2002 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE ESP

237
Tele Aid
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
cluster display Practical hints Car care Index
Stolen vehicle tracking services
In the event your vehicle was stolen, report the incident
to the police who will issue a numbered incident report.
Pass this number on to the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center.
The Response Center will then attempt to covertly
contact the vehicle’s Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle
is located, the Response Center will contact the local
Law Enforcement and you. The vehicle’s location will
only be provided to Law Enforcement.
Info Services
(optional-except Canada)
(only vehicles with COMAND)
Info Services categories include news, sports, stocks,
weather and calendar reminders. Choices can be
selected via www.mbusa.com or by calling 1-800-FOR-
MERcedes.
To request Info Services press the SVC button on the
COMAND system, then select “SEND NEW REQUEST
FOR INFO SERVICE”. “NEW INFO SERVICE REQUEST
TRANSMITTED” will appear in the COMAND display
and call status messages will appear in the
multifunction display. Once information is available, the message “NEW INFO
RECEIVED - READ LATER WHEN STOPPED?” will
appear. Select “Yes”. With the vehicle stopped in a safe
location press SVC, then select “View Info Service of
mm.dd.yyyy hh.mm”. Messages will be retained for
30 minutes once the ignition is switched off.
Important!
Tele Aid utilizes the cellular network for
communication and the GPS (Global Positioning
System) satellites for vehicle location. If either of these
signals are unavailable, the Tele Aid system may not
function and if this occurs, assistance must be
summoned by other means.
Wa r n i n g !
If the indicator lamp in the “SOS” button does not
illuminate during or remains illuminated after the
system self-check or if the message “TELE AID –
VISIT WORKSHOP” appears in the multifunction
display, have the system checked at the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as possible.

240
Starter switch
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Instruments
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DrivingInstrument
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Starter switch
0 The electronic key can be withdrawn in this position
only. The steering is locked when the electronic key
is removed from the starter switch. If necessary,
move steering wheel slightly to allow the locking
mechanism to engage.
In vehicles with automatic transmission, the
electronic key can be removed only with the selector
lever in position “P”. After removing the electronic key or with the electronic key in starter switch
position 0 or 1 the selector lever is locked in
position “P”.
1 Most electrical consumers can be operated. For
detailed information see respective subjects.
2 Driving position.
Gear selector lever is unlocked.
To move the selector lever out of position “P” firmly
depress the service brake pedal.
3 Starting position.
See page 242 for instructions on starting and turning off
the engine.
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electronic key from the starter switch, and lock the
vehicle. 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.

244
Manual transmission
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Instruments
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DrivingInstrument
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Manual transmission
See illustration for gearshift lever positions
corresponding to the individual gears. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting into reverse;
to shift into reverse, pull the gearshift lever up.
Do not exceed the maximum engine speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer (see page 101) for
engine speeds.
Important!
Downshifting gears leading to
overrevving the engine
can result in transmission damage that is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Do not exceed engine speed limits, see page 101.

247
Automatic transmission
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data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
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Driving
The selector lever is automatically locked while in
position “P”. To move the selector lever out of
position “P”, the service brake pedal must be firmly
depressed before the shift lock will release.
Shift selector lever to the desired position only when the
engine is idling normally and the service brake is
applied. Do not release the brake until ready to drive.
The vehicle may otherwise start creeping when the
selector lever is in drive or reverse position.
Important!
After selecting any driving position from “N” or “P”,
wait a moment to allow the gear to fully engage before
accelerating, especially when the engine is cold.
Accelerator position
Partial throttle = early upshifting = normal acceleration
Full throttle = later upshifting = rapid acceleration
Kickdown (depressing the accelerator beyond full
throttle) = downshifting to a lower gear = maximum
acceleration. Once the desired speed is attained, ease up
on the accelerator — the transmission shifts up again.
Wa r n i n g !
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out of “P”
or “N” if the engine speed is higher than idle speed.
If your foot is not firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in
reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when your
right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

