Center MERCEDES-BENZ E320CDI 2005 W211 Owner's Guide

89 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Switching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have drive wheels spin
and thus cut into surfaces for better grip
such as:

starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains


in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP


the ESP does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP continues to operate when you
are braking


you cannot activate Distronic*The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP switch

Press ESP switch 1 until the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the in-
strument cluster comes on.
The ESP is deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in driving
maneuvers.!Turn on the ESP immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore.
iWhen the ESP is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ABS/ESP warning lamp v in the
speedometer flashes. However, the
ESP will then not stabilize the vehicle.

92 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
The SBC brake servo assistance switches
off automatically

approximately two minutes after you
turned the SmartKey in the starter
switch to position0 or removed the
SmartKey


approximately two minutes after you
pressed the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button to turn off the engine or power
supply and opened the driver’s door
(with driver’s door open, the starter
switch is set to position 0, same as
SmartKey removed from starter
switch)


approximately 20 seconds after you
locked the vehicle from outside
Note on driving with the SBC


Following extended periods of only mi-
nor loads to your brake system, you
should occasionally apply the brakes
when traveling at high speeds. This im-
proves the grip of the brake pads.


After driving on wet or snow-covered
roads, you should apply your brakes
firmly before parking your vehicle. This
produces heat which serves to dry the
brake disks and help prevent corro-
sion.


On long and steep grades, shift to a
lower gear (gear range1, 2, or 3) to
prevent the brakes from overheating
and to reduce brake wear.


After hard braking, it is advisable to
drive on for some time so that the air
stream will cool down the brakes fast-
er.


Only Mercedes-Benz approved compo-
nents (e.g. brake pads) should be in-
stalled on your vehicle. Brake pads not
approved by Mercedes-Benz may im-
pair the safety of your vehicle.
Warning!
G
Have brake pad replacement and other work
on the SBC brake system carried out by
qualified technicians only. Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center for further
information. The SBC brake system must be
deactivated prior to working on the system.
High pressure is intermittently built up in the
system as part of its automatic self-test. In
addition, the system is automatically acti-
vated when the vehicle is unlocked by
SmartKey, when the driver or passenger
door is opened, when the starter switch is
turned to position
1, when the brake pedal
is depressed or when the parking brake is
released. Failure to deactivate the system
prior to maintenance will cause brake pis-
tons to extend and brake fluid to leak, which
may result in injuries (contusions and acid
burns). Extended brake pistons may also
cause injury.
Warning!
G
Be very careful not to endanger other road
users when you apply the brakes.

94 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsImmobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating

With the SmartKey: Removing the
SmartKey from the starter switch acti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Turning off the en-
gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever activates the immobilizer.
Deactivating


With the SmartKey: Inserting the
SmartKey in the starter switch deacti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Starting the en-
gine by means of the start/stop button
on the gear selector lever deactivates
the immobilizer.
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the trunk


the hood.
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming the alarm system
The alarm system is armed within approxi-
mately ten seconds after locking the vehi-
cle with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times to
indicate that the alarm system is activated.
The indicator lamp in the central locking
switch (
page 27) begins to flash after
arming the alarm system.
iIn case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system* (
page 271) provid-
ed Tele Aid service was subscribed to
and properly activated, and that neces-
sary cellular service and GPS coverage
are available.

95 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Disarming the alarm system
The alarm system is disarmed when you
unlock your vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*. The turn signal lamps flash
once to indicate that the alarm system is
deactivated.
Canceling the alarm
With the SmartKey
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
or

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is canceled.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Grasp the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.
The alarm is canceled.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming the tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms
automatically.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash
three times, one of the following ele-
ments may not be properly closed:

a door


the trunk lid
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is trig-
gered, for example, if the vehicle is lift-
ed on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system* (
page 271), provid-
ed that the Tele Aid service was sub-
scribed to and properly activated, and
that necessary cellular service and GPS
coverage are available.

