2006 Mercedes-benz C Class 4matic Owners Manual

The steering is locked when the SmartKey is removed from the starter switch.

1 Power supply for some electrical

consumers, such as seat adjustment

Getting started Unlocking

2 Ignition (power supply for all electrical

consumers) and driving position. All lamps (except low beam headlamp indicator lamp, high beam headlamp in- dicator lamp, and turn signal indicator lamps unless activated) in the instru- ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the instrument cluster fails to come on when the ignition is switched on, have it checked and replaced if necessary. If a lamp in the instrument cluster re- mains on after starting the engine or comes on while driving, see “Lamps in instrument cluster” (컄 page 350).

3 Starting position

33

! If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the starter switch, the battery may not be sufficiently charged. 앫 Check the battery and charge it if

necessary (컄 page 412).

앫 Get a jump start (컄 page 415). To prevent accelerated vehicle battery discharge or a completely discharged battery, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch when the en- gine is not in operation.

Getting started Unlocking

When you switch on ignition, the indicator and warning lamps (except low beam headlamp indicator lamp, high beam headlamp indicator lamp, and turn signal indicator lamps unless activated) in the instrument cluster come on. The indicator and warning lamps (except low beam headlamp in- dicator lamp, high beam headlamp indi- cator lamp, and turn signal indicator lamps if activated) will go out when the engine is running. This indicates that the respective systems are operational.

Vehicles with automatic transmission*: The SmartKey can only be removed from the starter switch with the gear selector lever in position P.

34

왔 Adjusting

Warning!

Warning!

Warning!

Getting started Adjusting

All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas- tening of seat belts, must be done before the vehicle is put into motion.

Seats

The seats can be adjusted either manually or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s equipment. For more information, see “Seats” (컄 page 109).

Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving. Adjusting the seat while driving could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with you, and lock the vehicle.

Even with the SmartKey removed from the starter switch, the power seats* can be operated when the respective door is open. Therefore, 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.

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat back in an excessively reclined position as this can be dangerous. You could slide un- der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under it, the belt would apply force at the ab- domen or neck. That could cause serious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat belts provide the best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly upright position and belts are properly positioned on the body. Your seat must be adjusted so that you can correctly fasten your seat belt (컄 page 45). Never place hands under the seat or near any moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.

35

Getting started Adjusting

Warning!

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seat- ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend that children be placed in the rear seats whenever possible. Regardless of seating position, children 12 years old and under must be seated and properly secured in an appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or booster seat recommended for the size and weight of the child. For additional information, see “Children in the vehicle” (컄 page 74). A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and/or the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.

36

When moving the seats, make sure that there are no items in the footwell or behind the seat. Otherwise you could damage the seats.

Manual seat adjustment

Seat fore and aft adjustment 왘 Lift handle 1. 왘 Slide seat to the desired position.

Adjust seat to a comfortable seating position that still allows you to reach the accelerator/brake pedal safely. The position should be as far rearward as possible, consistent with ability to properly operate controls.

왘 Allow handle 1 to reengage with an

audible click.

왘 Check for proper engagement before

driving.

1 Seat fore and aft adjustment 2 Seat cushion tilt 3 Seat backrest tilt 4 Seat height

Seat cushion tilt 왘 Turn handwheel 2 forward or back- ward until your upper legs are lightly supported.

Seat backrest tilt 왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33). 왘 Press switch 3 in direction of arrow

until your arms are slightly angled when holding the steering wheel.

Seat height 왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33). 왘 Press switch 4 in direction of arrow until your legs are lightly supported.

Head restraint height

1 Release button Raising: 왘 Manually adjust the height of the head

restraint by pulling it upward.

Lowering: 왘 To lower head the restraint, push

release button 1 and push down on the head restraint.

Adjust the head restraint in such a way that it is as close to the head as possible.

Getting started Adjusting

Warning!

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that the head re- straint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an ac- cident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intend- ed to help reduce injuries during an acci- dent.

37

Getting started Adjusting

Head restraint tilt

Power seat* adjustment The seat adjustment switches are located on the respective front door.

Manually adjust the angle of the head restraint. 왘 Push or pull on the lower edge of the

head restraint cushion.

For more information, see “Seats” (컄 page 109).

1 Head restraint height 2 Seat height 3 Seat cushion tilt 4 Seat fore and aft adjustment 5 Seat backrest tilt 왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33). or 왘 Open the respective door.

38

The memory function* (컄 page 115) lets you store the settings for the pow- er seat*, the steering wheel adjust- ment (electrical*) and the exterior rear view mirrors.

Seat fore and aft adjustment 왘 Press switch forward or backward in

direction of arrow 4. Adjust seat to a comfortable seating position that still allows you to reach the accelerator/brake pedal safely. The position should be as far rearward as possible, consistent with ability to properly operate controls.

Seat cushion tilt 왘 Press switch up or down in direction of

arrow 3 until your upper legs are lightly supported.

Seat backrest tilt 왘 Press switch forward or backward in direction of arrow 5 until your arms are slightly angled when holding the steering wheel.

Seat height 왘 Press switch up or down in direction of

arrow 2.

Head restraint height 왘 Press switch up or down in direction of

arrow 1.

