STS MERCEDES-BENZ C350 2006 W203 User Guide

253 Controls in detail
Loading
Removing the ski sack
You can remove the ski sack for cleaning
or drying.
1Button
2Ski sack frame
3Flap
Open trunk lid.

Press button1.
The flap3 opens downward.

Press button1 firmly until ski sack
frame2 is released.

Pull ski sack frame2 with ski sack
out.Installing the ski sack
Install the ski sack in the reverse order.

Push ski sack frame2 with ski sack
inward until the ski sack frame snaps
into place.

Close flap3.

Close trunk lid.
Split rear bench seat*
To expand the cargo area, you can fold
down the left and right rear seat backrests.
The two sections can be folded down
separately.
Warning!
G
Never drive vehicle with trunk open while
the ski sack is removed. Deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior, resulting in unconsciousness and
death.iTo prevent unauthorized persons from
accessing the trunk, always close the
flap.
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage area, always
fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the
backrests must remain properly locked in
the upright position.
In an accident, during hard braking or
sudden maneuvers, loose items will be
thrown around inside the vehicle, and cause
injury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings*
(page 256).

254 Controls in detailLoadingFolding the backrest forward
The release handle1 is located in the
trunk.
Pull release handle1.

Fully retract and fold rearward head
restraints (
page 111).

Pull release handle2.

Fold seat cushion3 forward.

Fold backrest4 forward.Returning the backrest to original
position

Fold backrest2 rearward until it
engages.

Fold seat cushion1 rearward until it
locks into position.
!Always release the seat cushion and
fold it forward before folding the seat
backrests forward. Otherwise, the
backrest covering may be damaged.

256 Controls in detailLoadingAlways place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Cargo tie-down rings*
The four cargo tie-down rings are located
in the trunk.Cargo tie-down rings
Carefully secure cargo by applying
even load on all rings with rope
sufficient strength to hold down the
cargo.
Always follow loading instructions
(page 255).
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.iThe trunk is the preferred place to carry
objects.
The enlarged cargo area should only be
used for items which do not fit in the
trunk alone.

265 Controls in detail
Useful features
Tele Aid*
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the audio system or COMAND* System
or on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, turn the rotary volume control on au-
dio system or COMAND* System clock-
wise or press buttonæ on the
multifunction steering wheel. To lower,
turn the rotary volume control on audio
system or COMAND* System control
counterclockwise or press buttonç on
the multifunction steering wheel.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the ¡button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

314 OperationTires and wheelsRecommended tire inflation pressure
Your vehicle is equipped with either the
Tire and Loading Information placard
(Example A) or the Vehicle Tire Information
placard (Example B) located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 308).The tire inflation pressure should be
checked regularly and should only be ad-
justed on cold tires. The tires can be con-
sidered cold if the vehicle has been parked
for at least three hours or driven less than
one mile (1.6 km).
Follow recommended cold tire inflation
pressures listed on placard.
Keeping the tires properly inflated
provides the best handling, tread life and
riding comfort.
In addition to the tire placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar, also consult the fuel
filler flap for any additional information
pertaining to special driving situations. For
more information, see “Important notes on
tire inflation pressure” (
page 315).Placard (Example A)
1Tire and Loading Information placard
with recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
Placard (Example A) lists the recommend-
ed cold tire inflation pressures for maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight. The tire
inflation pressures listed apply to the tires
installed as original equipment.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended tire inflation
pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and / or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.
iData shown on placard examples are
for illustration purposes only. Tire data
are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in the illustra-
tions below. Refer to placard on vehicle
for actual data specific to your vehicle.

315 Operation
Tires and wheels
Placard (Example B)
1Vehicle Tire Information placard with
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures
Placard (Example B) lists the recommend-
ed cold tire inflation pressures for maxi-
mum loaded vehicle weight. The tire
inflation pressures listed apply to the tires
installed as original equipment.Important notes on tire inflation
pressure
Tire temperature and tire inflation pressure
are also increased while driving, depending
on the driving speed and the tire load.
If you will be driving your vehicle at high
speeds of 100 mph (160 km/h) or higher,
where it is legal and conditions allow,
consult the placard on the inside of the fuel
filler flap on how to adjust the cold tire
inflation pressure. If you do not adjust the
tire inflation pressure, excessive heat can
build up and result in sudden tire failure.Be sure to readjust the tire inflation
pressure for normal driving speeds. You
should wait until the tires are cold before
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Some vehicles may have supplemental tire
inflation pressure information for vehicle
loads less than the maximum loaded
vehicle condition. If such information is
provided, it can be found on the placard
located on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
Tire inflation pressure changes by approxi-
mately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of
air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire inflation pressure
where the temperature is different from
the outside temperature.
iPlacard (Example B) may list
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures for different vehicle loads.
Warning!
G
If the tire inflation pressure repeatedly
drops:

Check the tires for punctures from
foreign objects.


Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.

329 Operation
Tires and wheels
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
Treadwear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A
Warning!
G
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

453 Technical terms
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch) (
page 333)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(
page 333)
Restraint systems
Seat belts, child restraints, lower
anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH). As independent systems,
their protective functions complement
one another.
Rim
(page 333)
RON
(Research O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired deto-
nation (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the transmission gear
selector lever from being moved out of
positionP without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Sidewall
(
page 333)
SRS
(Supplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Air bags, air bag control unit (with
crash sensor), emergency tensioning
device. Though independent systems,
they are closely interfaced to provide
effective occupant protection.Tele Aid* System
(T
elematic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response: automatic and
manual emergency, roadside assis-
tance and information. Tele Aid is
initially activated by completing a
subscriber agreement and placing an
acquaintance call.
The Tele Aid system is operational
provided that the vehicle’s battery is
charged, properly connected, not
damaged and cellular and GPS
coverage is available.