traction control MERCEDES-BENZ C55AMG 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

Contents
Loading .............................................. 248
Roof rack* .................................... 248
Ski sack (Canada only) ................. 249
Split rear bench seat .................... 252
Loading instructions ..................... 254
Cargo tie-down rings* .................. 255
Useful features .................................. 256
Storage compartments................. 256
Cup holders .................................. 258
Ashtrays ....................................... 260
Cigarette lighter ........................... 262
Power outlet ................................. 263
Telephone*................................... 263
Tele Aid* ...................................... 264
Garage door opener ..................... 273
Operation......................................... 281
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 282
Driving instructions............................ 283
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 283
Drinking and driving ..................... 283
Pedals .......................................... 283
Power assistance ......................... 283
Brakes .......................................... 284
Driving off .................................... 285
Parking ......................................... 285
Tires ............................................. 286
Hydroplaning ................................ 287
Tire traction.................................. 287
Tire speed rating .......................... 288
Winter driving instructions ........... 288
Standing water ............................. 289
Passenger compartment .............. 290
Driving abroad.............................. 290
Control and operation of radio
transmitters ................................. 290
Catalytic converter ....................... 291
Emission control .......................... 291
Coolant temperature .................... 292At the gas station .............................. 293
Refueling ...................................... 293
Check regularly and before a
long trip ....................................... 294
Engine compartment ......................... 297
Hood ............................................ 297
Engine oil ..................................... 298
Transmission fluid level ................ 301
Coolant level ................................ 301
Battery ......................................... 303
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 304
Tires and wheels................................ 305
Important guidelines .................... 305
Tire care and maintenance........... 306
Direction of rotation..................... 308
Loading the vehicle ...................... 308
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 315
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 317
Tire labeling ................................. 321
Load identification ....................... 325
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 326
Maximum tire load ....................... 327
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 328

86 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP®
To improve the vehicle’s traction, turn off
the ESP® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:

when driving with snow chains

in deep snow

in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel

the ESP® continues to operate when
you are brakingThe switch is located on the upper part of
the center console.
1ESP
® switch (off/on)
With the engine running, Press
switch1.
The ESP
® warning lampv in the
speedometer comes on.
The ESP
® is deactivated.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a Minis-
pare wheel or a collapsible tire is mounted.
!
Turn on the ESP® immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore.
i
When the ESP® is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ESP
® warning lampv in the speed-
ometer flashes. However, the ESP® will
then not stabilize the vehicle.

161 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting,
see “Manual shift pro-
gram” (
page 165)
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard drivingThe current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 156).
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

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
range1 is selected.

Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.

Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!
Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.
i
The last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

197 Controls in detail
Audio system
Audio system
Audio and telephone, operation
These instructions are intended to help
you become familiar with your
Mercedes-Benz audio system. They con-
tain useful tips and a detailed description
of the user functions.Operating safety
Warning!G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should enter
system settings with the vehicle at a
standstill and operate the system only when
road and traffic conditions permit. Always
pay full attention to traffic conditions first
before operating system controls while
driving.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Warning!G
Any alterations made to electronic
components can cause malfunctions.
The radio, amplifier, CD changer*, satellite
radio* and telephone* are interconnected.
When one of the components is not opera-
tional 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.

215 Controls in detail
Audio system
General notes
The system may not be able to play audio
CDs with copy protection.
Playing copied CDs may cause
malfunctions during playback.Do not use CDs with an 8 cm diameter, not
even with a CD adapter. Attempting to play
CDs with an 8 cm diameter or playing such
CDs with an adapter may cause damage to
the CD drive. Such damage is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Should excessively high or low tempera-
tures occur while in CD changer mode*,
CD ERROR will appear in the display, and the
CD will be muted until the temperature has
reached an acceptable level for the system
to continue operation.
The single CD player play audio CDs, the
CD changer* can play audio CDs as well as
CDs with MP3 files.
Warning!G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should insert
CDs with the vehicle at a standstill and
operate the audio system only if permitted
by road, weather and traffic conditions.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car covers a
distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m)
every second.
!
If you affix stickers to the CDs, they can
become warped due to the heat that
develops in the CD drive or
CD changer*.
In certain situations, the CDs can then
no longer be ejected and cause
damage to the drive. Such damage is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!
Your CD drive or CD changer* has been
designed to play CDs which
correspond to the EN 60908 standard.
You can therefore only use CDs with a
maximum thickness of 1.3 mm.
If you insert thicker data carriers, e.g.
ones that have data on both sides (one
side with DVD data, the other side with
audio data), they cannot be ejected and
will damage the drive.

245 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.
For information on the BAS, ABS and ESP
®,
see “Driving safety systems” (
page 82).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
The use of cruise control is recommended
for driving at a constant speed for extend-
ed periods of time. You can set or resume
cruise control at any speed over 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must always re-
main responsible for the vehicle’s speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.

Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

287 Operation
Driving instructions
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.Mercedes-Benz recommends winter tires
(
page 336) with a minimum tread depth
of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise ap-
propriate caution.
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.
Warning!G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

329 Operation
Tires and wheels
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(U.S. vehicles)
Tire manufacturers are required to grade
tires based on three performance
factors: treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance.
1Treadwear
2Traction
3Temperature resistanceQuality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
TreadwearTractionTemperature
200AAA

330 Operation
Tires and wheels
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the high-
est), B, and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high tem-
perature can cause the material of the tire
to degenerate and reduce tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning!G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Warning!G
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underin-
flation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause
excessive heat build-up and possible tire
failure.

354 Practical hints
What to do if …
ProblemPossible cause/consequenceSuggested solution
vThe yellow ESP® warning lamp
comes on while driving.The ESP® is deactivated.
Risk of accident!
Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road, weather and traffic
conditions.Switch the ESP® back on (page 84).
If the ESP
® cannot be switched back on,
have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
The yellow ESP® warning lamp
flashes while driving.The ESP® or traction control has come into
operation because of detected traction loss
in at least one tire.When driving off, apply as little
throttle as possible.
While driving, ease up on the
accelerator.
Adapt your speed and driving to the
prevailing road and weather
conditions.
Do not deactivate the ESP®.
Exceptions: (
page 84).
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.
The yellow fuel tank reserve
warning lamp in the fuel gauge
(
page 24) comes on while
driving.
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.Refuel at the next gas station
(
page 293).