2003 MERCEDES-BENZ C32AMG controls

204 Controls in detailUseful featuresCup holder in front of seat armrestOpening cup holder

Slide cover1 rearward.

Push button2.
The cup holder opens automatically.Closing cup holder

Fold in direction of arrow until cup
holder engages.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle maneu-
vers.

205 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cup holder in rear seat armrest
Opening cup holder

Push front of sliding compartment1.
The cup holder slides out.
Closing cup holder

Push the sliding compartment1 back
until it engages.Storage compartment in front of arm-
rest
Opening

Slide cover1 rearward.
The compartment contains a cigarette
lighter (
page 208), a coin holder and
a cup holder (
page 204).
Closing

Slide cover1 forward.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle maneu-
vers.

206 Controls in detailUseful featuresArmrest storage spaces
Opening compartment in armrest
Lift armrest by handle1.
Opening compartment under armrest

Lift armrest by handle2.
Closing

Lower armrest until it engages in lock.Changing inclination of armrest

Pull up on armrest.
Lowering armrest

Pull handle2 to lower armrest.Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.iThe storage compartment can be heat-
ed or cooled.
The compartment can get very warm
due to its confined space. When storing
heat sensitive objects in the compart-
ment, close the air vent (
page 155)
while heating the passenger compart-
ment.
!Do not obstruct the air vent in the
storage compartment.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges, in the parcel net.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants.

207 Controls in detail
Useful features
Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
Opening ashtray
Briefly touch cover plate1.
The ashtray opens automatically.Removing ashtray insert

Secure vehicle from movement by set-
ting the parking brake. Move the selec-
tor lever to positionN.
Now you have more room to take out
the insert.

Slide ashtray insert in direction of
arrow2 until it disengages.

Grip ashtray at indents (arrows3) and
remove insert from ashtray frame.
Reinstalling ashtray insert

Install insert by pushing back into
frame until it engages again.Rear seat ashtray
Opening ashtray

Pull at top of cover2 to open ashtray.
Removing ashtray insert

Press latch1 to disengage ashtray in-
sert and remove it.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Install ashtray insert.

Close the ashtray.
Warning!
G
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle
standing still. Set the parking brake to se-
cure vehicle from movement. Move gear se-
lector lever to positionN. With gear selector
lever in positionN, turn off the engine.

208 Controls in detailUseful featuresCigarette lighter
The cigarette lighter is located in the cen-
ter console compartment in front of the
armrest (
page 25).
1Cigarette lighter
2Cover

Turn key in the starter switch to
position1 or2.

Slide cover2 rearward.

Push in cigarette lighter1.
The lighter will pop out automatically
when hot.
Telephone*
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit, should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
The external antenna must be approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on the installation of an approved
external antenna. Refer to the radio trans-
mitter operation instructions regarding use
of an external antenna.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.iThe lighter socket can be used to ac-
commodate electrical accessories up
to a maximum 85 W.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and personal
injury.

209 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing the
í
and
ì
buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(
page 111).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid*
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
o m m e n d t h a t y o u p u l l o v e r t o a s a f e l o c a t i o n
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND* (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approx. 44 feet (ap-
proximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the SOS button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated. If the
system is not activated, the indicator
lamp in the SOS button stays on after
turning key in starter switch to
position2 and the message
TELE AID
– NOT ACTIVATED
will be shown in the
multifunction display for approx. ten
seconds.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

210 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press button
æ
and to lower,
press button
ç
.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button
•
or
the Information button
¡
, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your Ac-
quaintance Call, you will receive a user ID
and password via first call mail. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
( U S A o n l y ) , y o u w i l l h a v e a c c e s s t o a c c o u n t
information, remote door unlock and
more.System self-check
Initially, after turning the key in starter
switch to position2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
stay on longer than ten sec-
onds or do not come on). The message
TELE AID – VISIT WORKSHOP!
appears for
approx. ten seconds in the multifunction
display.
iThe SOS button is located above the in-
side rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button
•

and the Information button
¡
are
located below the center armrest
cover.
!The Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (Global Positioning System) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.

211 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically

following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds. See anti-theft alarm sys-
tem (
page 79) and tow-away alarm
(
page 80)
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CONNECTING CALL
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. When the connection is estab-
lished, the message
EMERGENCY CALL –
CALL CONNECTED
appears in the multifunc-tion display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the ve-
hicle (determined by the GPS satellite loca-
tion system), vehicle model, identification
number and color are generated.
A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
When a voice connection is established the
audio system mutes and the message
TELE AID – EMERGENCY CALL ACTIVE
ap-
pears in the multifunction display. The Re-
sponse Center will attempt to determine
more precisely the nature of the accident
pr ovi de d they can s pea k to a n occu pa nt of
the vehicle.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button do not come on
during the system self-check or if any of
these indicators remain illuminated
constantly in red and/or the message TELE AID – VISIT WORKSHOP!

is displayed in the multifunction display
after the system self-check, a malfunction in
the system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as
expected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.