fuel MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 COUPE 2003 C209 Owner's Guide

352 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Model
Capacity
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Cooling system
CLK 320
CLK 500
CLK 55 AMG
approx. 10.7 US qt (10 l)
approx. 12.8 US qt (12 l)
approx. 12.8 US qt (12 l)
MB 325.0 Anticorrosion/Antifreeze
Agent
Fuel tank
including a reserve of
16.35 US gal (62.0 l)
2.11 US gal (8.0 l)
Premium unleaded gasoline:
Posted Octane 91 (Avg. of 96
RON / 86 MON)
Air conditioning system
R-134a refrigerant and special PAG lu-
bricant oil (never R-12)
Windshield washer and
headlamp cleaning system*:
6.4 US qt (6 l)
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate
1
1Use MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and water for temperatures above freezing or MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S” and commercially available pre-
mixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze for temperatures below freezing. Follow suggested mixing ratios (
page 357).

353 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their
suitability in our engines. Therefore, only
use engine oils recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Information on recom-
mended brands is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized 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 be harmful to the engine opera-
tion.
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 lu-
bricating 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 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.

354 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m us t b e 91 mi n. It is an a ve ra 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 not to 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.
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 loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
cost and may be harmful to the engine op-
eration.
!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.

355 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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 corro-
sion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to
-22°F (-30°C), the boiling point of the cool-
ant in the pressurized cooling system is
reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).To provide important corrosion protection,
the solution must be at least 45% anticor-
rosion/antifreeze (equivalent to freeze
protection to approx. - 22°F [-30°C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55%
anticorrosion/antifreeze (freeze protec-
tion 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
Anticorrosion /Antifreeze should be used
to bring it up to the proper level (have cool-
ing system checked for signs of leakage).
Please make sure that the mixture is in ac-
cordance 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, con-
sult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
The coolant solution must be used year
round to provide the necessary corrosion
protection and increase boil-over protec-
tion. You should have it replaced every 15
years or 150 000 miles (250 000 km),
whichever comes first.
Coolant system design and coolant used
stipulate the replacement interval. The
above replacement interval is only applica-
ble if MB 325.0 anticorrosion/antifreeze
solution or other Mercedes-Benz approved
products of equal specification (see Facto-
ry Approved Service Products pamphlet)
are used to renew the coolant concentra-
tion or bring it back up to the proper level.

356 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.Anticorrosion/antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of alumi-
num parts. The use of aluminum compo-
nents in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion/antifreeze
coolant used in such engines be specifical-
ly formulated to protect the aluminum parts. (Failure to use such anticorro-
sion/antifreeze coolant will result in a sig-
nificantly shortened service life.)
Therefore, the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle:
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz 325.0 An-
ticorrosion/Antifreeze AgentBefore 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 your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for service.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantityModel
Approx. freeze protection– 35°F (– 37°C)
– 49°F (– 45°C)
CLK 320
5.3 US qt (5.0 l)
5.9 US qt (5.5 l)
CLK 500
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
7.0 US qt (6.6 l)
CLK 55 AMG
6.4 US qt (6.0 l)
7.0 US qt (6.6 l)

357 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Windshield and headlamp washer system
Both the windshield and headlamp washer
systems are supplied from the windshield
washer fluid reservoir.
The washer fluid reservoir has a capacity of
approx.

6.4 US qt. (6.0 l) in vehicles with head-
lamp cleaning system* or heated reser-
voir.

Refill the reservoir with MB Windshield
Washer Concentrate and water (or con-
centrate and commercially available
premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze, depending on am-
bient temperatures).Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio
For temperatures above freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and water:


1 part “S” to 100 parts water
[40 ml “S” to 1 gallon (4 l) water].
For temperatures below freezing use
MB Windshield Washer Concentrate “S”
and commercially available premixed
windshield washer solvent / antifreeze:


1 part “S” to 100 parts solvent
[40 ml “S” to 1 gallon (4 l) solvent].
Warning!
G
Washer solvent/antifreeze is highly flamma-
ble. Do not spill washer solvent/antifreeze
on hot engine parts, because it may burn.
You can be seriously burned.

363 Technical terms
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRSFSS
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the multifunction
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a key.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.