259
Driving instructions
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Instruments
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DrivingInstrument
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All checks and service work on the brake system should
be carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid recommended by
Mercedes-Benz.
Caution!
When driving down long and steep grades, relieve the
load on the brakes by shifting into a lower gear to use
the engine’s braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on for some
time, rather than immediately parking, so the air stream
will cool down the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the service brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only when the road
is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place full load on
the engine until the operating temperature has been
reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do not allow one
drive wheel to spin for an extended period with the ESP
switched off. Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drive train which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Wa r n i n g !
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake fluid
is used, the braking properties of the vehicle can be
degraded to an extent that safe braking is
substantially impaired. This could result in an
accident.

263
Driving instructions
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Instruments
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DrivingInstrument
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Tire speed rating
Vehicles without Evolution Package:
Your vehicle is factory equipped with “H”-rated tires,
which have a speed rating of 130 mph (210 km / h) or
optional “V”-rated tires which have a speed rating of
150 mph (240 km / h).
Vehicles with Evolution Package:
Your vehicle is factory equipped with “W”-rated tires,
which have a speed rating of 168 mph (270 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your vehicle from
exceeding a speed of 130 mph (210 km / h).
Snow chains
Use only snow chains that are tested and recommended
by Mercedes-Benz. Your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to advise you on this subject.
Chains should only be used on the rear wheels. Follow
the manufacturer’s mounting instructions.
Snow chains should only be driven on snow covered
roads at speeds not to exceed 30 mph (50 km / h).
Remove chains as soon as possible when driving on
roads without snow.
When driving with snow chains, press the ESP control
switch to OFF, refer to page 276.
Wa r n i n g !
Even when permitted by law, never operate a
vehicle at speeds greater than the maximum speed
rating of the tires.Exceeding the maximum speed for which tires are
rated can lead to sudden tire failure causing loss of
vehicle control and resulting in personal injury
and possible death.

265
Driving instructions
Te ch n i c a l
data
Instruments
and controls Operation
DrivingInstrument
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Winter driving
Have your vehicle winterized at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before the onset of winter.
• Change the engine oil if the engine contains an oil
which is not approved for winter operation. For
viscosity (SAE / CCMC class) and filling quantity,
seepage379.
• Check engine coolant anticorrosion / antifreeze
concentration.
• Additive for the windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system: Add MB Concentrate “S” to a
premixed windshield washer solvent / antifreeze
which is formulated for below freezing
temperatures, see page 320.
• Test battery: Battery capacity drops with decreasing
ambient temperature. A well charged battery helps
to ensure that the engine can be started, even at low
ambient temperatures.
• Tires: We recommend M+S rated radial-ply tires on
all four wheels for the winter season. Observe
permissible maximum speed for M+S rated
radial-ply tires and the legal speed limit. Note:
In winter operation, the maximum effectiveness of the
antilock brake system (ABS) and electronic stability
program (ESP) can only be achieved with M+S rated
radial-ply tires and / or snow chains recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Snow chains maximize performance.

272
Driving systems
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Antilock brake system (ABS)
Important!
The ABS improves steering control of the vehicle during
hard braking maneuvers.
The ABS prevents the wheels from locking up above a
vehicle speed of approximately 5 mph (8 km / h)
independent of road surface conditions. At the instant one of the wheels is about to lock up, a
slight pulsation can be felt in the brake pedal,
indicating that the ABS is in the regulating mode. Keep
firm and steady pressure on the brake pedal while
experiencing the pulsation.
Continuous steady brake pedal pressure results in
applying the advantages of the ABS, namely braking
power and ability to steer the vehicle.
In the case of an emergency brake maneuver keep
continuous full pressure on the brake pedal. In this
manner only can the ABS be most effective.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will respond even
with light brake pedal pressure because of the
increased likelihood of locking wheels. The pulsating
brake pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and functions as a reminder to take extra
care while driving.
Wa r n i n g !
Do not pump the brake pedal, rather use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure. Pumping the brake
pedal defeats the purpose for ABS and significantly
reduces braking effectiveness.