44 Getting startedDriving
Ensure that the seat belt is always fit-
ted snugly. You should avoid wearing
bulky clothing, such as winter coats,
when traveling in the vehicle.
Starting the engineManual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmissionFor more information, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 137).
Warning!
G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness of the belts.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
Warning!
G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide, and inhaling it can cause uncon-
sciousness and lead to death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.
58 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the airbag cover on
the steering wheel must be at least ten
inches (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.
Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front airbag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side airbag inflates. This
could result in serious injuries or death
should the airbag be triggered. Always
sit upright, properly use the seat belts
and appropriate size infant or child re-
straint system.
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 vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front airbag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise they will
be struck by the airbag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle you are responsible
to make the buyer aware of these points. Be
sure to give the buyer this Operator’s Manu-
al.
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat. Should you choose to place a child
12 years old or under in the front passenger
seat of your vehicle, you must properly use
a BabySmart
TM child restraint which will
turn off the passenger front airbag.
BabySmart
TM will not, however, turn off any
side impact airbag.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact airbags there is a
possibility for a side airbag related injury if
occupants, especially children, are not prop-
erly seated or restrained when next to a side
airbag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door or rear
89
Controls in detail
Seats
Seats
For information on seat adjustment, see
“Adjusting” (
page 32).
Easy-entry/exit feature*
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards and the
driver’s seat moves to the rear.
This allows easier entry into and exit from
the vehicle when the driver’s door is
opened. However, the engine must be
turned off.
When the SmartKey is inserted in the start-
er switch and the driver’s door is closed,
the steering wheel and the driver’s seat re-
turn to their last set position. You can activate the following functions:
Steering column:
Only the steering column is adjusted.
Steering column and seat:
The steering column and the seat are
adjusted.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
switched on or off in the convenience sub-
menu of the control system (
page 130).
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry / exit feature* is activated, the
driver’s door is being opened and the engine
is turned off or the SmartKey is removed
from the starter switch.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature*, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo cancel seat/steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:
Press the seat adjustment
switch*(
page 35).
Move the steering column stalk*
(page 38).
Press the memory button*
(page 96).
130 Controls in detailControl systemActivating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature. When the
feature is activated, the steering wheel and
driver’s seat will move back to facilitate ex-
iting when you
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
open the driver’s door
However, the engine must be turned off. After entering the vehicle, the steering
wheel and seat will move into the position
stored in memory when
the driver’s door is closed
you put the SmartKey in the starter
switch and
press the appropriate stored position
button on the memory switch
(page 96)
Warning!
G
You must make sure that no one can be-
come trapped or injured by the moving
steering wheel and the driver’s seat when
the easy-entry/exit feature is activated and
the driver’s door is being opened or the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature*, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo cancel seat/steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:
Press the seat adjustment
switch*(
page 35).
Move the steering column stalk*
(page 38).
Press the memory switch*
(page 96).
347
Index
A
ABS 23, 73, 341
Malfunction indicator lamp 258
Messages in display 268
Warning lamp 258
Accelerator position, automatic transmission 145
Accident In case of 51
Activating Air conditioning (cooling) 156
Air recirculation mode 154
Anti-theft alarm system 78
Central locking (control system) 129
Climate control 151
Defrost 154
Easy-entry/exit feature 130
ESP 77
Exterior headlamps 48
Exterior lamps 99
Hazard warning flasher 102 Headlamps 48
High beams 102
Ignition 31
Immobilizer 78
Rear fog lamp 100
Rear window defroster 149
Seat heater* 94
Tow-away alarm 79
Windshield wipers 49
Adding Coolant 241
Engine oil 239
Additional turn signals 293
Adjustable air outlets Rear passenger compartment 158
Adjusting 32 Air distribution 153
Air volume 153
Backrest tilt 33, 35
Exterior rear view mirror 40 Head restraint height 34, 36, 91
Head restraint tilt 34, 36
Head restraints 92
Instrument cluster illumination 105
Interior rear view mirror 39
Manual seat 33
Mirrors 39
Rear seat head restraints 91
Seat cushion tilt 33, 35
Seat fore and aft adjustment 33, 35
Seat height 33, 35
Seats 32
Steering column height 38
Steering column length 38
Steering wheel 37
Air conditioner (cooling) Turning off 156
Turning on 156
Air conditioner refrigerant 332
352 Index
AUDIO menu 114
Convenience submenu 129
Display digital speedometer 114
Functions 110, 113
Instrument cluster submenu 122
Lighting submenu 125
Malfunction memory menu 117
Menus 112, 113, 343
Multifunction display 109
Multifunction steering wheel 110
NAV menu 117
Selecting radio system 115
Settings menu 118
Standard display menu 114
Submenus 111, 113
TEL* menu 134
Trip computer menu 132
Vehicle submenu 128
Convenience submenu 129 Activating easy-entry/exit feature 130 Setting key dependency 131
Setting parking position for
exterior rear view mirror 132
Coolant 241, 336 Adding 241
Anticorrosion/antifreeze quantity 336
Capacities 330
Checking level 241
Messages in display 271, 272
Temperature 232
Temperature indicator 106
Warning lamp 272
Coolant level Checking 235, 241
Cruise control 194, 342 Canceling 195
Driving downhill 195
Driving uphill 195
Fine adjustment 196
Message in display 274
Saving current speed 195 Setting speeds 196
Cruise control lever 194
Cruising range, fuel 335
Cup holder Cleaning 255
In front seat armrest 201
Customer Assistance Center (CAC) 341
D
Daytime running lamp mode 100 Setting 125, 126
Deactivating Air conditioning (cooling) 156
Air recirculation mode 155
Alarm 79
Anti-theft alarm system 79
Central locking (control system) 129
Climate control 151
Cruise control 195
Defrost 154
ESP 76
355
Index
Messages in display 238, 276
Viscosity 342
Engine oil level see Oil level 235
ESP 23, 75, 342 Messages in display 266
Switching off 76
Switching on 77
Synchronizing 266
Warning lamp 261
ETD 342 Safety guidelines 60
ETD (Emergency tensioning device) 64
Ethanol fuel At the gas station 233
Switching fuels 334
Exterior lamp switch 98
Exterior lamps Delayed shut-off 127
Exterior rear view mirror Activating parking position 147 Exterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting 40
Parking position for 132
F
Fahrenheit Setting temperature units 123
Fastening the seat belts 41
Fine adjustment Cruise control 196
First aid kit 284
Flat tire 301 Inflating the spare tire 304
Lowering the vehicle 306
Mounting the spare wheel 301
Preparing the vehicle 301
Spare wheel 285
Flexible fuel vehicles 334 At the gas station 233
Switching fuels 334
Flexible Service System (FSS) 249, 342 Fog lamp, front 101
Fog lamp, rear 101, 294
Fog lamps
Replacing bulbs 293
Fog lamps, front Messages in display 278
Replacing bulbs 294
Front airbags 61
Front fog lamp Switching on 101
Front lamps Bi-Xenon type 296
Halogen-type 295
Messages in display 277, 279
Replacing bulbs 293, 295
Switching on 98
Front seat backrest Folding backrest back 37
Folding backrest forward 36
357
Index
Global Positioning System (GPS) 343
Glove box 21, 200
Closing 200
Opening 200
Good visibility 146
GPS 343
H
Halogen-type Front lamp bulbs 295
Hands-free microphone 27
Hard plastic trim items Cleaning 255
Hazard warning flasher 102 Switching off 102
Switching on 102
Head restraints 90 Manual seats 34
Power seats* 36 Rear seats 91
Headlamp cleaning system 243
Headlamps Automatic control 99
Bi-Xenon 341
Bi-Xenon type*Replacing bulbs 296
Cleaning 253
Cleaning system 148, 243
Halogen-type Replacing bulbs 295
Refilling washer fluid 243
Switching off 53
Switching on 48
Washer fluid 338
Washer system 338
Headliner and shelf below rear window Cleaning 255
Heated seats 93 Height adjustment
Head restraints 34, 36, 91
Seat belts 43
Steering wheel 37
High beam flasher 102
High beam headlamps Messages in display 278
Replacing bulbs 293, 295
Switching on 102
High beam headlamps xenon type Replacing bulbs 296
High mounted brake lamp 294
Hood 236 Closing 237
Message in display 277
Opening 236
Hydroplaning see Aquaplaning 227
I
Identification labels 322
Ignition 31 Switching on 45