2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 COUPE airbag off

Contents
Introduction ......................................... 9
Product information ............................... 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership .... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada ......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects ...................... 18
Reporting Safety Defects ............... 18
At a glance.......................................... 19
Cockpit .................................................20
Instrument cluster ................................22
Multifunction steering wheel ................24
Center console .....................................25
Overhead control panel ........................26
Door control panel ................................27Getting started ...................................29
Unlocking .............................................30
Unlocking with the SmartKey ..........30
Adjusting ..............................................32
Seats ...............................................32
Steering wheel ................................37
Mirrors ............................................39
Driving ..................................................41
Fastening the seat belt ...................41
Starting the engine .........................44
Switching on headlamps .................47
Turn signals and high beam ............47
Windshield wipers ...........................48
Problems while driving ....................50Parking and locking .............................. 51
Parking brake .................................. 51
Switching off headlamps ................. 52
Turning off engine ........................... 52
Safety and Security ........................... 55
Occupant safety ................................... 56
Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 62
Children in the vehicle .................... 65
Panic alarm* ........................................ 72
Activating ........................................ 72
Deactivating .................................... 72
Driving safety systems ......................... 73
ABS ................................................. 73
BAS ................................................. 74
ESP ................................................. 75
Anti-theft systems ................................ 78
Immobilizer ..................................... 78
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 78
Tow-away alarm* ............................ 79

41 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat beltWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only protect as ex-
pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (
page 56).
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger side front
airbag when it is properly installed. Other-
wise they will be struck by the airbag when
it inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.

58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone 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 combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side 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. Always
sit upright, properly use the seat belts
and appropriate size infant or child re-
straint system.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate 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, seri-
ous or fatal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle you are responsible
to make the buyer aware of these points. Be
sure to give the buyer this Operator’s Manu-
al.
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat. Should you choose to place a child
12 years old or under in the front passenger
seat of your vehicle, you must properly use
a BabySmart
TM child restraint which will
turn off the passenger side front airbag.
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact airbag.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact airbags there is a
possibility for a side airbag related injury if
occupants, especially children, are not prop-
erly seated or restrained when next to a side
airbag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door or rear

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe front passenger side airbag will only
deploy if the system senses that the front
passenger seat is occupied.
1Window curtain airbag
2Side impact airbagsSeat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<

in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the key in the starter switch to
position2 and the driver‘s seat belt is not
fastened.After starting the engine the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten the seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in
most states and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
Information on fastening seat belts is
found in the “Getting started” section
(
page 41).iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 65).
Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are properly wearing
your seat belt. Airbags can only protect as
they are designed if the occupants are prop-
erly wearing their seat belts.

99 Controls in detail
Lighting
Combination switch
The combination switch is located on the
left side of the steering column.
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Switching on high beams
Turn exterior lamp switch to
position
B
or to
U
(page 96).

Push the combination switch in
direction1.
The high beam symbol is illuminated on
the instrument cluster.High beam flasher

Pull the combination switch briefly in
direction2.
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be activat-
ed with the ignition switched on or off. It is
activated automatically when an airbag is
deployed.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on the hazard warning
flasher

Press the hazard warning flasher
switch.
All turn signals will blink.
Switching off the hazard warning
flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch
again.

251 Practical hints
What to do if …
Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
7
The indicator lamp lights up.
A BabySmart
TM child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the front
passenger airbag is switched off.
The system is malfunctioning when there is
no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the
front passenger seat.

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
7
The indicator lamp does not light
up with a BabySmart
TM child
seat properly installed on the
front passenger seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure that there is nothing be-
tween seat cushion and child seat and
check installation of the child seat.

If the light remains out, have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint
to transport children on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired.

333 Index
A
ABS 23, 73, 327
ABS control 74
Malfunction indicator lamp 247
Messages in display 253
Warning lamp 247
Accelerator position, automatic transmis-
sion 137
Accident
In case of 50
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 148, 157
Air recirculation mode 146, 154
Anti-theft alarm system 78
Automatic climate control 151
Central locking (control system) 122
Climate control 143
Defrost 146, 154
Easy-entry/exit feature 123
ESP 77
Exterior headlamps 47
Exterior lamps 97
Hazard warning flasher 99
Headlamps 47
High beams 99
Ignition 31Immobilizer 53, 78
Rear fog lamp 97
Rear window defroster 147, 156
Residual heat 158
Seat heater* 92
Tow-away alarm 79
Windshield wipers 48
Adding
Coolant 230
Engine oil 228
Additional turn signals 280
Adjustable air outlets, rear passenger com-
partment 149, 158
Adjusting 32
Air distribution 145, 153
Air volume 145, 153
Backrest tilt 33, 35
Exterior rear view mirror 40
Head restraint height 33, 35, 37
Head restraint tilt 34, 35
Head restraints 37
Inside rear view mirror 39
Instrument cluster illumination 102
Manual seat 33
Mirrors 39
Rear seat head restraints 36Seat cushion tilt 33, 35
Seat fore and aft adjustment 33, 34
Seat height 33, 35
Seats 32
Steering column height 39
Steering column length 39
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioner (cooling)
Turning off 148, 157
Turning on 148, 157
Air conditioner refrigerant 319
Air distribution
Adjusting 145, 153
Air outlets, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 149, 158
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure 234
Air recirculation mode 146, 154
Activating 146, 154
Deactivating 147, 155
Air volume
Adjusting 145, 153
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 251
Airbags 57
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 327
BabySmartTM deactivation system 67

336 IndexCassette player
Operating 112
Catalytic converter 222
CD changer* 172
CD mode 172
CD player
Operating 111
Center console 25
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 251
Centigrade
Setting temperature units 117
Central locking
From inside 87
Switch 87
Switching on/off (control system) 122
Unlocking from inside 87
Central locking switch 87
Certification label 308
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey) 276
Key setting 123
Changing CDs 172
Charcoal filter 156
Charging
Vehicle battery 295CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 250
Checking
Coolant level 225, 229
Oil level 225, 227
Tire inflate pressure 225
Vehicle lighting 225
Child safety 65
Airbags 58
Infant and child restraint systems 62,
65
LATCH child seat mounts 70
Child seat mounts see LATCH child seat
mounts 70
Cigarette lighter 199
Cleaning
Cup holder 243
Gear selector lever 243
Hard plastic trim items 244
Headlamps 140
Headliner 244
Instrument cluster 243
Leather upholstery 244
Light alloy wheels 243
MB Tex upholstery 244
Plastic and rubber parts 244Seat belts 244
Steering wheel 243
Windows 243
Windshield 49
Wiper blades 243
Climate control 142
Adjusting 145
Defogging windshield 145
Defrosting 146
Rear window defroster 147
Setting the temperature 145
Clock 23, 116
Closing
Glove box 195
Hood 227
Side windows 182
Sliding/pop-up roof 186, 278
Sliding/pop-up roof with SmartKey
187
Sunshades for the
sliding/pop-up roof 185
Trunk lid 86
Windows 182
Windows with SmartKey 183
Closing sliding/pop-up roof
In an emergency 278