Adjust the head restraint in such a way that it is as close to the head as possible.

Getting started Adjusting

Warning!

Head restraint tilt

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraint so that the head re- straint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the potential for injury to the head and neck in the event of an ac- cident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intended to help reduce injuries during an accident.

Manually adjust the angle of the head restraint. 왘 Push or pull on the lower edge of the

head restraint cushion.

For more information, see “Seats” (컄 page 109).

39

Getting started Adjusting

Steering wheel

Steering wheel adjustment, manual

Warning!

Warning!

The handle for steering wheel adjustment is located on the lower left of the steering column.

Only adjust the steering wheel with the vehicle at a standstill and make sure the steering column is securely locked in place before driving off.

Driving without the steering column locked may cause an unexpected steering wheel movement which could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Make sure the steering column is securely locked by trying to move it up and down, and in and out be- fore driving off.

Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or driving without the steering wheel adjustment feature locked could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with you, and lock the vehicle.

Even with the SmartKey removed from the starter switch, the electrical steering wheel adjustment feature* can be operated when the driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu- pervised use of vehicle equipment may cause an accident and/or serious personal injury.

40

1 Handle 왘 To unlock the steering column, pull

handle 1 out to its stop limit.

왘 Move steering wheel to the desired

position. Make sure your legs can move freely and that all the displays (including mal- function and indicator lamps) on the in- strument cluster are clearly visible.

Steering wheel adjustment, electrical* The lever for the electrical steering wheel adjustment is located on the lower left of the steering column.

왘 To lock the steering column, push

handle 1 all the way in until it engages. The steering wheel is locked into posi- tion again.

왘 Make sure the steering wheel is

securely locked by trying to move it up and down, and in and out before driving off.

Do not drive the vehicle until you have properly locked the steering column.

1 Adjusting steering column, in or out 2 Adjusting steering column, up or down 왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33).

or

왘 Open the driver’s door.

Getting started Adjusting

The memory function* (컄 page 115) lets you store the settings for the pow- er seat*, the steering wheel adjust- ment (electrical*) and the exterior rear view mirrors.

Adjusting steering column in or out 왘 Move the lever in direction of

arrows 1 until a comfortable steering wheel position is reached with your arms slightly bent at the elbow.

Adjusting steering column up or down 왘 Move the lever in direction of

arrows 2. Make sure your legs can move freely and that all the displays (including mal- function and indicator lamps) on the in- strument cluster are clearly visible.

41

Getting started Adjusting

Easy-entry/exit feature* This feature allows for easier entry into and exit from the vehicle. When entering and exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in its uppermost position. The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat- ed or deactivated in the Convenience sub- menu of the control system (컄 page 153).

Warning!

You must make sure no one can become trapped or injured by the moving steering wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.

To cancel steering wheel movement, do one of the following: 앫 Move steering column stalk*

(컄 page 41).

앫 Press memory position switch*

(컄 page 116).

Do not leave children unattended in the ve- hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.

42

Children could open the driver’s door and unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit feature, which could result in an accident and/or serious personal injury.

With the easy-entry/exit feature activated, the steering wheel will return to its last set position when you: 앫 close the driver’s door with the ignition

switched on, or

앫 insert the SmartKey into the starter switch with the driver’s door closed.

The last set steering wheel position is stored when 앫 the ignition is switched off 앫 the position is stored in memory

(컄 page 115)

With the easy-entry/exit feature activated, the steering wheel tilts upwards when you: 앫 remove the SmartKey from the starter

switch, or

앫 open the driver’s door with the

SmartKey in starter switch position 0 or 1.

If the current position for the steering wheel is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering wheel will no longer be able to move upward when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated. The adjustment procedure is briefly in- terrupted when the engine is started.

Warning!

Mirrors

Let the system complete the adjustment procedure before setting the vehicle in mo- tion. All steering wheel adjustments must be completed before setting the vehicle in mo- tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still adjusting could cause the driver to lose con- trol of the vehicle.

Adjust the interior and exterior rear view mirrors before driving so that you have a good view of the road and traffic condi- tions.

Getting started Adjusting

Interior rear view mirror 왘 Manually adjust the interior rear view

mirror.

For more information, see “Rear view mir- rors” (컄 page 170).

Warning!

Exterior rear view mirrors

In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may escape the mirror housing if the mirror glass breaks.

Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al- low the liquid to come into contact with eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system. In case it does, immediately flush affected area with water, and seek medical help if necessary.

Warning!

Exercise care when using the passen- ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror surface is convex (outwardly curved surface for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Check your in- terior rear view mirror or glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.

Electrolyte drops coming into contact with the vehicle paint finish can only be completely removed while in their liquid state and by applying plenty of water.

43

Getting started Adjusting

If an exterior rear view mirror housing is forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear) or rearward (hit from the front), reposition it by applying firm pressure until it snaps into place. The exterior rear view mirror housing is now proper- ly positioned and you can adjust the mirror normally.

The memory function* (컄 page 115) lets you store the settings for the pow- er seat*, the steering wheel adjust- ment (electrical*) and the exterior rear view mirrors.

44

The buttons are located above the exterior lamp switch.

