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103 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching right front reading lamp on
and off
Press button2.
The right reading lamp goes on.
Press button2 again.
The right reading lamp goes off.
Switching left front reading lamp on and
off
Press button6.
The left reading lamp goes on.
Press button6 again.
The left reading lamp goes off.Switching all front interior lights on and
off
Press button5.
The front interior lamps go on.
Press rocker switch to position3 or4.
The front interior lamps go out.
Door entry lamps
The appropriate door entry lamp switches
on if a door is opened in darkness and if
the interior lighting is switched to automat-
ic function.
The entry lamp switches off automatically
when the door is closed.
iThe setting selected for the interior
lighting is used for the cargo compart-
ment lighting as well.
If you leave the tailgate open for an ex-
tended period of time, the cargo com-
partment lighting will switch off
automatically after approximately ten
minutes
iIf you turn the key in the starter switch
to position0 and switch off the exterior
headlamps, the door entry lamps will
remain lit for approximately five min-
utes.
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Page 98 of 370

104 Controls in detailInstrument cluster
Instrument clusterA full view illustration of the instrument
cluster can be found in the “At a glance”
section of this manual (
page 22).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you:
open a door
turn on the ignition
press the reset knob (
page 22)
switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster set-
tings in the Instrument cluster submenu of
the control system (
page 118).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset knob (
page 22) to adjust
the illumination brightness for the instru-
ment cluster.
To brighten illumination
Turn the reset knob in the instrument
cluster (
page 22) clockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.To dim illumination
Turn the reset knob in the instrument
cluster (
page 22) counterclockwise.
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
Coolant temperature display
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is badly over-
heated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine com-
partment to catch fire. You could be se-
riously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the engine hood. Stay away
f r o m t h e e n g i n e i f y o u s e e o r h e a r s t e a m
coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until it
cools down.
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105 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or2.
Call up the trip odometer and main
odometer by pressing button
è
or
ÿ
on the multifunction steering
wheel (page 108).
Press button
j
or
k
until the
coolant temperature display appears.During severe operating conditions and
stop-and-go city traffic, the coolant tem-
perature may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer and main odometer
(page 107) in the multifunction dis-
play.
Press and hold the reset knob on the in-
strument cluster (
page 22) until the
trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
iExcessive coolant temperatures trigger
a warning in the multifunction display.
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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Page 100 of 370

106 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicatorThe temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
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107 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the key in the starter switch is turned to
position1. The control system enables you
to
call up information about your vehicle
change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Main odometer
3Trip odometer
4Automatic transmission program mode
5Current gear selector lever position
6Digital clock
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player, cassette player) will ap-
pear in English, regardless of the
language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his /her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.
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108 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1
Multifunction display in the speed-
ometerOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volumeç
down / to decrease
æ
up / to increase
3
Telephone*í
to take a call
ì
to end a call
4
Menu systemsè
for next menu
ÿ
for previous menu
5
Moving within a menuj
for next display
k
for previous display
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Page 103 of 370
109 Controls in detail
Control system
It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.
If you press button
è
or
ÿ
re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.
If you press button
k
or
j
re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.In the
SETTINGS
menu, instead of functions
you will find a number of submenus for
calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
the “Settings menu” section (
page 116).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.The menus are described on the following
pages.
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Page 104 of 370
110 Controls in detailControl systemMenusThis is what you will see when you scroll
through the menus.The table on the next page provides an
overview of the individual menus.S203 MY03_A.book Page 110 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM