key MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE 2003 User Guide

45
Getting started
Driving

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position
3. Release only when the en-
gine is firing regularly (
page 31).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 130).
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionP Park position with selector lever lock
R Reverse gear
N Neutral
D Drive position

Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set to P.

Do not depress accelerator.
Starting

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position 3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the key see “Turning off the engine”
(
page 52) Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

Turn key in starter to position
0 and re-
peat starting procedure.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery

Get a jump start (
page 297).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position 3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.

46 Getting startedDrivingParking brake 1 Release handle
2 Parking brake

Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle 1.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to position D or R
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down. After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could release the parking
brake, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.

49
Getting started
Driving
Single wipe
Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow
1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Push switch in the direction of arrow 1
past the resistance point.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
iVehicles without rain sensor*: Fast
wiper speed III goes to setting II when
the vehicle is standing still.
Vehicles with rain sensor*: Intermittent
wiping interval dependent on wetness
of windshield. Wiping will not occur
with a door open.!Vehicles with rain sensor*: Do not
leave in intermittent setting when vehi-
cle is taken to an automatic car wash or
during windshield cleaning. Wipers will
operate in presence of water sprayed
on the windshield, and wipers may be
damaged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield.
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw key
from starter switch. Remove block-
age.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch position I,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

51
Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1 Release handle
2 Parking brake
Step firmly on parking brake 2.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the key from the starter switch. The
vehicle cannot be steered when the key is
removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to stop or steer the vehi-
cle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the selector lever to position P
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


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


Turn the key to starter switch position 0
and remove.


Take the key and lock vehicle when leav-
ing.

52 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
M

(
page 47).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 96).
Turning off engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
position P (manual transmission: first
or reverse gear).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could release the parking
brake and/or move the gear selector lever
from position P, either of which could result
in an accident and/or serious injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in position P is dan-
gerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
position P alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (manual transmission:
first or reverse gear).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to position P (manual
transmission: first or reverse gear). iOn steep slopes, turn the front wheels
towards the road curb.

53
Getting started
Parking and locking
Turning off with the SmartKey
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position
0 and remove it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 41).

After exiting the vehicle press the lock
button
‹
on the remote control
(
page 30).
The locking knobs on the doors move
down.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 82).
iVehicles with automatic transmission:
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in position P.!With the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.

56 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er. The
1
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up:


for about 4 seconds when you turn the
key in the starter switch to position 1.


for about 4 seconds when you start the
engine by turning the key. The warning lamp goes out shortly after
you start the engine.
This shows that the
restraint systems are operational.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the
1
warning lamp:


fails to extinguish after approximately
4seconds.


does not come on at all.


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 248).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 65).
iThe warning lamp remains lit if the key
is turned to position 2 and left there.
The warning lamp will go out when you
start the engine.

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe front passenger side airbag will only
deploy if the system senses that the front
passenger seat is occupied.1 Window curtain airbag
2 Side impact airbagsSeat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<

in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the key in the starter switch to
position 2 and the driver‘s seat belt is not
fastened. After starting the engine the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten the seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in
most states and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
Information on fastening seat belts is
found in the “Getting started” section
(
page 41).iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 65).
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD)
The seat belts are equipped with emergen-
cy tensioning devices and belt force limit-
ers.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases when the seat belts are fas-
tened:

in frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see 1
indicator lamp (
page 56)
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

67
Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation
system
Special BabySmart
TM compatible child
seats, designed for use with the
Mercedes-Benz system and available at
any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center are
required for use with the BabySmart
TM air- bag deactivation system. With the special
child seat properly installed, the passenger
front airbag will not deploy.
The
7
indicator lamp located in the
center console will be illuminated, except
with the key removed or in the starter
switch position 0.
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
Children too big for child restraint systems
must ride in back seats using regular seat
belts. Position shoulder belt across chest
and shoulder, not face or neck. A booster
seat may be necessary to achieve proper
belt positioning for children from 41 lbs. un-
til they reach a height where a lap/shoulder
belt fits properly without a booster.
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.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle; even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iThe system does not deactivate the
side impact airbag and the emergency
tensioning device.