steering MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE 2002 User Guide

51
Seats
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Manual seat
(standard) We recommend to adjust the seat in the following order:
1Fore/aft adjustment
Lift handle (1), slide seat to desired position and
allow handle to reengage. Check for proper
engagement before driving.
2 Seat cushion tilt
Turn handwheel (2) forward or backward.
3 Seat height adjustment
Pull handle (3) up to raise seat cushion.
Push handle (3) down to lower seat cushion.
4 Backrest tilt
Turn handwheel (4) forward or backwards until
your arms are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.

53
Seats
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Important!
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver should adjust
the seat height for proper vision as well as fore/aft
placement and backrest angle to insure adequate
control, reach, operation, and comfort. The head
restraint should also be adjusted for proper height. See
also airbag section on page 72 for proper seat
positioning.
In addition, also adjust the steering wheel to ensure
adequate control, reach, operation, and comfort.
Both the inside and outside rear view mirrors should be
adjusted for adequate rearward vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small children should be
seated in a properly secured restraint system that
complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and rear view
mirror adjustments as well as fastening of seat belts
should be done before the vehicle is put into motion.
Wa r n i n g !
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in
the front seat, except in a Mercedes-Benz
authorized BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM system
installed in the vehicle to deactivate the passenger
side front airbag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise they will be struck by the airbag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal
injury can result.
According to accident statistics, children are safer
when properly restrained in the rear seating
positions than in the front seating positions.
Infants and small children must ride in back seats
and be seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system, which is properly secured with
the vehicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is
not properly secured in the child restraint.

57
Seats
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electronic key from the steering lock, and lock your
vehicle.The power seats can also be operated with the
driver’s or passenger door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle or with access
to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause serious personal injury.Never place hands under seat or near any moving
parts during a seat adjustment procedure.
Wa r n i n g !
When raising backrest, observe that backrest is not
pushed against an occupant or object.Vehicles with manual seat:
After folding backrest up, adjust head restraint to
support the back of the head approximately at ear
level.

77
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care IndexYour vehicle was originally equipped with airbags
which are designed to activate in certain impacts
exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to your safety
and that of your passenger that you replace deployed
airbags and repair any malfunctioning airbags to
ensure the vehicle will continue to provide crash
protection for occupants.
Wa r n i n g !
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential of
injury in certain frontal (front airbags) impacts, or
side (side impact and head protection window
curtain airbags) impacts which may cause
significant injuries, however, no system available
today can totally eliminate injuries and fatalities.The activation of the “SRS” temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbags. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might
cause some temporary 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
airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.
Wa r n i n g !
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbags
inflate, it is very important for the driver and front
passenger to always be in a properly seated
position and to wear your seat belt.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 that it is properly positioned on your body.Since the airbag 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 airbag. Occupants who are
unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

78
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
• Sit properly belted in an upright position with
your back against the backrest.• Adjust the driver seat as far as possible rearward, still permitting proper operation of
vehicle controls. The distance from the center
of the driver’s breastbone to the center of the
airbag cover on the steering wheel must be at
least ten inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combination of
adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any problems, please see your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Do not lean with your head or chest close to the steering wheel or dashboard.• Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside the rim
can increase the risk and potential severity of
hand / arm injury when driver front airbag
inflates.• Adjust the front passenger seat as far as possible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.
• Occupants, especially children, should never
lean their heads in the area of the door where
the side airbag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the airbag be
triggered.• Children 12 years old and under must never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized Baby Smart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM system installed in the vehicle to
deactivate the passenger side front airbag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise they
will be struck by the airbag when it inflates in
a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury
can result.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in
severe injuries to you or other occupants.

80
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency
tensioning retractor and airbag
Wa r n i n g !
If you believe that, even with the use of these
guidelines, it would be safer for your rear seat
occupants to have both rear door mounted side
airbags deactivated, then deactivation can be
accomplished upon your written election to do so at
your authorized 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.
Wa r n i n g ! • Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly stressed in an accident must be replaced and
their anchoring points must also be checked.
Use only belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Airbags and “ETR’s” are designed to function on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or
emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) that was
activated must be replaced.• No modifications of any kind may be made to any components or wiring of the “SRS”. This
includes changing or removing any component
or part of the “SRS”, the installation of
additional trim material, badges etc. over the
steering wheel hub, front passenger airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame trims,
and installation of additional electrical /
electronic equipment on or near “SRS”
components and wiring. Keep area between
airbags and occupants free from objects (e.g.
packages, purses, umbrellas, etc).

81
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care IndexWhen 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.
• Do not pass belts over sharp edges.• Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.• Do not hang items such as coat hangers from the coat hooks or handles over the door. These
items may turn into projectiles and cause head
and other injuries when curtain airbag is
deployed.• An airbag system component within the steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has
inflated. Do not touch.• Improper work on the system, including
incorrect installation and removal, can lead to
possible injury through an unintended
activation of the “SRS”.• In addition, through improper work there is a risk of rendering the “SRS” inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment. Work
on the “SRS” must therefore only be performed
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
• For your protection and the protection of
others, when scrapping the airbag unit or
emergency tensioning retractor, our safety
instructions must be followed. These
instructions are available from your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Given the considerable deployment speed and the textile structure of the airbags, there is the
possibility of abrasions or other injuries
resulting from airbag deployment.

87
Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Steering wheel adjustment
(manual) Unlocking:
Pull handle (1) out to its stop.
Adjusting:
Move steering wheel to the desired position.
Locking:
Push handle (1) in until it engages.
Important!
Do not drive the vehicle until you have properly locked
the steering column.
See “STEERING WHEEL ADJUST” on page 308 for
malfunction and warning messages in the multifunction
display.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the adjustment locked could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
P46.15-2062-26

88
Steering wheel adjustment
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Steering wheel adjustment (electrical)
(optional)
To adjust the steering wheel position, turn the electronic
key in starter switch to position 1 or 2. With the driver’s
door open, the steering wheel can also be operated with
the electronic key removed or in starter switch
position 0. The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1 Steering column, lengthen or shorten column
Move the switch to the front or rear.
2 Steering column, height
Move the switch up or down.
Note:
The steering wheel adjustment can be stored together
with the seat and exterior mirror adjustment.
See page 93 for notes on the memory function.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving could
cause the driver to lose the control of the vehicle.When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electronic key from the starter switch and lock your
vehicle.The steering wheel adjustment feature can also be
operated with the driver’s door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with access
to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause serious personal injury.

90
Rear view mirrors
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Exterior rear view mirrors
The buttons are located above the exterior lamp switch.
The memory button (4) is located on the driver’s door. Exterior rear view mirror adjustment
Turn the electronic key in starter switch to position 1
or 2.
Push button to select mirror to be adjusted:
Driver’s side – Push button (1).
Passenger side – Push button (2).
Push the adjustment button (3) up, down, left or right
according to the setting desired.
Notes:
The exterior rear view mirrors have electrically heated
glass. The heater switches on automatically, depending
on outside temperature.
If an exterior mirror housing is forcibly pivoted from its
normal position, it must be repositioned by applying
firm pressure until it snaps into place.
Storing rear view mirror positions in memory
(only vehicles with memory function)
The exterior rear view mirror positions are stored in
memory with the seat / steering wheel adjustment and
can be recalled when necessary. See page 93 for notes
on the memory function.
Wa r n i n g !
Exercise care when using the passenger side
exterior 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 inside rear view mirror or
glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
P88.70-2113-26