2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 Owner's Manual

168 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission, you
can change the gears manually and limit or
extend the gear range for automatic
shifting with the gear selector lever in
positionD.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
!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.

169 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by
the shift program. This action simulta-
neously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 166).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.
Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This may
involve shifting down one or more gears.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.

170 Controls in detailGood visibilityFor information on the windshield wipers,
see “Windshield wipers” (
page 53).
Headlamp cleaning system*
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer button
Switch on the ignition (
page 33).

Press button 1.
The headlamps are cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 303).
Rear view mirrors
For more information on setting the rear
view mirrors, see “Mirrors” (
page 43).
Interior rear view mirror,
antiglare position
1Lever

Tilt the mirror to the antiglare night
position by moving lever1 towards
the windshield.
The interior rear view mirror is dimmed.
iThe headlamps will automatically be
cleaned when you have

switched on the headlamps
and


operated the windshield wipers
with windshield washer fluid
15 times
When you switch off the ignition, the
counter resets.

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

173 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Mounting
2Mirror cover
3Mirror lamp
4Sun visor

Swing sun visor4 down when you
experience glare.

To use illuminated mirror, lift up mirror
cover2.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.
iIf sun visor4 is disengaged from
mounting1 with mirror cover2
open, mirror lamp3 will switch off.iIf sunlight enters through a side
window, close mirror cover2 (if
open), disengage sun visor4 from
mounting1 and pivot to the side.

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.