battery MERCEDES-BENZ C WAGON 2005 S203 Owner's Manual

ContentsOperation......................................... 255
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 256
Driving instructions ............................ 257
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 257
Drinking and driving ..................... 257
Pedals .......................................... 257
Power assistance ......................... 257
Brakes .......................................... 258
Driving off..................................... 259
Parking ......................................... 259
Tires ............................................. 260
Hydroplaning ................................ 260
Tire traction .................................. 261
Tire speed rating .......................... 261
Winter driving instructions ........... 262
Standing water ............................. 263
Passenger compartment .............. 263
Driving abroad .............................. 263
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ................................... 264
Catalytic converter ....................... 264
Emission control........................... 265
Coolant temperature .................... 266At the gas station .............................. 267
Refueling ...................................... 267
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 269
Engine compartment ......................... 270
Hood ............................................ 270
Engine oil ..................................... 272
Transmission fluid level ................ 274
Coolant level ................................ 275
Battery ......................................... 276
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 277
Tires and wheels ................................ 278
Important guidelines .................... 278
Life of tire..................................... 279
Direction of rotation ..................... 279
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 279
Rotating tires ............................... 281Winter driving .................................... 282
Winter tires .................................. 282
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 283
Snow chains................................. 283
Maintenance...................................... 284
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 285
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 285
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 285
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 286
Vehicle care....................................... 287
Cleaning and care of the
vehicle ......................................... 287

Contents
Practical hints................................. 293
What to do if … .................................. 294
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 294
Lamp in center console................ 300
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display .................... 301
Where will I find ...? ........................... 321
First aid kit ................................... 321
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 321
Minispare wheel ........................... 324
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 326
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 326
Locking the vehicle ...................... 327
Fuel filler flap ............................... 328
Manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever .. 328
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 329
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* .......... 329Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 330
SmartKey ...................................... 331
Replacing bulbs .................................. 332
Bulbs ............................................. 332
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 335
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 339
Replacing wiper blades....................... 341
Removing wiper blades ................. 341
Installing wiper blades .................. 341
Flat tire ............................................... 342
Preparing the vehicle .................... 342
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 342
Battery................................................ 347
Disconnecting the battery............. 348
Removing the battery.................... 348
Charging and reinstalling
the battery .................................... 348
Reconnecting the battery.............. 349Jump starting...................................... 350
Towing the vehicle.............................. 352
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 355
Fuses.................................................. 356
Aids for changing fuses ................ 357
Main fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 357
Fuse box in engine
compartment ................................ 358
Fuse box in cargo
compartment ................................ 359

34 Getting startedUnlocking
iWhen you switch on the ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps in the
instrument cluster come on. This indi-
cates that the respective systems are
operational. They should go out when
the engine is running.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be
sufficiently charged.

Check the battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 347)


Get a jump start (
page 350).
To prevent accelerated battery
discharge and a possible dead battery,
always remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch when the engine is not in
operation.

47 Getting started
Driving
Starting
M a k e s u r e t h e g e a r s e l e c t o r l e v e r i s s e t
toP.

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 33).

Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 57).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

Turn the SmartKey in the starter to
position0 and repeat starting
procedure (
page 46).

Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 350).
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.Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the SmartKey in the
starter switch to position3 and release
it again immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake, which could result in an acci-
dent and/or serious injury.

85 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Deactivating

Switch on ignition (
page 33).
Anti-theft alarm system*
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the tailgate


the hood
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle
(page 87)


opening the vehicle with the
mechanical key
iStarting the engine will also deactivate
the immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iThe alarm will stay on, even if the
activating element (a door, for
example) is immediately closed.iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system* (
page 242) provid-
ed Tele Aid service was subscribed to
and properly activated, and that neces-
sary cellular service and GPS coverage
are available.

90 Controls in detailIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.Locking and unlocking
For more information on locking and
unlocking, see “Getting started”
(page 32) and (
page 55).
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys are a
different color to help distinguish each
SmartKey unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the tailgate


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control1‹ Lock button
2Mechanical key locking tab
3ΠUnlock button
4Battery check lamp
5Â Panic button* (
page 78)
iCanada only:
Only vehicles equipped with an
anti-theft alarm system* have
SmartKeys with integrated panic
button5.

91 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking
Press buttonŒ.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system* is
switched off.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
and reactivate the anti-theft alarm
system* within approximately 40 seconds
of unlocking if:


neither door nor tailgate is opened


the SmartKey is not inserted in the
starter switch


the central locking switch is not
activatedGlobal locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system* is
activated.
Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey so that
pressingŒ only unlocks the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap.

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp4 flashes
twice.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. It is possible for children to
open a locked door from the inside, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 217) and power
tilt/sliding sunroof* (
page 221) from
outside using the SmartKey.


92 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
The SmartKey will then function as
follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap

Press buttonΠonce.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knob in the driver's door moves
up. The anti-theft alarm system* is
switched off.
Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system* is
switched off.Global locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system* is
activated.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp4 flashes
twice.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then either
the batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing, or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey (
page 93) and replace
them if necessary (
page 331).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the driver’s door (
page 326).


Use the mechanical key to lock the
driver’s door (
page 327).


Have the vehicle battery and the
battery connections checked
(page 347).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


93 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button‹ orŒ.
Battery check lamp4 comes on
briefly to indicate that the SmartKey
batteries are in order.Loss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Front doors
Pull on door handle2 on the
respective front door to open door.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
iIf battery check lamp4 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 331).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within
signal range of the vehicle, pressing
the‹ orŒ button will lock or
unlock the vehicle accordingly.

165 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the
defroster as soon as the rear window is
clear. The defroster is automatically
deactivated after approximately
6 to 17 minutes of operation depending on
the outside temperature.Activating

Press buttonF in the climate
control panel (
page 167).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonF again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is
insufficient voltage in the battery. The
system responds automatically by
deactivating the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
automatically turns itself back on.