왘 Press adjustment button 1 up, down, left, or right according to the desired setting.

At low ambient temperatures, the exterior rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.

For more information, see “Rear view mir- rors” (컄 page 170).

1 Adjustment button 2 Passenger-side exterior rear view

mirror button

3 Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror

button

왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33). 왘 Press button 3 for the driver’s side exterior rear view mirror or button 2 for passenger-side exterior rear view mirror.

왔 Driving

Warning!

Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot- well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear- ance for the pedals.

During sudden driving or braking maneuvers the objects could get caught between the pedals. You could then no longer brake or accelerate.

Fastening the seat belt

Warning!

Always fasten your seat belt before driving off. Always make sure your passengers are properly restrained, even those sitting in the rear and pregnant women.

Getting started Driving

Failure to wear and properly fasten and po- sition your seat belt greatly increases your risk of injuries and their likely severity in an accident. You and your passengers should always wear seat belts.

If you are ever in an accident, your injuries can be considerably more severe without your seat belt properly buckled. Without your seat belt buckled, you are much more likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed.

In the same crash, the possibility of injury or death is lessened if you are wearing your seat belt. The air bags can only provide the protection they were designed to afford if the occupants are using their seat belts (컄 page 69).

Warning!

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seat- ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend that children be placed in the rear seats. Regardless of seating position, children 12 years old and under must be seated and properly secured in an appropriate infant or toddler restraint, or booster seat recom- mended for the size and weight of the child. For additional information, see “Children in the vehicle” (컄 page 74). A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and/or the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.

45

Getting started Driving

Warning!

Warning!

왘 With a smooth motion, pull the belt

from the belt outlet.

Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seat belts available. Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly restrained with a separate seat belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one person at a time.

Warning!

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat backrest in an excessively reclined position as this can be dangerous. You could slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under it, the belt would apply force at the ab- domen or neck. That could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belt provide the best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly upright position and the belt is properly positioned on the body.

46

Read and observe the additional warning notices printed in the “Safety and Security” section (컄 page 66) and (컄 page 69).

왘 Place the shoulder portion of the belt across the top of your shoulder and the lap portion across your hips.

왘 Push latch plate 1 into buckle 3 until

it engages.

왘 If necessary, tighten the lap portion to

a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion up.

1 Latch plate 2 Release button 3 Buckle

Belt outlet height adjustment Adjust seat belt so that shoulder portion is located as close as possible to the middle of your shoulder (it should not touch the neck or pass under the arm).

Belt outlet, front seats 4 Release button

Raising 왘 Slide belt outlet upward.

Getting started Driving

앫 Place the seat backrest in a nearly

upright position.

앫 Never use a seat belt for more than one

person at a time.

앫 Do not fasten a seat belt around a

person and another object at the same time.

앫 When using a seat belt to secure infant

or toddler restraints or children in booster seats, always follow the child seat manufacturer’s instructions.

앫 Check your seat belt during travel to

make sure that it is properly posi- tioned.

앫 Make sure that the seat belt is always fitted snugly. Take special care of this when wearing loose clothing.

Lowering 왘 Press button 4 and slide belt outlet

downward.

For more information, see “Safety guide- lines for the seat belt, emergency tension- ing device and air bag” (컄 page 66).

Proper use of seat belts 앫 Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-

ing.

앫 Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder

portion is located as close as possible to the middle of the shoulder (it should not touch the neck). Never pass the shoulder portion of the belt under your arm. For this purpose, you can adjust the height of the belt outlet.

앫 Position the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips (over hip joint) and not across the abdomen.

47

Starting the engine

Manual transmission

Warning!

Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon- sciousness and possible death.

Do not run the engine in confined areas (such as garage) which are not properly ven- tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes are entering the vehicle while driving, have the cause determined and corrected imme- diately. If you must drive under these condi- tions, drive only with at least one window fully open.

Gearshift pattern for manual transmission For more information, see “Manual trans- mission” (컄 page 160).

Getting started Driving

Warning!

Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They could tear.

Do not allow the belt to get caught in the door or in the seat adjustment mechanism. This could damage the belt.

Never attempt to make modifications to seat belts. This could impair the effective- ness of the belts.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash, they may not be able to provide adequate protection.

Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

48

Starting 왘 Depress brake pedal. 왘 Make sure the gearshift lever is in neutral position (no gear selected).

왘 Fully depress clutch pedal.

Otherwise the engine cannot be started due to the integrated safety interlock.

왘 Do not depress the accelerator. 왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to position 3 (컄 page 33) and hold until the engine starts.

For information on turning off the engine, see “Turning off engine” (컄 page 59).

Automatic transmission*

Gearshift pattern for automatic transmission P Park position with gear selector lever

lock

R Reverse gear N Neutral position D Drive position For more information, see “Automatic transmission*” (컄 page 162).

Getting started Driving

Starting 왘 Place the gear selector lever in

position P.

왘 Do not depress the accelerator. 왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to position 3 (컄 page 33) and release it again immediately. The engine then starts automatically.

For information on turning off the engine, see “Turning off engine” (컄 page 59).

