Page 44 of 346

41 Central locking system
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Trunk lid emergency release 
(vehicles built prior to September 2001)
The emergency release button (1) is located in the trunk 
lid.
Briefly press emergency release button (1).
All doors, the fuel filler flap, and the trunk unlock; and 
the trunk lid opens.
The vehicle production date (e.g. 09 / 01) can be found 
on the certification label, which is located on the 
driver’s door pillar, see page 311.Note:
The emergency release button (1) only unlocks and 
opens the trunk while the vehicle is not in motion.
Important!
The emergency trunk lid release button (1) does not 
open the trunk lid, if the trunk has been locked using 
the mechanical key or if the vehicle battery is 
discharged or disconnected.
Illumination of the emergency release button (1):
The button will blink for 30 minutes after opening the 
trunk.
The button will blink for 60 minutes after closing the 
trunk.
1
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        Page 45 of 346
42 Central locking system
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Trunk lid emergency release 
(vehicles built September 2001 and later)
The emergency release button (1) is located in the trunk 
lid.
Briefly press emergency release button (1).
The trunk unlocks and the trunk lid opens.
The vehicle production date (e.g. 09 / 01) can be found 
on the certification label, which is located on the 
driver’s door pillar, see page 311.Important!
The emergency trunk lid release button (1) does not 
open the trunk lid, if the vehicle battery is discharged or 
disconnected.
Illumination of the emergency release button (1):
The button will blink for 30 minutes after opening the 
trunk.
The button will blink for 60 minutes after closing the 
trunk.
1
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        Page 52 of 346

49 Seats
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Recalling
To recall a seat/head restraint and exterior rear view 
mirror position, push and hold position button “1”, “2” 
or “3” until seat/head restraint and exterior rear view 
mirror movement has stopped. The seat/head restraint 
and exterior rear view mirror movement stops when the 
position button is released.
Caution!
Do not operate the power seats using the memory 
button if the backrest is in an excessively reclined 
position. Doing so could cause damage to front or rear 
seats.
First move the backrest to an upright position.Synchronizing power seats and head restraints
If the power supply was interrupted (battery 
disconnected or empty), the power seats and head 
restraints are no longer adjusted automatically.
To resynchronize the adjustment feature, turn 
electronic key in steering lock to position 2, move the 
seat completely forward and the head restraint fully 
down, and hold respective buttons for approx. 
2seconds.
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        Page 60 of 346
57 Seats
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Notes:
When in operation, the seat heater consumes a large 
amount of electrical power. It is not advisable to use the 
seat heater longer than necessary.
The seat heaters may automatically switch off if too 
many power consumers are switched on at the same 
time, or if the battery charge is low. When this occurs, 
the indicator lamp in the switch will blink (both 
indicator lamps blink during rapid seat heating mode). 
The seat heaters will switch on again automatically as 
soon as sufficient voltage is available.
If the blinking of the indicator lamps is distracting to 
you, the seat heaters can be switched off.
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        Page 113 of 346

110 Flexible service system
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
The service indicator disappears automatically after 
30 seconds or if button  J on the instrument cluster is 
pressed.
Calling up service indicator manually:
Turn the electronic key in steering lock to position 1 
or 2.
Call up the trip odometer and main odometer, by 
pressing button è or ÿ on the multifunction 
steering wheel until the display appears. See page 92.
Press button j or k until the FSS indicator 
appears. 
Pressing the è or ÿ button displays the next or 
previous system.
Important!
The FSS indicator does not include an engine oil level 
indicator. See page 112 for engine oil level indicator.Notes:
When disconnecting vehicle battery for one or more 
days at a time, such days will not be counted. Any such 
days not counted by the FSS can be added by your 
Mercedes-Benz Center. 
The interval between services is determined by the type 
of driving for which the vehicle is used. For example, 
driving at extreme speeds, and cold starts combined 
wi t h short di stan ce d r ivi ng in  which the e ngin e d oes  not 
reach operating normal temperature, reduce the interval 
between services.
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        Page 127 of 346

