2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS seats

Contents
Introduction.......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
At a glance.......................................... 19
Cockpit ................................................. 20
Instrument cluster ................................ 22
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 24
Center console ..................................... 25
Upper part ...................................... 25
Lower part ...................................... 26
Overhead control panel ........................ 27
Door control panel................................ 28Getting started................................... 29
Unlocking ............................................. 30
Unlocking with the SmartKey.......... 30
Unlocking with KEYLESS-GO* ......... 32
Adjusting .............................................. 34
Seats............................................... 34
Steering wheel ................................ 37
Mirrors ............................................ 38
Driving .................................................. 40
Fastening the seat belts.................. 40
Starting the engine ......................... 43
Switching on headlamps ................. 46
Turn signals and high beam ............ 46
Windshield wipers ........................... 47Problems while driving.................... 48
Parking and locking .............................. 50
Parking brake ................................. 50
Switching off headlamps................. 51
Turning off the engine ..................... 51
Safety and Security........................... 55
Occupant safety ................................... 56
Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 61
Children in the vehicle .................... 65
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 71
Panic alarm .......................................... 72
Activating........................................ 72
Deactivating.................................... 72
Driving safety systems ......................... 73
ABS ................................................. 73
BAS ................................................. 74
ESP ................................................. 75
The SBC brake system .................... 77
Anti-theft systems ................................ 81
Immobilizer ..................................... 81
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 82
Tow-away alarm .............................. 82
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ContentsControls in detail............................... 85
Locking and unlocking ......................... 86
Keys ............................................... 86
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*......... 89
Opening the doors from the inside . 93
Opening the trunk from the inside.. 94
Opening the trunk .......................... 96
Closing the trunk ............................ 96
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 97
Separately locking the trunk .......... 98
Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 99
Automatic central locking .............. 99
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 100
Seats.................................................. 102
Easy-entry/exit feature* .............. 102
Head restraints............................. 103
Multicontour seat* ....................... 104
Dynamic driving seat* .................. 105
Heated seats* .............................. 107
Seat ventilation* .......................... 108
Memory function................................ 109
Storing positions into memory ..... 110
Recalling positions from memory . 110
Storing parking position ............... 111Lighting.............................................. 112
Exterior lamp switch..................... 112
Combination switch ..................... 115
Hazard warning flasher ................ 115
Interior lighting............................. 116
Door entry lamps ......................... 117
Trunk lamp ................................... 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 118
Instrument cluster illumination .... 118
Coolant temperature display ........ 119
Trip odometer .............................. 119
Tachometer .................................. 120
Outside temperature indicator ..... 120
Control system .................................. 121
Multifunction display .................... 121
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 122
Menus .......................................... 124
Standard display menu ................ 126
AUDIO menu ................................ 126
NAVI* ........................................... 128
Distronic* menu........................... 128
Malfunction memory menu .......... 129
Settings menu .............................. 130
Trip computer menu ..................... 145
TEL menu* ................................... 147
Automatic transmission ..................... 151One-touch gearshifting ................ 152
Gear ranges ................................. 153
Gear selector lever position ......... 154
Program mode selector switch .... 155
Accelerator position ..................... 156
Emergency operation
(Limp home mode) ....................... 156
Good visibility .................................... 157
Rear view mirror .......................... 157
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 158
Sun visors .................................... 158
Rear window sunshade* .............. 160
Roller sunblind* in the rear doors 161
Climate control .................................. 162
Setting the temperature............... 165
Adjusting air distribution .............. 166
Adjusting air volume .................... 166
Defrosting .................................... 167
Air recirculation mode.................. 167
Rear window defroster ................. 169
Deactivating the climate
control system ............................. 170
Air conditioner ............................. 170
Residual heat and ventilation* ..... 171
Automatic climate control* ............... 172
Setting the temperature............... 176
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34 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeatsWarning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined 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 se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 40).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you, and lock your vehicle.
The power seats can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause serious personal injury.
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 front air-
bag when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it in-
flates 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, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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35 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
in each door.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat cushion tilt
4Backrest tilt
5Head restraint height
Turn the key in the starter switch to
position1or2.
or

Press the KEYLESS GO* start/stop
button once or twice.
or

Open the driver’s or passenger door.
Seat height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow2.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow1.
Adjust to a comfortable seating posi-
tion that still allows you to reach the
accelerator / brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far to the rear as
possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate infant or child restraint sys-
tem, which is properly secured with the ve-
hicle’s seat belt, fully in accordance with the
child seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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.
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or be-
hind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
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36 Getting startedAdjustingSeat cushion tilt
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.
Backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow4 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
Front head restraint height

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow 5.
Front head restraint tilt

Manually adjust the angle of the head
restraint. Push or pull on the lower
edge of the head restraint cushion.
More information can be found in the
"Controls in detail" section (
page 102).
Rear seat head restraints
The rear seat head restraints can be folded
backward for increased visibility.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, always drive with the
rear head restraints in the upright position
when the rear seats are occupied.
Keep the area around head restraints clear
of articles (e.g. clothing) to not obstruct the
folding operation of the head restraints.!The rear seat head restraints cannot be
adjusted.
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41 Getting started
Driving
1Retractor
2Latch plate
3Buckle
4Release button
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, fully in accordance with the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
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 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.
Warning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the back-
rest reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined 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 se-
rious or even fatal injuries. The backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and the belt
is properly positioned on the body.Warning!
G
Read and observe the additional warning no-
tices printed in the “Safety and security”
section (
page 61).
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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
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 or2 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
(if so equipped) start/stop button once or
twice. It goes out when you start the en-
gine. This shows that the restraint systems
are operational.
If the lamp does not come on at all or if it
fails to extinguish after approximately
4 seconds or if it comes on thereafter, a
malfunction in the system has been de-
tected.
More information can be found in the
"Practical hints" section (
page 290).
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).
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up during driving or does not
come at all, the SRS may not be operational.
For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately to have the system
checked; otherwise the SRS may not be ac-
tivated when needed in an accident, which
could result in serious or fatal injury, or it
might deploy unexpectedly and unnecessar-
ily which could also result in injury.
Improper work on the restraint systems, in-
cluding incorrect installation and removal,
can lead to possible injury through an unin-
tended activation of the SRS.
In addition, through improper work there is
a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be per-
formed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
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64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts for the front and rear outer
seats are equipped with emergency ten-
sioning devices and belt force limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases when the seat belts are fas-
tened:

In frontal or rear-end impacts exceed-
ing a preset severity level


If the ignition is switched onIn an impact, emergency tensioning devic-
es remove slack from the belts in such a
way that the seat belts fit more snugly
against the body. Belt force limiters reduce
the force exerted by the seat belts on oc-
cupants during a crash.


Each seat belt should never be used for
more than one person at a time. Do not
fasten a seat belt around a person and
another person or other objects.


Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to manage impact forces. The
twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.


Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.


Never place your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both
feet on the floor in front of the seat.
Warning!
G
An emergency tensioning device (ETD) that
was activated must be replaced.
When scrapping the emergency tensioning
device, our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These are available at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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