ignition MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON 2014 Repair Manual

ECO start/stop function
Introduction The ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically if the vehicle is stop-
ped under certain conditions.
When pulling away again, the engine starts
automatically. The ECO start/stop function
thereby helps you to reduce the fuel con-
sumption and emissions of your vehicle.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the engine is switched off automatically and you exit the vehicle, the engine is restarted
automatically. The vehicle may begin moving. There is a risk of accident and injury.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the ignition and secure the vehicle against
rolling away.
General notes :
ECO start/stop display
If the è ECO symbol is shown in green in
the multifunction display, the ECO start/stop
function switches the engine off automati-
cally once the vehicle stops moving.
The ECO start/stop function is activated
whenever you switch on the engine using the key or the Start/Stop button.
If the ECO start/stop function has been man-
ually deactivated (Y page 187) or a malfunc-
tion has caused the system to be deactivated,
the è ECO symbol is not displayed. Automatic engine switch-off General notes
The ECO start/stop function is operational
and the
èECO symbol is shown in green in
the multifunction display, if:
R the indicator lamp in the ECO button lights
up green
R the outside temperature is within the range
that is suitable for the system
R the engine is at normal operating temper-
ature
R the set temperature for the vehicle interior
has been reached
R the battery is sufficiently charged
R the system detects that the windscreen is
not misted up when the air-conditioning
system is switched on
R the bonnet is closed
R no electrical connection is established
between the vehicle and the trailer or
another carrier system (e.g. bicycle rack)
R the driver's door is closed and the driver's
seat belt is fastened
If the conditions for automatic engine switch- off are not all fulfilled, the èECO symbol is
shown in yellow.
All of the vehicle's systems remain active
when the engine is switched off automati-
cally.
Vehicles with manual transmission 186
DrivingDriving and parking

Problems with the engine
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The engine does not
start. The HOLD function or DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 232) or DISTRONIC
PLUS (Y page 222).
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 183).The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. R
There is a malfunction in the engine electronics.
R There is a malfunction in the fuel supply.
X Before attempting to start the engine again, turn the key in the
ignition back to position 0or press the Start/Stop button
repeatedly until all indicator lamps in the instrument cluster go
out.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 183). Avoid excessively
long and frequent attempts to start the engine, as this will drain
the battery.
If the engine does not start after several attempts: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The starter motor
can be heard. The
reserve fuel warning
lamp is lit and the fuel
gauge display is at the
reserve level. The fuel tank is empty.
X Refuel the vehicle. The engine does not
start. You cannot hear
the starter motor. The on-board voltage is too low because the battery is too weak or
discharged.
X Jump-start the vehicle (Y page 418).
If the engine does not start despite attempts to jump-start it:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The starter motor was exposed to a thermal load that was too high.
X Try to start the engine again (Y page 183).
If the engine still does not start: X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Driving
189Driving and parking Z

Shifting to neutral N
X
Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Move the gear lever to position N:. Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the
vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, you could
damage the transmission.
X Move the gear lever firmly to the left,
beyond the point of resistance, then for-
wards.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further
information on the ECO start/stop function;
see (Y page 186). Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The rec- ommended gear is shown in the multifunction
display.
X Shift gear according to gearshift recom-
mendation :when shown in the multi-
function display of the instrument cluster. C 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition:
in drive
program Ethe accelerator pedal also trans-
mits double pulses. Additional information
for drive programs (Y page 192). AGILITY SELECT switch
Use the AGILITY SELECT switch to change the drive program. Depending on the drive pro-
gram selected, the following vehicle charac-
teristics will change:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion (Y page 186)
R the climate control settings
- THERMATIC (Y page 153)
- THERMOTRONIC (Y page 156)
R the rear window heating operation period
(Y page 164)
R the performance of the seat heating
(Y page 123)
If the ignition is switched off for less than four hours, the previously selected drive program
is activated when the engine is next started. If
the ignition is switched off for more than four hours, drive program Cis activated when the
engine is next started. Manual transmission
191Driving and parking Z

i
Neutral
h Drive
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direc-
tion of arrow P.
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the Start/
Stop button and open the driver's door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in position Dor R
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X If the transmission is in position Dor N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up past the first point of
resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further
information on the ECO start/stop function,
see (Y page 186).
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves. Children could also set the vehicle in motion,
for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position Dor R:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down to the first point of resistance.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position Ror D, the automatic
transmission shifts to Nautomatically.
With the key: if you then open one of the
front doors or remove the key from the igni-
tion, the automatic transmission shifts to P.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then
open one of the front doors, the automatic
transmission shifts to P.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the
vehicle cleaned in an automatic car wash with
a towing system:
With the key:
X Switch the ignition on.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock. 194
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

