2004 MERCEDES-BENZ C320S light

327 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located in the engine
compartment on the right hand side. The
terminals for jump starting are located in
front of the battery.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission to Neutral).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery

Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive under
hood terminal2 in front of the
discharged battery with the jumper
cables. Clamp cable to charged
battery1 first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with negative under
hood terminal4 of the discharged
battery with the jumper cables. Clamp
cable to charged battery3 first.

Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals1 and2.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 258).
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.

343 Technical data
Rims and Tires
Same size tiresModel
C240
C 240 4MATIC
C320
C 320 4MATIC
C230KompressorSport
C 320 Sport
C230KompressorSport
C320Sport
C32AMG
Rims
(light alloy)
7 J x 16 H2
71/2 J x 17
71/2 J x 17
-
Rims
(steel - Canada only)
7 J x 16 H2
-
-
-
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.42 in (36 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
-
All-season tires
(radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91H
-
-
-
Summer tires
(radial-ply tires)
-
-
225/45 R17 91W
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
-
Winter tires
(radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91H M+S
225/45 R17 91H M+S
225/45 R17 91H M+S
205/50 R17 89H M+S
2
or
225/45 R17 91H M+S
1, 2
2Only on rim 7
1/2 J x 17 H2

344 Technical dataRims and TiresMixed size tiresModel
C 230 Kompressor Sport
C320Sport
C32AMG
Front axle:Rims (light alloy)
71/2 J x 17 H2
71/2 J x 17 H2
Wheel offset
1.42 in (36 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
225/45 R17 91W
or
225/45 R17 91Y
225/45 R17 91Y
1
or
225/45 ZR17 91Y
1
Rear axle:Rims (light alloy)
81/2 J x 17 H2
81/2 J x 17 H2
Wheel offset
1.34 in (34 mm)
1.34 in (34 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
245/40 R17 91W
1
or
245/40 R17 91Y
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
245/40 R17 91Y
1
or
245/40 ZR17 91Y
1

353 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded meeting
ASTM standard D 439:

The octane number (posted at the
p um p) m us t be 91 mi n. It i s an a vera ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M)/2. This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE must not exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
Ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can
be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
l i n e m u s t b e u s e d . I f p r e m i u m u n l e a d e d
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:

Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.


Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.


Do not exceed an engine speed of
3 000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two
persons and no luggage.


Do not exceed
2/3 of maximum
accelerator pedal position if the
vehicle is fully loaded or operating
in mountainous terrain.
iFlexible Fuel Vehicles (identified by a
label reading Premium gasoline or
E85 only! are designed to operate on
premium unleaded gasoline or Ethanol
fuel (E85) or any mixture of these two.
See notes on Flexible Fuel Vehicles
(page 354).

361 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
BabySmart
TM1
airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is
installed on the front passenger seat.
The system will automatically deacti-
vate the passenger front airbag when
such a seat is properly installed
(PASS. AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp
located in the center console comes
on). See your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for availability. BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the
passenger front airbag if a
BabySmartTM compatible child seat is
installed.
BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking
situations. The system is activated
when it senses an emergency based on
how fast the brake is applied.
Bi-Xenon headlamps*
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more
intense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.CAC
(C
ustomer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service
center, which can help you with any
questions about your vehicle and
provide assistance in the event of a
breakdown.
CAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control
vehicle functions such as door locking
or windshield wiping depending on
vehicle settings and/or ambient
conditions.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the
passenger compartment needed for
vehicle operation and monitoring.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.

