298 Practical hintsReplacing bulbs4Brake lamp
5Turn signal lamp
6Backup lamp
7Rear fog lamp (driver’s side)/tail lamp,
parking, standing and side marker
lamp
Twist bulb socket counterclockwise
and pull out.
Gently push bulb into socket, turn
counterclockwise and remove.
Insert new bulb and reinstall bulb sock-
et.
Reinstall bulb holder and close trim
panel.License plate lamp
1Screws
Switch off the lights.
Loosen both screws1 and remove
lamp.
Replace the tubular lamp and reinstall
lamp.
Retighten the screws.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 298 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
302 Practical hintsFlat tireRemoving the wheel
1Alignment bolt
Unscrew upper-most wheel bolt and re-
move.
Replace this wheel bolt with the align-
ment bolt1 supplied in the tool kit.
Remove the remaining bolts.
Remove the wheel.Mounting the new wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel or other
steel rims
Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.
!Do not place wheel bolts in sand or dirt.
This could result in damage to the bolt
and wheel hub threads.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when
mounting steel rims or the Minispare
wheel. The use of any wheel bolts other
than wheel bolts2 for steel wheel rims
or Minispare wheel can cause physical
damage to the vehicle.!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 302 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
303 Practical hints
Flat tire
Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.Minispare wheel
In the case of a flat tire, you may tempo-
rarily use the Minispare wheel when ob-
serving the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80km/h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or re-
placed as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one spare wheel mounted.
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. They are identi-
fied by the Mercedes star. Other wheel bolts
may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.
Warning!
G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted.
The spare wheel should only be used tempo-
rarily, and replaced with a regular road
wheel as quick as possible.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 303 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
309 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine com-
partment on the right hand side. The termi-
nals 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 in front 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 239).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
or 4MATIC*:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 309 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
323 Technical data
Rims and Tires
Rims and Tires
Use only tires and rims which have been
specifically developed for your vehicle and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Other tires and rims can have detrimental
effects, such as
poor handling characteristics
increased noise
increased fuel consumption
Same size tires
!Moreover, tires and rims not approved
by Mercedes-Benz may, under load, ex-
hibit dimensional variations and differ-
ent tire deformation characteristics
under load that could cause them to
come into contact with the vehicle
body or axle parts. Damage to the tires
or the vehicle may be the result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. A tire inflation
pressure table is located on the fuel fill-
er cap of the vehicle. The tire pressure
should be checked regularly and
should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Follow tire manufacturer’s mainte-
nance recommendation included with
vehicle.
C 240
C 320
C 240 4MATIC
C 320 4MATIC
Rims (light alloy*)
7J x16 H2
7J x16 H2
Rims (steel – Canada only)
7J x16 H2
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
All season tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 H
205/55 R16 91 H
Winter tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 H M+S
205/55 R16 91 H M+S
S203 MY03_A.book Page 323 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
331 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only Premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:
The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:
Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.
Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.
Do not exceed an engine speed of
3 000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.
Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.
iMY 2003 Mercedes-Benz C 320 mod-
els, except those equipped with manu-
al transmission or 4MATIC*, are
Flexible Fuel Vehicles.
These vehicles are designed to operate
on premium unleaded gasoline or Etha-
nol fuel (E85), or on any mixture of
these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 332).
S203 MY03_A.book Page 331 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
339 Technical terms
ABS
(Antilock Brake System)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering pin is
an aid used when changing a tire to align
the wheel with the wheel hub.
BabySmartTM airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is installed
on the front passenger seat. The system
will automatically deactivate the passen-
ger front airbag when such a seat is prop-
erly installed (indicator lamp 7 on the
center console lights up). See your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for availabili-
ty.BabySmartTM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children. The
sensor system for the passenger seat pre-
vents deployment of the passenger side
airbag if a BabySmartTM compatible child
seat is installed.
BAS
(Brake Assist System)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bi-xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps. Bi-xe-
non headlamps produce low beam and
high beam.CAC
(Customer Assistance Center)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
CAN system
(Controller Area Network)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping depending on vehi-
cle settings and/or ambient condi-
tions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and in-
dicator/warning lamps in the passenger
compartment needed for vehicle operation
and monitoring.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 339 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
346 IndexAir volume
Adjusting 147, 155
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 259
Airbags 57
BabySmart
TM deactivation
system 67
Children 58
Front 60
Passenger 60
Safety guidelines 59
Side impact 61
Window curtain 61
Alarm
Audible 72, 80
Canceling 80
Visual 79
Alarm system
Anti-theft 79
Alignment bolt 302, 339
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 335
Antiglare
Automatic 141
Antilock brake system (ABS) 339
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 79
Canceling alarm 80Disarming 80
Anti-theft systems 79
Anti-theft alarm system* 79
Immobilizer 79
Tow-away alarm 80
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning 226
Armrest
Storage compartment in front of 205
Storage spaces 206
Ashtray 207
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 237
AUDIO menu 112
Selecting radio station 113
Audio system
Audio and telephone, operation 161
Button and soft key operation 164
Cassette mode 170
CD mode 174
Operating and display elements 162
Operating safety 161
Operation 164
Radio mode 167
Switching off 164
Switching on 164
Telephone operation 178
Audio systems 161Automatic antiglare for rear view
mirror 141
Automatic central locking
Activating/deactivating (control
system) 125
Automatic climate control 152
Adjusting air distribution 155
Air recirculation mode 156
Deactivating 150
Defrosting 156
Rear window defroster 158
Residual heat utilization 159
Residual ventilation 159
Setting the temperature 154
Automatic headlamp mode 99
Automatic lighting control
Activating 102
Deactivating 102
Automatic locking when driving 88
Automatic transmission 135
Accelerator position 140
Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode) 140
Fluid level 237
Gear ranges 137
Gear selector lever position 138
S203 MY03_A.book Page 346 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM