2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 shift

170 Controls in detailAudio systemBalance
In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
the
AUD
key repeatedly until
BALANCE

appears on the display.

Press the
L or
R key to shift the sound
accordingly.
or

Press both the
L and
R keys simulta-
neously to reset the balance to its cen-
ter level.Returning audio functions to factory set-
tings

In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
and hold the
AUD
key longer than two
seconds.
RESET
will appear on the dis-
play.
All settings for bass, treble and balance
are returned to center and the volume
is set to a predefined level.Audio system sound selection (EXT)*

In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
the
AUD
key.
The sound settings menu appears on
the display.

Press the
EXT
key.

Press one of the function keys.
You can select from among the follow-
ing settings:

DRV
: The tone level is set to the
“Driver” position, sound is directed
toward the passengers.

194 Controls in detailDriving systems1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume at previously set speed
Saving current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.

Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated.Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:

Step on the brake pedal.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control will be canceled. The
last speed set will be stored for later
use.iOn uphill or downhill grades, cruise
control may not be able to maintain the
set speed. Once the grade eases, the
set speed will be resumed.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).iVehicles with manual transmission:
The set cruise controlled speed is
switched off when declutching exceeds
four seconds during downshifting a
gear.iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.

195 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting stored speed (“Resume”
function)
Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position4.
The cruise control will resume the last
previously set speed.

Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.Setting a higher speed

Lift the cruise control lever to
position1 and hold it up until the de-
sired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress the cruise control lever to
position2 and hold it down until the
desired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Fine adjustment in 1 mph (1 km/h)
increments
Faster

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow1.
Slower

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow2.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to preset
speed can cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury to you and others.
iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing),
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
iVehicles with automatic transmission:
When you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the transmission will au-
tomatically downshift if the engine’s
braking power does not brake the vehi-
cle sufficiently.

222 OperationThe first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)In the “Operation” section you will find de-
tailed information on operating, maintain-
ing and caring for your vehicle.
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)The more cautiously you treat your vehicle
during the break-in period, the more satis-
fied you will be with its performance later
on.

Drive your vehicle during the first
1000 miles (1500 km) at varying but
moderate vehicle and engine speeds.


During this period, avoid heavy loads
(full throttle driving) and excessive
engine speeds (no more than
2/3 of
maximum rpm in each gear).


Shift gears in a timely manner.


Avoid accelerating by kick-down.


Do not attempt to slow the vehicle
down by shifting to a lower gear using
the selector lever.


Select positions3, 2 or1 only when
driving at moderate speeds (for hill
driving).
After 1 000 miles (1 500 km) you may
gradually increase vehicle and engine
speeds to the permissible maximum.All of the above instructions, as may apply
to your vehicle type, also apply when
driving the first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)
after the engine or the rear differential has
been replaced
!Additional instructions for AMG
vehicles:

During the first 1 000 miles
(1 500 km), do not exceed a speed
of 85 mph (140 km/h).


During this period, avoid engine
speeds above 4 500 rpm in each
gear.
iAlways obey applicable speed limits.

225 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so that the air stream will cool
down the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the 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 oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow one drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended 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.
Parking
Warning!
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
can result in an accident.!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 pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.
!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move selector lever to positionP (man-
ual transmission: first or reverse gear).
In addition, when parking on hills,
always turn front wheels towards road
curb.

228 OperationDriving instructionsC240, C2404MATIC, C320, and
C 320 4MATIC
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“H”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 130 mph (210 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
C 230 Kompressor Sport, C 320 Sport,
and C 320 4MATIC Sport
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).C32AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 188 mph (300 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to prevail-
ing conditions.
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to positionN or in
case of manual transmission declutch. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
iInformation on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 246).
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.

238 OperationEngine compartmentOther display messages
If there is excessive engine oil with the en-
gine at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear: ENGINE OIL LEVEL-REDUCE OIL LEVEL
Have excess oil siphoned.
If the key is not turned to position2 in the
starter switch:
FOR ENGINE OIL LEVEL IGNITION ON
PLEASE!
Switch on the ignition.
If you see the message:
OBSERVE WAITING PERIOD
Wait five minutes before repeating
check procedure.
If you see the message:
ENGINE OIL LEVEL-NOT WHEN ENGINE ON
!

Turn off the engine. If engine is at nor-
mal operating temperature, wait five
minutes before checking oil. If the en-
gine is not yet at normal operating tem-
perature, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.If a proper oil level check cannot be per-
formed, the following message will appear:
MEASURING NOT POSSIBLE
Repeat the engine oil level check after
a short while.
See “Practical hints” (
page 270) if an en-
gine oil level indicator appears on the dis-
play when the engine is running.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 332).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the transmission.Coolant level
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.

307 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift selector lever to positionP (man-
ual transmission to Neutral).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery

Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with the under hood
terminal2 in front of the discharged
battery with the jumper cables. Clamp
cable to charged battery1 first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with the under hood
terminal4 of the discharged battery
with the jumper cables. Clamp cable to
charged battery3 first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
Now you can again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and2.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 240).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.