Page 44 of 370

50 Getting startedDrivingInterval wiping
Switching on
Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 comes on.
Switching off
Press upper half1 of the switch again.
Indicator lamp2 goes out.
Simultaneous wiping and washing
Press and hold lower half3 of the
switch.
The wiper operates with washer fluid.
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires
An ignition cable may be damaged.
The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.
Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.
Give very little gas.
Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
The coolant temperature is over 248° F
(120° C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool.
Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 308).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:
Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.
Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the
major assemblies
fuel system
engine mount
Start the engine in the usual manner.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 50 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 50 of 370

56 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are
Seat belts
Emergency tensioning device
Airbags
Child seats
Child seat recognition
Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The
1
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up:
for about 4 seconds when you turn the
key in the starter switch to position1.
for about 4 seconds when you start the
engine by turning the key.The warning lamp goes out shortly after
you start the engine. This shows that the
restraint systems are operational.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the
1
warning lamp:
fails to extinguish after approximately
4seconds.
does not come on at all.
comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 253).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 65).
iThe warning lamp remains lit if the key
is turned to position2 and left there.
The warning lamp will go out when you
start the engine.
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Page 87 of 370

93 Controls in detail
Seats
Multicontour seat*
Some models may be equipped with driv-
er’s multicontour seat. This seat has a
movable seat cushion and inflatable air
cushions built into the backrest to provide
additional lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with regulators on the
right side of the seat after turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2.1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest bottom
3Backrest center
4Side bolster adjustment
Adjusting the multicontour seat in the or-
der listed above is recommended.
Check that the ignition is switched on.
All lamps in the instrument cluster light
up.The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with regulators1, 2
and3).
The side bolsters of the backrest can be
adjusted with rocker switch4:
Press to the left.
Side support will be increased.
Press to the right.
Side support will be decreased.iWhen the engine is turned off, the last
cushion setting is retained in memory,
and the cushion is automatically ad-
justed to this setting when the engine
is restarted.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 93 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 105 of 370
111 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu 1
Menu 2
Menu 3
Menu 4
Menu 5
Menu 6
Menu 7
Standard display
AUDIO
NAVI*
Malfunction
memory
Settings
Trip computer
Telephone*
Commands/submenusCoolant tempera-
ture display
Select radio station
Activate route
guidance
Call up malfunc-
tion messages
Reset to factory
settings
Fuel consumption
statistics after
start
Load phone
book
Digital speedometer
Operate CD play-
er*
Instrument clus-
ter submenu
Fuel consumption
statistics since
the last reset
Search for
name in
phone book
Call up FSS
Operate cassette
player
Lighting sub-
menu
Call up range
Check engine oil lev-
el
Vehicle sub-
menuConvenience
submenu
S203 MY03_A.book Page 111 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 106 of 370

112 Controls in detailControl system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with button
k
or
j
.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press button
j
twice.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
AUDIO
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
AUDIO OFF
i s s h o w n i n t h e
display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up coolant temperature dis-
play
104
Call up digital speedometer
see
below
Call up FSS
246
Check engine oil level
235
Function
Page
Select radio station
113
Operate CD player*
113
Operate cassette player
114
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Page 134 of 370

140 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the transmis-
sion’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.
Move selector lever toP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least ten seconds before re-
starting.
Restart the engine.
Move selector lever to positionD (for
second gear) orR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 140 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 144 of 370

150 Controls in detailClimate controlAir conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified.
Press buttonAC
OFF
(page 145).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
PressAC
OFF
again (
page 145).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFC’s
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Ventilated storage compartment
The front center console storage compart-
ment has its own air vent that allows for
cooling ventilation when the automatic cli-
mate control system is activated.
1Lever
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iYou should keep this air vent closed
when outside temperatures are low.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 150 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM
Page 153 of 370

159 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Air conditioning
The air conditioning is operational while
the engine is running and cools the interior
air to the temperature set by the operator.
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the automatic
climate control system. The air in the vehi-
cle will then no longer be cooled or dehu-
midified.
Press buttonAC
OFF
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.
PressAC
OFF
again (
page 153).
The indicator lamp on the
buttonAC
OFF
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat and ventilation*
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1 o r r e m o v e i t f r o m t h e s t a r t e r
switch.
Press button
T
(page 153).
The indicator lamp on button
T
comes on.
Deactivating
Press button
T
.
The indicator lamp on button
T
goes off.
iCondensation may drip out from under-
neath the vehicle. This is normal and
not an indication of a malfunction.
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air con-
ditioning is losing refrigerant. The com-
pressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
S203 MY03_A.book Page 159 Tuesday, January 28, 2003 2:22 PM