49

Getting started Driving

Starting difficulties If the engine does not start as described, carry out the following steps: 왘 Turn the SmartKey in starter switch to

position 0 and repeat the starting procedure (컄 page 48). Remember that extended starting attempts can drain the vehicle battery.

왘 Get a jump start (컄 page 415). If the engine does not start after several starting attempts, there could be a mal- function in the engine electronics or in the fuel supply system. 왘 Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

Parking brake

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could release the parking brake, which could result in an accident and/or serious injury.

1 Release handle 2 Parking brake pedal 왘 Release parking brake by pulling on

handle 1. The warning lamp ; (USA only) or 3 (Canada only) in the instrument cluster goes out.

50

Driving

Warning!

On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order to obtain braking action. This could result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi- cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre- vent this type of loss of control.

If you hear a warning signal and the message Release parking brake ap- pears in the multifunction display when driving off, you have forgotten to re- lease the parking brake.

Simultaneously depressing the acceler- ator pedal and applying the brake re- duces engine performance and causes premature brake and drivetrain wear.

Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto- matic central locking system engages and the locking knobs drop down. For more information, see “Automatic central locking” (컄 page 107).

Do not run cold engine at high engine speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine speeds may shorten the service life of the engine.

Manual transmission 왘 Depress the brake pedal. 왘 Fully depress the clutch pedal. 왘 Move gearshift lever to first gear to drive forward, or to reverse gear to drive rearward.

왘 Simultaneously release the brake pedal

and slowly the clutch pedal.

왘 Carefully depress the accelerator

pedal.

Getting started Driving

Automatic transmission*

Wait for the gear selection process to complete before setting the vehicle in motion.

왘 Depress the brake pedal. 왘 Move gear selector lever to position D

to drive forward, or to position R to drive rearward.

Place the gear selector lever in position P or R only when the vehicle is stopped in order to avoid damaging the transmission.

왘 Release the brake pedal. 왘 Carefully depress the accelerator

pedal.

컄컄

51

Getting started Driving

컄컄

Warning!

Switching on headlamps

Low beam headlamps The exterior lamp switch is located on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.

It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le- ver out of P or N if the engine speed is high- er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel- erate quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit someone or something. Only shift into gear when the engine is idling normally and when your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

High beam The combination switch is located on the left of the steering column.

Exterior lamp switch 1 Off 2 Low beam headlamps on 왘 Turn exterior lamp switch to

position B. The low beam headlamp indicator lamp B in the instrument cluster comes on (컄 page 24).

Combination switch 1 High beam 2 High beam flasher 왘 Push combination switch in direction of

arrow 1. The high beam headlamp indicator lamp A in the instrument cluster comes on (컄 page 24).

For more information on headlamps, see “Lighting” (컄 page 118).

52

Turn signals

왘 Press combination switch in direction

Windshield wipers

Getting started Driving

The combination switch is located on the left of the steering column.

Combination switch 1 Turn signals, right 2 Turn signals, left

of arrow 1 or 2. The corresponding turn signal indicator lamp L or K in the instrument cluster flashes (컄 page 24). The combination switch resets auto- matically after major directional changes.

To signal minor directional changes, press combination switch only to point of resistance and release. The corre- sponding turn signals will flash three times.

The combination switch is located on the left of the steering column.

Combination switch 1 Single wipe

Wiping with windshield washer fluid

2 Switching on windshield wipers 왘 Switch on the ignition (컄 page 33).

53

Getting started Driving

Do not operate the windshield wipers when the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on a windshield might scratch the glass and/or damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on a dry windshield. If it is necessary to op- erate the windshield wipers in dry weather conditions, always operate the windshield wipers with windshield washer fluid (컄 page 55).

Switching on windshield wipers 왘 Turn the combination switch to the desired position depending on the intensity of the rain. 0 Windshield wipers off Intermittent wiping II Normal wiper speed III Fast wiper speed

Intermittent wiping

Vehicles with rain sensor*: Do not leave windshield wipers in intermittent setting when the vehicle is taken to an automatic car wash or during windshield cleaning. Windshield wipers will operate in the presence of water sprayed on the windshield, and windshield wipers may be damaged as a result.

Vehicles with rain sensor*: Intermittent wiping interval is dependent on wetness of windshield. 왘 Turn the combination switch to

position I. Vehicles with rain sensor*: After the initial wipe, pauses between wipes are automatically controlled by the rain sensor.

Intermittent wiping is interrupted when the vehicle is at a standstill and a front door is opened. This protects persons getting into or out of the vehicle from being sprayed. Intermittent wiping will be continued when 앫 all doors are closed and 앫 the clutch pedal is depressed (vehi-

cles with manual transmission) or

앫 the gear selector lever is in

position D or R (vehicles with auto- matic transmission*) or

앫 the wiper setting is changed using

the combination switch

54

Single wipe 왘 Press the combination switch briefly in direction of arrow 1 to the resistance point. The windshield wipers wipe one time without washer fluid.

Wiping with windshield washer fluid 왘 Press the combination switch in direc-

tion of arrow 1 past the resistance point. The windshield wipers operate with washer fluid.

To prevent smears on the windshield, wipe with windshield washer fluid every now and then even when it is raining.

For information on filling up the washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer system and headlamp cleaning system*” (컄 page 303).

