2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE parking brake

157
Controls in detail
Manual transmission
 Manual transmission
For more information on driving with a
manual transmission, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 48).
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in 1st or reverse
gear and parking brake engaged is danger-
ous. Also, when parked on an incline, an en-
gaged 1st or reverse gear alone may not
prevent your vehicle from moving, possibly
hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 56).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheel towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay, or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
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. Children
could move the gearshift lever, which could
result in an accident and/or serious injury.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.

162 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Gear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
position P to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
position P. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in position P.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in position P
(page 380).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
position R only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engage N while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever to N
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.

163
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
in N can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in position P
is dangerous. Also, position P alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to position P (
page 50).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay, or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
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. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
position P, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

165
Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:

Leave the transmission in gear.

Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop longer with the engine
idling or on an uphill gradient:

Move the gear selector lever to
position P.

Set the parking brake. Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into parking space:

Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.

Accelerate gently.

Never abruptly step on the accelerator.
Working on the vehicleWarning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to position P. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.

258 Controls in detailUseful featuresRemoving ashtray insert
Secure vehicle from movement by
setting the parking brake.

Move the gear selector lever to
positionN (manual transmission:
second gear).
Now you have more room to take out
the ashtray insert.

Push sliding button 2 to the right.
The ashtray insert 3 slides out
slightly.

Remove the ashtray insert. Reinstalling ashtray insert

Push the ashtray insert
3 down into
the retainer until it engages.

Push down cover plate 1 to close
ashtray.
The cover plate engages.
Rear seat ashtray
1 Button
2 Ashtray insert
3 Cover

Pull at top of cover 3 to open ashtray. Removing ashtray insert

Push button
1 to disengage ashtray
insert 2 and remove it.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Push the ashtray insert 2 down into
the retainer until it engages.

Push at the top of cover 3 to close
ashtray.
Warning!
G
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle
standing still. Set the parking brake to
secure vehicle from movement. Move gear
selector lever to position N (manual trans-
mission: second gear). With gear selector
lever in position N (manual transmission:
second gear) turn off the engine.

278 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
jected to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, the brake fluid level in the res-
ervoir is too low.Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected by quali-
fied technicians immediately. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid
recommended by Mercedes-Benz.Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking
effect. Maintain a safe distance from vehi-
cles in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an
accident.
!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS), (
page 82).
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.

279
Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
parking, so that the air stream will cool
down the brakes faster.Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a wheel to spin for an extended
period with the ESP switched off. Doing so
may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps pre-
vent overheating of the brakes and re-
duces brake pad wear.
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move gear selector lever to position
P
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).
When parking on hills, always turn front
wheel towards the curb.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
position P (manual transmission: first or
reverse gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel against curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position 0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey with you and lock
the vehicle when leaving.

341
Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
3
(Canada only)
;
(USA only)
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving and
you hear a warning sound.
You are driving with the
parking brake set.

Release the parking brake
(page 50).
The red brake warning lamp
comes on while driving.
There is insufficient brake fluid
in the reservoir.

Risk of accident! Carefully stop the
vehicle and notify an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. Do not add
brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.
Warning!
G
Driving with the brake warning lamp illumi-
nated can result in an accident. Have your
brake system checked immediately if the
brake warning lamp stays on. Don’t add
brake fluid before checking the brake
system. Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir
can result in spilling brake fluid on hot
engine parts and the brake fluid catching
fire. You can be seriously burned.
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks.