recommended oil MERCEDES-BENZ ML350 1997 Complete User Guide

234 OperationVehicle care
Vehicle careCleaning and care of the 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 chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should imme-
diately remove:


Grease and oil


Fuel


Coolant


Brake fluid


Bird droppings


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.
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.

302 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
engine oils is available in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet, or at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Light
Truck 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 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.
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 Light Truck
Center will provide you with additional in-
formation.
!Always check the oil filler cap
(page 221) 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.

provide reliable cooling system protection. In special cases (commercial-vehicle engines, no antifreeze
specification) coolant additives can be used that are primarily corrosion protection additives. In this case
item 2.3 is valid.
As an exception, if neither anticorrosion/antifreeze agent conforming to Sheet 325.0 nor coolant additives
without addition of antifreeze conforming to Sheet 312.0 are available, proceed according to point 2.4
(exception: OM 500 and OM 900). The systems described under items 2.2/2.3/2.4 are not compatible
with each other. It is recommended to mix the entire coolant quantity outside the engine.
2.1 Anticorrosion/antifreeze agent for passenger-car engines
Alongside the correct constitution of the cooling water (point 1.2.2), care must be taken to ensure that
only anticorrosion/antifreeze agents as approved for all engines in accordance with Sheet 325.0 are used.
These products serve to guarantee that, in particular, an effective protection against corrosion is provided
for all light-alloy parts in the cooling system and they are also specified for all passenger-car engines.
In order to ensure that the protection against corrosion is effective, the anticorrosion/antifreeze agent must
remain in the cooling system throughout the year - including when in tropical climates - and regardless of
the operating conditions. In countries with high outside temperatures this is also important in terms of
raising the boiling point.
In the event that these regulations are not observed the cooling system may suffer from damage by
corrosion. As a consequence of corrosion deposits there is a danger that ducts in the radiators (engine
overheating) and heat exchangers (poor heat output) get plugged up thus causing damage to the engine.
As a result of the optimizations we have carried out on the system of engine/coolant/cooling system, in
the majority of our newer passenger cars, a replacement of coolant is not necessary until reaching 15
operating years or 250,000 km (whichever comes first). This may not apply to some models; in these
cases the maintenance booklet will stipulate another regulation.
2.2 Anticorrosion/antifreeze agent for commercial-vehicle engines (normal case)
(not: BR 600, BR 100 and BR 200)
The coolant in commercial-vehicle engines is made up of both water and anticorrosion/antifreeze agent
(refer to item 1.1.1) and as such offers ideal protection against corrosion and cavitation.
All the approved products on the Sheets 325.2, 325.3 or 325.0 which are part of the Specifications for
Operating Fluids can be used to select an anticorrosion/antifreeze agent. However, it should be noted that
passenger vehicle engines built into commercial vehicles must be filled like passenger vehicles (e.g. OM
601 in T1), i.e. a product conforming to Sheet 325.0 and 326.0 must be used.
Products that are not listed in Sheets 325.0 and 326.0, or 325.2 and 326.2, or 325.3 and 326.3 are not
approved and are therefore not to be used under any circumstances.
Anticorrosion/antifreeze agents or coolants conforming to Sheet 325.3 or 326.3 may be used for
longer than other products due to their composition. The change interval is set at 5 years (refer to

2004 Mercedes-Benz ML350
1998-2005 GENINFO Overall vehicle - 163 Chassis
me
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