child seat MERCEDES-BENZ C230 2007 W203 Owner's Manual

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 57
Occupant safety................................... 58
Air bags .......................................... 59
Occupant Classification System ..... 64
Seat belts ....................................... 69
Active head restraint ...................... 73
Children in the vehicle .................... 74
Blocking of
rear door window operation ........... 80
Panic alarm* ........................................ 81
Activating ....................................... 81
Deactivating ................................... 81
Driving safety systems ......................... 82
ABS ................................................ 82
BAS ................................................ 84
ESP
®............................................... 85
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 88
Anti-theft systems................................ 89
Immobilizer..................................... 89
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 89
Controls in detail............................... 91
Locking and unlocking ......................... 92
SmartKey ....................................... 92
Checking the batteries ................... 95
Loss of SmartKey
or mechanical key .......................... 95
Opening the doors from the inside . 96
Opening the trunk .......................... 96
Closing the trunk............................ 97
Trunk emergency release ............... 98
Valet locking .................................. 99
Automatic central locking .............. 99
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 100
Seats ................................................. 101
Front seat active head restraints . 101
Rear seat head restraints ............. 101
Lumbar support............................ 105
Multicontour seats*
(Canada only) ............................... 105
Seat heating* ............................... 106
Memory function* ............................. 107
Storing positions into memory ..... 108
Recalling positions from memory . 108Lighting ............................................. 109
Exterior lamp switch .................... 109
Combination switch ..................... 113
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* (C 230 (Canada only),
C 280, C 350 and models
with 4MATIC: with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps)................. 113
Hazard warning flasher ................ 115
Interior lighting ............................ 116
Door entry lamps ......................... 117
Trunk lamp ................................... 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 118
Adjusting
instrument cluster illumination .... 118
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 119
Resetting trip odometer ............... 119
Tachometer.................................. 120
Outside temperature indicator ..... 120
Control system .................................. 121
Multifunction display.................... 121
Multifunction steering wheel........ 122
Menus .......................................... 124
Standard display menu ................ 126
AUDIO menu ................................ 127
NAV* menu .................................. 129

34 Getting started
Adjusting
Seats
The seats can be adjusted either manually
or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s
equipment.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 101).
Warning!G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat back and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer
is in a nearly upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body. Your seat
must be adjusted so that you can correctly
fasten your seat belt (
page 43).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the power seats* can be
operated when the respective door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Manual seat adjustment
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat cushion tilt
3Seat backrest tilt
4Seat height
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Lift handle1.
Slide seat to the desired position.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far rearward
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Allow handle1 to reengage with an
audible click.
Check for proper engagement before
driving.
Seat cushion tilt
Turn handwheel2 forward or back-
ward until your upper legs are lightly
supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Switch on the ignition (page 32).
Press switch3 in direction of arrow
until your arms are slightly angled
when holding the steering wheel.
Seat height
Switch on the ignition (page 32).
Press switch4 in direction of arrow
until your legs are lightly supported.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional
information, see “Children in the vehicle”
(
page 74).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
!When moving the seats, make sure that
there are no items in the footwell or behind the
seat. Otherwise you could damage the seats.

38 Getting started
Adjusting
Head restraint adjusting
Manually adjust the head restraint.
Push or pull the head restraint cushion
to the desired position.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 101).
Steering wheel
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head re-
straint supports the back of the head at eye
level. This will reduce the potential for injury
to the head and neck in the event of an ac-
cident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving, or driving without the steering wheel
adjustment feature locked could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the electrical steering wheel
adjustment feature* can be operated when
the driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

40 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The stalk for the electrical steering wheel
adjustment is located on the lower left of
the steering column.
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
Switch on the ignition (page 32).
or
Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out
Move the stalk in direction of
arrows1 until a comfortable steering
wheel position is reached with your
arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down
Move the stalk in direction of
arrows2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that all the displays (including mal-
function and indicator lamps) on the in-
strument cluster are clearly visible.
Easy-entry/exit feature*
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience sub-
menu of the control system (
page 144).
iThe memory function* (page 107) lets
you store the settings for the power seat*, the
steering wheel adjustment (electrical*) and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 40).

Press memory position switch*
(
page 108).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

43 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat belt
Warning!G
Make sure that absolutely no objects are ob-
structing the pedals’ range of movement.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all obsta-
cles. If there are any floormats or carpets in
the footwell, make sure that the pedals still
have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu-
vers, the objects could get caught between
or beneath the pedals. You could then no
longer brake or accelerate. This could lead
to accidents and injury.
Warning!G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(
page 69).
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats.
Regardless of seating position, children
12 years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant or
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
For additional information, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 74).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.

45 Getting started
Driving
Belt outlet height adjustment
1Release button
Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm. For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a nearly
upright position.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.

Make sure that the seat belt is always
fitted snugly. Take special care of this
when wearing loose clothing.
Warning!G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash, they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

56 Getting started
Parking and locking
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(
page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely
rewind the seat belt by guiding the
latch plate.
Locking
Exit the vehicle and close all doors and
the trunk.
Press lock button‹ on the
SmartKey (
page 32).

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 93).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system* is
armed.
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (
page 92).
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim pan-
el. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
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. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the headlamps before
opening the driver’s door.
In addition the message
Switch off lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the headlamps.

58 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.

Seat belts (page 69)

Child restraints (page 77)

Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) (
page 79)
Additional protection potential provide

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 59)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency tensioning device (ETD)
for seat belts (
page 72)

Active head restraints (page 73)Air bag system components with

Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (
page 68)

Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(
page 64)
Although independent systems, their pro-
tective effects work in conjunction with
each other.
The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of system malfunc-
tions. The1indicator lamp in the in-
strument cluster comes on when the
ignition is switched on and goes out no lat-
er than a few seconds after the engine has
been started.The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the 1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the 1indicator lamp:
fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 74). Warning!G
Modifications to or work improperly con-
ducted on restraint systems (such as seat
belts and anchors, emergency tensioning
devices, seat belt force limiters or air bags)
or their wiring, as well as tampering with in-
terconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer function-
ing as intended.

60 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.

Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.

Occupants, especially children, should
always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and use an appropriately
sized infant or toddler restraint or boost-
er seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.