370 IndexAutomatic climate control* 162
Activating 163
Adjusting air distribution 166
Adjusting air volume 166
Air recirculation mode 167
Deactivating 163
Defrosting 167
Rear window defroster 153
Residual heat utilization 171
Residual ventilation 171
Setting the temperature 165
Automatic headlamp mode 103
Automatic lighting control
Activating 107
Deactivating 107
Automatic locking when driving 90
Automatic transmission fluid see ATF
Automatic transmission* 142
Accelerator position 147
Comfort program mode 146
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 147
Fluid level 256Gear ranges 144
Gear selector lever 44
Gear selector lever position 142, 145
Gear shifting malfunctions 147
Kickdown 147
Manual shifting 143
One-touch gearshifting 143
Program mode selector switch 146
Starting with 44
Transmission fluid 256
Auxiliary fuse box 334
B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 66, 361
Compatible child seats 66, 361
Self-test 66
Backrest
Folding forward 213
Folding rearward 213
Backrest contour
Adjusting 97Backrest side bolsters
Adjusting 97
Backrest tilt
Manual seat 33
Power seat* 35
Backup lamps 311, 315
Bulbs 310
BAS 73, 361
Messages in display 281
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 307
Check lamp 83
Checking 84
Battery discharged
Jump starting 326
Battery, vehicle 258, 323
Charging 324
Disconnecting 324
Messages in display 285
Reconnecting 325
Reinstalling 324
Removing 324

372 IndexCenter console 25
Lower part 26
PASS. AIRBAG OFF
indicator lamp 279
Upper part 25
Centigrade
Setting temperature units 127
Central locking
Automatic 90
From inside 91
Switch 91
Switching on/off
(control system) 133
Unlocking from inside 91
Central locking switch 91
Certification label 338
Changing
Batteries (SmartKey) 307
CDs 189
Key setting 133
Charcoal filter 169Charging
Vehicle battery 324
CHECK ENGINE
malfunction indicator lamp 276
Checking
Brake fluid 251
Coolant level 251, 257
Engine oil level 251, 254
Tire inflation pressure 251
Vehicle lighting 251
Child safety 63
Airbags 56
Infant and child restraint
systems 60, 63
LATCH-type child seat anchors 69
Child safety switch see
Blocking of rear door window operation
Child seat anchors
see LATCH-type child seat anchors
Cigarette lighter 221Cleaning
Cloth upholstery 272
Cup holder 271
Gear selector lever 271
Hard plastic trim items 271
Headlamps 148
Headliner and shelf below
rear window 271
Instrument cluster 270
Leather upholstery 271
Light alloy wheels 270
MB Tex upholstery 272
Plastic and rubber parts 272
Seat belts 271
Steering wheel 271
Upholstery 271
Windows 270
Windshield 48
Wiper blades 270
Wood trims 272

373 Index
Climate control 154
Adjusting air distribution
and volume 157
Defogging windshield 157
Defrosting 158
Setting the temperature 156
Clock 23, 126
Closing
Glove box 216
Hood 253
Sliding/pop-up roof* 204
Sliding/pop-up roof*
in an emergency 309
Sliding/pop-up roof*
with SmartKey 204
Trunk lid 87
Windows 201
Windows with SmartKey 202
Cloth upholstery
Cleaning 272
Cockpit 20, 361Cockpit Management and Data System
see COMAND*
COMAND* 362
COMAND*
see separate operating instructions
Combination switch 105
High beam flasher 47
Turn signals 47
Windshield wipers 47
Comfort driving
Transmission program mode 146
Consumer information 359
Control and operation of radio
transmitters 246
Control system 113, 362
AUDIO menu 118
Convenience submenu 133
Display digital speedometer 118
Functions 114, 117
Instrument cluster submenu 126
Lighting submenu 129Malfunction memory menu 122
Menus 116, 117, 363
Multifunction display 113
Multifunction steering wheel 114
NAVI* menu 121
Selecting radio system 119
Selecting satellite radio* system 119
Settings menu 123
Standard display menu 118
Submenus 115, 117
TEL* menu 138
Trip computer menu 136
Vehicle submenu 132
Controller Area Network see CAN system
Convenience submenu 133
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature* 134
Setting key dependency 135
Setting parking position* for exterior
rear view mirror 136