2003 Mercedes-benz C Class Owners Manual

Fuel consumption statistics after start 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly

Fuel consumption since last reset 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly

until you see the first function of the Trip computer menu.

until you see the first function of the Trip computer menu.

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly

until you see this message in the display: AFTER START.

until you see this message in the display: AFTER RESET.

1 Distance driven since start 2 Time elapsed since start 3 Average fuel consumption since start 4 Average speed since start

1 Distance driven since last reset 2 Time elapsed since last reset 3 Average fuel consumption since last

reset

4 Average speed since last reset

Controls in detail Control system

All statistics stored since the last engine start will be reset approximately four hours after the key in the starter switch is turned to position 0 or removed from the starter switch. Resetting will not occur if you turn the key back to position 1 or 2 within this time period.

Resetting fuel consumption statistics 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly

Call up range (distance to empty) 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly

until you see the first function of the Trip computer menu.

until you see the first function of the Trip computer menu.

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly until you see the reading that you want to reset in the display.

왘 Press and hold the reset knob in the instrument cluster (컄 page 22) until the value is reset to 0.

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly

until you see this message in the display: RANGE. In the display you will see the calculated range based on the current fuel tank level.

133

Controls in detail Control system

TEL menu*

Warning!

A driver’s attention to the road must always be his/her primary focus when driving. For your safety and the safety of others, we recommend that you pull over to a safe location and stop before placing or taking a telephone call. If you choose to use the telephone while driving, please use the hands-free device and only use the telephone when weather, road and traffic conditions permit.

Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.

Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph (approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is covering a distance of approximately 44 feet (approximately 13.5 m) every second.

134

Never operate radio transmitters equipped with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with- out being connected to an external antenna) from inside the vehicle while the engine is running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc- tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, possibly resulting in an accident and personal injury.

You can use the functions in the TEL menu to operate your telephone, provided it is connected to a hands-free system and switched on. 왘 Switch on the telephone and

COMAND*.

왘 Press button ÿ or è on the

steering wheel repeatedly until you see the TEL menu in the display.

Which messages will appear in the display field depends on whether your telephone is switched on or off: 앫 If the telephone is off, the message in the multifunction display is: TEL OFF.

앫 If the telephone is on:

The telephone will then search for a network. During this time the display is empty. As soon as the telephone has found a network, READY is indicated in the display.

1 Signal strength

This standby message indicates that your telephone is ready for use and you can operate it using the control system.

Vehicles with audio system: In top right corner; the higher the number, the stronger the signal received from the net. Vehicles with COMAND*: In top left corner; the higher the number of bars, the stronger the signal received from the net.

Answering a call When your telephone is ready to receive calls, you can answer a call at any time. In the display you will then see the message:

왘 Press button í.

You have answered the call. In the display you see the length of the call.

Ending a call 왘 Press button ì.

You have ended the call. In the display you will again see the standby message.

Controls in detail Control system

Dialing a number from the phone book If your telephone is ready to receive calls, you may select and dial a number from the phone book at any time. 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly until you see the TEL menu in the dis- play.

왘 Press button j or k.

The control system reads the phone book which is stored in the telephone. This may take up to 30 seconds. In the display you will see the message PLEASE WAIT!. When the message PLEASE WAIT! disappears, the phone book has been loaded.

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly until the desired name appears in the display. The stored names are displayed in in- creasing or decreasing alphabetical order.

컄컄

135

Controls in detail Control system

If you press and hold j or k for longer than one second, the system scrolls rapidly through the list of names until you release the button again. Cancel the quick search mode by pressing ì.

왘 Press button í.

The system dials the selected phone number. 앫 If connection is successful, the

name of the party you called and the duration of the call will appear in the display.

앫 If no connection is made, the

control system stores the dialed number in the redial memory.

Redialing The control system stores the most recently dialed phone numbers. This eliminates the need to search through your entire phone book. 왘 Press button ÿ or è repeatedly

until you see the TEL menu in the display.

왘 Press button í.

In the display you see the first number in the redial memory.

왘 Press button j or k repeatedly until the desired name appears in the display.

왘 Press button í.

The control system dials the selected phone number.

136

Manual transmission Information for driving with a manual transmission is found in the “Getting start- ed” section (컄 page 44).

Also, when parked on an incline, an engaged first or reverse gear alone may not prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people or objects.

Always set the parking brake in addition to engaging first or reverse gear (컄 page 51). When parked on an incline, turn front wheels towards the road curb.

Warning!

Gearshift lever Do not exceed the maximum speed in the individual gears. Refer to tachometer (컄 page 109) for engine speeds.

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key 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 move the gearshift lever, which could result in an accident and/or serious injury.

Controls in detail Manual transmission

This could result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of control.

Downshifting gears leading to overrev- ving the engine can result in engine damage that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill by using the clutch pedal. The clutch may be damaged which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warran- ty. Do not exceed the engine speed limits (컄 page 109).

