2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 4MATIC WAGON automatic transmission

Contents
Automatic transmission ..................... 139
One-touch gearshifting................. 140
Gear ranges ................................. 141
Gear selector lever position ......... 142
Program mode selector switch..... 143
Accelerator position ..................... 144
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 144
Good visibility .................................... 145
Windshield wipers ........................ 145
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 145
Rear view mirrors ......................... 146
Sun visors .................................... 148
Rear window defroster ................. 149
Climate control .................................. 150
Setting the temperature ............... 152
Adjusting air distribution and
volume ......................................... 153
Defrosting .................................... 154
Air recirculation mode.................. 154
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 155
Air conditioning ............................ 156
Ventilated storage compartment . 156
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents...................... 157Automatic climate control* ................ 158
Setting the temperature................ 161
Adjusting air distribution............... 162
Adjusting air volume ..................... 162
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 163
Defrosting ..................................... 163
Air recirculation mode .................. 163
Charcoal filter ............................... 165
Air conditioning............................. 166
Residual heat and ventilation* ...... 167
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 168
Audio system ...................................... 169
Audio and telephone, operation .... 169
Operating safety ........................... 169
Operating and display elements.... 170
Button and soft key operation....... 172
Operation ...................................... 172
Radio operation ............................ 175
Satellite radio (SAT)* (USA only)... 178
Cassette operation ....................... 182
CD changer* operation ................. 185
Telephone* operation ................... 189
Power windows .................................. 196
Opening and closing the windows. 196
Synchronizing power windows ...... 198Sliding/pop-up roof*.......................... 199
Opening and closing
the sliding/pop-up roof ................ 199
Synchronizing
the sliding/pop-up roof ................ 201
Driving systems .................................. 202
Cruise control ............................... 202
Loading .............................................. 205
Roof rack* .................................... 205
Ski sack* ...................................... 205
Parcel net in cargo compartment . 208
Storage compartment under
cargo compartment floor .............. 209
Retractable luggage cover and
partition net .................................. 209
Split rear bench seat .................... 211
Loading instructions ..................... 213
Cargo tie-down rings..................... 214
Useful features ................................... 215
Interior storage spaces ................. 215
Ashtrays........................................ 219
Cigarette lighter ............................ 220
Electrical outlet............................. 221
Telephone* ................................... 221
Tele Aid* ....................................... 222
Garage door opener ...................... 230

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower Part
Item
Page
1
Ashtray
219
2
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
43,
142
3
Storage compartment
217
Cup holder
216
Cigarette lighter
220
4
Armrest
218
5
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
143

43 Getting started
Driving


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 engine Automatic transmission
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 139).
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
Center.
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.

45 Getting started
Driving

Release parking brake by pulling on
handle1.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
orR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts at a higher engine revolution.
This allows the catalytic converter to reach
its operating temperature earlier.iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic
locking using the control system
(page 131).
!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

83 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function*
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Climate control
Automatic climate control*
Audio system
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

111 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control
system to find out when your vehicle is
next due for service, to set the language
for messages in the instrument cluster
display, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Main odometer
3Trip odometer
4Automatic transmission program mode
5Current gear selector lever position
6Digital clock
iThe displays for the audio systems
(radio, CD player, cassette player) will
appear in English, regardless of the
language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 13.5 m) every second.

139 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
Information on driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the “Getting
started” section (
page 43).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its gear shift program.The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:


the gear selector lever positionD with
gear ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 141)


the selected shift program (C/S)
(page 143)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 144)


the vehicle speed
The current gear selector lever position
and shift program (
C/S) appear in the
multifunction display (page 111).
An additional indication of the current gear
selector 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 minutes.When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN 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 engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

140 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionOne-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 141).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.