Getting started Driving

If anything blocks the windshield wipers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off immediately. 앫 For safety reasons, stop the vehicle

in a safe location and remove SmartKey from starter switch before attempting to remove any blockage.

앫 Remove blockage. 앫 Turn the windshield wipers on

again.

If the windshield wipers fail to function at all with combination switch in position I, 앫 set the combination switch to the

next higher wiper speed

앫 have the windshield wipers

checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center

55

Getting started Driving

Problems while driving

The engine runs erratically and misfires 앫 An ignition cable may be damaged. 앫 The engine electronics may not be op-

erating properly.

앫 Unburned gasoline may have entered the catalytic converter and damaged it.

왘 Give very little gas. 왘 Have the problem repaired by an au- thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

The coolant temperature is above 248°F (120°C) The coolant is too hot and is no longer cooling the engine. 왘 Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as possible and turn off the en- gine. Allow engine and coolant to cool.

왘 Check the coolant level and add

coolant if necessary (컄 page 301).

In case of accident If the vehicle is leaking gasoline: 왘 Do not start the engine under any cir-

cumstances.

왘 Notify local fire and/or police authori-

ties.

If the extent of the damage cannot be de- termined: 왘 Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz

Center.

If no damage can be determined on the 앫 Major assemblies 앫 Fuel system 앫 Engine mount 왘 Start the engine in the usual manner.

56

왔 Parking and locking You have now completed your first drive. You have properly stopped and parked your vehicle. End your drive as follows.

Warning!

Vehicles with manual transmission: Wait until the vehicle is stationary before removing the SmartKey from the starter switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when the SmartKey is removed.

Warning!

With the engine not running, there is no power assistance for the brake and steering system. In this case, it is important to keep in mind that a considerably higher degree of effort is necessary to brake and steer the vehicle.

Warning!

Do not park this vehicle in areas where com- bustible materials such as grass, hay or leaves can come into contact with the hot exhaust system, as these materials could be ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re- sult of vehicle movement, before turning off the engine and leaving the vehicle always: 앫 Keep right foot on brake pedal. 앫 Manual transmission: Move the gear-

shift lever to neutral position (no gear is selected).

앫 Firmly depress parking brake pedal. 앫 Automatic transmission*: Move the

gear selector lever to position P.

Getting started Parking and locking

앫 Slowly release brake pedal. 앫 When parked on an incline, turn front

wheels towards the road curb.

앫 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to position 0 and remove the SmartKey from the starter switch.

앫 Take the SmartKey and lock the vehicle

when leaving.

57

Warning!

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could release the parking brake and/or move the gear selector lever* from position P, either of which could result in an accident and/or serious injury.

Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se- lector lever* not fully engaged in position P is dangerous. Also, when parked on an in- cline, position P alone may not prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people or objects.

Always set the parking brake in addition to shifting to position P (manual transmission: first or reverse gear).

When parked on an incline, turn front wheel towards the road curb.

Getting started Parking and locking

Parking brake

1 Release handle 2 Parking brake pedal 왘 Step firmly on parking brake pedal 2. When the engine is running, the brake warning lamp ; (USA only) or 3 (Canada only) in the instrument cluster comes on.

58

Switching off headlamps

Turning off engine

Releasing seat belts

Getting started Parking and locking

왘 Turn exterior lamp switch

to M (컄 page 52).

For more information, see “Lighting” (컄 page 118).

왘 Manual transmission: Move the gear-

shift lever into first or reverse gear. 왘 Automatic transmission*: Place the

gear selector lever in position P.

Always set the parking brake in addi- tion to shifting to position P (manual transmission: first or reverse gear). On slopes, turn the front wheels towards the road curb.

왘 Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch

to position 0.

왘 Remove the SmartKey from the starter

switch. The immobilizer is activated.

Vehicles with automatic transmission: The SmartKey can only be removed from the starter switch with the gear selector lever in position P.

왘 Press the seat belt release button

(컄 page 46). Allow the retractor to completely rewind the seat belt by guiding the latch plate.

Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get caught or pinched in the door or in the seat mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or cause damage to the door and/or door trim panel. Such damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

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Getting started Parking and locking

Locking

Warning!

To prevent possible personal injury, always keep hands and fingers away from the door openings when closing the doors. Be espe- cially careful when small children are around.

Before closing doors, make sure there is no possibility of someone getting caught in a door during closing.

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왘 Exit the vehicle and close all doors. 왘 Press the lock button ‹ on the

SmartKey (컄 page 32). With the hood, trunk and all doors closed, all turn signal lamps flash three times. The locking knobs in the doors move down. The anti-theft alarm system* is armed.

For more information, see “Locking and unlocking” (컄 page 98).

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from the starter switch, take it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper- vised use of vehicle equipment may cause an accident and/or serious personal injury.

With the SmartKey removed and the driver’s door open, a warning sounds if the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not switched off. The message Switch off lights ap- pears in the multifunction display.