Shifting into reverse

For vehicles equipped with a manual trans- mission, getting out of your vehicle with the gearshift lever not engaged in first or re- verse gear and parking brake engaged is dangerous.

Warning!

왘 Stop the vehicle completely. 왘 Pull gearshift lever up and shift in R

reverse.

On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order to obtain braking action.

137

Controls in detail Automatic transmission* Automatic transmission* Information for driving with an automatic transmission is found in the “Getting start- ed” section (컄 page 44). Your transmission adapts its gear shifting process to your individual driving style by continually adjusting the shift points up or down. These shift point adjustments are performed based on current operating and driving conditions. If the operating conditions change the au- tomatic transmission reacts by adjusting its gear shift program.

During the brief warm-up the transmis- sion upshifting is delayed. This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more quickly to operating temperatures.

138

The automatic transmission selects indi- vidual gears automatically, depending on 앫 the selector lever position D with gear

ranges 4, 3, 2, 1 (컄 page 140)

앫 the selected shift program (W/S)

(컄 page 142)

앫 the position of the accelerator pedal

(컄 page 143)

앫 the vehicle speed The current selector lever position and shift program (W/S) appear in the speed- ometer display (컄 page 111). An additional indication of the current se- lector lever position can be found on the cover of the shifting-gate. The indicators come on when you activate a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or opening a door) and go out after approximately 15 minutes.

Warning!

It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of P or N if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit someone or something. Only shift into gear when the en- gine is idling normally and when your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

When the selector lever is in position D, you can influence transmission shifting by 앫 limiting the gear range 앫 changing gears yourself

Controls in detail Automatic transmission*

To avoid overrevving the engine when the selector lever is moved to the D– direction, the transmission will not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s max. speed would be exceeded.

Upshifting 왘 Briefly press the selector lever to the

right in the D+ direction.

The transmission will shift from the current gear to the next higher gear as permitted by the shift program. This action simulta- neously extends the gear range of the transmission.

Canceling gear range limit 왘 Press and hold the selector lever in the

D+ direction until D reappears in the tachometer display field.

The transmission will shift from the current gear range directly to gear range D.

Shifting into optimal gear range 왘 Press and hold the gear selector lever

in the D– direction.

The transmission will automatically select the gear range suited for optimal accelera- tion and deceleration. This will involve shifting down one or more gears.

One-touch gearshifting

Even with an automatic transmission you can change the gears yourself when the selector lever is in position D.

Downshifting 왘 Briefly press the selector lever to the

left in the D– direction.

The transmission will shift from the current gear to the next lower gear. This action si- multaneously limits the gear range of the transmission (컄 page 140).

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.

139

Controls in detail Automatic transmission*

Gear ranges

With the selector lever in position D, you can limit the transmission’s gear range by pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re- verse the gear range limit by pressing the lever to the right (D+). The selected gear range will appear in the tachometer display field. If you press on the accelerator when the engine has reached its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift beyond any gear range limit selected.

Effect

Gear range é The transmission shifts through fourth gear only. è The transmission shifts through third gear only. With this selection you can use the braking effect of the engine.

140

Effect

Gear range ç The transmission shifts

through second gear only. Allows the use of engine’s braking power when driving 앫 on steep downgrades 앫 in mountainous regions 앫 under extreme operating

conditions

æ The transmission operates

only in first gear. For maximum use of engine’s braking effect on very steep or lengthy downgrades.

Gear selector lever position

Effect

Park position Selector position when the vehicle is parked. Only place selector lever in position P when vehicle is stopped. The park position is not in- tended to serve as a brake when the vehicle is parked. Rather, the driver should always set the park- ing brake in addition to placing the selector lever in position P to se- cure the vehicle. The key can only be removed from the starter switch with the selector lever in position P. With the key re- moved the selector lever is locked in position P.

Effect

R Reverse gear

Place selector lever in position R only when vehicle is stopped.

N Neutral

No power is transmitted from the engine to the drive axle. When the brakes are released, the vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed). To avoid damage to the transmis- sion, never engage N while driving. If ESP is deactivated or malfunc- tioning: Only move selector lever to N if the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on icy roads).

D Drive

The transmission shifts automati- cally. All five forward gears are available.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission*

Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other reason with selector lever in N can result in transmission damage that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Warning!

Getting out of your vehicle with the selector lever not fully engaged in position P is dan- gerous. Also, position P alone is not intend- ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people or ob- jects.

Always set the parking brake in addition to shifting to position P (컄 page 51). When parked on an incline, turn the front wheels towards the road curb.

141

Controls in detail Automatic transmission*

Warning!

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the key 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 move the selector lever from position P, which could result in an accident and/or serious injury.

142

Program mode selector switch

왘 Press the program mode selector

switch repeatedly until the letter of the desired shift program appears in the multifunction display (컄 page 111). Select W for winter driving: 앫 The vehicle starts out in second

gear (both forward and reverse) for gentler starts. This does not apply if full throttle is applied or gear range 1 is selected.

앫 Traction and driving stability are im-

proved on icy roads.

앫 Upshifts occur earlier even when

you give more gas. The engine then operates at lower rpms and the wheels are less likely to spin.

앫 The power transmission ratio for se- lector lever position R changes de- pending on the program mode selected (W or S).

1 Program mode selector switch S Standard W Winter

For regular driving For winter driving

Never change the program mode when the selector lever is out of position P. It could result in a change of driving char- acteristics for which you may not be prepared.

Accelerator position

Your driving style influences the transmis- sion’s shifting behavior: Less throttle More throttle

Earlier upshifting Later upshifting

Kickdown Use kickdown when you want maximum acceleration. 왘 Press the accelerator past the point of

resistance. The transmission shifts into a lower gear.

왘 Ease on the accelerator when you have

reached the desired speed. The transmission shifts up again.

Controls in detail Automatic transmission*

Emergency operation (Limp Home Mode)

If vehicle acceleration worsens or the transmission no longer shifts, the trans- mission is most likely operating in limp home (emergency operation) mode. In this mode only second gear and reverse gear can be activated. 왘 Stop the vehicle. 왘 Move selector lever to P. 왘 Turn off the engine. 왘 Wait at least ten seconds before

restarting.

왘 Restart the engine. 왘 Move selector lever to position D (for

second gear) or R.

왘 Have the transmission checked at an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

143

Controls in detail Good visibility Good visibility Information on the windshield wipers (컄 page 48) and for setting the rear view mirrors (컄 page 39) is found in the “Get- ting started” section.

The rear view mirror will not react if 앫 reverse gear is engaged 앫 the interior lighting is turned on

Rear view mirror

Warning!

The automatic antiglare function does not react if incoming light is not aimed directly at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.

The inside rear view mirror and the exterior rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not react, for example, if the rear window sun- shade is in raised position.

Glare can endanger you and others.

Inside rear view mirror, antiglare position Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night posi- tion using the lever at its lower edge.

Automatic antiglare rear view mirror* The reflection brightness of the exterior rear view mirror on the driver’s side and the inside rear view mirror will respond au- tomatically to glare when 앫 the ignition is switched on, and 앫 incoming light from headlamps falls on the sensor in the inside rear view mir- ror.

144

Warning!

In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte may escape from 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 passenger 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- side rear view mirror or glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.

Controls in detail Good visibility

The exterior rear view mirror returns to its previously stored driving position: 앫 ten seconds after you put the gear

selector lever out of position R

앫 immediately once you exceed a vehicle

speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)

앫 immediately when you press the button

for driver’s side mirror (컄 page 39)

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

Activating exterior rear view mirror parking position Follow these steps to activate the mirror parking position so that the passenger-side exterior rear view mirror will be turned downward to the stored position. 왘 Make sure you stored a parking

position for the passenger-side exterior rear view mirror (컄 page 100).

왘 Make sure that the MIRROR SETTING WHEN PARKING function, found under the CONVENIENCE submenu in the control system, is switched to ON (컄 page 131).

왘 Switch on ignition. 왘 Press button 3 (컄 page 39) for the pas-

senger-side exterior rear view mirror.

왘 Place the gear selector lever in reverse

gear R. The passenger-side exterior rear view mirror will be turned downward to the stored position.

145

Controls in detail Good visibility

Headlamp cleaning system*

Sun visors

The switch is located on the left side of the dashboard.

The sun visors protect you from sun glare while driving.

Warning!

Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.

Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare can endanger you and others.

왘 Swing sun visors down when you

experience glare.

1 Mounting 2 Mirror cover 3 Mirror lamp 4 Sun visor 왘 To use illuminated mirror, lift up

cover 2.

If sunlight enters through a side window, disengage sun visor from mounting 1 and pivot to the side. The mirror lamp 3 will switch off.

1 Headlamp washer switch 왘 Switch on ignition. 왘 Press switch 1.

The headlamps are cleaned with a high-pressure water jet.

Information on filling up the washer reservoir can be found in the “Operation” section (컄 page 241).

146

Rear window sunshade*

The switch is located in the center console.

Warning!

Warning!

Controls in detail Good visibility

When operating the rear window sunshade, make sure that there is no danger of anyone being harmed by the raising or lowering pro- cedure.

The raising or lowering procedure can be im- mediately halted by briefly pressing the up- per or lower half of the switch.

Briefly press upper or lower half of the switch again to raise or lower the rear win- dow sunshade completely.

When leaving the vehicle, always remove the SmartKey from starter switch, and lock your vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip- ment can cause an accident and/or serious personal injury.

왘 Turn the key to starter switch

position 1 or 2.

왘 Press the switch briefly at 1 to raise the

sunshade.

왘 Press the switch briefly at 2 to lower

the sunshade.

Always raise the sunshade fully for its sup- port against the window frame.

147

Controls in detail Climate control Climate control

148

Item

1 Air volume control for left center air

vent

2 Left center air vent, adjustable 3 Right center air vent, adjustable 4 Air volume control for right center

air vent

5 Air volume control for side air vent 6 Side air vent, adjustable 7 Side defroster vent, fixed 8 Climate control panel

For draft-free ventilation, move the slid- ers for the center air vents to the mid- dle position.

Climate control panel

Controls in detail Climate control

Item

1 Air volume control 2 Left-side temperature control 3 Right-side temperature control 4 Air distribution control switch 5 Rear window defroster 6 AC cooling on/off (ACOFF) 7 Air distribution and air volume

(automatic)

8 Air recirculation 9 Defrosting

The storage compartment between the front seats can be ventilated (컄 page 155). Information about “Rear passenger com- partment adjustable air vents” (컄 page 155).

149

Controls in detail Climate control

The climate control is operational whenev- er the engine is running. You can operate the climate control system in either the au- tomatic or manual mode. The system cools or heats the interior depending on the se- lected interior temperature and the cur- rent outside temperature. Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and odors are filtered out before outside air en- ters the passenger compartment through the air distribution system. The air conditioning will not engage (no cooling) if the ACOFF mode is selected (컄 page 154).

150

Warning!

Setting the temperature

Follow the recommended settings for heat- ing and cooling given on the following pag- es. Otherwise the windows could fog up, impairing visibility and endangering you and others.

If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior before driving off. Keep the air intake grille in front of the windshield free of snow and debris. Do not obstruct air flow by placing ob- jects on the air flow-through exhaust slots below the rear window.

Use the temperature controls 2 and 3 (컄 page 149) to separately adjust the air temperature on each side of the passenger compartment. You should raise or lower the temperature setting in small incre- ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).

Increasing 왘 Turn the control slightly to the right. The climate control system will corre- spondingly adjust the interior air tem- perature.

Decreasing 왘 Turn the control slightly to the left.

The climate control system will corre- spondingly adjust the interior air tem- perature.

Adjusting automatically 왘 Press the U button.

The indicator lamp on the button comes on. The air distribution and vol- ume is adjusted automatically.

Windshield fogged on the outside 왘 Switch the windshield wipers on. 왘 Switch to manual mode. 왘 Turn the air distribution control

to a or Y.

Adjusting air distribution and volume

Use the air distribution control 4 (컄 page 149) to adjust the air distribution. The following symbols are found on the controls:

Symbol Function a Directs air through the center,

side and rear passenger compartment air vents

Z Directs air to the windows X Directs air into the entire

vehicle interior

Y Directs air to the footwells

Adjusting manually 왘 Press the U button.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

왘 Select any of the six air volume speeds

using the air volume control 1 (컄 page 149) and the air distribution.

Controls in detail Climate control

Defrosting

These settings should only be selected for a short time.

Activating 왘 Press button P.

The indicator lamp on the button comes on.

or 왘 Switch off air recirculation, if selected.

Press button O. The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

왘 Close center air vents. 왘 Open left and right side air vents and

adjust side air vents upwards.

151

Controls in detail Climate control

Deactivating 왘 Press button P.

Activating 왘 Press button O.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out. Defrosting is turned off.

The indicator lamp on the button comes on.

Air recirculation mode

Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle from the outside. This setting cuts off the intake of outside air and recirculates the air in the passenger compartment.

Warning!

When the outside temperature is below 41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation mode for short periods to prevent window fogging.

If you keep button O pressed the side windows and sliding/pop-up roof* will be closed. The air recirculation mode is activated automatically at high outside tempera- tures. If you have turned off the air condition- ing (컄 page 154) or the outside temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will not switch on automatically.

Deactivating 왘 Press button O.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

152

If you keep button O pressed the side windows and sliding/pop-up roof* will be returned to their previous posi- tion.

The air recirculation mode is deactivated automatically: 앫 after five minutes if the outside temper-

ature is below approximately 41°F (5°C)

앫 after five minutes if the air conditioning

is turned off

앫 after 30 minutes if the outside temper-

ature is above approximately 41°F (5°C)

At outside temperatures above 79°F (26°C) the system will not automatically switch back to outside air. A quantity of outside air is added after approximately 30 minutes.

Controls in detail Climate control

Warning!

Deactivating the climate control system

Deactivating 왘 Set the air volume control (컄 page 149) to position 0.

Reactivating 왘 Set the air volume control (컄 page 149) to any speed.

Any accumulation of snow and ice should be removed from the rear window before driv- ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired, endangering you and others.

If the rear window defroster switches off too soon and the indicator lamp starts blinking, this means that too many electrical consumers are operat- ing simultaneously and there is insuffi- cient voltage in the battery. The system responds automatically by deactivating the rear window defroster. As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the rear window defroster au- tomatically turns itself back on.