101 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button‹ orŒ.
Battery check lamp5 comes on brief-
ly to indicate that the SmartKey batter-
ies are in order.Unlocking and opening the trunk lid
You can unlock and open the trunk sepa-
rately.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

Press and hold buttonŠ until trunk
unlocks and begins to open.
The trunk can also be opened from its in-
side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer-
gency release” (
page 117).
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then either
the batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey (
page 101) and re-
place them if necessary
(
page 415).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the driver’s door (
page 410).


Have the vehicle batteries and their
connections checked.


Use the mechanical key to lock the
driver’s door (
page 410).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf battery check lamp5 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 415).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within sig-
nal range of the vehicle, pressing the
button‹ orŒ will lock or unlock
the vehicle accordingly.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system*: to stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ on the
SmartKey. The trunk lid stops moving.

102 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingLoss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:
Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Specially equipped vehicles come with two
SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO, each with
remote control and a removable mechani-
cal key. The locking tabs for the mechani-
cal key portion of the two SmartKeys with
KEYLESS-GO are a different color to help
distinguish each SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO unit.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked every time you grasp a door
handle.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is valid,
your vehicle unlocks

the doors


the trunk lid


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO 1‹ Lock button
2Š Unlock button for the trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 84)
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk will lock automatical-
ly after closing it. The turn signals flash
three times to confirm locking.
iWhen any outside door handle other
than the driver’s outside door handle is
grasped, the vehicle is centrally un-
locked.

106 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingSelective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO so when you grasp the driv-
er’s door handle only the driver’s door and
the fuel filler flap unlocks.
Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO will
then function as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap

Press buttonΠonce.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knob in the driver's door moves
up. The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.Global unlocking

Press buttonΠtwice.
All turn signal lamps flash once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The anti-theft alarm system is dis-
armed.
Global locking

Press button‹.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttonsŒ and‹
simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 flashes
twice.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO, then the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is mal-
functioning or the vehicle battery is
drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
(page 107) and replace them if
necessary (
page 415).


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the driver’s door (
page 410).


Have the vehicle battery checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Use the mechanical key to lock the
driver’s door (
page 410).
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
malfunctioning, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

107 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button‹ orŒ.
Battery check lamp5 comes on brief-
ly to indicate that the SmartKey batter-
ies are in order.Global locking using the lock button at
trunk lid
1Lock button at trunk lid

Press lock button at trunk lid1.
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
!If battery check lamp5 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 415).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within sig-
nal range of the vehicle, pressing the
button‹ orŒ will lock or unlock
the vehicle accordingly.
iTo prevent a possible inadvertent lock-
out, the trunk will open automatically if
a SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is recog-
nized inside the vehicle or in the trunk.
iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with KEYLESS-GO, the trunk will
lock automatically after closing it. The
turn signals flash three times to con-
firm locking.iYou can also lock the vehicle using the
lock button at outside door handle
(page 105) or KEYLESS-GO locking/
closing switch (
page 116).

108 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingUnlocking and opening the trunk lid
You can unlock and open the trunk lid sep-
arately.
A minimum height clearance of 5.90 ft
(1.80 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The handle is located in the rear license
plate recess.
Pull on the handle
or

Press and hold buttonŠ until the
trunk lid unlocks and opens.Loss of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
If you lose your SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO, you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
deactivated by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss immediately to your car
insurance company.

Have the mechanical lock replaced if
necessary.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure there is
sufficient overhead clearance.
Vehicles with trunk lid opening/closing
system*: to stop the opening proce-
dure, press buttonŠ on the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO. The trunk
lid stops moving.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked with KEYLESS-GO, the trunk will
lock automatically after closing it. The
turn signals flash three times to con-
firm locking.

119 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 439).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
mode using the control system
(page 166).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
trunk from inside using the central locking
switch. This can be useful, for example, if
you want to lock the vehicle before starting
to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.The switch is located in the center console.
Central locking switch1Locking
2Unlocking
Locking
Press upper half1 of the central lock-
ing switch.
If all doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* from the starter switch, take
it with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.