windshield wipers MERCEDES-BENZ C230 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting Safety Defects ............... 18
Vehicle data recording......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices........................... 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 26
Center console ..................................... 27
Upper part ...................................... 27
Lower part ...................................... 28
Overhead control panel ........................ 29
Door control panel................................ 30
Getting started................................... 31
Unlocking ............................................. 32
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 32
Starter switch positions .................. 33
Adjusting .............................................. 35
Seats .............................................. 35
Steering wheel ................................ 40
Mirrors ............................................ 43
Driving .................................................. 45
Fastening the seat belt ................... 45
Starting the engine ......................... 48
Parking brake ................................. 50
Driving ............................................ 51
Switching on headlamps ................. 52
Turn signals .................................... 53
Windshield wipers ........................... 53
Problems while driving.................... 56
Parking and locking .............................. 57
Parking brake ................................. 58
Switching off headlamps................. 59
Turning off engine ........................... 59
Releasing seat belts........................ 59
Locking ........................................... 60

23 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Cruise control lever
247
2
Multifunction steering
wheel
26,
131
3
Horn
4
Instrument cluster
24,
127
5
Lever for voice control
system*, see separate
operating instructions
6
Overhead control panel
29
7
Glove box lid release
257
8
Glove box lock
257
Item
Page
9
Center console
27
a
Starter switch
33
b
Hood lock release
297
c
Steering wheel adjustment
handle (manual)
40
d
Steering wheel adjustment
lever (electrical)*
41
e
Parking brake pedal
50, 58
f
Remote trunk opening
switch
104
g
Door control panel
30
h
Parking brake release
50
Item
Page
j
Combination switch

Turn signals
53


Windshield wipers
53


High beam
52
k
Exterior lamp switch
52,
118
l
Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment
43,
117
m
Headlamp washer button*
170

53 Getting started
Driving
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left

Press combination switch in direction
of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 24).
The combination switch resets auto-
matically after major directional
changes.
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers 
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
press combination switch only to point
of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three
times.

54 Getting startedDrivingSwitching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the
intensity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedIntermittent wiping
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Intermittent wiping interval is dependent
on wetness of windshield.

Turn the combination switch to
positionI.
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by
the rain sensor.
!Do not operate the windshield wipers
when the windshield is dry. Dust that
accumulates on a windshield might
scratch the glass and/or damage the
wiper blades when wiping occurs on a
dry windshield. If it is necessary to op-
erate the windshield wipers in dry
weather conditions, always operate the
windshield wipers with windshield
washer fluid (
page 55).
!Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Do not leave windshield wipers in
intermittent setting when the vehicle is
taken to an automatic car wash or
during windshield cleaning. Windshield
wipers will operate in the presence of
water sprayed on the windshield, and
windshield wipers may be damaged as
a result.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened. This protects persons
getting into or out of the vehicle from
being sprayed.
Intermittent wiping will be continued
when

all doors are closed
and


the clutch pedal is depressed (vehi-
cles with manual transmission)
or


the gear selector lever is in
positionD or R (vehicles with auto-
matic transmission*)
or


the wiper setting is changed using
the combination switch

55 Getting started
Driving
Single wipe
Press the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow1 to the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Press the combination switch in direc-
tion of arrow1 past the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 303).iTo prevent smears on the windshield,
wipe with windshield washer fluid every
now and then even when it is raining.
!If anything blocks the windshield
wipers (leaves, snow, etc.), switch
them off immediately.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle
in a safe location and remove
SmartKey from starter switch
before attempting to remove any
blockage.


Remove blockage.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If the windshield wipers fail to function
at all with combination switch in
positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next higher wiper speed


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center

170 Controls in detailGood visibilityFor information on the windshield wipers,
see “Windshield wipers” (
page 53).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).

Press button 1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 303).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 43).
Interior rear view mirror,
antiglare position
1Lever

Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night
position by moving lever1 towards
the windshield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and


operated the windshield wipers
with windshield washer fluid
15 times
When you switch off the ignition, the
counter resets.

181 Controls in detail
Climate control
Adjusting air volume
Six blower speeds are available.
Press buttonU (
page 177).
The indicator lamp in the button goes
out. The automatic air volume control
is switched off. The air volume is
adjusted according to the currently
selected setting.

Use the air volume control4
(page 177) to adjust the air volume.
Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up.
You can also defog the windshield and the
side windows.Activating

Press buttonP or0
(page 177).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:


maximum blowing and heating
power


air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows


the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating

Press buttonP or0
(page 177) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 53).

Press buttonU (
page 177).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. Air distribution and air vol-
ume are adjusted automatically.
If the automatic mode of the climate con-
trol is switched off:

Turn air distribution control4
toaorY (
page 177).
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.

192 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control* (Canada only)The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:


cooling on to dehumidify


maximum blowing and heating
power


air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows


the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating

Press buttonP (
page 187) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.Windshield fogged on the outside

Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 54).
If the automatic mode of the climate con-
trol is switched off:

Turn air distribution control1 or8
toa orY (
page 187).
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 187) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* are closed).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
Warning!
G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 187) is activated, or
press buttonP.

297 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
The hood lock release lever is located to
the left of the steering wheel under the
dashboard.
1Hood lock release lever

Pull lever1 downwards.
The hood is unlocked and handle2
will extend out of the radiator grille.
2Handle for opening the hood

Pull handle2 to its stop out of
radiator grille.

Pull up on the hood (do not pull up on
the handle) and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the
vehicle is in motion. Otherwise the hood
could be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield
wipers or hood, never open the hood if
the wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for
approximately 30 seconds or even restart
after the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.

343 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the en-
gine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be
lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.

Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.

Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.

Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.

Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an auto-
matic car wash from the start. Automatic
car washes without brushes are prefera-
ble.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it be-
fore running it through the automatic car
wash.
!Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in
exterior rear view mirrors prior to run-
ning the vehicle through an automatic
car wash to prevent damage to the
mirrors.
Make sure that the windshield wiper
switch is set to0 (
page 53). Other-
wise, the rain sensor could activate and
cause the wipers to move unintention-
ally. This may lead to vehicle damage.