boot MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2014 Owner's Guide

Coupling up a trailer
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Position the trailer horizontally behind the
vehicle.
X Couple up the trailer.
X Establish the electric connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
X Check that the trailer lighting system is
working.
X Push the combination switch upwards/
downwards and check whether the corre-
sponding turn signal on the trailer is flash-
ing.
A connected trailer is only recognised when the electrical connection is established
correctly and when the lighting system is
working properly. The functioning of other
systems, e.g. ESP ®
, PARKTRONIC, Active
Parking Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist or
Lane Keeping Assist also depends on this. Uncoupling a trailer
G
WARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with an engaged over- run brake, you could trap your hand between
the vehicle and the trailer drawbar. This poses a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. G
WARNING
Vehicles with level control:
If you disconnect the trailer cable, the vehicle is lowered. This can cause you or others to
become trapped between the vehicle body
and tyres, or underneath the vehicle. This
poses a risk of injury.
Make sure that no-one is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel arch or underneath the
vehicle when disconnecting the trailer cable. !
Do not disconnect a trailer with an
engaged overrun brake. Otherwise, your
vehicle could be damaged by the rebound- ing of the overrun brake.
! Remove the installed adapter cable
before folding in the ball coupling. Other-
wise, damage may occur to the rear
bumper and the adapter cable.
X Make sure that the transmission is in posi-
tion P.
X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Secure the trailer against rolling away.
X Remove the trailer cable and decouple the
trailer. Folding in the ball coupling
G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Fold the ball coupling back in if you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and
the trailer cables are disconnected.
X Place the protective covering on the ball
coupling.
X Open the boot lid. 286
Towing a trailerDriving and parking

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions N The boot lid is open.
X Close the boot lid. M
M The bonnet is open. A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
The open bonnet may then block your view when the vehicle is in
motion.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 207).
X Close the bonnet. Active bonnet mal‐ Active bonnet mal‐
function See Own‐ function See Own‐
er's Manual er's Manual The active bonnet (pedestrian protection) is not active due to a
malfunction or because it has already been triggered.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. C C At least one door is open. A warning tone also sounds.
X Close all doors. _
Rear left seat Rear left seat
backrest not backrest not
locked locked
orRear
Rear
right seat back‐
right seat back‐
rest not locked
rest not locked Saloon with through-loading feature in the rear bench seat:
The backrest in the rear is not engaged on the left-hand and/or
right-hand side.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. _
Rear centre back‐ Rear centre back‐
rest not locked rest not locked Saloon with through-loading facility in the rear compartment:
The centre rear seat backrest is not engaged.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. j
Check trailer Check trailer
hitch lock hitch lock The trailer tow hitch is not correctly engaged.
A warning tone also sounds.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traf-
fic conditions, and switch off the engine.
X Secure the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 207).
X Engage the trailer coupling's ball coupling in the end position
(Y page 285). Display
messages
347On-board computer and displays Z

Useful information
i This Owner's Manual describes all mod-
els, series and optional equipment for your
vehicle that were available at the time of
going to press. National variations are pos- sible. Note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all of the functions descri-
bed. This is also the case for systems and
functions relevant to safety.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops: (Y page 27). Stowage areas
Loading guidelines
G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the boot
lid is open when the engine is running, espe-
cially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the boot lid. Never drive with the boot lid
open. G
WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, especially when braking or abruptly changing directions.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey. G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe and tail pipe trim can
become very hot. If you come into contact
with these parts of the vehicle, you could burn
yourself. There is a risk of injury. Always be particularly careful around the
exhaust tail pipe and the tail pipe trim. Allow
these components to cool down before touch-
ing them.
The handling characteristics of a laden vehi-
cle are dependent on the distribution of the
load within the vehicle. For this reason, you
should observe the following notes when
transporting a load:
R never exceed the maximum permissible
gross vehicle weight or the permissible axle
loads for the vehicle (including occupants).
R the boot is the preferred place to carry
objects.
R position heavy loads as far forwards as pos-
sible and as low down in the boot as pos-
sible.
R the load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant lashing material. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraints are available at any quali-
fied specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre. Stowage compartments
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you do not correctly store objects in the
vehicle interior, they can slip or be flung
around, thus striking vehicle occupants.
There is a risk of injury, especially when brak- ing or abruptly changing directions.
R Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around in these or in similar situa-
tions.
R Always make sure that objects do not pro-
trude from stowage compartments, lug-
gage nets or stowage nets. 368
Stowage areasStowing and features

