change wheel MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE 2003 Owners Manual

Contents
Introduction ......................................... 9
Product information ............................... 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10 Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership .... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada ......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16 Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects ...................... 18 Reporting Safety Defects ............... 18
At a glance .......................................... 19
Cockpit .................................................20
Instrument cluster ................................22
Multifunction steering wheel ................24
Center console .....................................25
Overhead control panel ........................26
Door control panel ................................27Getting started ...................................29
Unlocking .............................................30 Unlocking with the SmartKey ..........30
Adjusting ..............................................32 Seats ...............................................32
Steering wheel ................................37
Mirrors ............................................39
Driving ..................................................41 Fastening the seat belt ...................41
Starting the engine .........................44
Switching on headlamps .................47
Turn signals and high beam ............47
Windshield wipers ...........................48
Problems while driving ....................50 Parking and locking .............................. 51
Parking brake .................................. 51
Switching off headlamps ................. 52
Turning off engine ........................... 52
Safety and Security ........................... 55
Occupant safety ................................... 56Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 62
Children in the vehicle .................... 65
Panic alarm* ........................................ 72 Activating ........................................ 72
Deactivating .................................... 72
Driving safety systems ......................... 73 ABS ................................................. 73
BAS ................................................. 74
ESP ................................................. 75
Anti-theft systems ................................ 78 Immobilizer ..................................... 78
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 78
Tow-away alarm* ............................ 79

60 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetySafety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbagWarning!
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 in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag
or emergency tensioning device (ETD)
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 re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger airbag cov-
er, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional elec-
trical/electronic equipment on or near
SRS components and wiring. Keep area
between airbags and occupants free
from objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


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 projec-
tiles 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 unin-
tended activation of the SRS.


In addition, through improper work
there is a risk of rendering the SRS inop-
erative or causing unintended airbag de-
ployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.


For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the airbag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. 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 abra-
sions or other injuries resulting from air-
bag deployment.

105
Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the key in the starter switch is turned to
position 1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1 Main odometer
2 Trip odometer
3 Automatic transmission program mode
4 Current gear selector lever position
5 Digital clock
6 Outside temperature
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player, cassette player) will ap-
pear in English, regardless of the
language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.

123
Controls in detail
Control system
Convenience submenu
Access the
CONVENIENCE
submenu via the
SETTINGS
menu. Use the
CONVENIENCE
sub-
menu to change the settings for a number
of convenience features. The following
functions are available:
Activating easy-entry/exit feature
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature. When the
feature is activated, the steering wheel and
driver’s seat will move back to facilitate ex-
iting when you


remove the key from the starter switch


open the driver’s door
However, the engine must be turned off. After entering the vehicle, the steering
wheel and seat will move into the position
stored in memory when


the driver’s door is closed


you put the key in the starter switch
and


press the appropriate stored position
button on the memory switch
(page 94)

Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
CONVE-
NIENCE
submenu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
EASY-ENTRY FEATURE ACTIVATE
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Function
Page
Activate easy-entry/exit feature
see
below
Set key dependency
124
Set parking position for exterior
rear view mirror
124
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and the driver’s seat when
the easy-entry/exit feature is activated and
the driver’s door is being opened or the key
is removed from the starter switch. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/ or serious personal
injury.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo cancel seat/steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:

Press the seat adjustment
switch*(
page 34).


Move the steering column stalk*
(page 38).


Press the memory switch
(page 94).

124 Controls in detailControl system
Press
æ
or
ç
to change the
easy-entry/exit setting.
The following settings are available for
the easy-entry/exit feature: Setting key dependency
Use this function to set whether the mem-
ory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel and the mirrors should be stored
separately for each key (
page 93).

Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
CONVE-
NIENCE
submenu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
SETTINGS KEY-DEPENDENT
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press
æ
or
ç
to set key depen-
dency to
ON or
OFF
. Setting parking position for exterior rear
view mirror
Use the
MIRROR SETTING WHEN PARKING

function to select whether the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror should be
turned downward during parking maneu-
vers, when reverse gear is engaged. For
additional information, see “Activating ex-
terior rear view mirror parking position ”
(
page 140).
You can store a parking position for the
passenger exterior rear view mirror using
the memory switch (
page 95).

Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
CONVE-
NIENCE
submenu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
MIRROR SETTING WHEN PARKING
.
OFF
The easy-en-
try/exit feature
is deactivated.
STEERING COLUMN
Only the steer-
ing column is
moved.
STEERING COLUMN +
SEAT
Both the steer-
ing column and
the seat are
moved.

133
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears yourself when the
selector lever is in position
D.
Downshifting
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 (
page 134). Upshifting

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

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

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.
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.
iTo 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.

136 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*
Program mode selector switch1 Program mode selector switch
S Standard For regular driving
W Winter For winter driving

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired shift program appears in the
multifunction display (
page 105).
Select
Wfor winter 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
range 1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are im-
proved 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.


The power transmission ratio for se-
lector lever position R changes de-
pending on the program mode
selected (
W or
S).
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 move the selector le-
ver from position P, which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!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.

189
Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving system of your vehicle is de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed
The BAS, ABS and ESP driving systems are
described in the “Safety and Security” sec-
tion (page 73).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set 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 found on the left-hand side of the
steering column.
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, the 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.

235
Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire pressure changes by approximately
1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of air
temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire pressure where the
temperature is different from the outside
temperature.
Tire temperature and tire pressure are also
increased while driving, depending on the
driving speed and the tire load.
Check the spare tire periodically for condi-
tion and inflation. Spare tires will age and
become worn over time even if never used,
and thus should be inspected and replaced
when necessary.
Rotating wheels
On vehicles with the same wheel size all
around, wheels can be rotated every 3000
to 6000 miles (5 000 to 10 000 km), or sooner if necessary, according to the de-
gree of tire wear. The same direction of tire
rotation must be retained.
Rotate the wheels before the characteris-
tic tire wear pattern becomes visible
(shoulder wear on front wheels and tread
center wear on rear wheels).
Thoroughly clean the inner side of the
wheels after each rotation. Check and en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden de
flation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the pillar in the driver’s
door opening). Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if they are
of the same size.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Use only genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle's rims.

236 OperationWinter driving
Winter drivingBefore the onset of winter have your vehi-
cle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service in-
cludes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze which is formulated
for below freezing temperatures
(page 324).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to ensure
that the engine can be started, even at
low ambient temperatures.


Tire change. We recommend M+S rat-
ed radial-ply tires on all four wheels for
the winter season.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 39°F (4°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Use of winter tires
is the only way to achieve the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS and ESP in winter
operation.
For safe handling, ensure that all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have
the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your ve-
hicle, you must place a notice to this effect
where it will be seen by the driver. Such no-
tices are available from your tire dealer or
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under 0.16 in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no long-
er suitable for winter operation.