MERCEDES-BENZ C55AMG 2006 W203 Owner's Manual

120 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Rear interior lights on/off
2Right front reading lamp on/off
3Rocker switch for automatic control
system
4Left front reading lamp on/offDeactivating automatic control
Press the= symbol on rocker
switch3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off in darkness, even when you

unlock the vehicle

open a door

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switchActivating automatic control
Press rocker switch3 to center
position.
The interior lighting switches on in
darkness, when you

unlock the vehicle

open a door

remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
The interior lighting switches off after a
preset time (
page 147).
!
Leaving an interior light switch in the
ON position for extended periods of
time with the engine turned off could
result in a discharged battery.
i
If the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after
approximately 5 minutes, when the
SmartKey is removed or in starter
switch position0.
An interior lamp switched on manually
does not go out automatically.

121 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual control
Switching front/rear interior lights on
and off
Press theW symbol on rocker
switch3 or the rear interior light
switch1 to switch on the desired
interior light.
Press the rocker switch3 to center
position or the rear interior light
switch1 again to switch off the
respective interior light.
Switching front reading lamp on and off
Press front reading lamp switch2
or4 to switch on the desired front
reading lamp.
Press front reading lamp switch2
or4 again to switch off the respective
front reading lamp.
Door entry lamps
For better orientation in the dark, the cor-
responding front door entry lamps will
switch on in darkness when you open a
front door and the automatic control is ac-
tivated.
The door entry lamps will switch off when
the corresponding door is closed.Trunk lamp
The trunk lamp switches on if the trunk is
opened.
If the trunk remains open, the trunk light-
ing switches off automatically after ap-
proximately 10 minutes.
i
If you turn the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 and switch off the
exterior headlamps, the door entry
lamps will remain lit for approximately
5 minutes.

122 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “At a glance” (
page 24).
1Reset button
The instrument cluster is activated when
you

open a door

switch on the ignition (page 33)

press reset button1

switch on the exterior lighting
You can change the instrument cluster
settings in the Instrument cluster submenu
of the control system (
page 138).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use reset button1 to adjust the
illumination brightness for the instrument
cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn reset button1 clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination
Turn reset button1 counterclock-
wise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Warning!G
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction dis-
play is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see infor-
mation about your driving conditions, such
as speed or outside temperature, warning/
indicator lamps, malfunction/warning mes-
sages or the failure of any systems. Driving
characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.
i
The instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.

123 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(
page 24).
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer and main odometer in the
multifunction display (
page 125).
If it is not displayed, press buttonè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel (
page 126) until the trip
odometer appears in the multifunction
display.
Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 122) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Warning!G

Driving when your engine is badly
overheated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine
compartment to catch fire. You could be
seriously burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!
Excessive coolant temperature triggers
a warning in the multifunction display
(
page 368).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious
engine damage which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
i
During severe operating conditions,
e.g. stop-and-go traffic, the coolant
temperature may rise close to 248°F
(120°C).

124 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(
page 24) denotes excessive engine
speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is indicated in the
multifunction display (
page 125).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!
Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious
engine damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.

125 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to

call up information about your vehicle

change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control
system to find out when your vehicle is
next due for service, to set the language
for messages in the instrument cluster
display, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
3Current program mode
(automatic transmission)
4Current gear selector lever
position/gear range
(automatic transmission)
5Digital clock
6Status indicator (outside tempera-
ture/digital speedometer)
i
The displays for the audio systems
(radio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.

126 Controls in detail
Control system
Multifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Depending on the selected menu
(
page 129), pressing the buttons on the
multifunction steering wheel will alter what
is shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
Audio, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1Multifunction display
Operating the control system
2Telephone*:
Press button
sto take a call
to dial a call
tto end a call
to reject an incoming call
3Selecting the submenu or setting
the volume:
Press button
æup/to increase
çdown/to decrease
4Menu systems:
Press button
èfor next menu
ÿfor previous menu
5Moving within a menu:
Press button
jfor next display
kfor previous display

127 Controls in detail
Control system
It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being
arranged in a circular pattern.

If you press buttonè orÿ
repeatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.

If you press buttonk orj
repeatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
Settings menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For
instructions on using these submenus, see
“Submenus in the Settings menu”
(
page 136).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
i
The headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.

128 Controls in detail
Control system
MenusThis is what you will see when you scroll
through the menus.The table on the next page provides an
overview of the individual menus.

129 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1Menu2Menu3Menu4Menu5Menu6Menu7
Standard
displayAUDIONAV*Vehicle status
message memorySettingsTrip computerTelephone*
(page 130)(page 131)(page 134)(page 134)(page 135)(page 150)(page 152)
Commands/submenus
Run Flat
Indicator*
(Canada only)Select radio
stationShow route guid-
ance instructions,
current direction
traveledCall up vehicle mal-
function, warning and
system status messag-
es stored in memory
1
1The vehicle status message memory menu is only displayed if there is a message stored.
Reset to
factory
settingsFuel consumption
statistics after
startLoad phone
book
Digital speed-
ometer or out-
side temperatureSelect satellite
radio station*
(USA only)Instrument
cluster sub-
menuFuel consumption
statistics since
the last resetSearch for
name in
phone book
Call up main-
tenance service
displayOperate
CD player* Time/Date
submenuDistance to emp-
ty
Check engine oil
levelLighting
submenu
Vehicle
submenu
Convenience
submenu