2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 WAGON length

37 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel Steering wheel adjustment, manual
1Release handle
2Steering column, lengthen or shorten
3Steering column, height

To unlock the steering column, pull
handle 1 out until its stop limit.

Adjust the steering wheel to the de-
sired position.

To lock, press handle1 all the way in
until it engages.
The steering wheel is once again
locked into position.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the adjustment
locked could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock your
vehicle.
The electrical steering wheel adjustment
feature* can also be operated with the driv-
er’s door open. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering column.
If the warning message
STEERING
WHEEL ADJUST – LOCK! is displayed
while the engine is running, the steer-
ing column is not locked properly
(
page 276).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 37 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

38 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The stalk is located on the steering column
(lower left).
1Steering column, lengthen or shorten
2Steering column, height
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1 or2.
or

Open the driver’s door.Steering column, lengthen or shorten

Move stalk forward or backward in the
direction of arrow1 until a comfortable
steering wheel position is reached with
your arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Steering column, height

Move stalk up or down in the direction
of arrow2. Make sure that your legs
can move freely and that all the dis-
plays (including malfunction and indi-
cator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible.
Mirrors
Adjust the inside and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Inside rear view mirror
Manually adjust the inside rear view
mirror.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 141).
iWith the memory function, you can
store seat positions together with set-
tings for the steering wheel and the ex-
terior rear view mirrors (
page 95).
Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 38 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

132 Controls in detailControl system
Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the display you will then see the message:
Press button
í
.
You have answered the call. In the dis-
play you see the length of the call.
Ending a call

Press button
ì
.
You have ended the call. In the display
you will again see the standby mes-
sage.Dialing a number from the phone book
If your telephone is ready to receive calls,
you may select and dial a number from the
phone book at any time.

Press button
ÿ
or
è
repeatedly
until you see the
TEL
menu in the dis-
play.

Press button
j
or
k
.
The control system reads the phone
book which is stored in the telephone.
This may take up to 30 seconds. In the
display you will see the message
PLEASE WAIT!
.
When the message
PLEASE WAIT!
dis-
appears, the phone book has been
loaded.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
display.
The stored names are displayed in in-
creasing or decreasing alphabetical or-
der.
iVehicles with audio system:
In top right corner; the higher the num-
ber, the stronger the signal received
from the net.
Vehicles with COMAND*:
In top left corner; the higher the num-
ber of bars, the stronger the signal re-
ceived from the net.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 132 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

137 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gear ranges
With the selector lever in positionD, you
can limit the transmission’s gear range by
pressing the lever to the left (D-), and re-
verse the gear range limit by pressing the
lever to the right (D+).
The selected gear range will appear in the
tachometer display field. If you press on
the accelerator when the engine has
reached its rpm limit, the transmission will
upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.
Gear
range
Effect
é
The transmission shifts
through fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts
through third gear only.
With this selection you can
use the braking effect of the
engine.
Gear
range
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts
through second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates
only in first gear.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep
or lengthy downgrades.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 137 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

195 Controls in detail
Loading

Connect snap hook6 of front strap to
eye7 located on center tunnel in front
of rear seat bench.Unloading and folding

Loosen strap, open clasp by pressing
tabs8 together (arrows).

Unload skis.

Close flap in cargo compartment.

Disconnect snap hook6 from eye7.

Fold and flatten ski sack lengthwise
and place folded ski sack inside recess
of backrest.

Close ski sack compartment cover1.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 195 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

228 OperationDriving instructionsWinter 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.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
For more information on winter driving
(
page 244).
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 245).
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.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 228 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

246 OperationMaintenance
MaintenanceWe strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Service Booklet at the times called for
by the FSS (Flexible Service System).
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Service Booklet at the
designated times /mileage called for by
the FSS may result in vehicle damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
FSS will notify you when your next service
is due.
Approximately one month before your next
service is due, one of the following mes-
sages will appear in the multifunction dis-
play while you are driving or when you
switch on the ignition (example service A):SERVICE A IN XX DAYS
SERVICE A IN XX MILES (KM)
SERVICE A DUE NOW!
The type of service due is indicated in the
speedometer display field:9
Minor service (A)
½
Major service (B)
Clearing the service indicator
The service indicator is automatically
cleared

after 10 seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the ser-
vice threshold while driving


after 30 seconds, once the suggested
service term has passed
You can also clear it yourself.

Press the reset knob on the instrument
cluster (
page 22).
Service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested ser-
vice term, you will see the following mes-
sage in the multifunction display:SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX DAYS
SERVICE A EXCEEDED BY XX MILES (KM)The Mercedes-Benz Center will reset the
service indicator following a completed
service.
iThe interval between services depends
on your driving habits. A gentle driving
style, moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 246 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM

282 Practical hintsWhere will I find ...?Spare wheel bolts
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel or other
steel rims
Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing steel wheel rim.Vehicles with Minispare wheel
The Minispare wheel is located in the stor-
age compartment underneath the cargo
floor.
Removing the Minispare wheel
1Retaining screw
2Storage well casing

Lift cargo floor cover.

Loosen retaining screw1 in the middle
of storage well casing2.

Remove storage well casing2.
!The use of any wheel bolts other than
wheel bolts2 for steel wheel rims can
cause physical damage to the vehicle.
Warning!
G
Be sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel af-
ter it has been repaired.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 282 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM