tow MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE 2004 User Guide

80 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsDisarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.1 Tow-away alarm off switch
2 Indicator lamp
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
Turn off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press upper half 1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp 2 in the switch comes
on briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the SmartKey.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
while the ignition is turned on.

87
Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:

The button will flash for 30 minutes af-
ter opening the trunk.


The button will flash for 60 minutes af-
ter closing the trunk.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk lid automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see “Towing the vehicle” (
page 313).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(
page 129).
iThe emergency release button unlocks
and opens the trunk while the vehicle is
standing or driving.
The emergency release button does
not open the trunk lid, if the vehicle
battery is discharged or disconnected.
iIf the emergency release button is
pressed and the vehicle was centrally
locked, the exterior lamps will flash and
the alarm will sound as the trunk lid
opens. To cancel the alarm, do one of
the following:

Press button Œ or‹ on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand

137
Controls in detail
Manual transmission
 Manual transmission
For information on driving with a manual
transmission, see “Manual transmission”
(page 137).
Do not exceed the maximum speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer
(page 22) for engine speeds.Warning!
G
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.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Children could move the
gearshift lever, which could result in an acci-
dent and/or serious injury.
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in 1st or reverse
gear and parking brake engaged is danger-
ous. Also, when parked on an incline, an en-
gaged 1st 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 1st or reverse gear (
page 52).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheel towards the road curb.
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.

142 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Gear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in position P
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
position P to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
position P. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in position P.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in position P
(page 291).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
position R only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
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 trans-
mission, never engage N while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to N
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.

143
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
in N can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in position P
is dangerous. Also, position P alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (
page 46).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
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.
Warning!
G
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 move the gear selector lever from
position P, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

165
Controls in detail
Audio system
You can select from among the
following settings:

DRV
: The tone level is set to the
Driver position; sound is directed
toward the passengers.


SP: The tone level is set for Speech,
optimizing the sound for the spoken
word.


AMB
: The tone level is set for
Ambience, producing a
three-dimensional sound.


OFF
: The audio system sound
selection is turned off.
Telephone* muting
If a telephone has been installed in the
vehicle, the radio will switch to telephone
mode when a call is incoming. The current
audio source is muted.
Radio operation
Selecting radio mode
Press b button.

You can now receive radio stations
over the analog FM, AM or WB station
frequencies or you can receive chan-
nels digitally via satellite radio (SAT)*.
Analog station frequencies
Selecting the band
You can select from among FM, AM or WB
frequency bands.
Weather band (
page 168).

Press FM, AM or WB key repeatedly un-
til desired band has been selected.
The FM, AM and WB frequency bands
are called up one after the other.
The frequency band currently selected
appears in the upper left-hand corner
of the display.
Selecting a station
The following options are available for
selecting a station:


Direct frequency band input
(page 166)


Manual tuning (
page 166)


Automatic seek tuning (
page 166)


Scan tuning (
page 167)


Preset buttons (
page 167)


Automatic station memory (Autostore)
(page 167)
iFM frequency band:
FM 87.7......107.9 MHz
AM frequency band:
MW (medium wave) 530......1710 KHz

197
Controls in detail
Loading
 Loading
Roof rack*
Mount the roof rack only between the fas-
tening points 1 and in the recess of the
rubber strip 2.
Luggage cover
Removal
Take off securing straps 1.

Pull cover towards rear 2.
Installation

Place cover into holder.

Attach securing straps to trunk lid.
Split rear bench seat
To expand the cargo area, you can fold
down the left and right rear seat backrests.
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately.
Warning!
G
Use only roof racks approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model to
avoid damage to the vehicle. Follow manu-
facturer’s installation instructions.
!Do not place anything on the luggage
cover below the rear window.
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage compartment,
always fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.

199
Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification tag which can be found
on the left door pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the rear-window
shelf.
Never drive vehicle with trunk lid open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon-
sciousness and death.

200 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces Glove box
1 Glove box
2 Glove box lid release
Opening the glove box

Pull lid release 2.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close. Locking the glove box

Insert mechanical key into the glove
box lock and turn it to position
4.
Unlocking the glove box

Turn mechanical key in the glove box
lock to position 3.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
g a g e o r c a r g o i n t h e t r u n k i f p o s s i b l e . D o n o t
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs. Do not place anything on the luggage
cover below the rear window.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
iPrior to closing the glove box, close the
compartment for glasses first.

208 Controls in detailUseful featuresEmergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:

following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 78)and tow-away alarm
(
page 79).
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled “SOS”, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the “SOS” button will be-
gin to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL
– CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multi-
function display. When the connection is
established, the message
EMERGENCY CALL
– CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multi- function display. All information relevant to
the emergency, such as the location of the
vehicle (determined by the GPS satellite lo-
cation system), vehicle model, identifica-
tion number and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display. The Re-
sponse Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident
provided they can speak to an occupant of
the vehicle. The Tele Aid system is available if:


it has been activated and is operation-
al. Activation requires a subscription
for monitoring services, connection
and cellular air time


the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the response cen-
teriLocation of the vehicle on a map is only
possible if the vehicle is able to receive
signals from the GPS satellite network
and pass the information on to the re-
sponse center.