2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 Tel

161 Controls in detail
Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
Shifting into reverse
Stop the vehicle completely.

Fully depress clutch pedal.

Move the gearshift lever to neutral
position (no gear selected).

Move the gearshift lever to the left until
you feel a certain resistance.

Push the gearshift lever past this
resistance.

Then move the gearshift lever forward
into positionR.
!When you are shifting into the5th
or6th gear, make sure that you press
the gearshift lever to the right. Other-
wise, you could accidentally shift into
the3rd or4th gear and damage the
transmission.
Downshifting gears leading to
overrevving the engine can result in
engine damage that is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill
by using the clutch pedal. The clutch
may be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not exceed the engine speed limits.
Refer to tachometer (
page 129) for
engine speeds.
!Only shift into reverse gearR when the
vehicle is stationary, as the transmis-
sion could otherwise be damaged.

163 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
1Current gear range/gear selector lever
position
2Current program mode
The current gear range/gear selector lever
position and program mode (
C/S) appear
in the multifunction display.An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate.
The indicators come on when you activate
a switch (e.g. unlocking the vehicle or
opening a door) and go out after approxi-
mately 15 minutes.
When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by:


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP orN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or 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.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

171 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on
and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gearR is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at
sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window
sunshade* is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In case of an accident, liquid electrolyte may
escape from the mirror housing if the mirror
glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not
allow the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state and by applying plenty of
water.Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

172 Controls in detailGood visibilityActivating exterior rear view mirror
parking position*
Follow these steps to activate the mirror
parking position so that the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror
will be turned downward during parking
maneuvers to the stored position.
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).

Store a parking position for the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror
(page 117).

Switch the
Mirror set. parking aid

function in the
Convenience
submenu
of the control system to
On
(
page 154).

Press button2 for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror.

Place the gear selector lever in reverse
gearR.
The passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror turns downwards to the stored
position.The passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror returns to its previously stored driving
position:


10 seconds after you put the gear
selector lever out of positionR


immediately once your vehicle exceeds
a speed of approximately 6 mph
(10 km/h)


immediately when you press button1
for the driver’s side exterior rear view
mirror

174 Controls in detailGood visibilityRear window sunshade*The switch is located in the center console.
1Rear window sunshade switch

Switch on the ignition (
page 33).
Always raise or lower the sunshade fully
for its support against the window frame.
Raising the sunshade

Press switch1 briefly.
The sunshade is raised completely.
Stopping the raising procedure

Press switch1 again.
The sunshade stops.
Lowering the sunshade

Press switch1 briefly.
The sunshade is lowered completely.
Stopping the lowering procedure

Press switch1 again.
The sunshade stops.
Warning!
G
When operating the rear window sunshade,
make sure there is no danger of anyone be-
ing harmed by the raising or lowering proce-
dure.
The raising or lowering procedure can be
immediately halted by briefly pressing the
switch.
Briefly press switch again to raise or lower
the rear window sunshade completely.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 equipment can cause an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
!Make sure that the movement of the
rear window sunshade is not restricted
by objects on the rear window shelf.
Otherwise, the sunshade or the objects
could be damaged.

175 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the
defroster as soon as the rear window is
clear.
The defroster is automatically deactivated
after approximately 6 to 17 minutes of op-
eration depending on the outside tempera-
ture.Activating

Press buttonF or 1 in the
climate control panel (
page 177) or
automatic climate control panel*
(
page 187).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonF or 1 again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before
driving. Visibility could otherwise be
impaired, endangering you and others.
!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are
operating simultaneously and there is
insufficient voltage in the battery. The
system responds automatically by
deactivating the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
automatically turns itself back on.

179 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating the climate control system
Deactivating
Set air volume control1 (
page 177)
to position0.
Reactivating

Set air volume control1 (
page 177)
to any speed.Operating the climate control system
in automatic mode
Activating
Press buttonU (
page 177) while
the engine is running.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air volume and air distri-
bution are adjusted automatically.

Use temperature controls2 and3
(page 177) to separately adjust the
air temperature on each side of the
passenger compartment.
The temperature of the vehicle interior
is adjusted automatically.
Deactivating

Press buttonU (
page 177) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic operation of air vol-
ume and air distribution switches off.
iWhen the climate control system is de-
activated, the outside air supply and
circulation are also deactivated. Only
choose this setting for a short time.
Otherwise the windows could fog up.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.
In automatic mode, cooling with dehu-
midify is switched on. This function can
be switched off if necessary.

180 Controls in detailClimate controlSetting the temperature
Use temperature controls2 and3
(page 177) to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).
The climate control will adjust to the set
temperature as fast as possible.
Increasing

Turn temperature control2 and/or
3 (
page 177) slightly clockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Decreasing

Turn temperature control2 and/or
3 (
page 177) slightly counterclock-
wise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
Adjusting air distribution and volume
Use air distribution control4
(page 177) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are located on the
controls:

Press buttonU (
page 177).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic air distribution is
switched off. The air distribution is
controlled according to the selected
control setting.

Turn air distribution control 4
(page 177) to the desired symbol.
Opening center and side air vents

Turn thumbwheels 3, 4, 7 and 8
(page 176) upward.
The center air vents 5 and 6 and side
air vents 2 and 9 are open.
Closing center and side air vents

Turn thumbwheels 3, 4, 7 and 8
(page 176) downward.
The center air vents 5 and 6 and side
air vents 2 and 9 are closed.
Symbol
Function
a
Directs air through the center,
side and rear passenger
compartment air vents
Z
Directs air to the windshield
and the side defroster vents
b
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
Y
Directs air to the footwells