MERCEDES-BENZ C32AMG 2003 W203 Service Manual

41 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat beltWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only protect as ex-
pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (
page 61).
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger side front
airbag when it is properly installed. Other-
wise they will be struck by the airbag when
it inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is

42 Getting startedDriving
1Latch plate
2Buckle
3Release button
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from the belt outlet.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate1 into buckle2 until it
clicks.
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re-
straint when the wearer is in an upright po-
sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.
Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt - even
those in the rear.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 61).


43 Getting started
Driving

If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Seat belt height adjustment
Adjust seat belt so that shoulder portion is
located as close as possible to the middle
of your shoulder (it should not touch the
neck).
Front seats
4Button for belt outlet height adjust-
ment

Press button4 and slide belt outlet up-
ward or downward.Proper use of seat belts


Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck or pass under the
arm). For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.


Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.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.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

44 Getting startedDrivingStarting the engine Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
Make sure that the gearshift lever is in
Neutral position.

Do not depress accelerator.

Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be start-
ed due to the integrated safety inter-
lock.

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position3. Release only when the en-
gine is firing regularly (
page 31).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 137).Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set toP .

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position3. Release only when the en-
gine is firing regularly (
page 31).
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 lead to 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.


45 Getting started
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 138).
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 53).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

Turn key in starter to position0 and re-
peat starting procedure (
page 44).

Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 306).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could release the parking
brake, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.

46 Getting startedDriving
Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle2.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only)
or
3
(Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to positionD orR
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
More information on driving can be found
in the “Operation” section (
page 223).
iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
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.Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofP orN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

47 Getting started
Driving
Switching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 101).
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up1 or
down2.High beam

Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
More information can be found in the
"Controls in detail" section (
page 104).
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.

48 Getting startedDrivingWindshield wipers
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers 
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speediVehicles without rain sensor*:
Fast wiper speedIII goes to settingII
when the vehicle is standing still.
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Intermittent wiping interval dependent
on wetness of windshield. Wiping will
not occur with a front door open.
!Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Do not leave in intermittent setting
when vehicle is taken to an automatic
car wash or during windshield cleaning.
Wipers will operate in presence of wa-
ter sprayed on the windshield, and wip-
ers may be damaged as a result.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield.

49 Getting started
Driving
Single wipe
Press switch briefly in the direction of
arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Press switch in the direction of arrow1
past the resistance point.
The windshield wiper operates with
washer fluid.
Information on filling up the washer reser-
voir can be found in the “Operation” sec-
tion (page 241).
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.


The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.


Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.

Give very little gas.

Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
!If leaves, snow, etc. block the wind-
shield wipers, switch off the wipers.

For safety reasons, withdraw key
from starter switch. Remove block-
age.


Turn the windshield wipers on
again.
If windshield wipers fail to function at
all in switch positionI,


set the combination switch to the
next highest wiper speed.


have the windshield wipers
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

50 Getting startedDrivingThe coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 238).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount:

Start the engine in the usual manner.