stop start MERCEDES-BENZ C WAGON 2005 S203 Owner's Manual

40 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel adjustment, manual
1Handle
To unlock the steering column, pull
handle1 out to its stop limit.

Move steering wheel to the desired
position.

To lock the steering column, push
handle1 all the way in until it
engages.
The steering wheel is once again
locked into position.

Make sure the steering wheel is
securely locked by trying to move it up
and down, and in and out before driving
off.Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The stalk for steering wheel adjustment is
located on the steering column (lower left).
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down

Switch on ignition (
page 33).
or

Open the driver’s door.
Warning!
G
Only adjust the steering wheel with the
vehicle at a standstill and make sure the
steering wheel is securely locked in place
before driving off.
Driving without the steering wheel adjust-
ment locked may cause an unexpected
steering wheel movement which could
cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle. Make sure the steering wheel is
securely locked by trying to move it up and
down, and in and out before driving off.

48 Getting startedDriving
Release parking brake by pulling on
handle1.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.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.iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic
locking using the control system
(page 143).
!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
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.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionR 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
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

54 Getting startedDrivingProblems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is
above 248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.

Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add
coolant if necessary (
page 275).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.

55 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before
removing the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.

156 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 328).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.

160 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionEmergency operation (Limp Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

185 Controls in detail
Audio system
Manual tuning
Select desired waveband.

Press S or Tbutton for approx.
three seconds.

Press button repeatedly until desired
frequency has been reached.
Step-by-step station tuning takes place
in ascending or descending order. Each
time the button is pressed, the radio
tunes further by 0.2 MHz. During
manual tuning, the radio is muted.Automatic seek tuning

Select desired waveband.

Press S or T button briefly.
The radio will tune to the next highest
or next lowest receivable frequency.Scan search


Starting scan search
Select desired waveband.

Press
SC soft key.
SC will appear in the display. The
radio briefly tunes in all receivable
stations on the waveband selected.
iYou can only enter frequencies within
the respective waveband.
If a button is not pressed within
four seconds, the radio will return to
the last station tuned.
iIf no station is received after two
consecutive scans of the complete
frequency range, then the scan stops
at the frequency from which it began.

187 Controls in detail
Audio system


Calling up stations
Press desired station button1
to R.


Leaving the Autostore memory level
Press
FM or
AM
soft key briefly.
Interrupting radio mode
The radio mode is interrupted by an
incoming call on the telephone*
(
page 205).


Mute on
Press U button.
The radio mode is interrupted and MUTED
appears in the display.


Mute off
Press U button.
The radio mode is again active.
Weather band

Press
WB soft key.
The weather band station last received
is tuned in.Selecting a weather band station
directly

Select desired weather band station
with buttons 1 to 7.
If a station cannot be tuned in, a search
is automatically started.
Search

Press S or T button to tune in
the next receivable weather band
station.iIf no weather band station is received
after three consecutive scans of the
complete frequency range, then the
scan stops at the channel with which it
began and
NO WB FOUND
appears in the
display.
If this happens, switch back to
standard radio mode.

192 Controls in detailAudio systemTuning via scan search
Scan search is characterized as follows:

Scan search plays a channel for
approx. eight seconds and then skips
to the next channel within the current
category.


Scan search can be terminated
manually.

Press
SC soft key.
The search starts. SC appears in the
display.

Press
SC soft key again.
The search stops.Obtaining additional text information
Additional text information (artist, title)
related to the current channel can be
displayed.

Press
INF
soft key.
The title being played is displayed.

Press
INF
soft key again.
The name of the artist performing the
title being played is displayed.Storing stations

Tune in desired station.

Press and hold desired station
button1 to R until a brief signal
tone is heard.
The frequency is stored on the selected
station button.
The radio saves the current station at
the memory preset selected. The
memory preset selected appears in the
status line, e.g. S3.
iIf a button is not pressed within
four seconds, the radio will return to
the standard display.
iThere are ten presets available.
An existing entry is overwritten in the
memory list when a new entry is given.

215 Controls in detail
Power windows
Power windows
Opening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for all the
side windows are on the driver’s door. The
switches for the respective windows are
on the front passenger door and the rear
doors.
1Left front window
2Right front window
3Right rear window
4Left rear window
5Rear window override switch
(
page 77)
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if switch was pulled past the resistance
point and released, by either pressing or
pulling the respective switch.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you pulled the switch past the resistance
point and released it to close the window,
the automatic reversal function will stop the
window and open it slightly.
If the window encounters an obstruction
that blocks its path in a circumstance where
you are closing the window by pulling and
holding the switch, or by pressing and hold-
ing button‹ on the SmartKey, the auto-
matic reversal function will not operate.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from starter switch, take it with
you, and lock your vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.