towing MERCEDES-BENZ C320 WAGON 2003 S203 Owner's Manual

81 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
key.

Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 in the switch lights up
briefly.

Lock your vehicle with the key.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.
Canceling the alarm

Insert the key in the starter switch.
or

Press the
Œ
or
‹
button on the
key.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
if the ignition is turned on.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 81 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the 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
Pull on door handle2.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.Information on towing the vehicle can be
found in the “Practical hints” section
(
page 310).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 125).
iIf the vehicle was previously been
locked from the outside with the
SmartKey, opening a door from the in-
side will trigger the alarm.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the fol-
lowing:

Press button
Œ
or
‹
on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand
S203 MY03_A.book Page 88 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

203 Controls in detail
Useful features
Useful features
Interior storage spaces Glove box
1Glove box lid release
2Glove box
Opening the glove box

Pull lid release1.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.Locking the glove box

Insert mechanical key into the glove
box lock and turn it to position2.
Unlocking the glove box

Turn mechanical key in the glove box
lock to position1.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Always use partition net when transporting
cargo. Partition net cannot secure hard or
heavy objects.
Parcel nets cannot secure hard or heavy ob-
jects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
iPrior to closing the glove box, close the
compartment for glasses first.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 203 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

214 Controls in detailUseful featuressystem mutes and the message
TELE AID
– ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.Information button
¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button
¡
.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
INFO – CONNECTING CALL
will
appear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
INFO – CALL CONNECTED
appears
in the multifunction display. The Tele Aid
system will transmit data generating the
vehicle identification number, model, color
and location (subject to availability of cel-
lular and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position2 (together with the SOS but-
ton and the Information button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 211)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button
•
is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE –
CALL FAILED
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the
ì
button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 214 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

253 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses
S203 MY03_A.book Page 253 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

280 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?The following is included in the vehicle tool
kit3:

Towing eye bolt


Wheel wrench


Alignment bolt


Vehicle jack


Wheel bolts


Special fuse puller


Spare fusesVehicle jack
The vehicle jack is stored in the cargo com-
partment behind the left trim panel.

Remove the vehicle jack from its com-
partment.

Push the crank handle up.

Turn the crank handle clockwise until it
engages (operational position).
Before storing the vehicle jack in its com-
partment:


It should be fully collapsed


The handle must be folded in (storage
position)
S203 MY03_A.book Page 280 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

310 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Towing the vehicleMercedes-Benz recommends that the
vehicle be transported with all wheels off
the ground using flatbed or appropriate
wheel lift/dolly equipment. This method is
preferable to other types of towing.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the
vehicle may be towed with all wheels on
the ground or front wheels raised (except
vehicles with 4MATIC*) only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with key in starter switch turned
to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 80) and deactivate the auto-
matic central locking (
page 88).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.!Vehicles with 4MATIC*:
Do not tow with one axle raised. Doing
so could damage the transfer case,
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
All wheels must be on or off the ground.
Observe instructions for towing the
vehicle with all wheels on the ground.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised (not permissible for vehicles
with 4MATIC*), the engine must be
shut off (key in starter switch
position0 or1). Otherwise the ESP will
immediately be engaged and will apply
the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN (manual transmission:
gears disengaged) and the key must be
in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and
at a speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 310 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

311 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the drive train, however, we
recommend the drive shaft be discon-
nected at the rear axle drive flange
(vehicles with 4MATIC*: disconnected
at the front and rear axle drive flanges)
for any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
as that will be necessary to adequately
control the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the key is in
starter switch position2.
If the key is left in starter switch position0
for an extended period of time, it can no
longer be turned in the switch. In this case,
the steering is locked. To unlock, remove
key from starter switch and reinsert.
iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
key in starter switch to position2 and
activate the combination switch for the
left or right turn signal in the usual
manner – only the selected turn signal
will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the
hazard warning flasher will operate
again.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 311 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

312 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the braking and steer-
ing systems. 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. Adapt your driving accord-
ingly.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking
activated and the key in starter switch
position2, the vehicle doors lock if the
left front wheel as well as the right rear
wheel are turning at vehicle speeds of
approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 80).
To prevent the vehicle doors from
locking, deactivate the automatic
central locking (
page 88).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed
towing eye bolt. Never attach tow
cable, tow rope or tow rod to vehicle
chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iIf the battery is disconnected or
discharged

the key will not turn in the starter
switch. See notes on the battery
(page 305) or on jump starting
(page 308).


the selector lever will remain
locked in positionP. See notes on
manual unlocking of gear selector
lever (
page 289).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 312 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

313 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
1Cover on right side of front bumper.2Cover on right side of rear bumper.To remove cover:

Press mark on cover in direction of ar-
row.

Lift cover off to reveal threaded hole for
towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located behind the left hand trim
panel in cargo compartment).

Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.
To reinstall cover:

Fit cover and snap into place.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 313 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM