2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 COUPE Owner's Manual

41 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat beltWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passenger should al-
ways wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The airbags can only protect as ex-
pected if the occupants are using their seat
belts (
page 56).
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger side front
airbag when it is properly installed. Other-
wise they will be struck by the airbag when
it inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing positions. Infants and small children
must ride in back seats and be seated in an
appropriate infant or child restraint system,
which is properly secured with the vehicle’s
seat belt and top tether strap, or secured via
lower anchors and top tether strap, fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er’s instructions.

42 Getting startedDriving
The seat belt presenter for driver and pas-
senger makes it easier to put on the seat
belt.
1Seat belt presenter
Manually adjust the seat belt presenter
to the desired position
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint. Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest reclined. Sitting in an excessively
reclined position can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a collision.
If you slide under it, the belt would apply
force at the abdomen or neck. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries. The seat
backrest and seat belt provide the best re-
straint when the wearer is in an upright po-
sition and the belt is properly positioned on
the body.
Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly re-
strained with a separate seat belt - even
those in the rear.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 60).
iThe seat belt presenter must be put
back to its original position before lean-
ing the seat backrest toward the rear or
letting someone enter the rear passen-
ger compartment.

43 Getting started
Driving
1Latch plate
2Release button
3Buckle
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from the belt outlet.

Place the belt over your shoulder.

Push latch plate1 into buckle3 until it
clicks.

If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Belt outlet height adjustment
1Button for belt outlet height adjust-
ment

To raise, slide belt outlet upward.

To lower, press button1 and slide belt
outlet downward.Proper use of seat belts


Do not twist the belt when fastening.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck or pass under the
arm). For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly up-
right position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a per-
son and another object at the same
time.


Check your seat belt during travel to
ensure that it is properly positioned.

44 Getting startedDriving

Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.
Starting the engine Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
Make sure that the gearshift lever is in
Neutral position.

Do not depress accelerator.

Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be start-
ed due to the integrated safety inter-
lock.
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.

45 Getting started
Driving

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position3. Release only when the en-
gine is firing regularly (
page 31).
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 130).
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with selector lever lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position

Make sure that the gear selector lever
is set toP.

Do not depress accelerator.
Starting

Turn the key in the starter switch to
position3 and hold until the engine
starts (
page 31).

Depress the brake pedal.
The selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the key see “Turning off the engine”
(
page 52)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.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the battery

Get a jump start (
page 297).
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.
iYou can also use the “touch-start”
function. Turn the key to position3 and
release it again immediately. The en-
gine then starts automatically.

46 Getting startedDrivingParking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake

Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle1.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only) or
3
(Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to positionD orR
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
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.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.

47 Getting started
Driving
More information on driving can be found
in the “Operation” section (
page 215).
Switching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 96).
Turn signals and high beam
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch up1 or
down2.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission: It is
dangerous to shift the selector lever out ofP
or N if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly on the brake
pedal, the vehicle could accelerate quickly
forward or in reverse. You could lose control
of the vehicle and hit someone or some-
thing. Only shift into gear when the engine is
idling normally and when your right foot is
firmly on the brake pedal.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 loss of control.

48 Getting startedDrivingHigh beam
Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 99).
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Single wipe
2Switching on windshield wipers 
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.