check oil MERCEDES-BENZ CL55AMG 2003 C215 Owner's Manual

Contents
Engine compartment ......................... 237
Hood ............................................ 237
Engine oil ..................................... 238
Transmission fluid level ................ 242
Active Body Control (ABC)
fluid level...................................... 242
Coolant ........................................ 242
Battery ......................................... 243
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system ........... 244
Tires and wheels ................................ 246
Important guidelines .................... 246
Life of tires ................................... 247
Direction of rotation ..................... 247
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 247
Rotating wheels ........................... 251
Winter driving .................................... 252
Winter tires .................................. 252
Block heater* ............................... 253
Snow chains................................. 253Maintenance....................................... 254
Clearing the service indicator ....... 254
Service term exceeded ................. 254
Calling up the service indicator..... 255
Resetting the service indicator ..... 255
Vehicle care........................................ 256
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 256
Practical hints.................................. 263
What to do if …? ................................. 264
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 264
Lamp in center console................. 269
Messages in the display ................ 270
Where will I find...? ............................. 295
First aid kit .................................... 295
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit,
luggage bowl, spare wheel ............ 295
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 297
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 297
Locking the vehicle ....................... 298
Changing batteries........................ 299
Fuel filler flap ................................ 300Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 301
Sliding/pop-up roof ...................... 301
Replacing bulbs .................................. 302
Bulbs............................................. 302
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 304
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 305
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 307
Removing ...................................... 307
Installing ....................................... 307
Flat tire............................................... 308
Preparing the vehicle .................... 308
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 308
Battery ............................................... 313
Disconnecting the battery ............ 314
Removing the battery ................... 314
Charging and reinstalling
the battery .................................... 314
Reconnecting the battery ............. 315
Jump starting...................................... 316
Towing the vehicle.............................. 318
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 321

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
KEYLESS-GO card*
Specially equipped vehicles come with two
KEYLESS-GO cards. On these vehicles, the
validity of the KEYLESS-GO card is
checked every time you grasp a door
handle.
If the card is valid, your vehicle unlocks

the doors


the trunk lid


the fuel filler flapImportant notes on using KEYLESS-GO


Always carry the KEYLESS-GO card
with you.


Never store the KEYLESS-GO card to-
gether with:

Electronic items such as a cellular
phone or another KEYLESS-GO card


Metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.


Always take an electronic SmartKey
with you in case of a malfunction of the
KEYLESS-GO system.


To lock or unlock the vehicle, the card
must be located outside the vehicle
within approximately 3 ft. (1 m) of a
door or the trunk lid.


In order to start the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO card:

The KEYLESS-GO card must be lo-
cated in the vehicle.


All the doors must be closed.


If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start / stop button, you
can only turn it off again with this but-
ton, even if you have put the key in the
starter switch in the meantime.


This does not apply if, after starting, the
selector lever is still in positionP. The
key will then have priority over the card
and the vehicle’s electrical system will
operate according to the position of
the key in the starter switch, even stop-
ping the engine.


If the KEYLESS-GO card is positioned
farther away from the vehicle (e.g. in-
side clothing or briefcase) and can no
longer be recognized by the system,
the vehicle cannot be locked or the en-
gine started via the KEYLESS-GO sys-
tem.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the
KEYLESS-GO card with you and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the KEYLESS-GO card to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.

121 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu 1
Menu 2
Menu 3
Menu 4
Menu 5
Menu 6
Menu 7
Menu 8
Commands / submenusStandard dis-
play
AUDIO
Telephone
NAVI
Distronic*
Trip computer
Malfunction
memory
Settings
Call up FSS
Select radio
station
Load phone
book
Activate
route guid-
ance
Call up set-
tings
Fuel consumption
statistics after
start
Call up malfunc-
tion messages
Reset to factory
settings
Check tire pres-
sure*
Operate CD
player
Search for
name in
phone book
Fuel consumption
statistics since
the last reset
Instrument clus-
ter submenu
Check engine oil
level
Call up range
Lighting sub-
menu
Digital speed-
ometer
Vehicle sub-
menuConvenience
submenu
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.

122 Controls in detailControl systemStandard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with button
k

or
j
.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer

Press the
j
or
k
button repeat-
edly until you see the digital speedom-
eter appear in the display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
is shown in the
display.
The following functions are available:
Select radio station

Turn on the radio. Refer to the separate
COMAND operating instructions.

Press button
è
or
ÿ
repeatedly
until you see the currently tuned sta-
tion in the display.1Waveband
2Setting for station selection using
memory
3Station frequency

Press button
k
or
j
repeatedly
until the desired station is found.
The type of search depends on the set-
ting for the station tuning
(
page 139):


Frequency


Memory
Function
Page
Call up FSS
255
Check tire pressure*
248
Check engine oil level
238
Call up digital speedometer
see below
Function
Page
Select radio station
122
Operate CD player
123

236OperationAt the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
1Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system
More information on refilling the reser-
voir (
page 244).
2Brake fluid
More information on brake fluid can be
found in the “Technical data” section
on (
page 340).
3Coolant level
More information on coolant
(
page 242).Engine oil level
More information on engine oil
(
page 238).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness.More infor-
mation on replacing light bulbs can be
found in the “Practical hints” section on
(page 302).
Tire inflation pressure
More information on tire inflate pressure
(page 247).
Opening hood (
page 237).
Exterior lamp switch (
page 108).
iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the
?
lamp to
illuminate.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 268).

