2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 BAS

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the "Controls in detail" section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
"Getting started" section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlockingKeys
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The Smartkey centrally locks and unlocks

the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹ Lock button
2Š Unlock button for the trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ΠUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 72).
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 184) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof* (
page 187) or pan-
orama sliding/pop-up roof*
(
page 192) using the SmartKey.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the key to high levels of elec-
tromagnetic radiation.

134 Controls in detailControl systemInstrument cluster submenu
Access the
Instr. cluster
submenu via
the
Settings
menu. Use the
Instr. clus-
ter
submenu to change the instrument
cluster display settings. The following
functions are available:Selecting temperature display mode

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Temp. indicator
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to set the temper-
ature unit to degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).Selecting speedometer display mode

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Display unit
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ or ç to set speedome-
ter unit to
km or
miles
.
Function
Page
Select temperature display
mode
134
Select speedometer display
mode
134
Select language
135
Select display (speed display or
outside temperature) for status
display
135
Select display (speed display or
outside temperature) for basic
display
136
Tire pressure display*
136

136 Controls in detailControl systemSelecting display (speed display or out-
side temperature) for basic display
Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Instr.
cluster
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Basic display
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to select the dis-
play permanently shown in the multi-
function display.Tire pressure display*
Use this function to set the unit for the tire
pressure display.

Move the selection marker with the
æ or ç button to the
Instr,
cluster
submenu.

Press button jor k repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Display unit Tire pressure
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press æ or ç to select the de-
sired tire pressure unit.Time/Date submenu
Access the
Time/Date
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Time/Date
sub-
menu to change the time and date display
settings. The following functions are avail-
able:
Function
Page
Set time (hours)
137
Set time (minutes)
137
Set date (month)
137
Set date (day)
138
Set date (year)
138

147 Controls in detail
Control system
Resetting fuel consumption statistics
Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see the reading that you want
to reset in the display.

Press and hold the reset knob in the in-
strument cluster (
page 22) until the
value is reset to
0.Call up range (distance to empty)

Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until you see the first function of the
Trip computer menu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Range:
In the display you will see the calculat-
ed range based on the current fuel tank
level.
TEL menu*Warning!
G
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-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when road and traffic conditions per-
mit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approximately
44 feet (approximately 13.5 m) every sec-
ond.

151 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
Information for driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the "Getting start-
ed" section (
page 43).
Your transmission adapts its gear shifting
process to your individual driving style by
continually adjusting the shift points up or
down. These shift point adjustments are
performed based on current operating and
driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the au-
tomatic transmission reacts by adjusting
its gear shift program.The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on


the selector lever positionD with gear
ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 153)


the selected shift program (W/S)
(page 155)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 156)


the vehicle speed
The current selector lever position and
shift program (W/S) appear in the speed-
ometer display (
page 121).
An additional indication of the current se-
lector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate. The indicators
come on when you activate a switch (e.g.
unlocking the vehicle or opening a door)
and go out after approximately 15 min-
utes.When the selector lever is in positionD,
you can influence transmission shifting by


limiting the gear range


changing gears yourself
iDuring the brief warm-up, the transmis-
sion upshifting is delayed. This allows
the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperatures.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
of P 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 reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

183 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control*
Display1Temperature, left
2Temperature, right
Basic settings
We recommend setting the temperature
on both the left- and right-hand sides to
72°F. This ensures a pleasant temperature
in the rear of the vehicle.
The temperatures for the left- and
right-hand sides can be set using tempera-
ture rocker switches4 and6.Adjusting the rear settings with the
front control panel
Display
Press the™ button (
page 174).
The display switches over.
The temperature for the rear left- and
right-hand sides of the vehicle can be set
with temperature rocker switches3 and5.The temperature display disappears ap-
proximately 5 seconds after the last key
confirmation and switches back to the nor-
mal display.
iThe rear air conditioning will not cool
the air when economy mode AC
OFF

has been selected in the front control
panel.
iThe normal display will appear when
the ™ button is pressed again.

194 Controls in detailDriving systems
Driving systemsThe following driving systems are ex-
plained on the following pages:

Cruise control


Distronic*


AIRMATIC DC*


Park assist (Parktronic*)
The BAS, ABS, ESP and SBC driving sys-
tems are described in the "Safety and Se-
curity" section (
page 73).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time. You can set any speed
over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever found on the left-hand side of the
steering column (
page 20).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver must always remain
responsible for the vehicle speed and for
safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the traffic and
weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The "Resume" function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

251 Operation
Driving instructions
To help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads. If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, there is a malfunction in the
SBC brake system (
page 77) or the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center immedi-
ately.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so that the air stream will cool
down the brakes faster.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 74).
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.
Be certain to read and observe the warning
notices on brake pad replacement
(page 305).!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.