124 Automatic climate control
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Rear window defroster
Turn electronic key in steering lock to position 2.
To select, press F button.
To c a nc el,  pr ess  F button again.
Notes:
Heavy accumulation of snow and ice should be removed 
before activating the defroster.
The rear window defroster consumes a large amount of 
electrical power. To keep the battery drain to a 
minimum, turn off the defroster as soon as the window 
is clear.
The defroster is automatically turned off after a 
maximum of 12 minutes of operation.
If several power consumers are turned on 
simultaneously, or the battery is only partially charged, 
it is possible that the defroster will automatically turn 
itself off. When this happens, the indicator lamp inside 
the switch starts blinking.
As soon as the battery has sufficient voltage, the 
defroster automatically turns itself back on.Air distribution
TPress b button for each side repeatedly until the 
requested symbol is displayed.
Press U button to return to automatic mode. 
Air volume
Press – or + side of rocker switch ï until the 
requested blower speed is attained. A choice of 7 blower 
speeds is available.
To switch the automatic climate control off, press – side 
of rocker switch ï until symbol OFF is displayed.IThe fresh air supply to the vehicle interior is shut off.
While driving, use this setting only temporarily, 
otherwise the windshield could fog up.
To switch the automatic climate control on again, press 
U, P or +side of ï.
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        Page 128 of 346

125 Automatic climate control
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Air recirculation
This mode can be selected to temporarily reduce the 
entry of annoying odors or dust into the vehicle’s 
interior.
Outside air is not supplied to the vehicle’s interior.
To select, press O button.
To c a nc el,  pr ess  O button again.
The system will automatically switch from recirculated 
air to fresh air
•after approx. 5 minutes at outside temperatures 
below approx. 40
°F (5
°C),
•after approx. 30 minutes at outside temperatures 
above approx. 40
°F (5
°C),
•after approx. 5 minutes, if button S is pressed.
If the windows should fog up from the inside, switch 
from recirculated air back to fresh air.
At high outside temperatures, the system automatically 
engages the recirculated air mode thereby increasing 
the cooling capacity performance, switching to partially 
fresh air within 30 minutes.Residual engine heat utilization
With the engine switched off, it is possible to continue 
heating the interior for a short while.
Air volume and distribution are controlled 
automatically.
To   s e l e c t :
Turn electronic key in steering lock to position 1 or 0 or 
remove key.
Press T button
This function selection will not activate if the battery 
charge level is insufficient.
To   c a n c e l :
Press T button.
The system will automatically shut off
•if you turn electronic key in steering lock to 
position 2,
•after approx. 30 minutes,
•if the battery voltage drops.
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        Page 134 of 346

131 Audio system
Technical
data Instruments 
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument 
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Operation
Switching on and off
Press the control knob  .
The radio is switched off when the ignition key is turned 
to position 0 or removed from the ignition. The radio is 
switched on again when the ignition key is turned to 
position 1 or 2.
Note:
The radio can also be switched on even if the ignition 
key is not inserted, but will switch itself off 
automatically after one hour to conserve vehicle battery 
power.
Adjusting the volume
Turn the control knob - turning the knob clockwise will 
increase the volume, counterclockwise will decrease the 
volume.Audio functions
The AUD key is used to select the BASS, TREBLE and 
BALANCE functions. Settings for bass and treble are 
stored separately for the cassette and CD modes. Tone 
level settings are identified by the vertical bars. The 
center (flat) setting is shown by one longer bar in the 
center of the display.
Bass
Press the AUD key repeatedly 
until “BASS” appears in the 
display.
Treble
Press the AUD key repeatedly 
un til “ TREB LE”  ap pears  in  the 
display.
Press the “+” key to increase 
or the “-” key to decrease the level.
J_A208.book Seite 131 Donnerstag, 31. Mai 2001 9:35 09