2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C CLASS COUPE steering

277
Operation
Driving instructions
 Driving instructions
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent, de-
pends on driving habits and operating con-
ditions.
To save fuel you should:

Keep tires at the recommended infla-
tion pressures


Remove unnecessary loads


Remove roof rack when not in use


Allow engine to warm up under low
load use


Avoid frequent acceleration and decel-
eration


Have all maintenance work performed
by qualified technicians at the intervals
specified in the Maintenance Booklet
and as required by the maintenance
service display. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center
Fuel consumption is also increased by driv-
ing in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic,
on short trips and in hilly area.
Drinking and driving
PedalsPower assistance
Warning!
G
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs
and driving are very dangerous combina-
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgement.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal ac-
cident are greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Warning!
G
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.

283
Operation
Driving instructions
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to position
N or,
in case of manual transmission declutch.
Try to keep the vehicle under control by
corrective steering action. Road salts and chemicals can adversely
affect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible
after driving is resumed.
For more information on winter driving, see
“Winter driving” (
page 328).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 329).
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.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monox-
ide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior
resulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice.

291
Operation
Engine compartment
 Engine compartment
Hood
Opening the hood
The hood lock release lever is located to
the left of the steering wheel under the
dashboard.
1 Hood lock release lever

Pull lever 1 downwards.
The hood is unlocked and handle 2
will extend out of the radiator grille.
2 Handle for opening the hood

Pull handle 2 to its stop out of
radiator grille.

Pull up on the hood (do not pull up on
the handle) and then release it.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield wip-
ers or hood, never open the hood if the
wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.


293
Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level

the vehicle must be parked on level
ground.


with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least five minutes with
the engine turned off.


with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off.
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
The standard display (
page 123) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press button k orj on the
steering wheel until the following
message is seen in the multifunction
display: One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the indicator:


Engine oil level
OK


Add 1.0 qt engine oil
for max. oil level(Canada:
1.0 l
)


Add 1.5 qts engine oil
for max. oil level(Canada:
1.5 l
)


Add 2.0 qts engine oil
for max. oil level(Canada:
2.0 l
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 294).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” section (
page 426) and
(
page 428).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position 2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
Switch ignition on to
check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press the k orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.

304 OperationTires and wheels1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your
vehicle. Tire and Loading Information
Your vehicle is equipped with either the
Tire and Loading Information placard
(Example A) or the Vehicle Tire Information
placard (Example B). Placard (Example A)
1 Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placard
The placard showing the load limit informa-
tion is located on the driver’s door B-pillar.
If your vehicle is equipped with the Tire and
Loading Information placard (Example A),
locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kilograms or XXX lbs.”
on this placard. The combined weight of all
occupants, cargo / luggage and trailer
tongue load (if applicable) should never
exceed the weight referenced in that
statement.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.iData shown on placard examples is for
illustration purposes only. Load limit
data is specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in the illustra-
tions below. Refer to placard on vehicle
for actual data specific to your vehicle.

315
Operation
Tires and wheels
Rim diameter
The rim diameter
4 (
page 314) is the
diameter of the bead seat, not the
diameter of the rim edge. Rim diameter is
indicated in inches (in).
Tire load rating
The tire load rating 5 (page 314) is a
numerical code associated with the
maximum load a tire can support.
For example, a load rating of 91 corre-
sponds to a maximum load of 1 356 lbs
(615 kg) the tire is designed to support.
See also “Maximum tire load”
(
page 319) where the maximum load as-
sociated with the load index is indicated in
kilograms and lbs. For additional information on tire load
rating, see “Load identification”
(
page 317).
Warning
G
The tire load rating must always be at least
half of the GAWR (
page 323) of your vehi-
cle. Otherwise, tire failure may be the result
which may cause an accident and/or seri-
ous personal injury to you or others.
Always replace rims and tires with the same
designation, manufacturer and type as
shown on the original part.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard located
on the driver's door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iTire load rating 5 (
page 314) and
tire speed rating 6 (page 314) are
also referred to as “service descrip-
tion”.

319
Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire type code
The code
4 (
page 318) may, at the
option of the manufacturer, be used as a
descriptive code for identifying significant
characteristics of the tire.
Date of manufacture
The date of manufacture 5 (
page 318)
identifies the week and year of manufac-
ture.
The first two figures identify the week,
starting with “01” to represent the first full
week of the calendar year. The second two
figures represent the year.
For example, “3202” represents the 32nd
week of 2002.
Maximum tire load
1 Maximum tire load rating
The maximum tire load is the maximum
weight the tires are designed to support. For more information on tire load rating
(
page 315).
For information on calculating total and
cargo load capacities (
page 306).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires is specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
Warning!
G
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit or vehicle capacity
weight as indicated on the placard located
on the driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.

323
Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.
Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least three hours or
driven no more than one mile (1.6 km). Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maxi-
mum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and,
if so equipped, air conditioning and
additional optional equi
pment, but without
passengers and cargo.
DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
Certification label located on the driver's
door B-pillar.