length MERCEDES-BENZ C230 KOMPRESSOR 2003 W203 Owner's Manual

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Head restraint height (rear outer seats)
Raising:
Pull up on head restraint.
Lowering:

Push button1.

Push down on head restraint.
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment, manual
1Release lever
2Steering column, lengthen or shorten
3Steering column, height

To unlock the steering column, pull
lever1 out until its stop limit.

Adjust the steering wheel to the de-
sired position.

To lock, press lever1 all the way in un-
til it engages.
The steering wheel is once again
locked into position.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch and lock your ve-
hicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment
feature* can also be operated with the driv-
er’s door open. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

38 Getting startedAdjusting
Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The stalk is located on the steering column
(lower left).
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2Steering column, height
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1 or2.
or

Open the driver’s door.Steering column, lengthen or shorten

Move stalk forward or backward in the
direction of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Steering column, height

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2. Make sure that your legs
can move freely and that all the dis-
plays (including malfunction and indi-
cator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible.
!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering column.
If the warning message
STEERING
WHEEL ADJUST - LOCK ! is displayed
while the engine is running, the steer-
ing column is not locked properly
(
page 276).
iWith the memory function*
(page 98), you can store steering
wheel positions together with settings
for the seats and the exterior rear view
mirrors.

135 Controls in detail
Control system
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can
operate it using the control system.Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the display you will then see the message:

Press button
í
.
You have answered the call. In the
display you see the length of the call.
Ending a call

Press button
ì
.
You have ended the call. In the display
you will again see the standby
message.Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press button
ÿ
or
è
repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the dis-
play.

Press button
j
or
k
.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
display you will see the message
PLEASE WAIT!
.
When the message
PLEASE WAIT!

disappears, the phone book has been
loaded.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
display.
The stored names are displayed in in-
creasing or decreasing alphabetical
order.
iVehicles with audio system:
In top right corner; the higher the
number, the stronger the signal
received from the net.
Vehicles with COMAND*:
In top left corner; the higher the
number of bars, the stronger the signal
received from the net.


140 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Gear ranges
With the selector lever in positionD, you
can limit the transmission’s gear range by
pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re-
verse the gear range limit by pressing the
lever to the right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
tachometer display field. If you press on
the accelerator when the engine has
reached its rpm limit, the transmission will
upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
Gear
range
Effect
é
The transmission shifts
through fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts
through third gear only.
With this selection you can
use the braking effect of the
engine.
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates
only in first gear.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.
Gear
range
Effect

198 Controls in detailLoading
Wrap strap4 around ski sack and arm-
rest.

Close clasp5 (arrows) and pull strap
tight to immobilize skis.

Connect snap hook6 of front strap to
eye7 located on center tunnel in front
of rear seat bench.Unloading and folding

Loosen strap, open clasp by pressing
tabs8 together (arrows).

Unload skis.

Close flap in trunk.

Disconnect snap hook6 from eye7.

Fold and flatten ski sack lengthwise
and place folded ski sack inside recess
of backrest.


229 Operation
Driving instructions
Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 245).
Standing water
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the windWarning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
!Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth.
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.

247 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Service Booklet at the times called for
by the FSS (Flexible Service System).
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Service Booklet at the
designated times /mileage called for by
the FSS may result in vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
FSS will notify you when your next service
is due.
Approximately one month before your next
service is due, one of the following mes-
sages will appear in the multifunction dis-
play while you are driving or when you
switch on the ignition (example service A):SERVICE A IN XX DAYS
SERVICE A IN XX MILES (KM)
SERVICE A DUE NOW!
The type of service due is indicated in the
speedometer display field:9
Minor service (A)
½
Major service (B)
Clearing the service indicator
The service indicator is automatically
cleared

after ten seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the ser-
vice threshold while driving


after 30 seconds, once the suggested
service term has passed
You can also clear it yourself.

Press the reset knob on the instrument
cluster (
page 22).
Service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the multifunction display:SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX DAYS
SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX MILES (KM)The Mercedes-Benz Center will reset the
service indicator following a completed
service.
iThe interval between services depends
on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.

282 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?Storing the spare wheel
Place spare wheel2 in wheel well.

Turn storage tray3 clockwise to its
stop to secure the spare wheel.

Insert toolkit1.Spare wheel bolts
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for steel rimsVehicles with Minispare wheel
The Minispare wheel is located in the
compartment underneath the trunk floor.
1Vehicle tool kit
Wheel wrench
Jack
2Arrow
3Minispare wheel
4Vehicle tool kit storage well casing!To prevent damage, always disengage
trunk floor handle from upper edge of
trunk and lower trunk floor before
closing the trunk lid.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting steel wheel rim. The use of
any wheel bolts other than wheel
bolts2 for steel wheel rims can cause
physical damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Be sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.

284 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?In the case of a flat tire, you may
temporarily use the Minispare wheel when
observing the following restrictions:

Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).


Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or
replaced as appropriate.


Do not operate vehicle with more than
one Minispare wheel mounted.Minispare wheel bolts
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel or other
steel rims
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting the Minispare wheel. The use
of any wheel bolts other than wheel
bolts2 for the Minispare wheel can
cause physical damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Be sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.

306 Practical hintsJump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump
starting with a more powerful battery
could damage the vehicle’s electrical
system, which will not be covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure that the jumper
cables are not on or near pulleys, fans,
or other parts that move when an
engine is started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking etc.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Jump starting may only be performed
on the battery installed in the engine
compartment.
Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine
using a battery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.