Page 121 of 442

119 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer and main odometer in the
multifunction display (
page 121).
If it is not displayed, press buttonè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel until the trip odometer appears
(page 122).
Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 117) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer
(page 24) denotes excessive engine
speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
Outside temperature indicator
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious
engine damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed 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. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Page 123 of 442

121 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to
call up information about your vehicle
change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control
system to find out when your vehicle is
next due for service, to set the language
for messages in the instrument cluster
display, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Trip odometer
2Main odometer
3Current program mode
4Current gear selector lever
position/gear range
5Digital clock
6Status indicator (outside tempera-
ture/digital speedometer)
iThe displays for the audio systems
(radio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Page 124 of 442

122 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display is arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
AUDIO
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
1
Multifunction displayOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting
the volume:
Press buttonæup/to increaseçdown/to decrease
3
Telephone*:
Press buttonsto take a calltto end a call
4
Menu systems:
Press buttonèfor next menuÿfor previous menu
5
Moving within a menu:
Press buttonjfor next displaykfor previous display
iC 230 Kompressor Sport, and
C320Sport:
Steering wheel in these vehicles will
vary from steering wheel shown.
However, multifunction steering wheel
symbols and feature description apply
to Sport models as well.
Page 148 of 442
146 Controls in detailControl system
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the automatic central locking
On or
Off
.Convenience submenu
Access the
Convenience
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Convenience
submenu to change the settings for a
number of convenience features.
The following functions are available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 98).
Function
Page
Activating
easy-entry/exit feature*
146
Setting key-dependency
147
Setting parking position* for
exterior rear view mirror
148
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
To cancel seat/steering wheel movement,
do one of the following:
Press seat adjustment switch*
(page 30).
Move steering column stalk*
(page 40).
Press memory position switch*
(page 107).
Page 149 of 442

147 Controls in detail
Control system
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the Convenience
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Easy-entry feature
appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæ orç to change
the easy-entry/exit setting.
The following settings are available for
the easy-entry/exit feature:Setting key-dependency
Use this function to set whether the
memory settings for the seats, the steering
wheel and the mirrors should be stored
separately for each SmartKey
(
page 106).
Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the Convenience
submenu.
Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Key dependency
appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, 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.
Off
The easy-entry/exit
feature is
deactivated
Steer. Column
Only the steering
column is moved
St.col.+seat
Both the steering
column and the seat
are moved
Page 153 of 442

151 Controls in detail
Control system
You can use the functions in the
TEL
menu
to operate your telephone, provided it is
connected to a hands-free system and
switched on.
Switch on the telephone and
COMAND*.
Press buttonÿ orè on the
steering wheel repeatedly until the
message
TEL
appears in the
multifunction display.
Which messages will appear in the
multifunction display depends on whether
your telephone is switched on or off:
If the telephone is off, the message PHONE OFF
appears in the multifunction
display.
If the telephone is on:
The telephone will then search for a
network. During this time the multi-
function display is empty.
As soon as the telephone has found a
network, the message
READY
appears in
the multifunction display.
This standby message indicates that your
telephone is ready for use and you can
operate it using the control system.Answering a call
When your telephone is ready to receive
calls, you can answer a call at any time. In
the multifunction display you will then see
the message:
Press buttons.
You have answered the call. The
duration of the call appears in the
multifunction display.
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system,
possibly resulting in an accident and
personal injury.
Page 156 of 442

154 Controls in detailManual transmissionManual transmission is standard
equipment on select models and not
available on all models.
For information on driving with a manual
transmission, see “Manual transmission”
(page 46).
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or
reverse gear and parking brake engaged is
dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, an engaged
first 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 54).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible 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
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
Page 160 of 442

158 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 159).Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.