engine coolant MERCEDES-BENZ SLR CLASS 2007 User Guide

306 Practical hints
What to do if ...
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
DThe red coolant temperature
warning lamp comes on while
the engine is running.There is insufficient coolant in the reservoir.Immediately add coolant to prevent en-
gine from overheating (
page 255).
If this warning lamp comes on frequently,
there is a leak in the cooling system.Have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If the coolant level is correct, the electric
radiator fan may be broken. If the coolant temperature is below
248°F (120°C), you can continue driv-
ing to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Avoid high engine loads (e.g. driving
uphill) and stop-and-go driving.
DThe red coolant temperature
warning lamp comes on while
the engine is running and you
hear a warning sound.The coolant temperature has exceeded
248°F (120°C).Stop as soon as possible in a safe loca-
tion and allow the engine and coolant
to cool down.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated 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 which can occur just by open-
ing the engine hood. Stay away from the en-
gine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. 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). Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

335 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/
consequencePossible solution
BTop up
coolant
See Oper. ManualThe coolant level is too low.Add coolant (page 255).
Comply with all warnings while doing so.
If you have to add coolant frequently, have the cooling
system checked by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
•The cooling fan for the coolant
is malfunctioning.Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the instru-
ment cluster (
page 29).
If the coolant temperature is under 248°F (120°C), you
may continue driving to the nearest specialist workshop.
Avoid placing heavy loads on the engine (e.g. by driving
uphill) as well as stop-and-go traffic.
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
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 could 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 sufficient amount of coolant
in the cooling system. The engine will overheat
causing major engine damage.

336 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/
consequencePossible solution
•Coolant
Stop car –

Turn engine off
The coolant is too hot.
Among other possible causes,
the poly-V-belt could be
broken.Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon as it is safe to
do so.
Turn off the engine.
Check the poly-V-belt.
If it is broken:
Do not continue to drive. Otherwise, the engine will over-
heat due to an inoperative water pump which may result in
damage to the engine. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:
Wait for the message to disappear before restarting the
engine.
Doing otherwise could result in serious engine damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
(Continued on next page)

337 Practical hints
What to do if ...
During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/
consequencePossible solution
Observe the coolant temperature gauge in the
instrument cluster (
page 29).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated 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 which can occur just by open-
ing the hood. Stay away from the engine if
you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. 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.

339 Practical hints
What to do if ...
Left displayRight displayPossible cause/
consequencePossible solution
±Visit
workshopCertain electronic systems are
unable to relay information to
the control system. The follow-
ing systems may have failed:

Coolant temperature gauge

Tachometer
Have the electronic systems checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Fuel system
malfunction
Visit
workshopThe fuel cooling system is
malfunctioning.Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
:Engine oil pressure
Visit
workshopThere is no oil in the engine.
There is a danger of engine
damage.Stop your vehicle immediately in a safe location.
Switch off the engine.
Do not drive any further.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
immediately.
!The engine oil level warning should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol
displayed could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

Technical data
Spare parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and tires
Electrical system
Main dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.

389 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with
respect to handling, storing and disposing of
service fluids. Otherwise you could
endanger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of
children.
For health reasons, you should prevent ser-
vice fluids from coming into direct contact
with your skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a
physician immediately.
CapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Engine with oil filter9.0 US qt (8.5 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission8.5 US qt (8.0 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
Rear axle2.3 US qt (2.2 l)Hypoid gear oil SAE 75 W 85
Power steeringapprox. 1.15 US qt (1.1 l)MB Power Steering Fluid
(Pentosin CHF 11S)
Brake system1.6 US qt (1.5 l)MB Brake Fluid (DOT 4+)

391 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 Service Products pamphlet
(USA only), or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Engine oil additivesAir conditioning refrigerant
R-134a (HFC) refrigerant and special PAG
lubricating oil are used in the air condition-
ing system.
!Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those expressly re-
quired 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 dam-
age not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Please follow Maintenance System recommen-
dations for scheduled oil changes. Failure to do
so will result in engine or emission control sys-
tem damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!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.
!Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based
lubricating oil. Otherwise damage to the system
will occur.

392 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Brake fluid
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. Your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.Premium unleaded gasoline
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 conditions, this moisture content
can lead to the formation of bubbles in the
system, thus reducing the system’s
efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.
Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking
materials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and skin or cloth contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the
inhalation of fuel vapors can damage your
health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded is not available and
low octane fuel is used, follow these precau-
tions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.

Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.

393 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
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 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
manufacturers is carbon build-up caused
by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz recommends
only the use of quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of
carbon deposits.
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
engine performance problems such as:

Warm-up hesitation

Unstable idle

Knocking/pinging

Misfire

Power lossIn 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 Products 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 engine operation.
!Damage or malfunction resulting from poor
fuel quality or from blending additional fuel
additives other than those tested and approved
by us for use on Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not
covered 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.