2005 MERCEDES-BENZ E320CDI steering wheel

270 Controls in detailUseful featuresHeated steering wheel*
The steering wheel heating warms up the
leather area of the steering wheel.
The stalk with the heated steering wheel
switch is on the lower left-hand side of the
steering wheel.
1Indicator lamp
2Switching off
3Switching onSwitching on

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).

Turn switch at the tip of stalk in the di-
rection of arrow3.
The steering wheel is heated. Indicator
lamp1 comes on.
Switching off

Turn switch at the tip of stalk in direc-
tion of arrow2.
The heated steering wheel is turned off.
Indicator lamp1 goes out.
Telephone*
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit, should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
The external antenna must be approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on the installation of an approved
external antenna. Refer to the radio trans-
mitter operation instructions regarding use
of an external antenna.
iThe steering wheel heating does not
turn off automatically.
Warning!
G
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, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

271 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(page 171).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid*
The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on D
e-
mand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:


automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


information
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System) if road, weather
and traffic conditions permit.
1Observe all legal requirements.
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.Warning!
G
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle. Whether or not prohibited by law, for
safety reasons, the driver should not use the
cellular telephone while the vehicle is in mo-
tion.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location before an-
swering or placing a call.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using
the¡button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a sys-
tem that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response Cen-
ter at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

272 Controls in detailUseful featuresThe Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç or use the volume knob
on your COMAND headunit.
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your
Tele Aid acquaintance call, you will receive
a user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.
System self-check
Initially, after switching on the ignition,
malfunctions are detected and indicated
(the indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than ten seconds or do not come on). The message
TELE AID malfunction – Drive
to workshop
appears in the multifunction
display.
iThe SOS button is located above the in-
terior rear view mirror.
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located below the center armrest cov-
er.
iThe Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular
network for communication and the
GPS (G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem) satel-
lites for vehicle location. If either of
these signals are unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if
this occurs, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button remain illuminated
constantly in red and/or the message TELE AID malfunction – Drive to
workshop
is displayed in the multifunction
display after the system self-check, a mal-
function in the system has been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.

276 Controls in detailUseful featuresInformation button¡
The Information button¡ is located be-
low the center armrest cover.
Press and hold button (for longer than
two seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance Cen-
ter will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting call
will appear
in the multifunction display and the au-
dio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be estab-
lished. Information regarding the operation
of your vehicle, the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or Mercedes-Benz
USA products and services is available to
you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only). Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the tbutton on the
multifunction steering wheel or the re-
spective button for ending a telephone
call on the COMAND headunit.
iThe indicator lamp on the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red
for approximately ten seconds during
the system self-check after switching
on the ignition (together with the SOS
button and the Roadside Assistance
button•).
See system self-check (
page 272)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Information
button¡ is flashing continuously
and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
Call failed
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the tbutton on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel or the respective
button for ending a telephone call on
the COMAND headunit.

277 Controls in detail
Useful features
Upgrade scenario
An emergency call is possible even if other
services are active.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
malfunction or the service is not cur-
rently active, and may not initiate a call.
Visit an Mercedes-Benz Center and
have the system checked or contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon
as possible.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash
or the system does not reset, contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or Cus-
tomer Service at 1-800-387-0100 in
Canada.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer Assis-
tance Center representative except
Roadside Assistance and Information
calls, which can also be terminated by
pressing buttont on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel or the respective
button for ending a telephone call on
the COMAND headunit.

288 OperationDriving instructionsPower assistance
Brakes
Warning!
G
The brake system requires electrical energy
for operation.
A malfunction in the vehicle’s power supply
or electrical system may impair brake sys-
tem operation and switch it into its emer-
gency operation mode. In such a case, the
red brake warning lamp (
page 358) and
warning messages in the instrument cluster
(
page 367) come on while driving. To
brake, the driver must then apply signifi-
cantly greater brake pedal pressure and de-
press the pedal much further to obtain the
expected braking effect. If necessary, apply
full pressure to the brake pedal. Brakes may
only be applied to the front wheels. Stop-
ping distance is increased!
If there is a malfunction in the SBC brake
system, we recommend that the vehicle be
transported with all wheels off the ground
using flatbed or appropriate wheel lift/dolly
equipment. A tow bar must be used if cir-
cumstances do not permit the use of the
recommended towing methods and the ve-
hicle requires towing with all four wheels on
the ground. Towing the vehicle with all four
wheels on the ground is only permissible for
distances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph (50 km/h). For
more information, refer to “Towing the vehi-
cle” (
page 439). For more information,
see “SBC brake system” (
page 90).
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 ve-
hicle.
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 ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
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 acci-
dent.

294 OperationDriving instructionsWinter 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 positionN. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect 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 af-
ter driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 341)
iFor more information on driving with
snow chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 342).
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 control loss.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
s i g n e d t o s e r v e a s a n i c e - w a r n i n g d e v i c e a n d
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.

305 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the con-
trol 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 multi-
function display, do the following:

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
The standard display (
page 145) should
appear in the multifunction display.

Press button k or j, 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.
to reach max. oil level(Canada:
1.0 Liter
)


Add 1.5 Qts.
to reach max. oil level(Canada:
1.5 Liters
)


Add 2.0 Qts.
to reach max. oil level(Canada: 2
.0 Liters
)

If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 306).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 461) and
(
page 464).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button* is not in position 2, the following
message will appear:
Switch on ignition
to check engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
If you see the message:
Observe waiting period
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.