2005 MERCEDES-BENZ C240 winter

ContentsOperation......................................... 263
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ......... 264
Driving instructions ............................ 265
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 265
Drinking and driving ..................... 265
Pedals .......................................... 265
Power assistance ......................... 265
Brakes .......................................... 266
Driving off..................................... 267
Parking ......................................... 267
Tires ............................................. 268
Hydroplaning ................................ 268
Tire traction .................................. 269
Tire speed rating .......................... 269
Winter driving instructions ........... 270
Standing water ............................. 271
Passenger compartment .............. 272
Driving abroad .............................. 272
Control and operation of radio
transmitters.................................. 272
Catalytic converter ....................... 273
Emission control........................... 273
Coolant temperature .................... 274At the gas station .............................. 275
Refueling ...................................... 275
Check regularly and before
a long trip ..................................... 277
Engine compartment ......................... 278
Hood ............................................ 278
Engine oil ..................................... 279
Transmission fluid level ................ 282
Coolant level ................................ 283
Battery ......................................... 284
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 285
Tires and wheels ................................ 286
Important guidelines .................... 286
Life of tire..................................... 287
Direction of rotation ..................... 287
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 287
Rotating tires ............................... 289Winter driving .................................... 290
Winter tires .................................. 290
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 291
Snow chains................................. 291
Maintenance...................................... 292
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 293
Maintenance service term
exceeded ..................................... 293
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 293
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator .......................... 294
Vehicle care....................................... 295
Cleaning and care of the
vehicle ......................................... 295

77 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Driving safety systems
In this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)


4MATIC (Four Wheel Electronic
Traction System)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The- indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the ABS, ESP, and
4MATIC (if so equipped) is only
achieved with winter tires (M + S tires),
or snow chains as required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, ESP, and 4MATIC (if so
equipped) cannot reduce this risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

82 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsFour wheel electronic traction system (4MATIC) with the ESP
Models with all-wheel-drive only.
The 4MATIC improves vehicle’s ability to
use available traction, e.g. during winter
operation in mountains under snowy
conditions, by applying power to all four
wheels.Warning!
G
If you see the ESP warning lampv flash-
ing in the speedometer, proceed as follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving, ease up on the accelera-
tor


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
!Do not tow with one axle raised.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.!Performance testing must only be con-
ducted on a two-axle dynamometer.
Otherwise the transfer case can be
damaged, which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic
operation, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1) when the parking brake is being
tested on a brake test dynamometer
Active braking action through ESP may
otherwise seriously damage the front
or rear axle brake system.
Operational tests with the engine
running can only be conducted on a
two-axle dynamometer.iAt highly demanding operating condi-
tions, the electronic traction system
may temporarily switch off to prevent
overheating of the drive wheel brakes.
The message
unavailable
See Operator’s Manual
will then
appear in the multifunction display
while the ESP warning lamp
v
is
flashing. The ESP is still functioning
normally.

134 Controls in detailControl systemThe table below shows what settings can
be changed within the various menus. Detailed instructions on making individual
settings can be found on the following
pages.Instrument cluster
Time/Date
Lighting
Vehicle
Convenience
Selecting temperature
display mode
Time synchronization with head
unit*
Setting daytime running
lamp mode (USA only)
Setting automatic
locking
Activating
easy-entry/exit feature
Selecting speedometer
display mode
Setting the time (hours)
Setting locator lighting
Setting key-dependency
Selecting language
Setting the time (minutes)
Setting night security
illumination
Setting parking position
for exterior rear view
mirror
Selecting display (speed
display or outside
temperature) for status
indicator
Selecting time display mode
Setting interior lighting
delayed shut-off
Selecting automatic time
change (Daylight Saving Time
(DST) summer/Standard time
winter)Setting the date (month)Setting the date (day)Setting the date (year)

137 Controls in detail
Control system
Time/Date submenu
Access the
Time/Date
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Time/Date

submenu to change the instrument cluster
display settings.
The following functions are available:Time synchronization with head unit*
This function can only be seen on vehicles
with COMAND* and navigation module*.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Time/Date

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Time synchro.
w/Head Unit
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to select
the desired setting.Setting the time (hours)
This function can only be seen with audio
system.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Time/Date

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Time Hours
appears
in the multifunction display.
Function
Page
Time synchronization with
head unit*
137
Setting the time (hours)
137
Setting the time (minutes)
138
Selecting time display mode
139
Selecting automatic time change
(Daylight Saving Time (DST)
summer/Standard time winter)
139
Setting the date (month)
139
Setting the date (day)
140
Setting the date (year)
141
iVehicles with COMAND*:
For information on setting the time,
refer to the separate COMAND
operating instructions.


139 Controls in detail
Control system
Selecting time display mode
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Time/Date

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Clock display

appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to set
the
12h
or
24h
time display mode.Selecting automatic time change
(Daylight Saving Time (DST)
summer/Standard time winter)

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Time/Date

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Change-over
Summer / Winter time
appears in the
multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to select if
the changeover between summer and
winter time should be automatic or
manual.
Setting the date (month)
This function can only be seen with audio
system.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Time/Date

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Date Set MM
appears
in the multifunction display.
iVehicles with COMAND*:
For information on setting the date,
refer to the separate COMAND
operating instructions.


263 Operation
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)
Driving instructions
At the gas station
Engine compartment
Tires and wheels
Winter driving
Maintenance
Vehicle care

269 Operation
Driving instructions
Tire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.
Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated
radial-ply tires with a minimum tread depth
of approximately
1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise ap-
propriate caution.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use
prudent driving speeds appropriate to
prevailing conditions.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of one drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control and
possibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.