Instruments and Controls
For more detailed descriptions see Index.
For adjustments of air outlets, refer to Automatic
Climate Control (see Index).
1. Side air outlet, adjustable
2. Air volume control for side air outlet
3. Exterior lamp switch
4. Parking brake release
5. Hood lock release
6. Parking brake pedal
7. Steering wheel adjustment lever
8. Combination switch
9. Cruise control switch
10. Horn, airbag
11. Instrument cluster
12. Steering lock with ignition/starter switch
13. Center air outlets, adjustable
14. Air volume control for center air outlets
15. Glove box (illuminated with electronic
key in steering lock position 1 or 2)
16. Left front seat heater switch
17. ASR or ESP control switch
18. Switch for rear seat head restraints
19. Hazard warning flasher switch
20. Central locking switch,
Indicator lamp for antitheft alarm system
21. Right front seat heater switch
22. Automatic climate control
Rear win dow defroster switch
23. Audio system
24. Open storage compartment
25. Ashtray with lighter
26 .Storage/eyeglasses compartment
27. Power window switches, front doors
28. Power window safety switch, rear doors
29. Airbag off indicator lamp
30. Power window switches, rear doors
31. Trunk lid release switch
32. Mirror adjustment switch
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Seats, Front
Warning !
Do not adjust the driver's seat while driving. Adjusting the seat while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle. Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat back 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 restraint when the wearer is in an upright position and the belt is property positioned on the body.
Never place hands under seat or near any moving parts while a seat is being adjusted
A - Seat, fore/aft
B - Seat, up/down
C - Seat tilt
D - Backrest tilt
E - Head restraint
Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head approximately at ear level.
The head restraint angle can also be adjusted manually.
Note:
Your car is equipped with power head restraints , do not try to raise or lower them manually.
Power Seat
The slide switches are located in each front door. Turn elec tronic key in steering lock to position 1 or 2 (with a front
door open, the power seats can also be operated with the electronic key removed or in steering lock position 0).
Warning !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the electronic key from the steering lock. The power seats can also
be operated with the driver's or passenger door open. Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may cause serious personal injury.
Caution !
Do not remove head restraints except when mounting seat co vers. For removal refer to Head Restraints, Front, see
Index. Whenever restraints have been removed be sure to reinstall them
before driving.
Important !
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv er should adjust the seat height for proper vision as well as fore/aft placement
and seat back angle to insure adequate control, reach, operation, and comfort. The head restraint should also be
adjusted for proper height. See also airbag section for prope r seat positioning. Both the inside and outside rear view
mirrors should be adjusted for adequate rearward vision. Fasten seat belts. Infants and small children should be
seated in a properly secured restraint system that complies with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 and
Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.1. All seat, head restraint, and rear view mirror adjustments as well as
fastening of seat belts should be done before the vehicle is put into motion.
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 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 the back seats and be seated in an appropriate infant or
child restraint system, which is properly secured with the vehicle's seat belt, fully in accordance with the seat
manufacturer's instructions. A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is significantly increased if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the vehicle and the child is not properly secured in the child restraint.
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Manual Seat
(Standard equipment on Model C 230 passenger side)
1. Fore/aft adjustment
2. Seat height adjustment
3. Seat cushion inclination adjustment
4. Seat back adjustment
5. Head restraint inclination
6. Head restraint height
Fore/aft Adjustment
Lift handle (1), slide seat to desired position and allow handle to reengage.
Check for proper engagement before driving.
Seat Height Adjustment
Raise or lower lever (2). Th e seat will be raised or lowered one notch at a time.
Allow lever to reengage. Check for proper engagement before driving.
Seat Back Adjustment
Turn handwheel (4).
Seat Cushion Inclination Adjustment
Turn handwheel (3) forward or
backward.
Head Restraint Height
Raising:
Pull up on head restraint.
Lowering:
Push button (6) and push down on head restraint.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of the head approximately at ear level.
The head restraint inclination can also be adjusted manually.
Caution !
Do not remove head restraints except when mounting seat covers. For removal refer to Head
Restraints in Index. Whenever restraints have been remov ed be sure to reinstall them before driving.
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Multicontour Seat (optional)
1. Seat cushion depth
2. Backrest bottom
3. Backrest center
4. Side bolster adjustment
Some models may be equipped with multicontour seats. These seats have movable seat cushions,
and inflatable air cushions built into the backrest to provide additional lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement and amount of backrest cushion height and curvature can be
continuously varied with regulators (1, 2 and 3) after turning the electronic key in steering lock to
position 2.
The side bolsters of the backrest can be adjusted with rocker switch (4):
• press down forward end-increase side support,
• press down rearward end-decrease side support.
If the engine is turned off, the last cushion setting is retained in memory, and automatically adjusts
the cushion to this setting when the engine is restarted.
