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.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.

492 Index
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Maximum cooling MAX COOL 256
Dual-zone automatic climate control see
Climate control system
E
Easy-entry/exit feature*
(Canada only) 95, 174
EBP 61
Electrical fuses see Fuses
Electrical outlet
Glove box 293
Rear passenger compartment 293
Electrical system, Technical Data 473
Electronic Brake Proportioning see EBP
Electronic Stability Program see ESP
®
Electronic traction system 63
Emergency call system 295
Emergency calls, Tele Aid* 296
Emergency operation (Limp-Home
Mode) 146Emergency operations
Gear selector lever*, Unlocking 426
Locking the vehicle 424
Releasing from inside 271
Remote door lock* 302
Remote door unlock* 301
Unlocking the trunk 425
Unlocking the vehicle 424
Emergency tensioning device see ETD
Emergency, In case of
Battery, Jump starting 451
First aid kit 420
Flat tire 440
Fuses 456
Instrument cluster, Indicator
lamps 374–383
Roadside Assistance 12
Roadside Assistance* (Tele
Aid*) 299
Towing the vehicle 453
Emission control 320
Emission control information label 463
Emission control system warranties 10Engine
Adding engine oil 328
Belt layout 464
Cleaning 366
Compartment 325
Coolant 329, 478, 484
Malfunction indicator lamp 27, 378
Number 462, 463
Oil 327, 476, 480
Residual heat and ventilation 266
Starting 127
Technical data 465
Turning off 134
Engine coolant see Coolant
Engine oil 327
Adding 328
Additives 480
Checking level (Dipstick) 327
Consumption 327
Dipstick 327
Filler neck 327, 328
Recommended engine oils and oil
filters 476

493 Index
ESP®62
Four wheel electronic traction system
with ESP
®65
Messages in display 389, 397, 398
Warning lamp 27, 376, 379, 380
ETD 49
Safety guidelines 38
Ethanol fuel
At the gas station 322
Switching fuels 483
Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 97
Auto-dimming on the driver’s
side 99, 100
Fold-in settings 175
Power folding* 98F
Fahrenheit see Temperature display
mode 167
First aid kit 420
Flat tire 440
Lowering the vehicle 445
Mounting the Minispare wheel 441
Preparing the vehicle 440
Flexible fuel vehicles 482
At the gas station 322
Switching fuels 483
Floormats* 294
Fluids
Automatic transmission fluid 476,
477
Brake fluid 478, 480
Capacities 476
Engine coolant 329, 478, 484
Engine oil 328, 476, 480
Power steering fluid 478
Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system 479, 486
Fog lamps 431
Messages in display 410
Replacing bulbs 431, 432, 436Four wheel electronic traction system
(4MATIC) with ESP
®65
4MATIC 65
Front air bags 39
Front lamps see headlamps
Front passenger front air bag 39
Messages in display 393
Front passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 29, 45, 385
Front seats
Heating* 91
Fuel 322, 478, 481
Additives 481
Capacity, Fuel tank 478
Cruising range 483
E85 (Ethanol fuel) 478, 483
Filling the tank 322
Fuel filler flap and cap 322
Fuel reserve warning lamp 27, 150,
380
Gauge 27, 150
Premium unleaded gasoline 478,
481
Requirements, Octane rating 482
Switching (Flexible fuel vehicle) 483