370 IndexBulbs, replacing 316
Additional turn signals 317
Backup lamps 317
Brake lamps 317
Fog lamps 317
Front lamps 317
High beam 317
High mounted brake lamp 317
License plate lamps 317, 322
Low beam 317
Parking lamps 317, 319, 321
Rear fog lamp 317
Rear fog lamps 322
Side marker lamps 317, 321
Standing lamps 317, 319, 321
Tail lamp assemblies 317, 322
Turn signal lamps 317
Button
Audio system 168C
CAC (Customer Assistance Center) 362
Calling up
Distronic* settings 121
Range (distance to empty) 137
Service indicator 267
CAN system 362
Capacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. 351
Cargo tie-down rings 218
Casette mode
Playing cassettes 174
Cassette player
Operating 121
Catalytic converter 248
CD changer* 178
CD mode 178
CD player
Operating 120
Center console 25
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 282
Lower part 26
Upper part 25
Centigrade
Setting temperature units 126Central locking
Automatic 95
From inside 95
Switch 95
Switching on/off (control system) 133
Unlocking from inside 95
Central locking switch 95
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey with KEY-
LESS-GO*) 312
Batteries (SmartKey) 312
Key setting 133
Changing CDs 178
Charcoal filter 161
Activating 161
Deactivating 161
Charging
Vehicle battery 330
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 280
Checking
Coolant level 256
Oil level 252, 254
Tire inflate pressure 252
Vehicle lighting 252

376 IndexFront lamps
Messages in display 296–299
Replacing bulbs 317, 318
Switching on 105
Front seat head restraints
Installing 98
Power seat 98
Removing 98
Front seats
Heater* 101
FSS (Flexible Service System) 266, 363
Fuel 251
Additives 354
Fuel reserve warning lamp 280
Gasoline additives 354
Premium unleaded gasoline 251, 352,
354
Requirements 354
Reserve warning 23
Technical data 351
Fuel additives 354
Fuel consumption statistics
After start 136
Since last reset 137Fuel filler flap 251
Locking 251
Opening 313
Unlocking 251
Fuel requirements 354
Fuel reserve tank
Message in display 296
Fuel tank
Capacity 352
Filler flap 251
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Capacities 351
Functions (control system) 115, 118
Resetting 124
Fuse box 337
Fuse chart 337
Fuse extractor 338
Fuses 337
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk 338
Fuse box in engine compartment 337
Fuse box in passenger compartment
337
Fuse chart 337
Fuse extractor 338
Spare fuses 338G
Garage door opener 27, 235
Erasing in remote control 238
Integrated remote control 236
Rolling code programming 237
Gasoline see Fuel 251
Gasoline additives 354
Gear range 363
Automatic transmission 143
Limiting 143
Shifting into optimal 142
Gear range limit
Canceling 142
Gear selector lever
Cleaning 273
Position 144
Global
Locking 85
Locking with KEYLESS-GO* 90
Unlocking 85
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* 89
Global Positioning System (GPS) 363
Glove box 21, 219
Closing 219
Opening 219
Good visibility 149

379 Index
L
Labels, identification 342
Lamp bulbs, exterior 316
Lamps, exterior
Front 317
Light sensor 296
Messages in display 296–299
Rear 317
Lamps, indicator and warning
ABS 277
Airbag Off 61
Battery (SmartKey) 85
Brakes 279
CHECK ENGINE 280
Coolant 281, 289
DTR* 198
Engine diagnostics 280
ESP 276
Fuel reserve 280
Instrument cluster 276–281
Seat belts 280
Service indicator 266
SRS 57
Turn signals 23Language
Multifunction display 127
Setting 127
LATCH child seat mounts 71
Folding back 71
Layout of poly-V-belt drive 343
Leather upholstery
Cleaning 273
Lever
For cruise control 200
License plate lamps
Messages in display 298
Replacing bulbs 317, 322
Light alloy wheels
Cleaning 272
Technical data 345
Light sensor 296
Lighter see Cigarette lighter 224Lighting 105
Automatic headlamp mode 106
Combination switch 108
Daytime running lamp mode 106
Door entry lamps 110
Exterior lamp switch 105
Front fog lamps 107
High beam flasher 108
High beams 108
Instrument cluster illumination 111
Interior 109
Locator lighting 107
Low beam 105
Manual headlamp mode 106
Night security illumination 107
Parking lamps 105
Rear fog lamp 107
Settings (control system) 129
Limiting the gear range 143
Limp Home Mode 146
Line of fall 363