With the Start/Stop button:
X Switch the ignition on.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Remove the Start/Stop button from the
ignition lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X shift to neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in
the ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N:
push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past
the first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT
SELECT lever down past the first point of
resistance. Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display
! If the transmission position display in the
multifunction display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether the desired transmission position is
engaged. Ideally, you should select trans-
mission position Dand drive program Eor
S. :
Status symbol drive program
; Transmission position
= Gear The current transmission position and drive
program appear in the multifunction display.
The arrows in the transmission position dis-
play show how and into which transmission
positions you can change using the DIRECT
SELECT lever. Transmission positions
B Park position
This prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing away when stopped.
Do not shift the transmission into
position P(Y page 193) unless the
vehicle is stationary. The parking
lock should not be used as a brake when parking. In order to secure
the vehicle, always engage the
electric parking brake in addition to
the parking lock.
The automatic transmission shifts
to Pautomatically if you:
R remove the key
R switch off the engine when in R
or Dand open one of the front
doors
In the event of a malfunction of the vehicle's electronics, the transmis-sion may be locked in position P.
Have the vehicle electronics
checked immediately at a qualified
specialist workshop. C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary. Automatic transmission
195Driving and parking Z

This also applies if cruise control,
DISTRONIC PLUS or SPEEDTRONIC are
activated.
AGILITY SELECT switch
Use the AGILITY SELECT switch to change the drive program. Depending on the drive pro-
gram selected, the following vehicle charac-
teristics will change:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop func-
tion (Y page 186)
R the climate control settings
- THERMATIC (Y page 153)
- THERMOTRONIC (Y page 156)
R the rear window heating operation period
(Y page 164)
R the performance of the seat heating
(Y page 123)
If the ignition is switched off for less than four hours, the previously selected drive program
is activated when the engine is next started. If
the ignition is switched off for more than four hours, drive program Cis activated when the
engine is next started. X
Push AGILITY SELECT switch :up or down
until the desired drive program is selected. The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds the display goes out and the status icon of
the selected drive program appears.
In addition, the current drive program set-
tings are displayed in the Audio 20/
COMAND Online display.
Available drive programs: I
Individual Individual settings
S+
Sport Plus Extremely sporty driving
characteristics
S
Sport Sporty driving character-
istics
C
Comfort Comfortable and econom-
ical driving characteristics E
Eco Particularly economical
driving characteristics
Additional information for drive programs
(Y page 197).
Using the steering wheel gearshift paddles,
you can temporarily change gear yourself.
Further information on the manual drive pro-
gram (Y page 198). Drive programs
Drive program I (Individual) In drive program
Ithe following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission man-
agement)
R the suspension
R the steering
To permanently select the gears in the drive
program Iusing the steering wheel paddles,
select the permanent manual gearshift pro-
gram.
Information about the selection of drive pro-
gram Iwith COMAND Online or Audio 20 can
be found in the Digital Owner's Manual. Automatic transmission
197Driving and parking Z

Problems with the transmission
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist work-
shop immediately. Problems with hybrid operation (Y
page 282).Transfer case
This section only applies to vehicles with all-
wheel drive (4MATIC). The front and rear
axles are constantly driven.
! Performance tests may only be carried
out on a two-axle roller dynamometer. Oth-
erwise, the braking system or the transfer
case could be damaged. Contact a qualified
specialist workshop for more information
on performance tests.
! Since ESP ®
engages automatically, the
ignition must be switched off (the key or
Start/Stop button must be in position 0or
1) if:
R the electric parking brake is being tested
using a brake dynamometer.
R the vehicle is being towed with only one
axle raised (not permitted for vehicles
with 4MATIC).
The brake system could otherwise be dam-
aged. !
Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with the front or rear axle raised; otherwise,
the transmission may be damaged. Refuelling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Fuel is highly flammable. If you handle fuel
incorrectly, there is a risk of fire and explo-
sion.
You must avoid fire, naked flames, creating
sparks and smoking. Switch off the engine
and, if applicable, the auxiliary heating before refuelling. G
WARNING
Fuels are poisonous and hazardous to health. There is a danger of injury.
Do not swallow fuel or let it come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing. Do not inhale fuel 200
RefuellingDriving and parking