Rear window defroster

The rear window defroster uses a large amount of power. To keep the battery drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost- er as soon as the rear window is clear. The defroster is automatically deactivated af- ter approximately 6 to 17 minutes of oper- ation depending on the outside temperature.

Activating 왘 Press button F.

The indicator lamp on the button lights up.

Deactivating 왘 Press button F again.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

153

Activating Moist air can fog up the windows. You can dehumidify the air with the air condition- ing. 왘 Press ACOFF again (컄 page 149).

The indicator lamp on the button ACOFF goes out.

The air conditioning uses the refrigerant R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFC’s which are harmful to the ozone layer.

If the air conditioning cannot be turned on again, this indicates that the air con- ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com- pressor has turned itself off. Have the air conditioning checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Controls in detail Climate control

Air conditioning

The air conditioning is operational while the engine is running and cools the interior air to the temperature set by the operator.

Condensation may drip out from under- neath the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication of a malfunction.

Deactivating It is possible to deactivate the air condi- tioning (cooling) function of the climate control system. The air in the vehicle will then no longer be cooled or dehumidified. 왘 Press button ACOFF (컄 page 149).

The indicator lamp on the button ACOFF lights up.

154

Ventilated storage compartment

The front center console storage compart- ment has its own air vent that allows for cooling ventilation when the automatic cli- mate control system is activated.

Opening the air vent 왘 Raise lever 1.

Closing the air vent 왘 Lower lever 1.

You should keep this air vent closed when outside temperatures are low.

The compartment can get very warm due to its confined space. When storing heat sensitive objects in the compart- ment, close the air vent while heating the passenger compartment.

Do not obstruct the air vent in the storage compartment.

1 Lever

Controls in detail Climate control

Rear passenger compartment adjust- able air vents

1 Center air vent, left 2 Thumbwheel for air volume control for

center air vents

3 Center air vent, right To open center air vents: 왘 Turn thumbwheel 2 upward.

The temperature at the air vents for the rear passenger compartment 1 and 3 is the same as at the dashboard center air vents.

155

Controls in detail Automatic climate control* Automatic climate control*

156

Item

1 Air volume control for left center air

vent

2 Left center air vent, adjustable 3 Thumbwheel for adding outside air 4 Right center air vent, adjustable 5 Air volume control for right center

air vent

6 Air volume control for side air vent 7 Side air vent, adjustable 8 Side defroster vent, fixed 9 Automatic climate control panel

For draft-free ventilation, move the slid- ers for the center air vents to the mid- dle position.

Automatic climate control panel

Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

Item

1 Temperature control, left, raising 2 Left-side air distribution control (automatic or manual operation)

3 Activated charcoal filter 4 Display 5 Right-side air distribution control (automatic or manual operation)

6 Temperature control, right, raising 7 Temperature control, right,

lowering

8 Rear window defroster 9 AC cooling on/off (ACOFF) Residual heat/ventilation

10 Air volume control 11 Automatic climate control on/off

(complete system)

12 Air recirculation 13 Defrosting 14 Temperature control, left, lowering

157

Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

The automatic climate control is operation- al whenever the engine is running. You can operate the climate control system in ei- ther the automatic or manual mode. The system cools or heats the interior depend- ing on the selected interior temperature and the current outside temperature. Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and odors are filtered out before outside air en- ters the passenger compartment through the air distribution system. The air conditioning will not engage (no cooling) if the ACOFF mode is selected (컄 page 149).

Warning!

Follow the recommended settings for heat- ing and cooling given on the following pag- es. Otherwise the windows could fog up, impairing visibility and endangering you and others.

158

If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior before driving off. Keep the air intake grille in front of the windshield free of snow and debris. Do not obstruct air flow by placing ob- jects on the air flow-through exhaust slots below the rear window.

Setting the temperature

Use temperature controls 1 and 14 for the left side or 6 and 7 for the right side to separately adjust the air temperature on each side of the passenger compartment. You should raise or lower the temperature setting in small increments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).

When operating the climate control system in automatic mode, you will only rarely need to adjust the tempera- ture, air volume and air distribution.

Increasing 왘 Push temperature control 1 and/or 6. The automatic climate control system will correspondingly adjust the interior air temperature.

Decreasing 왘 Push temperature control 7

and/or 14. The automatic climate control system will correspondingly adjust the interior air temperature.

Adding outside air 왘 Turn thumbwheel 3 in dashboard

(컄 page 156) to increase airflow of out- side air through air vents for center, left and right sides and rear passenger compartment.

Adjusting automatically 왘 Press left or right U button.

The indicator lamp on the button comes on. The air distribution is adjusted automatically.

Windshield fogged on the outside 왘 Switch the windshield wipers on. 왘 Switch to manual mode. 왘 Turn the air distribution control

to a or Y.