R
Close lockable stowage compartments
while driving.
R Stow and secure objects that are heavy,
hard, pointy, sharp-edged, fragile or too
large in the boot.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 368).
Front stowage compartments Glove compartment
X
To open: pull handle :and open glove
compartment flap ;.
X To close: fold glove compartment flap ;
upwards until it engages.
Objects in A4 format or an iPad ®
, for example,
can be stored in the glove compartment. For
vehicles with a perfume atomiser
(Y page 167) the storage space of the glove
compartment is restricted. The glove compartment can only be locked
and unlocked using the emergency key ele-
ment. X
To lock: insert the emergency key element
into the lock and turn it 90° clockwise to
position 2.
X To unlock: insert the emergency key ele-
ment into the lock and turn it 90° anti-
clockwise to position 1.
Spectacles compartment X
To open: press marking :.
The spectacles compartment opens down- wards.
X To close: press marking :again and the
spectacles compartment returns upwards
and engages.
Make sure that the spectacles compartment
is always closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Stowage compartment in the front centre
console Illustration: vehicles with DIRECT SELECT
lever
X Briefly press trim ;in the direction of the
arrow.
Cover :swings upwards. Stowage areas
369Stowing and features Z

Stowage compartment in the doors
You can store items such as a rolled-up fluo-
rescent jacket (driver's door) and the vehicle document wallet (front-passenger door) in
stowage compartment :in the doors.
Bottles with a capacity of up to 1.0 lmay be
stored in doors ;.
Stowage compartment/telephone com-
partment under the armrest X
To open: press button :at the front.
The stowage space opens.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the
following may be in the stowage space: R a multimedia connector unit with 2 USB
ports and an SD card slot, e.g. for use with
an iPod ®
, iPhone ®
or MP3 player, see the
separate operating instructions
R a mobile phone bracket
R a small stowage space in the upper front
section Rear stowage compartments Stowage compartment in the rear seat
armrest
X
To open: fold down the seat armrest.
X Press on the front of release catch :and
fold the cover of the armrest upwards. Additional stowage space
Depending on the equipment, the following
additional stowage areas are available in the
vehicle:
R card and coin holder in the dashboard
above the light switch (not suitable for hold-
ing thin objects such as shopping tokens)
R the open stowage compartment in the
centre console
R stowage net in the front-passenger footwell
R the map pockets on the back of the driver's
and front-passenger seat
R the luggage nets on the left and right-hand
side in the boot
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 368)
and the safety notes regarding stowage
spaces (Y page 368). 370
Stowage areasStowing and features

Ski/snowboard bag
Important safety notes G
WARNING
The skibag in conjunction with the lashing
straps cannot restrain any objects other than skis.
Vehicle occupants could be struck in the
event of sudden braking or an accident, for
instance, if you:
R transport other heavy or sharp-edged
objects in the skibag
R do not secure the skibag with the lashing
straps
There is a risk of accident and injury.
Store only skis in the skibag. Always secure
the skibag with the lashing straps so that it
cannot move around.
A maximum of four pairs of skis or two snow- boards can be transported in the ski/snow-
board bag.
Securing the ski/snowboard bag in the
boot X
Fold the middle rear seat backrest forwards
(Y page 372).
X Slide the ski/snowboard bag between the
two outside rear seat backrests. Ensure
that the wheels of the ski/snowboard bag
are in the boot.
X Open the ski/snowboard bag with zip :
and place the skis or snowboards inside it. X
Close the ski/snowboard bag.
X Pull tensioning strap ;tight by the loose
end until the skis or snowboards are held
firmly inside the ski/snowboard bag. X
Engage tensioning strap =in a diagonal
pattern on hooks ?in lashing eyelets A
as shown. Through-loading facility in the rear
bench seat
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear bench seat/rear seat and seat
backrest are not engaged they could fold for- wards, e.g. when braking suddenly or in the
event of an accident.
R The vehicle occupant would thereby be
pushed into the seat belt by the rear bench
seat/rear seat or by the seat backrest. The
seat belt cannot protect as intended and
could result in additional injury.
R Objects or loads in the boot cannot be
restrained by the seat backrest.
This poses an increased risk of injury.
Before every trip, make sure that the seat
backrests and the rear bench seat/rear seat
are engaged before every trip.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 368).
The outside and the middle rear seat backr-
ests can be folded down separately to
increase the boot capacity. The division ratio is 40% to 20% to 40%. Stowage areas
371Stowing and features Z

Folding the rear seat backrest forward
X
Vehicles without memory function: if nec-
essary, move the driver's or front-
passenger seat forwards.
X Vehicles with memory function: when one
or both parts of the rear seat backrest are
folded forwards, the respective front seat
moves forward slightly, when necessary, in order to avoid contact.
X Open the boot.
X Fully insert the rear seat backrest head
restraints. Left and right seat backrest
X Pull right-hand or left-hand rear seat back-
rest release handle :.
The corresponding rear seat backrest is
released. Middle rear seat backrest
X
Pull release lever ;forwards.
Rear seat backrest :is released. X
Fold corresponding rear seat backrest ;
forwards.
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Folding the rear seat backrest back !
Make sure that the seat belt does not
become trapped when folding the rear seat backrest back. Otherwise, it could be dam- aged. Left and right seat backrest
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
forward if necessary.
X Fold rear seat backrest :back until it
engages.
If the rear seat backrest is not engaged and
locked, this will be shown in the multifunc-
tion display in the instrument cluster. A
warning tone also sounds. 372
Stowage areasStowing and featu
res

