2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C280 engine

123 Controls in detail
Lighting
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps*
(C 280, C 350 4MATIC: with Bi-Xenon* headlamps)
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps im-
prove illumination of the road into which
you are turning.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps will
operate with the engine running and with

the exterior lamp switch in
positionB (
page 118)
or


the exterior lamp switch in
positionU (
page 118)
or


the daytime running lamp mode
activated (
page 120)Driving forward
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lamps

Depending on whether you are turning
left or right, switch on the left or right
turn signal (
page 53).
The respective front fog lamp comes on
and illuminates the road onto which
you are turning.
iCorner-illuminating front fog lamps will
only come on in low ambient lighting
conditions.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps
function is not available at a vehicle
speed above 25 mph (40 km/h).
iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
will come on automatically depending
on the steering angle, even if you did
not switch on either turn signal. If the
corner-illuminating front fog lamps
came on automatically, they will also
go out automatically depending on the
steering angle.

125 Controls in detail
Lighting
Switching on hazard warning flasher
Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signals are flashing.
Switching off hazard warning flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Rear interior lights on/off
2Right front reading lamp on/off
3Rocker switch for automatic control
system
4Left front reading lamp on/offAutomatic control
Activating

Press rocker switch3 to center
position.
Interior lamps are switched on in
darkness, when you

unlock the vehicle


open a door


remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch
The interior lamps are switched off after a
preset time, see “Set interior lighting de-
layed shut-off” (
page 152).
iWith the hazard warning flasher
activated and the combination switch
set for either left or right turn, only the
respective turn signals will operate
when the SmartKey is in the starter
switch position1 or 2.iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard
warning flasher switch1 once to
switch it off.
iLeaving an interior light switch in the
ON position for extended periods of
time with the engine turned off could
result in a discharged battery.
iIf the door remains open, the interior
lamps switch off automatically after
approximately 5 minutes, when the
SmartKey is removed or in starter
switch position0.

128 Controls in detailInstrument clusterCoolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(page 24).During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 248°F
(120°C). Doing so may cause serious en-
gine damage which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip
odometer and main odometer in the
multifunction display (
page 130).

I f i t i s n o t d i s p l a y e d , p r e s s b u t t o nè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel (
page 131) until the trip
odometer appears in the multifunction
display.

Press and hold the reset button in the
instrument cluster (
page 127) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Warning!
G


Driving when your engine is badly
overheated can cause some fluids which
may have leaked into the engine
compartment to catch fire. You could be
seriously burned.


Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.

129 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
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
The outside temperature is indicated in the
multifunction display (
page 130).The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. There-
fore, the accuracy of the displayed temper-
ature can only be verified by comparison to
a thermometer placed next to the sensor,
not by comparison to external displays
(e.g. bank signs, etc.).
When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.
!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-
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.
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.

150 Controls in detailControl system
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to select
manual operation (
Manual
) or daytime
running lamp mode (
Constant
)
activated.
With daytime running lamp mode activated
and the exterior lamp switch in
positionM orU, the low beam
headlamps are switched on when the
engine is running.In low ambient light conditions the
following lamps will switch on additionally:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps
For more information on the daytime
running lamp mode, see “Lighting”
(
page 118).Set locator lighting
With the locator lighting feature activated
and the exterior lamp switch in
positionU, the following lamps will
switch on during darkness when the vehi-
cle is unlocked with the SmartKey:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps


Front fog lamps
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened.
If you do not open a door after unlocking
the vehicle with the SmartKey, the lamps
will switch off automatically after approxi-
mately 40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Lighting

submenu.
iFor safety reasons, resetting the set-
tings to factory settings (
page 140)
while driving will not deactivate the
daytime running lamp mode.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display:
Lighting - Cannot be completely
reset to factory sets. while
driving.


151 Controls in detail
Control system

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Surround lighting

appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
the locator lighting function
On.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU when exiting the vehicle
(page 118).
The locator lighting feature is
activated.Set night security illumination
(Headlamps delayed shut-off)
Use this function to set whether or not the
exterior lamps illuminate during darkness
after exiting the vehicle and all doors
closed.
With the delayed shut-off feature activated
and the exterior lamp switch in
positionU before the engine is turned
off, the following lamps will switch on
when the engine is turned off and remain
lit for appriximately 15 seconds:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps


Front fog lamps
If after turning off the engine you do not
open a door or do not close an opened
door, the lamps will automatically switch
off after 60 seconds.

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

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
Hdlamp delay off

appears in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
iYou can reactivate this function within
10 minutes by opening a door.


152 Controls in detailControl system
Press buttonæ orç to switch
the delayed shut-off feature
off
or
on.

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU before turning off the
engine (
page 118).
The headlamps delayed shut-off
feature is activated.
You can temporarily deactivate the
delayed shut-off feature:

Before exiting the vehicle, turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position0.

Then turn it to position2 and back to
position0.
The delayed shut-off feature is
deactivated. It will reactivate as soon
as you reinsert the SmartKey in the
starter switch.Set interior lighting delayed shut-off
Use this function to set whether or not the
interior lighting to remains lit during dark-
ness for appriximately 10 seconds 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 the message
Int. light delay
off
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæ orç to switch
the delayed shut-off feature
off
or
on.
Vehicle submenu
Access the
Vehicle
submenu via the
Settings
menu. Use the
Vehicle
submenu
to make general vehicle settings.
The following function is available:
Set automatic locking
Use this function to activate or deactivate
the automatic central locking. With the
automatic central locking system
activated, the vehicle is centrally locked at
vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h).

Move the selection marker with
buttonæ orç to the
Vehicle

submenu.
Function
Page
Set automatic locking
152


155 Controls in detail
Control system
Trip computer menu
Use the trip computer menu to call up
statistical data on your vehicle.
The following information is available:Fuel consumption statistics after start

Press buttonÿ orè repeatedly
until the first function of the trip
computer menu appears in the
multifunction display.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until the message
After start
appears
in the multifunction display.
1Distance driven since start
2Time elapsed since start
3Average speed since start
4Average fuel consumption since start
Function
Page
Fuel consumption statistics after
start
155
Fuel consumption statistics
since last reset
156
Distance to empty
156
iAll statistics stored since the last
engine start will be reset approximately
4 hours after the SmartKey in the
starter switch is turned to position0 or
removed from the starter switch.
Resetting will not occur if you turn the
SmartKey back to position1 or2
within this time period.