1999 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS ECO mode

Starting and Turning Off the Engine

Before Starting
Ensure that parking brake is engaged and that selector lever is in position "P" or "N".
Turn electronic key in steering lock to position 2. The charge indicator lamp should come on.

Starting (Model C 230)

Do not depress accelerator. Turn electronic key in steering lock clockwise to the stop.
Release electronic key only when the engine is firing regularly.


Starting
(Models C 280, C 43 AMG)
Do not depress accelerator. Briefly turn electronic ke y in steering lock clockwise to the stop and release.
The starter will engage until the engine is running. If engi ne will not run, and the starting procedure stops,
turn electronic key completely to the left and repeat star ting the engine. After several unsuccessful attempts,
have the system checked at the near est authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.


Important!
Due to the installed starter non- repeat feature, the electronic key must be turned completely to the left before
attempting to start the engine again. The battery charge indicator lamp should go out as soon as the engine
has started. In areas where temperat ures frequently drop below -4°F (-20°C) we recommend that an engine block
heater be installed. Your authorized Mercedes -Benz dealer will advise you on this subject.

Turning Off


Turn the electronic key in the steering lock to position 0 to stop the engine.
The electronic key can only be removed with your foot off the brake pedal and the selector lever in position "P".


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Tires

Tread wear indicators (TWI) are required by law. These
indicators are located in six places on the

tread circumference and become visible at a depth of
approximately1/16 in (1.5 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be replaced.

The tread wear indicator appears as a solid band across
the tread.





Warning !
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far. As tread depth approaches 1/16 in (1.5 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply reduced. Depending upon the weather and/or road surface (conditions),
the tire traction varies widely.



Specified tire pressures must be maintained. This ap plies particularly if the tires are subjected to
high loads (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temperatures).



Warning !
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You may lose control
of the car. Continued driving with a flat tire or driving at high speed with a flat tire will cause excessive heat
build-up and possibly a fire.



Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer on the road, aquaplaning may occur, even at low speeds and with new
tires.
Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the road and apply brakes cautiously in the rain.



Tire Traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the condition of t he road whenever the outside temperatures areclose to the
freezing point.



Warning !
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction will be substantially reduced. Under such weather conditions,
drive, steer and brake with extreme caution.



We recommend M + S radial- ply tires for the winter season for all four wheels to insure normal balanced handling
characteristics. On packed snow, they can reduce y our stopping distance as compared with summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still considerably greater than when the road is wet or dry.


Tire Speed Rating
Model C 36 AMG only: This vehicle is factory equipped with "Z "-rated tires. All other models: Your vehicle is factory
equipped with "H"-rated tires, which have a European speed rating of 130 mph (210 km/h). An electronic speed
limiter prevents your vehicle from exc eeding the speed rating. Despite the tire rating, local speed limits should be
obeyed. Use prudent driving speeds appropriate to prevailing conditions.

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Automatic Climate Control


The system is always at operational readiness, except when manually
switched off. The automatic climat e control only operates with the
engine running. The temperature selector should be left
at the desired temperature setting.
The temperature selected is reached as quickly as possible. The
system will not heat or cool any quicker by setting a higher or lower
temperature.



1. Air volume control for center air outlet,
turn wheel up to open

2. Air volume control for right air outlet.
To open air outlets:
Turn wheel to position

3. Center air outlets, adjustable
4. Side air outlets, adjustable
5. Display and Controls



The automatic climate control removes considerable moisture from the air during operation in the cooling mode.
It is normal for water to drip on the ground through ducts in the underbody.

Important !
This vehicle is equipped with an air conditioner system t hat uses HFC-134a (ozone-friendly hydrofluorocarbon) as a
refrigerant. Repairs should always be performed by a qualif ied technician, and refrigerant should be collected in a
recovery system for recycling.


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Display and Controls
Press to activate, indicator lamp is on while activated.
Automatic mode Air recirculation
Raise temperature
Air distribution, manual
Lower temperature
Economy mode
Defrost Air volume, manual
Rear window defroster
Residual engine heat
utilization Basic Setting - Automatic Mode

Press for automatic mode.
Simultaneously press both
landfor temperature setting of 72°F.



Air volume and distribution are controlled
automatically. This setting can be used all year
around.


Economy
The function of this setting corresponds to the
automatic mode. However, because the air
conditioning compressor will not engage (fuel
savings), it is not possible to air condition in this
setting.

Press button to activate.
Press
button once again to return to previous
setting.


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Locking and Unlocking

Unlocking:
Press transmit button
. All turn signal lamps blink once to indicate that the vehicle is unlocked.
The remote control can be programmed for two kinds of unlocking methods (see below): Selective
unlocking mode. Press transmit button
once to unlock driver's door and fuel filler flap. Press
transmit button
twice to unlock doors, fuel filler flap, and trunk. Global unlocking mode - Press
transmit button
once to unlock doors, fuel filler flap, and trunk.

Notes:
If the trunk was previously locked separately, it will remain locked (see Index). The presently active
unlocking mode (selective or global) can only be determined by unlocking the vehicle with the
remote control (see below for changing mode). The vehicle is automatically locked again, if within 40
seconds of unlocking with the remote control, neither door or trunk is opened, the electronic key is
not inserted in the steering lock, or the central locking switch is not activated.

Locking:
Press transmit button
once. All turn signal lamps blink three times to indicate that the vehicle is
locked
.
Note:
If the vehicle cannot be locked or unlocked by pressi ng the transmit button, then it may be necessary
to change the batteries in the transmitter (if ok, battery check lamp in transmitter will light briefly
when transmitting) or to synchronize the system, see Remote Control in Index.


Choosing Global or Selective Mode on Remote Control
Press and hold transmit buttons
and simultaneously for five seconds to reprogram the
remote control. Battery check lamp will blink two times indicating the completed mode change.


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Central locking switch

1. Locking
2. Unlocking


The central locking switch is located in the center cons ole. The doors can only be locked with the central locking
switch, if the front doors are closed. If the car was previously locked with the remote control or key, the doors and
trunk cannot be unlocked with the central locking switch. If the car was previously locked with the central locking
switch, while in the selective remote control mode, only the door opened from the inside is unlocked. If the car was
previously locked with the central locking switch, while in the global remote control mode, the complete vehicle is
unlocked when a front door is opened from the inside.


Automatic Central Locking
The central locking switch also operates the automatic central locking.
To activate:
With electronic key in steering lock position 2 hold upper portion of switch (1) for a minimum of 5 seconds.
To deactivate:
With electronic key in steering lock position 2 hold lower portion of switch (2) for a minimum of 5 seconds.
With the automatic central locking system activated, the doors and trunk are locked at vehicle speeds of approx. 9
mph (15 km/h) or more . The fuel filler flap remains unlocked.

Notes:
If doors are unlocked with the central locking switch after activating the automatic central locking, and neither door is
opened, then the doors remain unlocked even at vehicle speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or more. Opening a door
from the inside at speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or less with the automatic central locking activated, the door will
again be automatically locked at speeds of approx. 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.

Emergency Unlocking in Case of Accident
The doors unlock automatically a short time after an a ccident (this is intended to aid rescue and exit).
However, the electronic key must still be in the steering lock.


