steering MERCEDES-BENZ C230 KOMPRESSOR SPORT 2004 W203 User Guide

36 Getting startedAdjusting
Head restraint tilt
Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint.
Push or pull on the lower edge of the
head restraint cushion.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 92).
Steering wheel
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head
restraint 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 accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are
intended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving, or driving without the adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
your vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment
feature* can also be operated with the
driver’s door open. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of
vehicle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering 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.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

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 or2 (
page 31).
or

Open the driver’s door.
!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering column.
If the warning message
STEERING
WHEEL ADJ. - LOCK!
(page 298) is
displayed while the engine is running,
the steering column is not locked.

38 Getting startedAdjustingAdjusting steering column in or out
Move stalk forward or back in the
direction of arrow1 until a comfort-
able steering wheel position is reached
with your arms slightly bent at the
elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and that all the displays (incl. malfunc-
tion and indicator lamps) on the instru-
ment cluster are clearly visible.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 149).Exterior rear view mirrors
iThe memory function* (
page 99) lets
you store the setting for the steering
wheel together with the settings for the
seat position and exterior rear view
mirrors.
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes. !Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

39 Getting started
Adjusting
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Adjustment button
3Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.

Press button1 for the left mirror or
button3 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button2 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
For more information, see “Activating exte-
rior rear view mirror parking position*”
(
page 150).
!If an exterior rear view mirror was
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the
rear) or forcibly pushed rearward (hit
from the front), reposition it by
applying firm pressure until it snaps
into place. The mirror housing is now
properly positioned and you can adjust
the mirror normally.
iThe memory function* (
page 99) lets
you store the setting for the exterior
rear view mirrors together with the set-
tings for the steering wheel and seat
position.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the
mirrors will be heated automatically.

46 Getting startedDrivingAfter a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.
For more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 239).
Switching on headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn switch toB.
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 102).
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.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

47 Getting started
Driving
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press combination switch up1 or
down2.High beam

Push combination switch forward.
The high beam symbolA in the
instrument cluster comes on.
For more information on high beam, see
“Combination switch” (
page 105).
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers 
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal flashes three times.

50 Getting startedParking and locking
Parking and lockingYou 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 brake2.
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 (manual transmission: first or
reverse gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


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


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.

55 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Airbags
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp comes on during driving or does
not come on at all, the SRS may not be op-
erational. For your safety, we strongly rec-
ommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in
injury.
Improper work on the restraint systems,
including incorrect installation and removal,
can lead to possible injury through an unin-
tended activation of the SRS.
In addition, through improper work there is
a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be
performed by qualified technicians. Contact
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential
of injury and fatality in certain frontal
impacts (front airbags), or side impacts (side
impact airbags and head protection window
curtain airbags). However, no system avail-
able today can totally eliminate injuries and
fatalities.
The activation of the SRS temporarily releas-
es a small amount of dust from the airbags.
This dust, however, is neither injurious to
your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the
vehicle. The dust might cause some tempo-
rary breathing difficulty for people with asth-
ma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
airbags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear your
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 ensure that it is properly
positioned on your body.
Since the airbag 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 airbag. Oc-
cupants who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in-
jured by an airbag as it inflates with great
force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in an upright position
with your back against the seat back-
rest.


56 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the airbag cover on
the steering wheel must be at least ten
inches (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 your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.


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 airbag inflates.


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


Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side airbag inflates. This
could result in serious injuries or death
should the airbag be triggered. Always
sit upright, properly use the seat belts
and appropriate size infant or child
restraint system.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM1
compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front airbag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle you are responsible
to make the buyer aware of these points.
Make sure to give the buyer this Operator’s
Manual.


58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag In cases of other frontal impacts,
angled impacts, roll-overs, other side
impacts, rear collisions, or other acci-
dents, the airbags will not be activated.
The driver and passengers will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
We caution you not to rely on the
presence of the airbags in order to
avoid wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
to your safety and that of your passen-
gers that you replace deployed airbags
and repair any malfunctioning airbags
to ensure that the vehicle will continue
to provide supplemental crash protec-
tion for occupants.Warning!
G


Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and emergency tensioning
devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time only basis. An airbag or
ETD that was activated must be
replaced


No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame
trims, and installation of additional elec-
trical/electronic equipment on or near
SRS components and wiring. Keep area
between airbags and occupants free
from objects (e.g. packages, purses,
umbrellas, etc.).


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.


Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain airbag is deployed.