2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320 Selector

49 Getting started
Driving

Release the parking brake by pulling on
handle2.
The warning lamp ; (USA only) or
3 (Canada only) in the instrument
cluster goes out.Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to positionDorR.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the automat-
ic central locking system engages and the
locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter (gasoline
engine) or the oxidation catalyst (Diesel
engine) to reach its operating temperature
earlier.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* 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 release the parking brake, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
injury.
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.
!If you hear a warning signal and a mes-
sage appears in the multifunction dis-
play when driving off, you have
forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.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.

50 Getting startedDrivingFor more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 287).
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lampB in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 137).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 133).
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.

56 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 50).
For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 133).
Turning off engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.Turning off with the SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the road curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.iWith the SmartKey removed and the
driver’s door open, a warning sounds
and the message
Switch off lights
appears in the multifunction display if
the vehicle’s exterior lamps are not
switched off.

57 Getting started
Parking and locking

After exiting the vehicle press the lock
button‹ on the SmartKey
(page 32).
All turn signal lamps flash three times.
The locking knobs on the doors move
down. The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.For more information, see the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 98).
Turning off with KEYLESS-GO*

Place the gear selector lever inP.

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton to shut off the engine.
With the driver's door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(page 33).

Press the seat belt release button
(page 44).
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure that there
is no possibility of someone getting caught
in a door during closing.
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. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!If you hear a warning signal, you have
either

forgotten to switch off the vehicle’s
exterior lamps before opening the
driver’s door,
or


tried to turn off the engine while the
gear selector lever is not inP.
Turn off the lights or place the gear se-
lector lever inP.


94 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsImmobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
Activating

With the SmartKey: Removing the
SmartKey from the starter switch acti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Turning off the en-
gine by means of the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button on the gear selector
lever activates the immobilizer.
Deactivating


With the SmartKey: Inserting the
SmartKey in the starter switch deacti-
vates the immobilizer.


With KEYLESS-GO*: Starting the en-
gine by means of the start/stop button
on the gear selector lever deactivates
the immobilizer.
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door


the trunk


the hood.
The alarm will stay on, even if the activat-
ing element (a door, for example) is imme-
diately closed.
The alarm system will also be triggered
when


someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming the alarm system
The alarm system is armed within approxi-
mately ten seconds after locking the vehi-
cle with the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times to
indicate that the alarm system is activated.
The indicator lamp in the central locking
switch (
page 27) begins to flash after
arming the alarm system.
iIn case the engine cannot be started
(yet the vehicle’s battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or call 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the
USA), or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system* (
page 271) provid-
ed Tele Aid service was subscribed to
and properly activated, and that neces-
sary cellular service and GPS coverage
are available.

104 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Important notes on using KEYLESS-GO

You can also use the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO like a normal SmartKey
(page 98).


You can combine KEYLESS-GO func-
tions with normal SmartKey functions
(e.g. unlocking with KEYLESS-GO and
locking with the ‹ button).


Always carry the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO with you.


Never store the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO together with:

electronic items such as a cellular
phone or another SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO


metallic objects such as coins or
metal foil
Doing so could impair the function of
the KEYLESS-GO system.


To lock or unlock the vehicle, the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located outside the vehicle within ap-
proximately 3 ft (1 m) of a door or the
trunk.


In order to start the engine with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO:

The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be located in the vehicle.


All the doors must be closed.


The brake pedal must be firmly de-
pressed. Do not depress the accel-
erator.


If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button
(page 36), you can only turn it off
again with this button, even if you have
put the SmartKey in the starter switch
in the meantime.
This does not apply if, after starting, the
selector lever is still in positionP and
then the SmartKey is inserted in the
starter switch. The SmartKey will then
have priority over the KEYLESS-GO
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 218) and tilt/sliding
sunroof* (page 223) or tilt/sliding
panel* (
page 229) using the Smart-
Key.
iWhen you unlock the vehicle, the SBC
brake system is activated (
page 90).

145 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 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button* is in
position1. The control system enables you
to:

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings.
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
Above illustration shows the standard dis-
play.
For more information on menus displayed
in the multifunction display, see “Menus”
(page 148).
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, 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, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit 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 (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.

165 Controls in detail
Control system
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the gear selector lever
(page 35).
Setting interior lighting delayed shut-off
Use this function to set whether and how
long you would like the interior lighting to
remain lit during darkness after you have
removed the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Lighting
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see
Interior lamp delayed
shut-off
in the multifunction display.The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to select
the desired lamp-on period.
You can select:

0 sec.
, the delayed shut-off feature
is deactivated.


5 sec.,
10 sec.
, 15 sec.
or
20 sec.
, the interior lighting de-
layed shut-off feature is activated
with the desired lamp-on period.
Setting ambient lighting
Using this function to adjust the brightness
of the ambient lighting.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Lighting

submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see
Ambient light Level
in
the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to select
the desired brightness of the ambient
lighting.
The setting 1 represents the darkest
level and setting 5 the brightest level.
The ambient light is switched off at set-
ting 0.