Gears MERCEDES-BENZ C320 2002 W203 Owner's Manual

248 Starting and turning off the enginge
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Starting and turning off the engine
Before starting
Ensure that parking brake is engaged and that selector
lever is in position “P” or “N” (gearshift lever in
neutral). Turn electronic key in starter switch to
position 2.
Starting
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Do n ot de pr ess accelerato r. B rie f ly turn electron ic key i n
starter switch clockwise to the stop and release. The
starter will engage until the engine is running.
If engine will not run, and the starting procedure stops,
turn electronic key completely to the left and repeat
starting the engine.
After several unsuccessful attempts, have the system
checked at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Vehicles with manual transmission:
Do not depress accelerator. Fully depress clutch pedal,
otherwise the engine cannot be started due to the
integrated safety interlock.
Turn electronic key in starter switch clockwise to the
stop. Release only when the engine is firing regularly.
Important!
Due to the installed starter non-repeat feature, the
electronic key must be turned completely to the left
before attempting to start the engine again.
In areas where temperatures frequently drop below -4
°F
(-20
°C) we recommend that an engine block heater be
installed. Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
advise you on this subject, see page 269.
Turning off
Turn the electronic key in the starter switch to
position 0 to turn off the engine.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The electronic key can only be removed with the
selector lever in position “P”.
OM_203.book Seite 248 Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2001 11:57 11

249 Manual transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Manual transmission
See illustration for gearshift lever positions
corresponding to the individual gears.Stop the vehicle completely before shifting into reverse;
to shift into reverse, pull the gearshift lever up.
Do not exceed the maximum engine speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer (see page 101) for
engine speeds.
Important!
When vehicle is parked, always be sure to engage first
or reverse gear and firmly set parking brake.
When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
towards the road curb.
Downshifting gears leading to overrevving the engine
can result in engine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Do not exceed engine speed limits, see page 101.
OM_203.book Seite 249 Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2001 11:57 11

250 Manual transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
For vehi cl es eq ui pped w it h a m an ual tra ns mi s si on,
getting out of your vehicle with the gearshift lever
not engaged in 1st or reverse gear and parking
brake engaged is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, an engaged 1st or
reverse gear alone may not prevent your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or objects.Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging 1st or reverse gear, see page 260 for
parking brake.When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
towards the road curb.
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the key
from the steering lock, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Children could move
the gearshift lever, which could result in an
accident or serious injury.Wa r n i n g !
On slippery road surfaces as well as high engine
speeds, never downshift in order to obtain braking
action. This could result in drive wheel slip and
reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
OM_203.book Seite 250 Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2001 11:57 11

251 Automatic transmission
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Automatic transmissionThe automatic transmission selects individual gears
automatically, dependent upon
•Selector lever position
•Program mode selector
•Accelerator position
•Vehicle speed
The gear shifting process is continuously adapted,
dependent on the driving style, the driving situation
and the road characteristics.
Important!
When parking the vehicle or before working on the
vehicle with the engine running, firmly depress the
parking brake pedal and shift the selector lever into “P”.
P 27.00-2070-27
OM_203.book Seite 251 Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2001 11:57 11