2001 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 steering

45 Seats
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Manual seat
(Standard equipment on Model C 240)We recommend to adjust the seat in the following order:
1Fore/aft adjustment
Lift handle (1), slide seat to desired position and
allow handle to reengage. Check for proper
engagement before driving.
2Seat cushion tilt
Turn handwheel (2) forward or backward.
3Seat height adjustment
Press the switch (3) in the direction of the arrow
until your legs are lightly supported.
4Backrest tilt
Press the switch (4) in the direction of the arrow
until your arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.

70 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Your vehicle was originally equipped with airbags
which are designed to activate in certain impacts
exceeding a preset threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to your safety
and that of your passenger that you replace deployed
airbags and repair any malfunctioning airbags to
ensure the vehicle will continue to provide crash
protection for occupants.
Wa r n i n g !
Airbags are designed to reduce the potential of
injury in certain frontal (front airbags) impacts, or
side (side impact and head protection window
curtain airbags) impacts which may cause
significant injuries, however, no system available
today can totally eliminate injuries and fatalities.The activation of the “SRS” temporarily releases a
small amount of dust from the airbags. This dust,
however, is neither injurious to your health, nor
does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might
cause some temporary breathing difficulty for
people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To
avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing
difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle after the
airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.The service life of the airbags extends to the date
indicated on the label located on the driver side
door latch post. To provide continued reliability
after that date, they should be inspected by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center at that time and
replaced when necessary.
Wa r n i n g !
To reduce the risk of injury when the front airbags
inflate, it is very important for the driver and front
passenger to always be in a properly seated
position and to wear your seat belt.For maximum protection in the event of a collision
always be in normal seated position with your back
against the backrest. Fasten your seat belt and
ensure that it is properly positioned on your body.Since the airbag inflates with considerable speed
and force, a proper seating and hands on steering
wheel position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the airbag. Occupants who are
unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

71 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
• Sit properly belted in an upright position with
your back against the backrest.• Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper operation of
vehicle controls. The distance from the center
of the driver’s breastbone to the center of the
airbag cover on the steering wheel must be at
least ten inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combination of
adjustments to the seat and steering wheel. If
you have any problems, please see your
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Do not lean with your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.• Keep hands on the outside of steering wheel
rim. Placing hands and arms inside the rim
can increase the risk and potential severity of
hand / arm injury when driver front airbag
inflates.• Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.
• Occupants, especially children, should never
lean their heads in the area of the door where
the side airbag inflates. This could result in
serious injuries or death should the airbag be
triggered.• Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized Baby Smart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart
TM 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
can result.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in
severe injuries to you or other occupants.

72 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Safety guidelines for the seat belt, emergency
tensioning retractor and airbag
Wa r n i n g !
• Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced and
their anchoring points must also be checked.
Use only belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.• Airbags and “ETR’s” are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An airbag or
emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) that was
activated must be replaced.• No modifications of any kind may be made to
any components or wiring of the “SRS”. This
includes changing or removing any component
or part of the “SRS”, the installation of
additional trim material, badges etc. over the
steering wheel hub, front passenger airbag
cover, door trim panels, or door frame trims,
and installation of additional electrical /
electronic equipment on or near “SRS”
components and wiring. Keep area between
airbags and occupants free from objects (e.g.
packages, purses, umbrellas, etc).
• Do not pass belts over sharp edges.• Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.• Do not use handles above doors for placing
such items as coat hangers etc.•An airbag system component within the
steering wheel gets hot after the airbag has
inflated. Do not touch.• Improper work on the system, including
incorrect installation and removal, can lead to
possible injury through an unintended
activation of the “SRS”.• In addition, through improper work there is a
risk of rendering the “SRS” inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment. Work
on the “SRS” must therefore only be performed
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

77 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index To fold mounts (1) back, press down button (2) on each
mount and return mount into its catch.
Note:
With a child seat installed in the left rear seat, the seat
belt for the center seat occupied by a passenger must
operate freely. Guide seat belt between its seat cushion
mount and backrest mount along outside of right side
child seat mount.Steering wheel adjustment (manual)
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving, or
driving without the adjustment locked could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

78 Restraint systems
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Unlocking:
Pull handle (1) out to its stop.
Adjusting:
Move steering wheel to the desired position.
Locking:
Push handle (1) in until it engages.Important!
Do not drive the vehicle until you have properly locked
the steering column.
See “STEERING WH. ADJUST” on page 292 for
malfunction and warning messages in the multifunction
display.

79 Steering wheel adjustment
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Steering wheel adjustment (electrical)
To adjust the steering wheel position, turn the electronic
key in starter switch to position 1 or 2. With the driver’s
door open, the steering wheel can also be operated with
the electronic key removed or in starter switch
position 0.The switch is located on the driver’s door.
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten column
Move the switch to the front or rear.
2Steering column, height
Move the switch up or down.
Note:
The steering wheel adjustment can be stored together
with the seat and exterior mirror adjustment.
See page 85 for notes on the memory function.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Adjusting the steering wheel while driving could
cause the driver to lose the control of the vehicle.When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electroni c key f rom t he sta rter s wi tch a nd lock your
vehicle.The steering wheel adjustment feature can also be
operated with the driver’s door open. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with access
to a n un locked vehi cle. Un supervi sed use of vehicl e
equipment may cause serious personal injury.

81 Rear view mirrors
Te ch n i c a l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Exterior rear view mirrors
The buttons are located above the exterior lamp switch.
The memory button (4) is located on the driver’s door.Exterior mirror adjustment
Turn the electronic key in starter switch to position 1
or 2.
Push button to select mirror to be adjusted:
Driver’s side – Push button (1).
Passenger side – Push button (2).
Push the adjustment button (3) up, down, left or right
according to the setting desired.
Notes:
The exterior rear view mirrors have electrically heated
glass. The heater switches on automatically, depending
on outside temperature.
If an exterior mirror housing is forcibly pivoted from its
normal position, it must be repositioned by applying
firm pressure until it snaps into place.
Storing mirror positions in memory
The exterior rear view mirror positions are stored in
memory with the seat / steering wheel adjustment and
can be recalled when necessary. See page 85 for notes
on the memory function.
Wa r n i n g !
Exercise care when using the passenger side
exterior mirror. The mirror surface is convex
(outwardly curved surface for a wider field of
view). Objects in mirror are closer than they
appear. Check your inside rear view mirror or
glance over your shoulder before changing lanes.
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