Page 84 of 370

90 Controls in detailSeats
SeatsInformation on seat adjustment can be
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 32).
Easy-entry/exit feature*
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards and the
driver’s seat moves to the rear.
This allows easier entry into and exit from
the vehicle when the driver’s door is
opened. However, the engine must be
turned off.
When the SmartKey is inserted in the start-
er switch and the driver’s door is closed,
the steering wheel and the driver’s seat re-
turn to their last set positions.You can activate the following functions:
Steering column:
Only the steering column is adjusted.
Steering column and seat:
The steering column and the seat are
adjusted.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
switched on or off in the individual setting
menu of the control system (
page 126).
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and the driver’s seat when
the easy-entry / exit feature* is activated,
the driver’s door is being opened and the en-
gine is turned off or the SmartKey is re-
moved from the starter switch. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature*, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 90 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 96 of 370

102 Controls in detailLightingInterior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Rear interior lights
2Right front reading lamp
3Rocker switch: Automatic control off
4Rocker switch: Automatic control on
5Rocker switch: Front interior lights on
6Left front reading lampActivating automatic control
Press the rocker switch to the center
position4.
Interior lamps are switched on in dark-
ness, when
unlocking the vehicle
opening a door
removing the SmartKey from start-
er switch
opening the tailgate
The interior lamps are switched off follow-
ing an adjustable time delay (
page 124).Deactivating automatic control
Press the rocker switch to the right
position3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off, even when
centrally unlocking the vehicle
opening a door
removing the SmartKey from the
starter switch
opening the tailgate
Manual control
Switching rear interior lights on and off
Press button1.
The lights in the rear passenger com-
partment go on.
Press button1 again.
The lights in the rear passenger com-
partment go out.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after ap-
proximately five minutes, when the key
is removed or in the starter switch
position0.
An interior lamp switched on manually
does not go out automatically.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 102 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
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.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 104 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 101 of 370

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.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 107 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 111 of 370

117 Controls in detail
Control system
Resetting the functions of a submenu
For each submenu you can reset all the
functions to the factory settings.
Move to a function in the submenu.
Press the reset knob in the instrument
cluster for approximately three sec-
onds.
In the display you will see the request
to press the reset knob again to con-
firm.
Press the reset knob again.
All functions of the submenu will reset
to factory settings.
The table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus. De-
tailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following pag-
es.
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER
LIGHTING
VEHICLE
CONVENIENCE
Set time (hours)
Set daytime running lamp mode
(USA only)
Set station selection mode
(radio)
Activate easy-entry/exit feature
Set time (minutes)
Set locator lighting
Set automatic locking
Set key dependency
Select time display mode
Exterior lamps delayed shut-off
Set parking position for exterior
rear view mirror
Select temperature display
mode
Interior lighting delayed shut-off
Select speedometer display
modeSelect languageSelect display (speed display or
outside temperature)
S203 MY03_A.book Page 117 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 116 of 370

122 Controls in detailControl systemSetting locator lighting
During darkness, the following lamps will
come on when the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the locator lighting fea-
ture is activated, and the vehicle is un-
locked by remote control:
Parking lamps
Tail lamps
License plate lamps
Front fog lamps
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened. It switches off au-
tomatically after a period of approximately
40 seconds.
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
LIGHT-
ING
submenu.
Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
LOCATOR LIGHTING
.The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press
æ
or
ç
to select the de-
sired setting.
The locator lighting will be switched on
or off.Setting night security illumination
(Exterior lamps delayed shut-off)
Use the
HEADLAMPS DELAYED SHUT-OFF
function to set whether and for how long
you would like the exterior lamps to illumi-
nate during darkness after all doors are
closed. When the delayed shut-off feature
is activated and the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the following lamps will
remain lit after you remove the key from
the starter switch:
Parking lamps
Tail lamps
License plate lamps
Front fog lampsiYou can reactivate this function within
ten minutes by opening a door.
If you do not open a door after remov-
ing the key, the lamps will automatical-
ly switch off after 60 seconds.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 122 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 118 of 370
124 Controls in detailControl systemInterior lighting delayed shut-off
Use this function to set whether and for
how long you would like the interior light-
ing to remain lit during darkness after the
key is removed from the starter switch.
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
LIGHT-
ING
submenu.
Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
INT. LIGHTING DELAYED
SHUT-OFF
.The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press
æ
or
ç
to select the de-
sired lamp-on time period. You can se-
lect:
0 s
, the delayed shut-off feature is
deactivated
5 s,
10 s
, 15 s
or
20 s
, the delayed
shut-off feature is activatedVehicle submenu
Access the
VEHICLE
submenu via the
SET-
TINGS
menu. Use the
VEHICLE
submenu to
make general vehicle settings. The follow-
ing functions are available:
Function
Page
Set station selection mode
(radio)
see
below
Set automatic locking
see
below
S203 MY03_A.book Page 124 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 119 of 370

125 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting station selection mode
Use the
PRESS BUTTON IN AUDIO MODE
function to select the manual or memory
station selection mode for the radio
(page 113).
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
VEHI-
CLE
submenu.
Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
PRESS BUTTON IN AUDIO MODE
.The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press
æ
or
ç
to select the de-
sired station selection mode. You can
select:
STATION SEARCH
MEMORY
selects next stored stationSetting automatic locking
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the automatic central locking. With the au-
tomatic central locking system activated,
the vehicle is centrally locked at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h).
Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the “Vehi-
cle submenu”.
Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press
æ
or
ç
to switch
AUTOMAT-
IC DOOR LOCK
ON or
OFF
.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 125 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM