2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 4MATIC battery

ContentsOperation......................................... 221
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 222
Driving instructions ............................ 223
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 223
Drinking and driving ..................... 223
Pedals .......................................... 223
Power assistance ......................... 224
Brakes .......................................... 224
Driving off..................................... 225
Parking ......................................... 225
Tires ............................................. 226
Hydroplaning ................................ 227
Tire traction .................................. 227
Tire speed rating .......................... 227
Winter driving instructions ........... 228
Standing water ............................. 229
Passenger compartment .............. 230
Driving abroad .............................. 230
Control and operation of
radio transmitter .......................... 230
Catalytic converter ....................... 231
Emission control........................... 231
Coolant temperature .................... 232At the gas station .............................. 233
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 234
Engine compartment ......................... 235
Hood ............................................ 235
Engine oil ..................................... 236
Transmission fluid level ................ 238
Coolant level ................................ 238
Battery ......................................... 240
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning* system ......... 241
Tires and wheels ................................ 242
Important guidelines .................... 242
Life of tire..................................... 243
Direction of rotation ..................... 243
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 243
Rotating wheels ........................... 244
Winter driving .................................... 245
Winter tires .................................. 245
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 246
Snow chains ................................. 246Maintenance...................................... 247
Clearing the service indicator ...... 247
Service term exceeded ................ 247
Calling up the service indicator .... 248
Resetting the service indicator .... 248
Vehicle care....................................... 249
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 249

Contents
Practical hints................................ 255
What to do if … .................................. 256
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 256
Lamp in center console................ 260
Messages in the display ............... 261
Where will I find ...? ........................... 279
First aid kit ................................... 279
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 279
Spare wheel ................................. 281
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 285
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 285
Locking the vehicle ...................... 286
Changing batteries ....................... 286
Fuel filler flap ............................... 287
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 288
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 289
Sliding/pop-up roof* ................... 289
Replacing bulbs ................................. 290
Bulbs ............................................ 290
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 292
Side marker lamp bulb ................. 294
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps..... 295Replacing wiper blades....................... 296
Removing ...................................... 296
Installing ....................................... 296
Flat tire ............................................... 297
Preparing the vehicle .................... 297
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 297
Battery................................................ 303
Disconnecting the battery............. 304
Removing the battery.................... 304
Charging and reinstalling
the battery .................................... 304
Reconnecting the battery.............. 305
Jump starting ...................................... 306
Towing the vehicle .............................. 308
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 311
Fuses .................................................. 312
Fuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 312
Fuse box in engine
compartment ................................ 312
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk............. 313
Technical data.................................. 315
Spare parts service ............................ 316
Warranty coverage ............................. 317
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 317
Identification labels ............................ 318
Layout of poly-V-belt drive.................. 319
C 230 Kompressor Sport .............. 319
C 240 / C 320 (all models)........... 319
C 32 AMG ..................................... 319
Engine ................................................ 320
Rims and Tires.................................... 322
Same size tires ............................. 323
Mixed size tires ............................. 324
Spare wheel .................................. 325
Electrical system ................................ 326
Main dimensions ................................ 327
Weights .............................................. 328

31 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positionsStarter switch0For removing key
The steering is locked when the key is
removed from the starter switch. If
necessary, move steering wheel slight-
ly to allow the locking mechanism to
engage.
1Power supply to some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch and lock
the vehicle. Do not leave children unattend-
ed in the vehicle, or with access to an un-
locked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle
equipment may cause an accident and/or
serious personal injury.iVehicles with automatic transmission:
The SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.
!If the key is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of
time, it can no longer be turned in the
starter switch.

Remove the key from the starter
switch and reinsert.
If the key can still not be turned, the
battery may not be sufficiently
charged.


Check the battery and charge it if
necessary (
page 240).


Get a jump start (
page 306).
To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge and a possible dead battery, al-
ways remove the key from the starter
switch.

45 Getting started
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 138).
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 53).Starting difficulties
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:

Turn key in starter to position0 and re-
peat starting procedure (
page 44).

Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery.

Get a jump start (
page 306).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could release the parking
brake, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.

79 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating

Removing the key from the starter
switch activates the immobilizer.
Deactivating


Inserting the key in the starter switch
deactivates the immobilizer.
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the trunk


the hood
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle


the vehicle is opened with the mechan-
ical keyArming the alarm system
The alarm system is armed after locking
the vehicle with the remote control. The
turn signal lamps blink three times to
indicate that the alarm system is activated.
A red indicator lamp in the switch for the
tow-away alarm (
page 80) will blink after
approximately ten seconds when the alarm
system is completely armed.
iIn case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, an emergency call is
initiated automatically by the Tele Aid
system* (
page 209) provided
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not blink
three times, the tow-away sensor* is
malfunctioning or one of the following
elements may not be properly closed:

a door


the trunk lid


the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.

84 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlockingInformation on locking and unlocking can
be found in the “Getting started” section
on (
page 30) and (
page 51).
Keys
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The Smartkey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control1‹
Lock button
2
Š
Unlock button for the trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4
Œ
Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6
Â
Panic button* (
page 72).
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 188) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof* (
page 191) using
the SmartKey.

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking
Press button
Œ
.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if neither door nor trunk is opened,
the SmartKey is not inserted in the starter
switch, or the central locking switch is not
activated.Global locking

Press button
‹
.
All turn signal lamps blink three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down.
Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the key so that
pressing
Œ
only unlocks the driver’s
door and the fuel filler flap.

Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹

simultaneously for about five seconds
until battery check lamp5 blinks twice.
The key will then function as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door and fuel filler
flap

Press button
Œ
once.
Global unlocking

Press button
Œ
twice.
Global locking

Press button
‹
.Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹

simultaneously for about six seconds
until battery check lamp5 blinks twice.
iCanada only:
Only vehicles equipped with an
anti-theft alarm system* have
SmartKeys with integrated panic
button*6.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the key to high levels of elec-
tromagnetic radiation.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take it with you
and lock the vehicle. Do not leave children
unattended in the vehicle, or with access to
an unlocked vehicle. It is possible for chil-
dren to open a locked door from the inside,
which could result in an accident and/or
serious injury.

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button
‹
or
Œ
.
Battery check lamp5 lights up briefly
to indicate that the key batteries are in
order.Unlocking the trunk lid
You can unlock the trunk separately.
A minimum height clearance of 5.75 ft.
(1.75 m) is required to open the trunk lid.

Press button
Š
until trunk opens.
The trunk can also be opened from its in-
side in an emergency, see “Trunk lid emer-
gency release” (
page 89).
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the key, then either the
batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the key is malfunctioning or
the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the key
(page 86) and replace them if
necessary (
page 286).


Use the mechanical key to lock and
unlock the doors (
page 285) and
the trunk lid (
page 91) as re-
quired.


Check the vehicle battery
(page 303)
If the key is malfunctioning, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!If battery check lamp5 does not light
up briefly during check, then the key
batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 286).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
!The trunk lid swings open upwards au-
tomatically. Always make sure that
there is sufficient overhead clearance.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed (
page 89). The
turn signals will flash three times to
confirm locking.
If the trunk lid was previously
separately locked (page 90), the
trunk lid will remain locked.