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Airbags

1. Driver airbag
2. Front passenger airbag
3. Side impact airbag




The most effective occupant restraint system yet developed fo
r use in production vehicles is the seat belt. In some
cases, however, the protective effect of a seat belt can be further enhanced by an airbag. The driver airbag is located
in the steering wheel hub. The passenger airbag is located in the dashboard ahead of the passenger.
The side impact airbags are located in the front doors. In conjunction with wearing the seat belts with emergency
tensioning retractors, the airbags can provide increased protection for the driver and passenger in certain major
frontal or rear impacts (for front airbags) and side impacts (for side impact airbags). The operational readiness of the
airbag system is verified by the indicator lamp "SRS" in the instrument cluster. If no fault is detected, the lamp will go
out after approximately 4 seconds; after the lamp goes out, the system continues to monitor the components and
circuitry of the airbag system and will indicate a malfunction by coming on again.
The following system components are monitored or undergo a self-check: crash-sensor(s), airbag ignition circuits,
front seat belt buckles, emergency tensioning retractors, seat sensor (when present). Initially, when the electronic key
is turned from steering lock position 0 to positions 1 or 2, malfunctions in the crash-sensor are detected and indicated
(the "SRS" indicator lamp stays on longer than 4 seconds). In the operational mode, after the indicator lamp has gone
out following the initial check, interruptions or short circ uits in the airbag ignition circuit and in the driver and
passenger seat belt buckle harnesses, and low voltage in the entire system are detected and indicated.

Warning !
In the event a malfunction of the "SRS" is indicated as outlined above, the "SRS" may not be operational. For
your safety, we strongly recommend that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the "SRS" may not be activated when needed in an accident, which could
result in serious or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and unneccesarily which could also result in
injury.


Front Airbags
The driver and passenger front "SRS" airbags are designed to activate only in certain frontal or rear impacts.
The front passenger airbag deploys only if the passenger seat is occupied.

Note:

Heavy objects on passenger seat can cause the front airbag to deploy in a crash.


Side Impact Airbags
The side impact "SRS" airbags are designed to activate onl y in certain side impacts. Only the side airbag on the
impacted side of the vehicle deploys. The side impact ai rbag for the front passenger deploys only if the seat is
occupied. Side impact airbags operate best in conjunct ion with a properly positioned and fastened seat belt.
Note:
Heavy objects on passenger seat can cause the side impact airbag to deploy in a crash









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Infant and Child Restraint Systems

We recommend that all infants and children be properly restra ined at all times while the vehicle is in motion. All lap-
shoulder belts except driver seat have special seat belt re tractors for secure fastening of child restraints. To fasten a
child restraint, use this seat belt: Follow child restraint in structions for routing. Then pull shoulder belt out completely
and let it retract. The belt is now locked. Push down on child restraint to take up any slack.

Important !
The use of infant or child restraints is required by law in all 50 states and all Canadian provinces. Infants and small
children should be seated in an appropriate infant or child restraint system properly secured by a lap-shoulder belt,
and that complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213.1. A statement by the child rest raint manufacturer of compliance with this standard can be found on the
instruction label on the restraint and in the instruction manual provided with the restraint. When using any infant or
child restraint system, be sure to carefully read and follow all manufacturer's instructions for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels affixed to inside of vehicle.

Warning !
Children 12 years old and under must never ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart™ compatible child seat, which operates with the BabySmart™ system installed in the vehicle to
deactivate the passenger side front airbag when it is properly installed. Otherwise they will be struck by the
airbag when it inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious or fatal injury will result.
The back seat is the safest place for children, infants and small children must ride in back seats and be
seated in an infant or child restraint system, which is properly secured with the vehicle's seat belt, fully in
accordance with the seat manufacturer's instructions.
Infants and small children should never share a seat belt with another occupant. During an accident, they
could be crushed between the occupant and seat belt. Children too big for child restraint systems must ride
in back seats using regular seat belts. Position shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not face or neck. A
booster seat is necessary to achieve proper belt positioning for children from 41 Ibs. to the point where a
lap/shoulder belt fits properly without one.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove it from the car or secure it with the seat belt to prevent the
child restraint from becoming a projectile in the event of an accident.

U.S.A. Models only:
Since 1986 all U.S. child restraints comply with U.S. regulations without the use of a tether strap. Canada Models
only: This vehicle is provided with tether anchorages for a top tether strap. Consult your authorized Mercedes-Benz
dealer for installation of these anchorages. In compliance with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 210.1, child
restraint tether anchorage hardware is attached to the tool kit located in the trunk.


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