Safety and Security Occupant safety

Panic alarm*

Driving safety systems

Anti-theft systems

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

In this section you will learn the most im- portant facts about the restraint system components of the vehicle. Restraint system with 앫 Seat belts (컄 page 69) 앫 Child restraints (컄 page 82) 앫 Lower anchors and tethers for children

(LATCH) (컄 page 83)

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with 앫 Air bags (컄 page 63) 앫 Air bag control unit (with crash

sensors)

앫 Emergency tensioning device (ETD) for

seat belts (컄 page 72)

Air bag system components with 앫 56 indicator lamp (컄 page 80) 앫 Front passenger seat with Occupant

Classification System (OCS) (컄 page 77)

As independent systems, their protective effects work in conjunction with each other.

For information on infants and children traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint systems for infants and chil- dren, see “Children in the vehicle” (컄 page 74).

The SRS system conducts a self-test when the ignition is switched on and in regular intervals while the engine is running. This facilitates early detection of malfunctions. The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument cluster comes on when the ignition is switched on and goes out no later than a few seconds after the engine has been started. The SRS components are in operational readiness if the 1 indicator lamp is not lit when the engine is running. A malfunction in the system has been detected if the 1 indicator lamp: 앫 fails to go out after approximately

4 seconds after the engine was started

앫 does not come on at all 앫 comes on after the engine was started

or while driving.

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Warning!

In the event that the 1 indicator lamp comes on during driving or does not come on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a malfunction. For your safety, we strongly recommend that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have the system checked; otherwise the SRS may not deploy when needed in an accident, which could result in serious or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnec- essarily which could also result in injury.

In addition, improper work on the SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera- tive or causing unintended air bag deploy- ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only be performed by qualified technicians. Con- tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact your local authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372) for details.

Safety and Security Occupant safety

Air bags

Warning!

Air bags are designed to reduce the poten- tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im- pacts (front air bags) or side impacts (front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags* and head protection window cur- tain air bags). However, no system available today can totally eliminate injuries and fatal- ities.

The deployment of the air bags temporarily releases a small amount of dust from the air bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem- porary breathing difficulty for people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a window or door.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

Warning!

To reduce the risk of injury when the front air bags inflate, it is very important for the driver and front passenger to always be in a properly seated position and to wear their respective seat belts.

For maximum protection in the event of a collision always be in normal seated position with your back against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and ensure it is properly posi- tioned on your body.

Since the air bag inflates with considerable speed and force, a proper seating and hands on steering wheel position will help to keep you at a safe distance from the air bag. Occupants who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the air bag can be seriously injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates with great force in the blink of an eye: 앫 Sit properly belted in a nearly upright

position with your back against the seat backrest.

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앫 Adjust the driver seat as far as possible rearward, still permitting proper opera- tion of vehicle controls. The distance from the center of the driver’s breast- bone to the center of the air bag cover on the steering wheel must be at least 10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be able to accomplish this by a combina- tion of adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If you have any prob- lems, please see your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 Do not lean your head or chest close to

the steering wheel or dashboard.

앫 Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in- side the rim can increase the risk and potential severity of hand/arm injury when driver front air bag inflates.

앫 Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible rearward from the dashboard when the seat is occupied.

앫 Occupants, especially children, should never place their bodies or lean their heads in the area of the door or the rear side trim panel where the front side im- pact air bag and/or rear side impact air bag* inflates. This could result in se- rious injuries or death should the air bag be triggered. Always sit nearly upright, properly use the seat belts and use an appropriately sized infant or toddler re- straint or booster seat recommended for the size and weight of the child.

Failure to follow these instructions can re- sult in severe injuries to you or other occupants.

If you sell your vehicle, it is important that you make the buyer aware of this safety in- formation. Be sure to give the buyer this Operator’s Manual.

Warning!

Accident research shows that the safest place for children in an automobile is in the rear seat.

It should be noted that with respect to both front side impact air bag and/or rear side impact air bag* there is a possibility for a side impact air bag related injury if occu- pants, especially children, are not properly seated or restrained when next to a side im- pact air bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its job.

To help avoid the possibility of injury, please follow these guidelines:

(1) Occupants, especially children, should

never place their bodies or lean their heads in the area of the door where the front side impact air bag and/or rear side impact air bag* inflates. This could result in serious injuries or death should the front side impact air bag and/or rear side impact air bag* be activated.

(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use the seat belts and for children 12 years old and under, use an appropriately sized infant or toddler restraint or boost- er seat recommended for the size and weight of the child.

(3) Always wear seat belts properly.

If you believe that, even with the use of these guidelines, it would be safer for your rear seat occupants to have the rear mount- ed side impact air bags* deactivated, then deactivation can be accomplished upon your written request to do so at your autho- rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional cost.

Please contact your local authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372) for details.

Safety and Security Occupant safety

Air bags are designed to activate only in certain frontal impacts (front air bags), or side impacts (front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags* and head protection window curtain air bags) which exceed preset thresholds. Only during these types of impacts, if of sufficient severity to meet the deploy- ment thresholds, will they provide their supplemental protection. The driver and passengers should always wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for air bags to provide their supplemental protection. In cases of other frontal impacts, an- gled impacts, roll-overs, other side im- pacts, rear collisions, or other accidents, the air bags will not be acti- vated. The driver and the passenger will then be protected by the fastened seat belts.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

We caution you not to rely on the pres- ence of the air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt. Your vehicle was originally equipped with air bags that are designed to acti- vate in certain impacts exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the poten- tial and severity of injury. It is important to your safety and that of your passen- gers that you replace deployed air bags and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental crash protec- tion for occupants.