vapours. Keep fuels out of the reach of chil-
dren.
If you or others come into contact with fuel,
observe the following:
R Wash the fuel off any affected areas of skin
with water and soap immediately.
R If you get fuel in your eyes, rinse them thor-
oughly with clean water immediately. Seek
immediate medical attention.
R If fuel is swallowed, seek immediate medi-
cal attention. Do not induce vomiting.
R Change any clothing that has come into
contact with fuel immediately. G
WARNING
Electrostatic charge can cause sparks and
thereby ignite fuel vapours. There is a risk of
fire and explosion.
Always touch the vehicle body before opening the fuel filler flap or touching the fuel pump
nozzle. This discharges any electrostatic
charge that may have built up.
Do not get into the vehicle again during the
refuelling process. Otherwise, electrostatic
charge could build up again. G
WARNING
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
If you mix diesel fuel with petrol, the flash
point of this fuel mixture is lower than that of pure diesel fuel. When the engine is running,
components in the exhaust system may over-
heat unnoticed. There is a risk of fire.
Never refuel with petrol. Never add petrol to
diesel fuel.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
petrol engine. Do not switch on the ignition if you accidentally refuel with the wrong
fuel. Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel
system. Even small amounts of the wrong
fuel can result in damage to the fuel system
and the engine. Notify a qualified specialist
workshop and have the fuel tank and fuel
lines drained completely. !
Do not use petrol to refuel vehicles with a
diesel engine. Do not switch on the ignition if you accidentally refuel with the wrong
fuel. Otherwise, fuel can enter the fuel sys-tem. Even small amounts of the wrong fuel
could result in damage to the fuel system
and the engine. The repair costs are high.
Notify a qualified specialist workshop and
have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when adding fuel from a fuel
can. The fuel lines and/or the diesel injec-
tion system could otherwise be blocked by
particles from the fuel can.
If you overfill the fuel tank, some fuel may
spray out when you remove the fuel pump
nozzle.
Further information on fuel and fuel quality
(Y page 468). Refuelling
General notes Observe the important safety notes
(Y
page 200).
If you unlock/lock the vehicle from the out-
side, the fuel filler flap also unlocks/locks.
The position of the 8fuel filler cap is dis-
played in the instrument cluster. The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle. Refuelling
201Driving and parking Z

Opening the fuel filler flap
:
To open the fuel filler flap
; To insert the fuel filler cap
= Tyre pressure table
? Fuel type to be refuelled
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
or, in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS ‑GO
X Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status
0. This is the same as the key having been
removed.
X Press the fuel filler flap in the direction of
arrow :.
The fuel filler flap swings up.
X Turn the fuel filler cap anti-clockwise and
remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder on
the inside of fuel filler flap ;.
X Completely insert the filler neck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank, hook in place
and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise, fuel
may leak out.
Vehicles with a diesel engine: the filler neck is designed for refuelling at diesel filling pumps. Closing the fuel filler flap X
Replace the cap on the filler neck and turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
X Close the fuel filler flap.
Close the fuel filler flap before locking the
vehicle. 202
RefuellingDriving and parking

Problems with the fuel and fuel tank
Problem
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle. G
WARNING
The fuel line or the fuel tank is faulty.
There is a risk of fire or explosion. X Apply the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the engine.
X Remove the key from the ignition lock.
or, in vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-function or KEYLESS ‑GO
X Open the driver's door.
The on-board electronics now have status 0. This is the same as
the key having been removed.
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The engine does not
start. The fuel tank of a vehicle with a diesel engine has been run com-
pletely dry.
X Refuel the vehicle with at least 5 litres of diesel.
X Turn the ignition on for approximately ten seconds
(Y page 181).
X Start the engine continuously for a maximum of ten seconds
until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not start:
X Turn the ignition on again a maximum of ten seconds
(Y page 181).
X Start the engine again continuously for a maximum of ten sec-
onds until it runs smoothly.
If the engine does not start after three attempts:
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Refuelling
203Driving and parking Z