Middle rear seat backrest
X
Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
forward if necessary.
X Fold seat backrest :back until it engages.
Red lock status indicator ;is no longer
visible.
X Adjust the head restraints if necessary
(Y page 121).
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
If you do not need the through-loading fea-
ture, you should always engage the rear seat
backrests. This will prevent unauthorised
access to the boot from the vehicle interior.
Locking the centre rear seat backrest In order to prevent the boot from being
accessed by unauthorised persons, the
centre seat backrest can be locked using a
catch. The centre seat backrest can only be
folded forward together with the left seat
backrest. X
To lock: fold the left and centre seat backr-
ests forward. Make sure that the centre and
left seat backrests are engaged and joined
together.
X Slide catch :upwards.
The release mechanism of the centre seat
backrest is locked.
X To unlock: fold back the left and centre
seat backrests.
X Slide catch :downwards from inside the
boot. Securing a load
Lashing eyelets General notes
Observe the following notes on securing
loads:
R Observe the loading guidelines
(Y page 368).
R Secure the load using the lashing eyelets.
R Distribute the load on the lashing eyelets
evenly.
R Do not use elastic straps or nets to secure
a load. These are only intended as an anti-
slip protection for light loads.
R Do not route lashing materials across sharp
edges or corners.
R Pad sharp edges for protection.
Boot Saloon with through-loading feature in the rear
bench seat Stowage areas
373Stowing and features Z

X
Fold up the lashing eyelets next to the rear
seat backrest and put them through the
slots in the carpet.
Bag hook G
WARNING
The bag hooks cannot restrain heavy objects
or items of luggage. Objects or items of lug-
gage could be flung around and thereby hit
vehicle occupants when braking or abruptly
changing directions. There is a risk of injury.
Only hang light objects on the bag hooks.
Never hang hard, sharp-edged or fragile
objects on the bag hooks.
! The bag hook can bear a maximum load of
3 kg. Do not use it to secure a load. :
Bag hook EASY-PACK boot box
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the load surface moves up, your hands may become trapped on the frame of the
EASY-PACK boot box. There is a risk of injury.
When the load surface moves up, make sure
that your hands are not within the sweep of
the load surface. If someone becomes trap-
ped, carefully push the centre of the load sur- face downward.
! When the EASY-PACK convenience box is
pulled out, no objects may be placed on the frame of the box or pushed onto the frame
from above. Otherwise, the box could be
damaged.
! Sharp-edged, pointed or fragile objects
can damage the EASY-PACK boot box and
then be thrown out. There is a risk of injury.
Do not transport sharp-edged, pointed or
fragile objects in the EASY-PACK boot box. Always store and secure these or similar
objects in the boot outside of the EASY-
PACK boot box.
! If you exceed the maximum permitted
load of the EASY-PACK boot box, objects
can be thrown out of the EASY-PACK boot
box and strike vehicle occupants. There is a risk of injury, particularly in the event of
sudden braking or a sudden change in
direction.
Always observe the maximum permitted
load of the EASY-PACK boot box. Always
store and secure heavy objects in the boot
outside of the EASY-PACK boot box.
The maximum permitted load of the EASY-
PACK boot box is 10 kg. With a load of above approximately 5 kg, the bottom of the box
moves downward until it rests on the mat of
the boot floor. Thus, overloading of the box is
avoided.
Adjusting the height to any position Example374
Stowage areasStowing and features

X
Pull the box out by handle :in the direc-
tion of the arrow all the way to the stop.
X To lower the load surface: push the
centre of load surface ;down by hand in
the direction of the arrow until load sur-
face ;has reached the desired position
and the box is the desired size.
X To raise the load surface: press switch
=.
Load surface ;of the box moves up auto-
matically.
X To stow the box: push the box in by han-
dle :all the way to the stop.
Removing and fitting Example
X To install: insert retainer ;of box :into
slots = X
Raise box :and press hooks Ainto
anchorage ?as far as they will go.
X Turn left-hand rotating catch Banti-clock-
wise and right-hand rotating catch B
clockwise by 90°. X
To remove: turn left-hand rotating catch
B clockwise and right-hand rotating catch
B anti-clockwise by 90°.
X Move box :downwards and pull it out
from anchorages ?.
Store the EASY-PACK boot box on a flat sur-
face after removal, e.g. on a suitable shelf. Stowage well under the boot floor
! Remove the handle again before closing
the boot lid and snap it in tightly to prevent
the handle flap from protruding. Otherwise,
you could damage the handle. The TIREFIT kit, the vehicle tool kit, etc. are
located in the stowage compartment.
X To open: pull handle :up. X
Hook handle :into rain trough ;. Stowage areas
375Stowing and features Z