Adjusting air distribution

Use air distribution controls 2 and 5 (컄 page 157) to separately adjust the air distribution on each side of the passenger compartment. The following symbols are found on the controls:

Symbol Function a Directs air through the center,

side and rear passenger compartment air vents

Z Directs air to the windows X Directs air into the entire

vehicle interior

Y Directs air to the footwells

Adjusting manually 왘 Press left or right U button.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out. The air distribution can be adjusted manually.

Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

Adjusting air volume

Adjusting manually Seven blower speeds are available. 왘 Press left M or right Q side of air

volume control switch until the re- quested blower speed is attained. The display “Auto” disappears and the automatic mode is switched off. The selected blower speed is shown in the display.

Adjusting automatically 왘 Press left or right U button.

The indicator lamp on the button comes on. The air volume is adjusted automatically.

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Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

Maximum cooling MAXCOOL

Defrosting

Air recirculation mode

If the left and right air distribution controls as well as the airflow volume control are set to U and there is a high need for cooling, the display “AUTO MAXCOOL” ap- pears. This provides the fastest possible cooling of the vehicle interior (when windows and sliding/pop-up roof* are closed).

Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle from the outside. This setting cuts off the intake of outside air and recirculates the air in the passenger compartment.

Warning!

When the outside temperature is below 41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation mode for short periods to prevent window fogging.

Activating 왘 Press button O.

The indicator lamp on the button lights up.

These settings should only be selected for a short time.

Activating 왘 Press button P.

The indicator lamp on the button lights up.

왘 Switch off air recirculation, if selected. 왘 Press button O.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

왘 Close center air vents. 왘 Adjust side air vents upwards.

Deactivating 왘 Press button P.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out. Defrosting is turned off.

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Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

If you keep button O pressed, the side windows and the sliding/pop-up roof* will be closed. The air recirculation mode is activated automatically: 앫 at high outside temperatures 앫 if the concentration of carbon mon- oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out- side air increases, for example in a tunnel Please note that the charcoal filter must be activated (see below) for the air recirculation mode to be activated automatically.

If you have turned off the air condition- ing (컄 page 163) or the outside temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the air recirculation mode will not switch on automatically.

Deactivating 왘 Press button O.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

If you keep button O pressed the side windows and the sliding/pop-up roof* will be returned to their previous position.

The air recirculation mode is deactivated automatically: 앫 after five minutes if the outside temper-

ature is below approximately 41°F (5°C)

앫 after five minutes if the air conditioning

is turned off

앫 after 30 minutes if the outside temper-

ature is above approximately 41°F (5°C)

At outside temperatures above 79°F (26°C) the system will not automatically switch back to outside air. A quantity of outside air is added after approximately 30 minutes.

Charcoal filter

An activated charcoal filter markedly re- duces bad odors and removes pollutants from air entering the passenger compart- ment.

Activating 왘 Press button e.

The indicator lamp on the button lights up.

The system switches automatically to the air recirculation mode if the carbon monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxide (NOX) concentration of the outside air increases beyond a predetermined level.

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Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

If you keep button e pressed, the side windows and the sliding/pop-up roof* will be closed.

The activated charcoal filter should be switched off when windows fog up on the inside, or if the passenger compartment needs to be quickly heated or cooled down.

Deactivating 왘 Press button F again.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

Deactivating 왘 Press button e.

The indicator lamp on the button goes out.

If you keep button e pressed, the side windows and the sliding/pop-up roof* will be returned to their previous position.

The automatic air recirculation mode does not function if the ACOFF mode is selected or if the outside temperature has fallen below 41°F (5°C).

Rear window defroster

Warning!

The rear window defroster uses a large amount of power. To keep the battery drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost- er as soon as the rear window is clear. The defroster is automatically deactivated af- ter approximately 6 to 17 minutes of oper- ation depending on the outside temperature.

Activating 왘 Press button F.

The indicator lamp on the button lights up.

Any accumulation of snow and ice should be removed from the rear window before driv- ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired, endangering you and others.

If the rear window defroster switches off too soon and the indicator lamp starts blinking, this means that too many electrical consumers are operat- ing simultaneously and there is insuffi- cient voltage in the battery. The system responds automatically by deactivating the rear window defroster. As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the rear window defroster au- tomatically turns itself back on.

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Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

Air conditioning

The air conditioning is operational while the engine is running and cools the interior air to the temperature set by the operator.

Condensation may drip out from under- neath the vehicle. This is normal and not an indication of a malfunction.

Deactivating It is possible to deactivate the air condi- tioning (cooling) function of the automatic climate control system. The air in the vehi- cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu- midified. 왘 Press button ACOFF.

The indicator lamp on the button ACOFF lights up.

Activating Moist air can fog up the windows. You can dehumidify the air with the air condition- ing. 왘 Press ACOFF again.

The indicator lamp on the button ACOFF goes out.

