width MERCEDES-BENZ C240 2003 W203 Owner's Manual

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases when the seat belts are fas-
tened:

in frontal or rear-end impacts
exceeding a preset severity level


if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly.
See
1
indicator lamp (
page 56).
In an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.
width of the belt to manage impact
forces. The twisted belt against your
body could cause injuries.


Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.
Warning!
G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When scrapping the emergency tensioning
device, our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the front passenger
seat. This could cause the front or side
impact airbag on the front passenger
side to deploy in a crash which exceeds
the system's deployment threshold.

251 Operation
Vehicle care
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Use only 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 clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in out-
side mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome
cleaner.
Headlamps, tail lamps, turn signal
lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.
Wiper blades
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a clean
cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning
Use a window cleaning solution on all glass
surfaces. An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.
iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the wiper blades, other-
wise the wiper motor can suddenly turn
on and cause injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
key in the starter switch.iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the windshield, otherwise
the wiper motor can suddenly turn on
and cause injury.

327 Technical data
Main dimensions
Main dimensions
C230KompressorSport
C240
C320
C320Sport
C2404MATIC
C3204MATIC
C3204MATICSport
C32AMG
Overall vehicle length
178.2 in (4 526 mm)
178.2 in (4 526 mm)
178.2 in (4 526 mm)
178.2 in (4 526 mm)
Overall vehicle width
68.0 in (1 728 mm)
68.0 in (1 728 mm)
68.0 in (1 728 mm)
68.0 in (1 728 mm)
Overall vehicle height
56.4 in (1 433 mm)
56.3 in (1 429 mm)
56.0 in (1 422 mm)
56.1 in (1 426 mm)
Wheelbase
106.9 in (2 715 mm)
106.9 in (2 715 mm)
106.9 in (2 715 mm)
106.9 in (2 715 mm)
Track, front
58.8 in (1 493 mm)
58.8 in (1 493 mm)
58.8 in (1 493 mm)
58.8 in (1 493 mm)
Track, rear
57.6 in (1 464 mm)
57.6 in (1 464 mm)
57.6 in (1 464 mm)
58.0 in (1 474 mm)

339 Technical data
Consumer information
Consumer information
The following text is published as required
of all manufacturers of passenger cars un-
der Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regula-
tions, Part 575 pursuant to the “National
Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of
1966”.Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Tread Wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest
are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades repre-
sent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Tread wear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.