lights MERCEDES-BENZ C300 2008 W204 Owner's Manual

14 Introduction
Symbols
Trademarks:

ESP® is a registered trademark of
DaimlerChrysler.

HomeLink® is a registered trademark
of Prince, a Johnson Controls
Company.

SIRIUS and related marks are trade-
marks of SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc.The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.
This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.
A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
a warning which is continued on
the next page.
This continuation symbol marks
a procedure which is continued
on the next page.
-> This symbol is used to indicate
cross-references to term defini-
tions.
DisplayWords appearing in the multi-
function display and COMAND
display are printed in the type
shown here.
Warning!G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.
!Highlights hazards that may result in dam-
age to your vehicle.
iHelpful hints or further information you may
find useful.

79 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Loss of the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* (Canada only)
If you lose your SmartKey, SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO or mechanical key, you
should do the following:
Have the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO deactivated at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Report the loss of the SmartKey,
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.
Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a
replacement.
Opening doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
iIf the vehicle has previously been locked
with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, opening a
door from the inside will trigger the anti-theft
alarm system.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the following:

Insert the SmartKey or SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* in the starter switch.

Press button Œ or ‹ on the SmartKey
or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*.
In vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Grasp an outside door handle.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
within 3 ft (1 m) of the vehicle.

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 84).
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* must be
inside the vehicle.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the low beam headlamps
or the parking lamps before opening the driver’s
door.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message
Switch Off Lights or Re-
move Key
appears in the multifunction display
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch or
switch off the automatic headlamp mode.

108 Controls in detail
Lighting
Exterior lamp switch
Low beam headlamps
The low beam headlamps can be switched
on and off with the exterior lamp switch us-
ing the manual headlamp mode.
Switching on: Turn the exterior lamp
switch to positionB.
The green indicator lampC in the
exterior lamp switch comes on.
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles drive
on the other side of the road than the country in
which the vehicle is registered, you must have
the headlamps modified for symmetrical low
beams. Relevant information can be obtained at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.1‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
2ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left
one stop)
3MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 110)
4*Automatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 110)
5CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
6BLow beam headlamps or high
beam headlamps
7‡Front fog lamps
8†Rear fog lamp
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the low beam headlamps
or the parking lamps before opening the driver’s
door.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message
Switch Off Lights or Re-
move Key
appears in the multifunction display
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch or
switch off the automatic headlamp mode.
!Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.

109 Controls in detail
Lighting
The following lamps switch on:

Low beam headlamps

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
Switching off: Turn the exterior lamp
switch to positionM.
The green indicator lampC in the
exterior lamp switch goes out.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps

Tail and parking lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
position*.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 or the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button (Canada only)
pressed once, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
Warning!G
If the exterior lamp switch is set to*,
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to positionB when driving or
when traffic and/or ambient lighting condi-
tions require you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position * to B with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching from position* to B will
briefly switch off the headlamps. Doing so
while driving in low ambient lighting condi-
tions may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle’s lights at all
times.
iCanada only:
High beam headlamps are only available with the
exterior lamp switch in position B.

133 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Parking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering systems. In this case, it is impor-
tant 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 into neutral position (no gear
is selected).

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

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 to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 84).

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.


142 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Working on the vehicle
Warning!G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to park positionP. Otherwise the vehicle
could roll away.

171 Controls in detail
Control system
Press % or $ to select the date
function.
Press #.
The current date appears in the multi-
function display.
To set a new date press # again.
Press button ( or & to select
the setting you wish to change: month,
day or minutes.
Press button % or $ to change
the setting which is highlighted.
Press # to store the entry.Lighting submenu
Access the
Lights submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Lights submenu
to change the lamp and lighting settings on
your vehicle.
The following functions are available:Setting daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)
Press % or $ to select the
Lights submenu.
Press #.
Press % or $ to select the Day-
time Running Lamps
feature.
Press #.
The current setting
Enabled
or
Disabled is shown.
Press # again if you would like to
change the current status.
FunctionPage
Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)171
Setting locator lighting172
Setting interior lighting delayed
shut-off173
iThis function is not available in countries
where the daytime running lamp mode is manda-
tory and therefore in a constant mode.


172 Controls in detail
Control system
Depending on the previous status, the
daytime running lamps feature will be
Enabled orDisabled.
With
Daytime Running Lamps mode En-
abled
selected and the exterior lamp
switch at position M or *, the low
beam headlamps are switched on when
the engine is running.
In low ambient light conditions the follow-
ing lamps will switch on additionally:

Parking lamps

Tail lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps
also illuminates the instrument cluster.
For more information on the daytime run-
ning lamp mode (
page 110).Setting locator lighting
Press % or $ to select the
Lights submenu.
Press #.
Press % or $ to select the Sur-
round Lighting
feature.
Press #.
The current setting
Enabled
or
Disabled is shown.
Press # again if you would like to
change the current status.
Depending on the previous status, the
locator lighting feature will be
Enabled
or
Disabled.
With the locator lighting feature activated
and the exterior lamp switch in
positionU, the following lamps will
switch on during darkness when the vehi-
cle is unlocked with the SmartKey:

Parking lamps

Tail lamps

License plate lamps

Side marker lamps

Front fog lamps
also illuminates the instrument cluster.
iIf you turn the exterior lamp switch to anoth-
er position, the corresponding lamp(s) will
switch on.
iMake sure the light switch is set toB
or* when you switch off the daytime running
lamps while driving at night.
iFor safety reasons, resetting the Lights
submenu to factory settings (
page 165) while
driving will not deactivate the daytime running
lamp mode.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Lighting - Cannot be completely reset
to factory settings while driving.


173 Controls in detail
Control system
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened.
If you do not open a door after unlocking
the vehicle with the SmartKey, the lamps
will switch off automatically after
approximately 40 seconds.
Setting interior lighting delayed shut-off
Use this function to set whether you would
like the interior lighting to remain on for
10 seconds during darkness after you have
removed the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Press % or $ to select the
Lights submenu.
Press #.
Press % or $ to select the Inte-
rior Lighting Delay
feature.
Press #.
The current setting
Enabled
or
Disabled is shown.
Press # again if you would like to
change the current status.
Depending on the previous status, the
interior lighting delayed shut-off fea-
ture will be
Enabled orDisabled.Vehicle submenu
Access the
Vehicle submenu via the
Settings menu. Use the Vehicle submenu
to make general vehicle settings.
The following function is available:
Setting automatic locking
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the automatic central locking. With the
automatic central locking system
activated, the vehicle is centrally locked at
vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h).
Press % or $ to select the
Vehicle submenu.
Press #.
Press % or $ to select the Auto-
matic Door Lock
feature.
FunctionPage
Setting automatic locking173


414 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display Possible cause/consequencePossible solution
.Check
Left Mirror
Turn SignalThe turn signal in the left exterior rear view
mirror is malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if all light emitting diodes have
stopped working.Have the LEDs replaced as soon as possible.
Check
Right Mirror
Turn SignalThe turn signal in the right exterior rear view
mirror is malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if all light emitting diodes have
stopped working.Have the LEDs replaced as soon as possible.
Switch Off LightsYou are getting out of the vehicle and the
lights are still switched on.Switch off the headlamps (page 108).
Turn Lights Off
Or
Remove KeyThe exterior lamp switch is set to * and
you have forgotten to take out the
SmartKey. The parking lamps remain
switched on.Switch off the headlamps (page 108).
or
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.