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Armrest (Rear Bench Seat)
Pull down the armrest. For removal of rear seat cushion, see Index.
Cup Holder in Rear Bench Armrest
Briefly press drawer and pull out to its detent.
Caution!
Keep cup holder closed while travelling. Place only containers
that fit into the cup holder to prevent spills.
Do not fill containers to a height where the contents could spill
during vehicle maneuvers, especially hot liquids.
Adjusting Telescoping Steering Column (optional)
Warning!
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving. The telescoping
adjustment must be locked while driving. Adjusting the steering
wheel while driving, or driving without the telescoping adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Unlocking:
Pull handle (1) out to its stop. The indicator lamp comes on.
Adjusting:
To lengthen or shorten the steering column, pull out or push in steering wheel.
Locking:
Push handle (1) in until it engages.
The indicator lamp goes out.
Important!
With the electronic key in steering lock position 2, an indicator lamp in the instrument cluster comes on. It should go
out when the engine is running. If the indicator lamp does not go out after starting the engine, the adjustable steering
column is not locked properly. Do not drive the vehi cle until you have properly locked the steering column.
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Fastening of Seat Belts
1. Latch plate
2. Buckle
3. Release button
4. Button for belt outlet
eight adjustment
Push latch plate (1) into buckle (2) until it clicks. Do not twist the belt. A twisted seat belt may cause injury.
The lap belt should be positioned as low as possib le on your hips and not across the abdomen.
Tighten the lap portion to a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion up. The shoulder portion of the seat belt must
be pulled snug and checked for snugness immediately after engaging it.
Adjust seat belt so that shoulder portion is located as cl ose as possible to the middle of your shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). For this purpose, you can adjust the height of the belt outlet.
Three positions are available
Raising: Slide belt outlet upward.
Lowering: Press button (4) and slide belt outlet downward.
Caution !
For safety reasons, avoid adjusting the seat or seat ba ck into positions which could affect the correct seat
belt position.
Lap Belt for Center Seating Position of the Rear Seat
Pull belt with latch plate (1) over lap so that the belt is positioned as low as possible on your hips and not
across the abdomen. Push latch plate (1) into buckle (2) until it clicks. Do not twist the belt but keep it tight.
To tighten the belt: With the latch plate engaged, pull the loose end of the belt.
To lengthen the belt: With the belt unfastened, turn the latch plate so that it is a little more than 90°
perpendicular to the belt, then extend the bel t. Fasten the belt and tighten as stated above.
To disengage the belt, push red button (3) in the buckle. If t he center seat is not occupied, the belt buckle and rolled-
up seat belt can be stored in the space next to the rear armrest (to the left or right of armrest).
Note:
For cleaning and care of the seat belts, see Cleaning and Care of the Vehicle in Index.
Unfastening of Seat Belts
Push the release button (3) in the belt buckle (2). Allow the retractor
to completely rewind the seat bel t by guiding the latch plate (1).
Operation:
The inertia reel stops the belt from unwinding during sudden vehicle
stops or when quickly pulling on the belt.
The locking function of the reel may be checked by quickly pulling
out the belt.
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Exterior Lamps
Headlamp Adjustment
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely important. Check and readjust headlamps at regular intervals and
when a bulb has been replaced.
Headlamp Assembly
1. Cover for low beam headlamp bulb, fog lamp, and level for vertical adjustment
2. Latch for cover (1)
3. Cover for high beam headlamp bulb
4. Clamp for cover (3)
5. Headlamp vertical adjustment screw
6. Headlamp horizontal adjustment screw
7. Scale for horizontal adjustment
8. Electrical connector for low beam headlamp bulb Xenon lamp (optional) ignition module for low beam
9. Electrical connector for fog lamp bulb
10. Electrical connector for high beam headlamp bulb
Replacing Bulb:
To prevent a possible electrical short circuit, switch off lamp prior to replacing a bulb. When replacing bulbs,
install only 12 volt bulbs with the specified watt rati ng. When replacing halogen bulbs do not touch glass
portion of bulb with bare hands. Us e plain paper or a clean cloth.
Warning !
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A bulb can explode if you:
• touch or move it when hot,
• drop the bulb,
• scratch the bulb.
Wear eye and hand protection.
Bulb for Low Beam H7 (55 W)
Bulb for Fog Lamp H1 (55 W)
Open hood.
Depress latch (2) and remove cover (1). Pull of electrical connector (8) or (9). Unhook clamping ring and
removes bulb. Insert new bulb (seating properly in cutouts of bulb socket), and mount clamping ring.
Reinstall and push electrical connector on securely. Re install bottom end of cover (1) and push against top
end of cover until properly seated. Check lamp for proper operation.
Xenon (optional)
Bulb for Low Beam
Warning !
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the lamp and its
components. We recommend that you have such work done by a qualified technician.
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