transmission MERCEDES-BENZ C280 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

Contents
Trip computer menu..................... 155
TEL menu* ................................... 157
Manual transmission ......................... 160
Shifting into reverse ..................... 161
Automatic transmission* ................... 162
Gear selector lever position ......... 164
Driving tips ................................... 165
Gear ranges ................................. 166
Automatic shift program .............. 167
One-touch gearshifting................. 168
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 169
Good visibility .................................... 170
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 170
Rear view mirrors ......................... 170
Sun visors .................................... 173
Rear window sunshade* .............. 174
Rear window defroster ................. 175
Climate control .................................. 176
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 179
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode ........... 179
Setting the temperature ............... 180Adjusting air distribution and
volume .......................................... 180
Adjusting air volume ..................... 181
Front defroster.............................. 181
Air recirculation mode .................. 182
Air conditioning............................. 183
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 184
Automatic climate control*
(Canada only) ..................................... 186
Deactivating the automatic climate
control system .............................. 189
Operating the climate control
system in automatic mode............ 189
Setting the temperature................ 190
Adjusting air distribution............... 190
Adjusting air volume ..................... 191
Front defroster.............................. 191
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 192
Air recirculation mode .................. 192
Charcoal filter ............................... 194
Air conditioning............................. 196
Residual heat and ventilation ........ 197
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 197Audio system...................................... 199
Audio and telephone, operation .... 199
Operating safety ........................... 199
Operating and display elements ... 200
Button and soft key operation ...... 202
Operation...................................... 202
Radio operation ............................ 207
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) ..................................... 211
CD mode....................................... 216
GSM network phones ................... 225
TDMA or CDMA network phones .. 231
Emergency calls “911” ................. 237
Power windows .................................. 240
Opening and closing the windows 240
Synchronizing power windows ...... 242
Summer opening feature .............. 243
Convenience closing feature......... 243
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ................ 244
Opening and closing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 244
Synchronizing the power
tilt/sliding sunroof........................ 246
Driving systems .................................. 247
Cruise control ............................... 247

ContentsLoading .............................................. 250
Roof rack* .................................... 250
Ski sack* (Canada only) ............... 250
Split rear bench seat* .................. 253
Loading instructions ..................... 255
Cargo tie-down rings* .................. 256
Useful features .................................. 257
Storage compartments................. 257
Cup holders .................................. 259
Ashtrays ....................................... 261
Cigarette lighter ........................... 262
Power outlet ................................. 263
Telephone*................................... 264
Tele Aid* ...................................... 265
Garage door opener* ................... 273
Operation......................................... 281
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 282
Driving instructions............................ 283
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 283
Drinking and driving ..................... 283
Pedals .......................................... 283
Power assistance ......................... 283
Brakes .......................................... 284
Driving off .................................... 285
Parking ......................................... 285
Tires ............................................. 286
Hydroplaning ................................ 287
Tire traction.................................. 287
Tire speed rating .......................... 288
Winter driving instructions ........... 289
Standing water ............................. 290
Passenger compartment .............. 290
Driving abroad.............................. 290
Control and operation of radio
transmitters ................................. 291
Catalytic converter ....................... 291
Emission control .......................... 292
Coolant temperature .................... 293At the gas station .............................. 294
Refueling ...................................... 294
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 295
Engine compartment ......................... 297
Hood ............................................ 297
Engine oil ..................................... 298
Transmission fluid level ................ 300
Coolant level ................................ 301
Battery ......................................... 302
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 303
Tires and wheels................................ 304
Important guidelines .................... 304
Tire care and maintenance........... 305
Direction of rotation..................... 307
Loading the vehicle ...................... 307
Recommended tire inflation
pressure ....................................... 314
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 316
MOExtended system*
(Canada only) ............................... 320
Tire labeling ................................. 321
Load identification ....................... 325
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 326

Contents
Maximum tire load ....................... 327
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 328
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 328
Tire ply material ........................... 330
Tire and loading terminology ........ 331
Rotating tires ............................... 335
Winter driving .................................... 336
Winter tires .................................. 336
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 337
Snow chains................................. 337
Maintenance...................................... 338
Maintenance service indicator
message....................................... 338
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 339
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 340
Vehicle care ....................................... 341
Cleaning and care of the vehicle .. 341
Practical hints.................................. 349
What to do if … ................................... 350
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 350
Lamp in center console................. 356
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 358
Where will I find ...? ............................ 383
First aid kit.................................... 383
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 383
Minispare wheel............................ 386
Spare wheel bolts ......................... 388
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 389
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 389
Locking the vehicle ....................... 390
Fuel filler flap ................................ 391
Manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever ... 392
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 393
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 393
Resetting activated head restraints .... 394
Resetting activated head
restraints ...................................... 394
Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 395
SmartKey ...................................... 396Replacing bulbs .................................. 397
Bulbs............................................. 398
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 400
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 403
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 405
Removing wiper blades ................. 405
Installing wiper blades .................. 405
Flat tire............................................... 406
Preparing the vehicle .................... 406
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 406
MOExtended system* ................... 411
Battery ............................................... 412
Disconnecting the battery ............ 413
Removing the battery ................... 413
Charging and reinstalling the
battery .......................................... 414
Reconnecting the battery ............. 414
Jump starting...................................... 415
Towing the vehicle.............................. 417
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 420
Fuses.................................................. 421
Aids for replacing fuses ................ 421
Main fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 422
Fuse box in engine compartment . 422
Fuse box in trunk .......................... 423

28 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
Ashtray
261
Cigarette lighter
262
2
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission*
49,
164
Gearshift lever for manual
transmission
48,
160
3
Cup holder
259
4
Armrest
258
5
Program mode selector
switch for automatic
transmission*
167

34 Getting startedUnlocking
iWhen you switch on ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps (except
low beam headlamp indicator lamp,
high beam headlamp indicator lamp,
and turn signal indicator lamps unless
activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except low beam headlamp in-
dicator lamp, high beam headlamp indi-
cator lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps if activated) will go out when the
engine is running. This indicates that
the respective systems are operational.iVehicles with automatic transmission*:
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the battery may not be
sufficiently charged.

Check the battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 412).


Get a jump start (
page 415).
To prevent accelerated vehicle battery
discharge or a completely discharged
battery, always remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch when the en-
gine is not in operation.

48 Getting startedDriving
Starting the engine Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmissionFor more information, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 160).
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.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.

49 Getting started
Driving
Starting
Depress brake pedal.

Make sure the gearshift lever is in
neutral position (no gear selected).

Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be
started due to the integrated safety
interlock.

Do not depress the accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 33) and hold until
the engine starts.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 59).Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 162).Starting

Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.

Do not depress the accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 33) and release it
again immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 59).

51 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Manual transmission

Depress the brake pedal.

Fully depress the clutch pedal.

Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive rearward.

Simultaneously release the brake pedal
and slowly the clutch pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Automatic transmission*

Depress the brake pedal.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
to drive forward, or to positionR to
drive rearward.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
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.!If you hear a warning signal and the
message
Release parking brake
ap-
pears in the multifunction display when
driving off, you have forgotten to re-
lease the parking brake.
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.
For more information, see “Automatic
central locking” (
page 107).
!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.
!Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionP orR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.


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

57 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Warning!
G
Vehicles with manual transmission:
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.


Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever to neutral position (no gear is
selected).


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Automatic transmission*: Move the
gear selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


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


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock the vehicle
when leaving.