2003 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 Motor

16 IntroductionOperating safety
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual


the "Technical data" section in this
manual


traffic rules and regulations


motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!
G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are in-
terconnected, any modification made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems.
Electronic system malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your ve-
hicle.
Ensure that any repairs or modifications to
electronic components are carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.

18 IntroductionReporting safety defects
Reporting safety defectsFor the USA only:
The following text is published as required of manufacturers under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the
"National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".Reporting safety defects
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot become involved in individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-888-327-4236 (or 366-0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or
write to: NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain other information about motor ve-
hicle safety from the Hotline.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle is in motion, since the special seat
belt retractor will be deactivated.!The use of infant or child restraints is
required by law in all 50 states, the Dis-
trict of Columbia, the U.S. territories
and all Canadian provinces.
Infants and small children should be
seated in an appropriate infant or child
restraint system properly secured by a
lap-shoulder belt or, if so equipped, a
child restraint lower anchorage system
that complies with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 225
and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213.
A statement by the child restraint man-
ufacturer of compliance with this stan-
dard can be found on the instruction
label on the restraint and in the instruc-
tion manual provided with the restraint.
When using any infant or child restraint
system, be sure to carefully read and
follow all manufacturer’s instructions
for installation and use.
Please read and observe warning labels
affixed to the inside of the vehicle and to
infant or child restraints.
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.

109 Controls in detail
Memory function
Memory function
You can store up to three different settings
per key.
The following settings are saved for each
stored position:

Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel position


Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
position


Passenger side exterior rear view mir-
ror position


Front passenger seat position
These key-dependent memory settings
can be deactivated if desired
(
page 110).
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
backrest angle if necessary, to ensure
adequate control, reach and comfort.
The head restraint should also be ad-
justed for proper height. Also see the
section on airbags (
page 57) for
more information on proper seat posi-
tioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the inside and
outside rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 213 and Canadian Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 213.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

114 Controls in detailLightingDaytime running lamp mode
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps are automatically switched on.
In low ambient light conditions the parking
lamps will also switch on.
Canada only
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(with a three-minute delay).
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.
USA only
The high beam headlamps can also be ac-
tivated when driving with the daytime run-
ning lamp mode activated and exterior
lamp switch in positionM.To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see "Setting daytime running lamp
mode" (
page 139).
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the control system
section under "Setting locator lighting"
(
page 139) and "Setting night security il-
lumination" (
page 140).
Switching on front fog lamps

Check that the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch lights up.Switching on rear fog lamp

Check that the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out e xt eri or la m p swi tc h to s ec ond
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
lamp switch lights up.
iSee notes on the exterior lamp switch
(page 112).
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or the low beam headlamps
on. Fog lamps should only be used in
conjunction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding allow-
able lamp operation.

245 Controls in detail
Useful features

To program the remaining two buttons,
repeat the above steps.
Rolling code programming
To train a garage door opener (or other roll-
ing code devices) with the rolling code fea-
ture, follow these instructions after
completing the "Programming" portion of
this text. (A second person may make the
following training procedures quicker and
easier.)

Locate training button on the garage
door opener motor head unit. Exact location and color of the button
m a y v a r y b y g a r a g e d o o r op e n e r b r a n d .
If there is difficulty locating the trans-
mitting button, refer to garage door
opener operator’s manual.

Press "training" button on the garage
door opener motor head unit.
The "training light" is activated.
You have 30 seconds time to initiate the
following step.

Firmly press and release the pro-
grammed integrated remote control
transmit button.

Press and release same button a sec-
ond time to complete the training pro-
cess.
Some garage door openers may require
you to do this procedure a third time to
complete the training.

Confirm the garage door operation by
pressing the programmed button on
the integrated remote control transmit-
ter. Canadian programming
During programming, your hand-held
transmitter may automatically stop trans-
mitting.

Continue to press and hold the inte-
grated remote control transmitter but-
ton (refer to steps two through four in
the "Programming" portion) while you
press and re-press ("cycle") your
hand-held transmitter every two sec-
onds until the frequency signal has
been learned.
Upon successful training, the indicator
lamp will flash slowly and then rapidly
after several seconds.
iIf, after several attempts, you do not
successfully program the integrated re-
mote control device to learn the signal
of the hand-held transmitter, the ga-
rage door opener could be equipped
with the "rolling code feature".

283 Operation
Vehicle care
Wiper blades
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a clean
cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning
Use a window cleaning solution on all glass
surfaces. An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Cleaning the Distronic* system sensor
cover
1Distronic system sensor cover
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water to clean sensor
cover1.
iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the wiper blades. Other-
wise the wiper motor can suddenly turn
on and cause injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms away
from the windshield in a vertical posi-
tion only. They could otherwise dam-
age the hood (
page 337).
Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
key in the starter switch.
iFor safety reasons, switch off wipers
and remove key from starter switch be-
fore cleaning the windshield. Other-
wise the wiper motor can suddenly turn
on and cause injury.!Fold the windshield wiper arms away
from the windshield in a vertical posi-
tion only. They could otherwise dam-
age the hood (
page 337).
Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
key in the starter switch.

337 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Replacing wiper blades
Removal 
Turn key in starter switch to position1.

Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 47).

With wiper arm in the vertical position
(see above), turn key in starter switch
to position0.

Fold the wiper arm forward.You should hear it snap into place.

Turn the wiper blade at a right angle to
wiper arm.

Slide the wiper blade sideways out of
the retainer.Installation

Slide wiper blade onto wiper arm until
it locks in place.

Rotate wiper blade into position paral-
lel to wiper arm.

Fold wiper arm back so that blade rests
on windshield.
!To avoid damage to the hood, the wiper
arms should only be folded forward
when in the vertical position.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, remove key from starter
switch before replacing a wiper blade, other-
wise the motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Never open the hood when the wiper
arm is folded forward.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact
the windshield glass without a wiper
blade inserted.
For your convenience, we recommend
that you have this work carried out by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.