2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 child seat

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 61
Occupant safety................................... 62
Air bags .......................................... 63
Seat belts ....................................... 69
Active head restraint ...................... 73
Children in the vehicle .................... 74
Blocking of rear door window
operation ........................................ 85
Panic alarm* ........................................ 86
Activating ....................................... 86
Deactivating ................................... 86
Driving safety systems ......................... 87
ABS ................................................ 87
BAS ................................................ 88
ESP
®.............................................. 89
Four wheel electronic traction
system (4MATIC) with the ESP
®..... 92
Anti-theft systems................................ 93
Immobilizer..................................... 93
Anti-theft alarm system* ................ 93
Tow-away alarm* ........................... 95
Controls in detail............................... 97
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
Opening the doors from
the inside ..................................... 102
Opening the trunk ........................ 103
Closing the trunk.......................... 104
Trunk emergency release ............. 105
Valet locking ................................ 106
Automatic central locking ............ 107
Locking and unlocking from
the inside ..................................... 107
Seats ................................................. 109
Front seat active head restraints . 109
Rear seat head restraints ............. 109
Lumbar support*.......................... 112
Multicontour seats*
(Canada only) ............................... 113
Seat heating* ............................... 113
Memory function* ............................. 115
Storing positions into memory ..... 116
Recalling positions from memory . 116
Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position ........................... 117Lighting ............................................. 118
Exterior lamp switch .................... 118
Combination switch ..................... 122
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps*
(C 280, C 350 4MATIC: with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps) ................. 123
Hazard warning flasher ................ 124
Interior lighting ............................ 125
Door entry lamps ......................... 126
Trunk lamp ................................... 126
Instrument cluster ............................. 127
Instrument cluster illumination .... 127
Coolant temperature gauge ......... 128
Trip odometer .............................. 128
Tachometer .................................. 129
Outside temperature indicator ..... 129
Control system .................................. 130
Multifunction display.................... 130
Multifunction steering wheel........ 131
Menus .......................................... 133
Standard display menu ................ 135
AUDIO menu ................................ 136
NAV* menu .................................. 138
Vehicle status message memory
menu............................................ 138
Settings menu .............................. 140

33 Getting started
Unlocking
Starter switch positions SmartKey
Starter switch0For removing SmartKey
The steering is locked when the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
1Power supply for some electrical
consumers, such as seat adjustment2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position.
All lamps (except low beam headlamp
indicator lamp, high beam headlamp in-
dicator lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instru-
ment cluster come on. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster fails to come on
when the ignition is switched on, have
it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster re-
mains on after starting the engine or
comes on while driving, see “Lamps in
instrument cluster” (
page 350).
3Starting position
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 may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

35 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
The seats can be adjusted either manually
or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s
equipment.
For more information, see “Seats”
(page 109).Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
fatal injuries. The seat back and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer
is in a nearly upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body. Your seat
must be adjusted so that you can correctly
fasten your seat belt (
page 45).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the power seats* can be
operated when the respective door is open.
Therefore, do not leave children unattended
in the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

36 Getting startedAdjusting
Manual seat adjustment
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat cushion tilt
3Seat backrest tilt
4Seat heightSeat fore and aft adjustment

Lift handle1.

Slide seat to the desired position.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far rearward
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.

Allow handle1 to reengage with an
audible click.

Check for proper engagement before
driving.
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriate infant, or toddler restraint, or
booster seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child. For additional
information, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 74).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
!W h e n m o v i n g t h e s e a t s , m a k e s u r e t h a t
there are no items in the footwell or
behind the seat. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

45 Getting started
Driving
Driving
Fastening the seat beltWarning!
G
Do not lay any objects in the driver’s foot-
well. Be careful that floor mats or carpets in
the driver’s footwell have sufficient clear-
ance for the pedals.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers
the objects could get caught between the
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate.Warning!
G
Always fasten your seat belt before driving
off. Always make sure your passengers are
properly restrained, even those sitting in the
rear and pregnant women.
Failure to wear and properly fasten and po-
sition your seat belt greatly increases your
risk of injuries and their likely severity in an
accident. You and your passengers should
always wear seat belts.
If you are ever in an accident, your injuries
can be considerably more severe without
your seat belt properly buckled. Without
your seat belt buckled, you are much more
likely to hit the interior of the vehicle or be
ejected from it. You can be seriously injured
or killed.
In the same crash, the possibility of injury or
death is lessened if you are wearing your
seat belt. The air bags can only provide the
protection they were designed to afford if
the occupants are using their seat belts
(page 69).
Warning!
G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats.
Regardless of seating position, children
12 years old and under must be seated and
properly secured in an appropriate infant or
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the child.
For additional information, see “Children in
the vehicle” (
page 74).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.

47 Getting started
Driving
Belt outlet height adjustment
Adjust seat belt so that shoulder portion is
located as close as possible to the middle
of your shoulder (it should not touch the
neck or pass under the arm).Belt outlet, front seats4Release button
Raising
Slide belt outlet upward.Lowering

Press button4 and slide belt outlet
downward.
For more information, see “Safety guide-
lines for the seat belt, emergency tension-
ing device and air bag” (
page 66).
Proper use of seat belts


Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.


Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the
shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm. For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet.


Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.


Place the seat backrest in a nearly
upright position.


Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.


Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time.


When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.


Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.


Make sure that the seat belt is always
fitted snugly. Take special care of this
when wearing loose clothing.

62 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.
Restraint system with

Seat belts (
page 69)


Child restraints (
page 82)


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH) (
page 83)
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with


Air bags (
page 63)


Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)


Emergency tensioning device (ETD) for
seat belts (
page 72)Air bag system components with


56indicator lamp (
page 80)


Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 77)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each
other. The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates early detection of malfunctions.
The 1indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition is
switched on and goes out no later than a
few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the 1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the 1indicator lamp:


fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started


does not come on at all


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and
restraint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 74).

64 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and ensure it is properly posi-
tioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a nearly upright
position with your back against the seat
backrest.


Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.


Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.


Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.


Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door or the rear
side trim panel where the front side im-
pact air bag and/or rear side impact
air bag* inflates. This could result in se-
rious injuries or death should the air bag
be triggered. Always sit nearly upright,
properly use the seat belts and use an
appropriately sized infant or toddler re-
straint or booster seat recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.