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Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency tensioning device and air bag

Warning!

앫 Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced and their anchoring points must also be checked. Only use belts in- stalled or supplied by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 Air bags and emergency tensioning de- vices (ETDs) are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD that was activated must be replaced. 앫 Do not pass belts over sharp edges.

They could tear.

앫 Do not make any modification that could

change the effectiveness of the belts. 앫 Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash they may not be able to provide ade- quate protection.

앫 No modifications of any kind may be made to any components or wiring of the SRS. This includes changing or re- moving any component or part of the SRS, the installation of additional trim material, badges etc. over the steering wheel hub, front passenger front air bag cover, outboard sides of the front seat backrests, door trim panels, or door frame trims, and installation of addition- al electrical/electronic equipment on or near SRS components and wiring. Keep area between air bags and occupants free from objects (e.g. packages, purs- es, umbrellas, etc.).

앫 Do not hang items such as coat hangers from the coat hooks or handles over the door. These items may turn into projec- tiles and cause head and other injuries when curtain air bag is deployed.

앫 Never place your feet on the instrument panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat.

앫 Air bag system components will be hot

after an air bag has inflated. Do not touch.

앫 In addition, improper repair work on the SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or causing unintended air bag deployment. Work on the SRS must therefore only be performed by qualified technicians. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 For your protection and the protection of others, when scrapping the air bag unit or emergency tensioning device, our safety instructions must be fol- lowed. These instructions are available from your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

앫 Given the considerable deployment

speed, required inflation volume, and the textile structure of the air bags, there is the possibility of abrasions or other, potentially more serious injuries resulting from air bag deployment.

When you sell your vehicle we strongly urge you to give notice to the subsequent owner that it is equipped with an SRS by alerting them to the applicable section in the Operator’s Manual.

Front air bags

1 Driver’s air bag 2 Passenger front air bag Driver and front passenger air bags are deployed 앫 in the event of certain frontal impacts 앫 if impact exceeds a preset deployment

threshold

앫 independently of the front side impact

air bags and/or rear side impact air bags*

Safety and Security Occupant safety

The front air bags in this vehicle have been designed to inflate in two stages. This allows the air bag to have different rates of inflation that are based on the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as assessed by the air bag control unit. On the front passenger side, the front air bag deployment is additionally influ- enced by the passenger’s weight cate- gory as identified by the Occupant Classification System (OCS) (컄 page 77). The lighter the front passenger side occupant, the higher the vehicle decel- eration rate required for the second stage inflation of the air bag.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

The air bags will not deploy in impacts which do not exceed the system’s deploy- ment thresholds. You will then be protect- ed by the fastened seat belts. The passenger front air bag will only be deployed if 앫 the system, based on OCS weight sen- sor readings, senses that the front pas- senger seat is occupied

앫 the 56 indicator lamp in the center console is not lit (컄 page 80) 앫 the impact exceeds a preset deploy-

ment threshold

Front side impact air bags, rear side im- pact air bags*, window curtain air bags

1 Window curtain air bag 2 Front side impact air bags 3 Rear side impact air bags*

The front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags* and window curtain air bags are deployed 앫 on the impacted side of the vehicle 앫 in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-

ment threshold

앫 independently of the front air bags The front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags* and window curtain air bags are not deployed in impacts which do not exceed the system’s deployment threshold. The front passenger side impact air bag will only deploy if the system senses that the front passenger seat is occupied.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

Seat belts

Always wear your seat belt. All vehicle occupants always need to have their seat belts fastened and wear them properly. In addition, applicable motor vehicle safety laws require you to wear seat belts. Even where this is not the case, we strongly recommend that all vehicle occupants have their seat belts fastened and wear them properly. For more information, see “Fastening the seat belt” (컄 page 45).

For information on infants and children traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint systems for infants and children, see “Children in the vehicle” (컄 page 74).

Warning!

Warning!

Always fasten your seat belt before driving off. Always make sure your passengers are properly restrained, even those sitting in the rear and pregnant women.

Failure to wear and properly fasten and po- sition your seat belt greatly increases your risk of injuries and their likely severity in an accident. You and your passengers should always wear seat belts.

If you are ever in an accident, your injuries can be considerably more severe without your seat belt properly buckled. Without your seat belt buckled, you are much more likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be ejected from it. You can be seriously injured or killed.

In the same crash, the possibility of injury or death is lessened if you are properly wearing your seat belt. Air bags can only protect as they are designed if the occupants are prop- erly wearing their seat belts.

Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat backrest in an excessively reclined position as this can be dangerous. You could slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under it, the belt would apply force at the abdomen or neck. That could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat belt provide the best restraint when the wearer is in a nearly upright position and the belt is properly positioned on the body.

Warning!

Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are seat belts available. Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly restrained with a separate seat belt. Never use a seat belt for more than one person at a time.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

Warning!

Warning!

Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced and their anchoring points must also be checked.

Only use seat belts which have been approved by Mercedes-Benz.

