warning light MERCEDES-BENZ C COUPE 2005 CL203 Owner's Manual

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 66
Children in the vehicle .................... 70
Panic alarm* ........................................ 80
Activating ....................................... 80
Deactivating ................................... 80
Driving safety systems ......................... 81
ABS ................................................ 81
BAS ................................................ 82
ESP ................................................. 83
Anti-theft systems................................ 86
Immobilizer..................................... 86
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 86
Tow-away alarm* ........................... 87
Controls in detail............................... 89
Locking and unlocking ......................... 90
SmartKey ....................................... 90
Opening the doors from the inside . 94
Opening the trunk lid ..................... 95
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 95
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 96
Automatic central locking .............. 97
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ............................................. 98
Seats ................................................. 100
Easy-entry/exit feature* .............. 100
Removing and installing front seat
head restraints ............................. 102
Rear seat head restraints ............. 103
Seat heating* ............................... 106
Memory function* ............................. 107
Storing positions into memory ..... 108
Recalling positions from memory . 108
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 109Lighting ............................................. 110
Exterior lamp switch .................... 110
Combination switch ..................... 114
Cornering fog lamps*................... 114
Hazard warning flasher ................ 116
Interior lighting ............................ 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 119
Instrument cluster illumination .... 119
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 120
Trip odometer .............................. 121
Tachometer .................................. 121
Outside temperature indicator ..... 121
Control system .................................. 123
Multifunction display.................... 123
Multifunction steering wheel........ 124
Menus .......................................... 126
Standard display menu ................ 128
AUDIO menu ................................ 129
NAV* menu .................................. 131
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 132
Settings menu .............................. 133
Trip computer menu..................... 151
TEL menu* ................................... 153

10 IntroductionOperator’s ManualThis Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to
demonstrate the proper procedures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, an authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Maintenance
Booklet are important documents and
should be kept with the vehicle.
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty,


Emission System Warranty,


Emission Performance Warranty,


California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only),


State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws).

15 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.

This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.

A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 Page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.
-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to
indicate cross-references to
term definitions.
Display
Words appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!
G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.!Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.iHelpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

33 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positions
Starter switch0For removing SmartKey
The steering is locked when the Smart-
Key is removed from the starter switch.
If necessary, move steering wheel
slightly to allow the locking mechanism
to engage.
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position. All
lamps (except low beam headlamp in-
dicator lamp, high beam headlamp indi-
cator lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, refer to “Lamps
in instrument cluster” (
page 340).
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

42 Getting startedAdjustingAdjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk forward or back in the direc-
tion of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column, up or down

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that all the displays (inclusive mal-
function and indicator lamps) on the in-
strument cluster are clearly visible.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.Interior rear view mirror

Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 167).
Exterior rear view mirrors
iThe memory function* (
page 107)
lets you store the setting for the steer-
ing wheel together with the setting for
the seat position and exterior rear view
mirrors.
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view 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 in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

51 Getting started
Driving
After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
For more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 277).
Switching on headlamps
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 110).
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
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.!Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP or R only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
speeds may shorten the service life of
the engine.Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission*: It is
dangerous to shift the gear selector lever
out ofP or N if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on
the brake pedal, the vehicle could acceler-
ate quickly forward or in reverse. You could
lose control of the vehicle and hit someone
or something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

57 Getting started
Parking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to M
(page 51).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 110).
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse gear)
is dangerous. Also, when parked on an
incline, positionP (manual transmission:
first or reverse gear) alone may not prevent
your vehicle from moving, possibly hitting
people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (manual transmission:
first or reverse gear).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. 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 positionP
(manual transmission: into neutral), either of
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious injury.

77 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Self-test Occupant Classification
System
After turning the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position1 or2, the
56indicator lamp1 located in
the center console illuminates. If an adult
occupant is properly sitting on the front
passenger seat and the system senses the
occupant as being an adult, the
56indicator lamp will illuminate
and go out after approximately six sec-
onds.
If the seat is not occupied and the system
senses the front passenger seat as being
empty, the 56indicator lamp will
illuminate and not go out. For more information, see “Lamp in center
console” (
page 345).Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
This vehicle is equipped with tether an-
chorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions.
1Anchorage rings

Release rear seat backrest
(page 251).

Fold rear seat backrest slightly for-
ward.

Guide tether strap between head
restraint and top of the seat back.
Warning!
G
If the 56indicator lamp should not
illuminate, the system is not functioning.
You must see an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center before seating any child on the front
passenger seat.Warning!
G
Never place anything between seat cushion
and child seat (e.g. pillow), since it reduces
the effectiveness of the Occupant Classifi-
cation System. The bottom of the child seat
must make full contact with the passenger
seat cushion. An incorrectly mounted child
seat could cause injuries to the child in case
of an accident, instead of increasing protec-
tion for the child.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
installation of child seats.


81 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS and ESP cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS and ESP is only
achieved with winter tires (M + S tires),
or snow chains as required.Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light:


Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps

Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1, only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch and the driver’s door
open, while the parking lamps or low
beam headlamps are switched on,

a warning sounds


$ appears in the multifunction
display


the message
Switch off lights.

appears in the multifunction display
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and / or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.