engine coolant MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 2004 C215 User Guide

267 Operation
Engine compartment
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
1Coolant expansion tank
Using a rag, turn the cap slowly approx-
imately one half turn to the left to re-
lease any excess pressure.

Continue turning the cap to the left and
remove it.The coolant level is correct if the level


for cold coolant: reaches the black top
part of the reservoir


for warm coolant: is approximately
0.6 in (1.5 cm) higher

Add coolant as required.

Replace and tighten cap.
For more information on coolant, see
“Coolants” (
page 376).
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:

Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.


Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
158°F (70°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.


Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately ½ turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.


Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.
!CL 600:
Only open the cap on coolant expan-
sion tank1. Never open the cap be-
tween the charge-air coolers.
Otherwise, the engine could be dam-
aged.

306 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
?
VISIT WORKSHOP!
There may be a malfunction in the:

Fuel injection system


Ignition system


Exhaust system


Fuel system

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
B
COOLANT
CHECK LEVEL!
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 266).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning. Extended driving with
the message and symbol displayed
may cause serious engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not drive without a sufficient
amount of coolant in the cooling sys-
tem. The engine will overheat, causing
major engine damage.

307 Practical hints
What to do if …?
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbol
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
COOLANT
STOP, ENGINE OFF!
The coolant is too hot.

Stop the vehicle and turn off the engine.

Only start the engine again after the mes-
sage disappears. You could otherwise
damage the engine.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly overheat-
ed 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 engine 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.

308 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Display
Display messages
Possible cause
Possible solution
Ï
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 Limit-
ed Warranty.
Ï
COOLANT
VISIT WORKSHOP!
The cooling fan for the coolant is malfunc-
tioning.

Observe the coolant temperature display.

Have the fan replaced as soon as possi-
ble.

359 Technical data
Spare parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and Tires
Electrical system
Main Dimensions and weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Consumer information

372 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.CapacitiesVehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore use only
brands tested and approved by us.Please refer to the Factory Approved Ser-
vice Products pamphlet, or inquire at your
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter
CL 500
CL 55 AMG
CL 600
8.5 US qt (8.0 l)
7.9 US qt (7.5 l)
9.5 US qt (9.0 l)
Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission
CL 500
CL 55 AMG
CL 600
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
9.1 US qt (8.6 l)
8.1 US qt (7.7 l)
MB Automatic Transmission Oil
Rear axle
CL 55 AMG
and CL 600
1.7 US qt (1.6 l)
2.1 US qt (2.0 l)
Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
Hydraulic system for ABC
approx. 4.2 US qt (4.0 l)
MB Hydraulic fluid
Power steering
approx. 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)
MB Power Steering Fluid
(Pentosin CHF 11S)
Front wheel hubs
approx. 3.5 oz (100 g) each
High temperature roller bearing grease
Brake system
0.7 US qt (0.7 l)
MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)
Cooling system
CL 500
CL 55 AMG
CL 600
approx. 12.1 US qt (11.5 l)
approx. 15.3 US qt (14.5 l)
approx. 15.85 US qt (15 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion / Antifreeze

374 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, use
only engine oils approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on approved
brands is available in the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet, or at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow FSS recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so
could 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 condition-
ing system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lu-
bricating oil. Otherwise damage to the
system will occur.
!Always check the oil filler cap
(page 265) for important information
pertaining to the engine oil needing to
meet a specific Mercedes-Benz specifi-
cation (e.g. MB 229.5). If such informa-
tion is printed on the oil filler cap, only
use an engine oil from the list of ap-
proved engine oils in the Factory Ap-
proved Service Products pamphlet that
meets the specification indicated on
the oil filler cap.
Using engine oils of other specification
may cause the FSS to incorrectly deter-
mine the next service interval and will
result in engine damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

375 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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. Your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will pro-
vide you with additional information.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded fuel:

The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
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.

376 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 en-
gine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation


Unstable idle


Knocking / pinging


Misfire


Power lossDo not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from
poor fuel quality or from blending specific
fuel additives are not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion / antifreeze, which pro-
vides:

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 cor-
rosion 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 approximately 266°F
(130°C).
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase in the boil-over
protection. Refer to Service Booklet for re-
placement interval.

377 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The re-
placement interval published in the Ser-
vice 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 re-
new 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 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 instruc-
tions.
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 / anti-
freeze coolant used in such engines be
specifically formulated to protect the alu-
minum
parts. (Failure to use such anticorrosion /
antifreeze coolant will result in a signifi-
cantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz 325.0 Anticorrosion / An-
tifreeze 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.