Do not make any modifications to the seat belts. This can lead to unintended activation of the ETDs or to failure.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may severely weaken them. In a crash, they may not be able to provide adequate protection.

Have all work carried out only by qualified technicians. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY 앫 Each occupant should wear his or her

seat belt at all times, because seat belts help reduce the likelihood and potential severity of injuries in accidents, includ- ing rollovers. The integrated restraint system includes SRS (driver air bag, passenger front air bag, front side im- pact air bags, rear side impact air bags*, head protection window cur- tain air bags for side windows), ETD (seat belt emergency tensioning device), and front seat knee bolsters. The system is designed to enhance the protection offered to properly belted oc- cupants in certain frontal (front air bags and ETD) and side (front side impact air bags, rear side impact air bags*, win- dow curtain air bags and ETD) impacts which exceed preset deployment thresholds.

앫 Seat belts can only work when used

properly. Never wear seat belts in any other way than as described in this sec- tion, as that could result in serious inju- ries in case of an accident.

앫 Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm, against your neck or off your shoul- der. In a crash, your body would move too far forward. That would increase the chance of head and neck injuries. The belt would also apply too much force to the ribs or abdomen, which could se- verely injure internal organs such as your liver or spleen.

앫 Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your clothing, such as eyeglasses, pens, keys etc., as these might cause injuries.

앫 Position the lap belt as low as possible on your hips and not across the abdo- men. If the belt is positioned across your abdomen, it could cause serious injuries in a crash.

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앫 Never use a seat belt for more than one person at a time. Do not fasten a seat belt around a person and another per- son or other objects.

앫 Belts should not be worn twisted. In a crash, you wouldn’t have the full width of the belt to manage impact forces. The twisted belt against your body could cause injuries.

앫 Pregnant women should also use a

lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion should be positioned as low as possible on the hips to avoid any possible pres- sure on the abdomen.

앫 Never place your feet on the instrument panel, dashboard or on the seat. Always keep both feet on the floor in front of the seat.

Enhanced seat belt reminder system When the engine is started, the seat belt telltale < illuminates for a maximum of 6 seconds and a warning chime sounds to remind you and your passengers to fasten your seat belts. If after these 6 seconds the driver’s or the front passenger’s seat belt (with the front passenger seat occupied) are not fastened with all doors closed, 앫 and the vehicle speed does not exceed

25 km/h, the seat belt telltale < remains illuminated for as long as ei- ther the driver's or front passenger’s seat belt is not fastened.

앫 and the vehicle speed exceeds

25 km/h, the seat belt telltale < starts flashing and a warning chime sounds with increasing intensity until both the driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt are fastened, or for a maxi- mum of 60 seconds from the time the

Safety and Security Occupant safety

vehicle speed exceeded 25 km/h if ei- ther the driver’s or front passenger's seat belt remains unfastened. If the driver’s or front passenger’s seat belt remains unfastened after 60 seconds, the seat belt telltale < stops flashing and the warning chime stops sounding. The seat belt telltale < then continues to be illu- minated for as long as either the driv- er’s or front passenger’s seat belt are not fastened.

The seat belt telltale < will only go out if both the driver and front passenger’s seat belt (with the front passenger seat oc- cupied) are fastened, or the vehicle is standing still and a front door is opened. For more information on the seat belt telltale <, see “Practical hints” (컄 page 355).

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

Emergency tensioning device (ETD), seat belt force limiter The seat belts for the front and rear outer seats are equipped with emergency tensioning devices and belt force limiters. The ETD is designed to activate in the following cases: 앫 in frontal or rear-end impacts

exceeding a preset severity level.

앫 if the restraint systems are operational

and functioning correctly, see 1 indicator lamp (컄 page 62).

The ETDs for the front seats will only activate if the respective front seat belt is fastened (latch plate properly inserted into buckle). The ETDs for the rear outer seats will activate with or without the respective seat belt fastened.

In an impact, emergency tensioning devices remove slack from the belts in such a way that the seat belts fit more snugly against the body. Belt force limiters reduce the force exerted by the seat belts on occupants during a crash.

Warning!

An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that was activated must be replaced.

When scrapping the emergency tensioning device, our safety instructions must be followed. These are available at your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

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Safety and Security Occupant safety

You cannot remove the active head re- straints on the driver’s and passenger’s seats. For removal of the active head restraints we recommend that you contact an autho- rized Mercedes-Benz Center. For information on head restraint adjust- ment, see “Seats” (컄 page 35). For information on resetting the activated active head restraints, see “Resetting acti- vated head restraints” (컄 page 394).

Warning!

For your protection, drive only with properly positioned head restraints.

Adjust head restraints so that the center of the head restraint supports the back of the head at eye level. This will reduce the poten- tial for injury to the head and neck in the event of an accident or similar situation.

Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head restraints. Head restraints are intend- ed to help reduce injuries during an accident.

Active head restraint

The active head restraint are intended to offer the driver and front passenger in- creased protection from head and neck in- jury. In the event of a rear-end collision, the active head restraints on the driver’s and front passenger’s seats are designed to move forward in the direction of travel, providing the head with increased support earlier on in the collision sequence. The ac- tive head restraints move forward whether