The air conditioning uses the refrigerant R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs which are harmful to the ozone layer.

If the air conditioning cannot be turned on again, this indicates that the air con- ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com- pressor has turned itself off. Have the air conditioning checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Residual heat and ventilation*

With the engine switched off, it is possible to continue to heat or ventilate the interior for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes use of the residual heat produced by the engine.

Activating 왘 Turn the key in the starter switch to

position 1 or remove it from the starter switch.

왘 Press button T.

The indicator lamp on button T comes on.

Deactivating 왘 Press button T.

The indicator lamp on button T goes off.

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Controls in detail Automatic climate control*

The residual heat is automatically turned off 앫 when the ignition is switched on 앫 after about 30 minutes 앫 if the battery voltage drops

How long the system will provide heat- ing depends on the coolant tempera- ture and the temperature set by the operator. The blower will run at speed setting 1 regardless of the air distribu- tion control setting.

164

Rear passenger compartment adjust- able air vents

Four blower speeds are available. The temperature at the air vents for rear passenger compartment 1 and 3 is the same as at the dashboard center air vents.

1 Center air vent, left 2 Thumbwheel for air volume control for

center air vents

3 Center air vent, right 4 Closing center air vents 5 Opening center air vents 6 Switching on blower

Adjusting the air volume 왘 Turn thumbwheel 2.

Audio system Audio and telephone, operation

These instructions are intended to help you become acquainted with your Mercedes-Benz car radio. They contain useful tips and a detailed description of the user functions.

Warning!

In order to avoid distraction which could lead to an accident, system settings should be entered with the vehicle at standstill and systems should be operated by the driver only when traffic conditions permit. Always pay full attention to traffic conditions first before operating system controls while driv- ing.

Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph (approximately 50 km/h), your car is cover- ing a distance of approximately 44 feet (ap- proximately 13.5 m) every second.1

1 The right to correct errors and make technical

amendments is reserved.

Operating safety

Warning!

Any alterations made to electronic compo- nents can cause malfunctions.

The radio, cassette deck, CD changer*, telephone* and voice control system* are interconnected. When one of the compo- nents is not operational or has not been removed/replaced properly, the function of other components may be impaired.

This condition might seriously impair the operating safety of your vehicle.

We recommend that you have any service work on electronic components carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Controls in detail Audio system

165

Controls in detail Audio system

Operating and display elements

166

Controls in detail Audio system

Item

1 CD mode selector 2 Manual tuning

(radio) Fast forward/reverse (cassette, CD) Speed dialing memory (telephone*)

3 Radio mode selector 4 Display

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172

176, 180
185

171

Item

Page

Item

5 Alpha-numeric keypad

Band selection, station buttons (radio) CD selection (CD) Telephone number entry, retrieving speed dialing memory (telephone*) 6 Scanning (radio, cas-

sette, CD)

7 Function button 8 Soft keys

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179
182

173, 176, 180
172
168

9 Cassette eject 10 Cassette mode selector 11 Telephone* mode selec-

tor

12 Seek tuning (radio)

Track search (cassette, CD) Speed dialing memory (telephone*)

13 On /off Volume

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182

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175, 180
185

168
168

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Controls in detail Audio system

Button and soft key operation

In these instructions, the alpha-numeric keypad (right side of radio face) and the function buttons (left side of the radio face) are referred to as “buttons” and the four keys under the display are referred to as “soft keys”.

Do not press directly on the radio dis- play face.

Operation

Switching on/off Switching on: 왘 Turn the key to position 1 or 2 in the

starter switch. or

왘 Turn control knob a.

168

If the radio is turned on without the key in the ignition, it will automatically turn off again after approx. 30 minutes.

Switching off: 왘 Remove the key from the starter

switch. or

왘 Turn control knob a.

Adjusting the volume 왘 Turn control knob a.

The volume will increase or decrease according to the direction turned.

If your vehicle was equipped with a telephone* and voice control system*, and both are connected to the car radio, their volume can be adjusted separately while the telephone* is being used or voice control system* is activated.

Adjusting audio functions In radio, cassette and CD mode, press the AUD key to call up the bass, treble, balance and fader functions. Settings for bass and treble are stored sep- arately for the AM (medium wave, long wave, short wave) and FM (ultra-short wave) frequency bands, cassette mode and CD mode.

Bass 왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press

the AUD key repeatedly until BASS ap- pears on the display.

Treble 왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press the AUD key repeatedly until TREBLE ap- pears on the display.

왘 Press the + or - key to increase or de-

왘 Press the + or - key to increase or de-

crease the tone level accordingly. or

crease the tone level accordingly. or

왘 Press both the + and - keys simulta-

neously to reset the bass tones to the center (flat) level.

왘 Press both the + and - keys simulta- neously to reset the treble tones to their center (flat) level.

Controls in detail Audio system

Fader

Your vehicle may or may not have the fader function, depending on the vehi- cle equipment and model.

왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press the AUD key repeatedly until FADER ap- pears on the display.

왘 Press the F or R key to shift the sound

accordingly. or

왘 Press both the F and R keys simulta-

neously to reset the fader to its center level.

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Controls in detail Audio system

Balance 왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press

the AUD key repeatedly until BALANCE appears on the display.

Returning audio functions to factory set- tings

왘 Press the L or R key to shift the sound

accordingly. or

왘 Press both the L and R keys simulta-

neously to reset the balance to its cen- ter level.

왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press and hold the AUD key longer than two seconds. RESET will appear on the dis- play. All settings for bass, treble and balance are returned to center and the volume is set to a predefined level.

Audio system sound selection (EXT)* 왘 In radio, cassette and CD mode, press

the AUD key. The sound settings menu appears on the display.

왘 Press the EXT key.

왘 Press one of the function keys.

You can select from among the follow- ing settings: 앫 DRV: The tone level is set to the

“Driver” position, sound is directed toward the passengers.

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앫 SP: The tone level is set for

Radio mode

“Speech”, optimizing the sound for spoken language.

앫 AMB: The tone level is set for “Ambi-

ence”, producing a three-dimen- sional sound.

앫 OFF: The audio system sound selec-

tion is turned off.

Telephone* muting If a telephone has been installed in the ve- hicle, the radio will switch to telephone mode when a call is received. The current audio source is muted.

Selecting radio mode 왘 Press the b button.

Selecting the band You can select from among FM, AM or WB frequency bands. FM frequency band: FM (ultra-short wave) 87.9......107.9 MHz AM frequency bands: MW (medium wave) 530......1710 KHz WB (long wave) approx. 162 KHz

Controls in detail Audio system

Selecting FM band 왘 Press the FM function button.

FM appears in the upper right-hand cor- ner of the display.

Selecting AM band 왘 Press the AM function button.

AM appears in the upper right-hand cor- ner of the display.

Selecting a station The following options are available for se- lecting a station: 앫 Direct frequency band input 앫 Manual tuning 앫 Automatic seek tuning 앫 Scan tuning 앫 Station buttons 앫 Automatic station memory (Autostore)

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Controls in detail Audio system

Direct frequency input (AM and FM only) Select the desired frequency band.

Manual tuning 왘 Select the desired band.

Automatic seek tuning 왘 Select the desired frequency band.

왘 Press the “ button. 왘 Enter the desired frequency with the

buttons 1 to 0.

You can only enter frequencies within the respective waveband. If a button is not pressed within four seconds, the radio will return to the last tuned station.

왘 Press and hold either the d or c

button until the desired frequency is reached. Step-by-step station tuning takes place in ascending or descending order of frequency. The first three tuning steps will take place without muting. After- ward, the radio will be muted and high-speed tuning will take place until the button is released.

왘 Press either the f or e button. The radio will tune to the next receiv- able station at a higher or lower fre- quency.

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Scan tuning 앫 Starting scan tuning

왘 Select the desired frequency band.

왘 Press the 2 button.

SC will appear on the display. The radio briefly tunes into all receiv- able stations on the band selected. The first scan will tune only the sta- tions with a strong signal. The sec- ond scan will tune every receivable station.

앫 Ending scan tuning

왘 Press the 2 button or the d,

c, f or e button. SC disappears from the display.

Station memory You can store ten AM and ten FM stations. 앫 Storing stations

왘 Tune in the desired station. 왘 Press and hold the desired station

button 1 to 0 until a brief signal tone is heard. The frequency is stored on the se- lected station button.

앫 Retrieving a station from memory

왘 Press the desired station button 1

to 0.

Storing stations automatically (Autostore) The Autostore memory function provides an additional memory level. The station memory for manually stored stations is not erased.

Controls in detail Audio system

앫 Calling up the Autostore memory level

왘 Briefly press the AS key.

AS appears on the display in inversed-color format. The radio finds the ten stations with the strongest signals. These sta- tions are stored on the station buttons 1 to 0 in the order of signal strength.

앫 Retrieving a station from memory

왘 Press the desired station button 1

to 0.

앫 Leaving the Autostore memory level

왘 Press the AS key.

AS appears on the display in in- versed-color format.

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Controls in detail Audio system

Weather band 왘 Press the WB key.

The last weather band station is tuned in.

왘 Select the desired weather band sta-

tion with buttons 1 to 7. If a station cannot be tuned in, a scan is automatically started.

왘 Press the f or e button. The

next receivable weather band station is tuned in.

174

Cassette mode

Playing cassettes 왘 Press the 3 button.

The display folds down and the cas- sette slot becomes visible.

왘 Press the cassette into the slot until it

engages and tap it gently. The cassette will be pulled in automati- cally. The system switches to cassette mode (TAPE). Track 1 will be played and SIDE 1 appears in the display. Track 1 is the side of the cassette which is fac- ing upward. The cassette deck will au-