238OperationEngine compartment
Closing
Let the hood drop from a height of ap-
proximately 1 ft (30 cm).
The hood will lock audibly.

Check to make sure that the hood is
fully closed.
If you can raise the hood at a point
above the headlamps, then it is not
properly closed. Open it again and let it
drop with somewhat greater force.
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 high-
er engine speeds
Engine oil consumption checks should only
be made after the vehicle break-in period.
Checking engine oil level
When checking the oil level the vehicle
must


be parked on level ground


be at normal operating temperature


have been stationary for at least five
minutes with the engine turned off
Warning!
G
If you see flames or smoke coming from the
engine compartment, or if the coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheated, do not open the hood. Move
away from vehicle and do not open the hood
until the engine has cooled. If necessary,
call the fire department.Warning!
G
The engine is equipped with a transistorized
ignition system. Because of the high voltage
it is dangerous to touch any components (ig-
nition coils, spark plug sockets, diagnostic
socket) of the ignition system

with the engine running


while starting the engine


if ignition is “on” and the engine is
turned manually
Warning!
G
Be careful that you do not close the hood on
anyone.

239 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking the engine oil level with the
control system
You can check the engine oil level on the
multifunction display.
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position2.
The standard display (
page 122) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press button
k
or
j
on the
steering wheel until the following mes-
sage is seen in the multifunction dis-
play:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
MEASURING NOW
MEASURE. CORRECT
ONLY IF VEH. LEVEL
One of the following messages will sub-
sequently appear in the indicator:

ENGINE OIL LEVEL
OK


ADD 1.0 QT. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.0 LITER
)


ADD 1.5 QTS. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
1.5 LITERS
)


ADD 2.0 QTS. TO
REACH MAX. OIL LEVEL!(Canada:
2.0 LITERS
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding oil see (
page 241).Other display messages
If the key is not turned to position 2 in the
starter switch, the following message will
appear:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL
SWITCH ON IGNITION!
Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
Wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
NOT WHEN ENGINE ON!
Turn off the engine. If engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature, wait five
minutes before checking oil. If the en-
gine is not yet at normal operating tem-
perature, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.


240OperationEngine compartmentIf there is excessive engine oil with the en-
gine at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:ENGINE OIL LEVEL
REDUCE OIL LEVEL
Have excess oil siphoned.
See “Practical hints” (
page 281) if the
engine oil level indicator lights up in the
display while the engine is running.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data”
(
page 339).Checking the engine oil level with the
oil dipstick (CL 500, CL 55 AMG only)
The engine oil level can be checked by ei-
ther oil dipstick1 or via the multifunction
display in the instrument cluster
(
page 239). The amount of engine oil
needed is shown more precisely on the op-
erating system display.
1Oil dipstick

Open the hood (
page 237).

Pull out oil dipstick1 (
page 241).

Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.

Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the dip-
stick guide tube, and remove after ap-
proximately three seconds to obtain an
accurate reading.
1Oil dipstick
iIf you want to stop the checking proce-
dure, press the
k
or
j
button on
the multifunction steering wheel.

247 Operation
Tires and wheels
Life of tires
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:

Driving style


Tire pressure


Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure that the tires rotate in the direc-
tion specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of tire rotation.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Correct the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm, you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure repeatedly drops:

Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.


Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.

256OperationVehicle care
Vehicle careCleaning and care of vehicle
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external in-
fluences which, if gone unchecked, can at-
tack the paintwork as well as the
underbody and cause lasting damage.
Such damage is caused not only by ex-
treme and varying climatic conditions, but
also by:

Air pollution


Road salt


Tar, gravel and stone chippingTo avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:


Grease and oil


Fuel


Coolant


Brake fluid


Insects


Tree resins etc.
Frequent washing reduces and / or elimi-
nates the aggressiveness and potency of
the above adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to
deal with unfavorable conditions:


Near the ocean


In industrial areas (smoke, exhaust
emissions)


During winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage.
A n y d a m a g e s h o u l d b e r e p a i r e d a s s o o n a s
possible to prevent corrosion.In doing so, do not neglect the underbody
of the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thor-
ough check is a washing of the underbody
followed by a thorough inspection. Dam-
aged areas need to be re-undercoated.
Your vehicle has been treated at the facto-
ry with a wax-base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of
the vehicle. Post-production treatment is
neither necessary nor recommended by
Mercedes-Benz because of the possibility
of incompatibility between materials used
in the production process and others ap-
plied later.
We have selected car-care products and
compiled recommendations which are
specially matched to our vehicles and
which always reflect the latest technology.
You can obtain Mercedes-Benz approved
car-care products at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
Warning!
G
Many cleaning products can be hazardous.
Some are poisonous, others are flammable.
Always follow the instructions on the partic-
ular container. Always open your vehicle’s
doors or windows when cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not de-
signed for cleaning your vehicle.