2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320 4MATIC WAGON lock

86 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Checking the batteries
Press button‹ orŒ.
Battery check lamp4 comes on
briefly to indicate that the SmartKey
batteries are in order.Loss of SmartKey or mechanical key
If you lose a SmartKey or mechanical key,
you should do the following:

Have the SmartKey deactivated by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

Report the loss of the SmartKey or the
mechanical key immediately to your
car insurance company.

If necessary, have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, then either
the batteries in the SmartKey are dis-
charged, the SmartKey is malfunction-
ing, or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the
SmartKey (
page 86) and replace
them if necessary (
page 306).
or


Use the mechanical key to unlock
the doors (
page 305) as required.
or


Use the mechanical key to lock the
doors (
page 306) as required.
or


Have the vehicle battery and the
battery connections checked.
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning,
contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!If battery check lamp4 does not
come on briefly during check, then the
SmartKey batteries are discharged.
Replace the batteries (
page 306).
You can obtain the required batteries
at any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iIf the batteries are checked within
signal range of the vehicle, pressing
the‹ orŒ button will lock or
unlock the vehicle accordingly.

87 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
1Locking knob
2Inside door handle
Pull on door handle2.
If door was locked, locking knob1 will
move up.
Opening the tailgate
A minimum height clearance of 6.40 ft
(1.95 m) is required to open the tailgate.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
1Handle
Pull on handle1 and lift the tailgate.
iIf the vehicle has previously been
locked from the outside with the
SmartKey, opening a door from the
inside will trigger the anti-theft alarm
system*.
To cancel the alarm, do one of the
following:

Press buttonŒ or‹ on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
!The tailgate swings open upwards
automatically. Always make sure there
is sufficient overhead clearance.

88 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingClosing the tailgate
1Handle
Lower tailgate by pulling firmly on
handle1.

Close tailgate with hands placed flat on
it.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the tailgate automatically
lock when the ignition is switched on and
the wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
iThe vehicle must be unlocked.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the tail-
gate opening when closing the tailgate. Be
especially careful when small children are
around.Warning!
G
Only drive with the tailgate closed as
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
cargo compartment. You may lock
yourself out.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact
exceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see “Towing the vehicle” (
page 329).
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system, see “Setting au-
tomatic locking” (
page 131).
Locking and unlocking from the inside
You can lock or unlock the doors and the
tailgate from inside using the central lock-
ing switch. This can be useful, for example,
if you want to lock the vehicle before start-
ing to drive.
The fuel filler flap cannot be locked or un-
locked with the central locking switch.The switch is located in the center console.
Central locking switch1Locking
2Unlocking
Locking
Press upper switch position1 of
central locking switch.
If all doors are closed, the vehicle
locks.Unlocking

Press lower switch position2 of
central locking switch.
The vehicle unlocks.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
If the vehicle was previously centrally
locked using the SmartKey, it will not
unlock using the central locking switch.
If the vehicle was previously locked
with the central locking switch

while in the selective remote con-
trol mode, only the door opened
from the inside is unlocked.


while in the global remote control
mode, the vehicle is unlocked
completely when a door is opened
from the inside.

90 Controls in detailSeats
SeatsFor information on seat adjustment, see
“Seats” (
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
starter switch and the driver’s door is
closed, the steering wheel and the driver’s
seat return to their last set positions.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
submenu of the control system
(
page 132).
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and the 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
vehicle, 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
movement, do one of the following:

Press the seat adjustment switch*
(page 28)


Move the steering column stalk*
(page 37)


Press the memory button*
(page 28)

93 Controls in detail
Seats
Folding head restraints back
T h e r e a r s e a t h e a d r e s t r a i n t s c a n b e f o l d e d
backward for increased visibility.
1Release button
Push release button1.
The head restraints will fold backward.Placing head restraints upright

Pull the head restraint forward until it
locks into position.Head restraint tilt
Two different head restraint angle
positions are available.

Press the release button and tilt the
head restraint to the desired position.
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.
!Make sure the head restraints engage
when placing them upright. Otherwise
their protective function cannot be as-
sured.

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Rear interior lights
2Right front reading lamp
3Rocker switch for automatic control
system
4Left front reading lampActivating automatic control

Press rocker switch3 to center
position.
Interior lamps are switched on in
darkness, even when you:

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open the tailgate
The interior lamps are switched off after a
preset time (
page 130).Deactivating automatic control

Press the= symbol on rocker
switch3.
The interior lighting remains switched
off, even when you:

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch


open the tailgate
Manual control
Switching all front interior lights on and
off

Press theW symbol on rocker
switch3.
The front interior lights come on.

Press rocker switch3 to center
position to activate the automatic
control.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after
approximately five minutes, when the
SmartKey is removed or in starter
switch position0.
An interior lamp switched on manually
does not go out automatically.

107 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster
For a full view illustration of the instrument
cluster, see “At a glance” (
page 22).
The instrument cluster is activated when
you


open a door


turn on the ignition


press the reset button (
page 22)


switch on the exterior lamps
You can change the instrument cluster
settings in the Instrument cluster submenu
of the control system (
page 124).
Instrument cluster illumination
Use the reset button (
page 22) to adjust
the illumination brightness for the instru-
ment cluster.To brighten illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster clockwise (
page 22).
The instrument cluster illumination will
brighten.
To dim illumination

Turn the reset button in the instrument
cluster counterclockwise (
page 22).
The instrument cluster illumination will
dim.
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to
suit ambient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will
also be adjusted automatically when
you switch on the vehicle’s exterior
lamps.