transmission MERCEDES-BENZ C230 2006 W203 Owner's Guide

285 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an
extended period with the ESP
® switched
off. Doing so may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).
When parking on hills, always turn front
wheels towards the road curb.Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible 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.


286 OperationDriving instructions
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of
approximately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which
point the tire is considered worn and
should be replaced.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temper-
atures).


Manual transmission: Move gearshift
lever to neutral position (no gear select-
ed).


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Automatic transmission*: 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.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not
allow your tires to wear down to that level.
As tread depth approaches
1/8in (3 mm),
the adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.


289 Operation
Driving instructions
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to positionN or in
case of manual transmission declutch.
Try to keep the vehicle under control by
corrective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely
affect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking
efficiency should be tested as soon as
possible after driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 336).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 337).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of control loss.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monox-
ide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior re-
sulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the
road surface is free of ice.

290 OperationDriving instructionsStanding water
Passenger compartment
Driving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive
Mercedes-Benz service network at your
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas
which are not listed in the index of your
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you
should request pertinent information from
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth.
Never accelerate before driving into
water. The bow wave could force water
into the engine and auxiliary equip-
ment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing wa-
ter, drive slowly to prevent water from
entering the passenger compartment
or the engine compartment. Water in
these areas could cause damage to
electrical components or wiring of the
engine or transmission, or could result
in water being ingested by the engine
through the air intake causing severe
internal engine damage. Any such
damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as
securely as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry
objects.

300 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
1Filler cap

Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.

Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.

Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 440) and
(
page 442).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the transmission.
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of
approved engine oils and oil filters,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those
expressly required for the Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
Vehicles) will result in engine damage
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

331 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.
Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km). Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.
DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.

350 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Lamps in instrument clusterGeneral information:
If any of the following lamps in the instru-
ment cluster fails to come on during thebulb self-check when switching on the
ignition, have the respective bulb checked
and replaced if necessary.Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
-
The yellow ABS indicator lamp
comes on while driving.
The ABS has detected a malfunction and
has switched off. The BAS and the ESP
®
are also switched off (see messages in dis-
play).
The brake system is still functioning nor-
mally but without the ABS available.
If the ABS control unit is malfunctioning,
other systems such as the navigation
system* or the automatic transmission*
may also be malfunctioning.

Continue driving with added caution.
Wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability.

Read and observe messages in the dis-
play (
page 358).

Have the system checked at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
Failure to follow these instructions
increases the risk of an accident.
The charging voltage has fallen below ten
volts. The ABS has switched off.
The battery might not be charged suffi-
ciently.

Switch off electrical consumers that are
currently not needed, e.g. seat heating*.

If necessary, have the generator
(alternator) and battery checked.
When the voltage is above this value again,
the ABS is operational again.

392 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergencyManually unlocking the transmission gear selector lever
In case of power failure, the transmission
gear selector lever can be manually un-
locked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
Slide out the swiveling cup holder
(page 259).
1Tool

Insert a tool1 (e.g. flat blade screw
driver) into the opening.

Perform the following two steps
simultaneously:
Press tool1 forward in the
direction of the arrow.

Move gear selector lever from
positionP.

Remove tool1 from the opening.iThe gear selector lever is locked again
when moving it to positionP.

406 Practical hintsFlat tire
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.

Turn on the hazard warning flasher
(page 124).

Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.

Set the parking brake (
page 58).

Move the gear selector lever toP
(manual transmission: to first or
reverse gear).

Turn off the engine (
page 59).

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Mounting the Minispare wheel
Preparing the vehicle
Prepare the vehicle as described
(page 406).

Take the wheel wrench, the wheel
bolts, and the jack out of the trunk
(page 383).

Take the Minispare wheel out of the
trunk (
page 386).
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted. Adapt your driving style accord-
ingly.
The Minispare wheel is for temporary use
only. When driving with Minispare wheel
mounted, ensure proper tire inflation
pressure and do not exceed a vehicle speed
of 50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible to have the Minispare
wheel replaced with a regular road wheel.
Never operate the vehicle with more than
one Minispare wheel mounted.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a
Minispare wheel is mounted.
iOpen doors only when conditions are
safe to do so.

416 Practical hintsJump startingThe battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: to Neutral).

Open the hood (
page 297).

Flip up cover positive under hood
terminal2 in front of the filter box
(page 412).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive under
hood terminal2 in front of the filter
box with the jumper cables. Clamp ca-
ble to charged battery1 first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal4 of the
charged battery with negative under
hood terminal3 in front of the filter
box with the jumper cables. Clamp ca-
ble to charged battery4 first.

Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals2 and1.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 302).
!Never invert the terminal connections!
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.