Antifreeze is a concentrated ethylene glycol with anti-corrosion additives that prevents freezing and corrosion of the cooling system, and also increases the boiling point of the coolant.
Therefore, the engine cooling system must be filled with the mentioned aqueous antifreeze solution all year round.
Since the content of anti-corrosion additives in the coolant decreases over time, it must be changed as part of vehicle maintenance, see chapter "Maintenance".
The coolant should also be changed when installing new aluminum cooling system parts, such as the cylinder head or water pump.
Only antifreeze recommended by Mercedes should be added to the system, for example, "Glysantin Protect Plus/G482".
Attention! There is silicate-containing antifreeze on sale, identified by its blue-green color, and silicate-free antifreeze. The latter is red. These two types of antifreeze cannot be mixed. This can lead to significant engine damage.
The ratio of water to antifreeze should be maintained at 1:1, which is considered "correct". In this case, protection against freezing should be provided at temperatures of at least -37 C.
Antifreeze should be mixed with clean water of drinking quality or distilled water.
(Material taken from a web resource: «www.mercedesman.ru»)
To provide freeze protection at temperatures down to -45°C, the coolant must have a proportion of 55% antifreeze and 45% water.
Attention! The proportion of antifreeze in the coolant should not be higher than 55%. Otherwise, the useful effect of the coolant is reduced.