2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 tow

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.

255 Controls in detail
Loading
If the backrest is not locked into position,
a red indicator3 will be visible.
Check for secure locking by pushing
and pulling on the backrest.
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle
occupants and luggage/cargo should not
exceed the load limit or vehicle capacity
weight indicated on the corresponding
placard located on the driver’s door
B-pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Warning!
G
If a red indicator is visible with the backrest
up, then the backrest is not properly locked
into position.
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, cargo is
being carried in the trunk, or the extended
cargo compartment is not in use. Check for
secure locking by pushing and pulling on the
backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a
collision or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.iTo prevent unauthorized persons from
access to the trunk, always lock
backrest in its upright position.

269 Controls in detail
Useful features
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for
assistance.The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance Man-
ual for more information.
These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
iWhile the call is connected you can
change to the navigation menu by
pressing NAVI button on the audio sys-
tem or COMAND* System unit.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately
10 seconds during the system
self-check after switching on the igni-
tion (together with the SOS button and
the Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 266) if
the indicator lamp does not come on in
red or stays on longer than
approximately 10 seconds.

273 Controls in detail
Useful features
Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered
incident report.

Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s
Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle is
located, the Response Center will
contact the local law enforcement and
you. The vehicle’s location will only be
provided to law enforcement.
Garage door opener*
The integrated remote control is capable of
operating up to three separately controlled
devices. It provides a convenient way to re-
place up to three hand-held remote con-
trols used to operate devices such as
garage door openers, gate openers, or oth-
er devices compatible with HomeLink
® or
some other systems.
Before the integrated remote control can
be used, it must be programmed to the ga-
rage door opener, gate operator or other
device you wish to operate. See the follow-
ing instructions for programming informa-
tion.
Interior rear view mirror with integrated re-
mote control1Indicator lamp
2 3 4Signal transmitter button
Needed for programming (not part of vehi-
cle equipment):
5Hand-held remote control of ga-
rage door opener, gate operator
or other device
6Hand-held remote control but-
ton
iWhen the anti-theft alarm or the
tow-away alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call is initiated automat-
ically to the Response Center. See
anti-theft alarm system* (
page 93)
and tow-away alarm* (
page 95).

285 Operation
Driving instructions
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive
on for some time, rather than immediately
park, so that the air stream will cool down
the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the
operating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an
extended period with the ESP
® switched
off. Doing so may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
Warning!
G
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake
fluid is used, the braking properties of the
vehicle can be degraded to an extent that
safe braking is substantially impaired. This
could result in an accident.!When driving down long and steep
grades, relieve the load on the brakes
by shifting into a lower gear to use the
engine’s braking power. This helps
prevent overheating of the brakes and
reduces brake pad wear.
!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.
!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
move gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).
When parking on hills, always turn front
wheels towards the road curb.Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


286 OperationDriving instructions
Tires
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of
approximately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which
point the tire is considered worn and
should be replaced.The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subjected to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient temper-
atures).


Manual transmission: Move gearshift
lever to neutral position (no gear select-
ed).


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Automatic transmission*: Move the
gear selector lever to positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have the vehicle towed to
the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center or tire
dealer for repairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not
allow your tires to wear down to that level.
As tread depth approaches
1/8in (3 mm),
the adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.


294 OperationAt the gas stationRefueling
The fuel filler flap is located on the
right-hand side of the vehicle towards the
rear. Locking/unlocking the vehicle with
the SmartKey automatically locks/unlocks
the fuel filler flap.1To open the fuel filler flap
2To insert the fuel filler cap
3Supplemental tire inflation pressure in-
formation

Turn the engine off by turning the
SmartKey to position0.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Open the fuel filler flap by pushing at
the point indicated by arrow1.
The fuel filler flap springs open.

Turn fuel cap counterclockwise and
hold on to it until possible pressure is
released.

Take off cap and set it in direction of
arrow2 in the recess on the fuel filler
flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.

Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or
overfill.
Warning!
G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
injury. Whenever you are around gasoline,
avoid inhaling fumes and skin contact,
extinguish all smoking materials. Never
allow sparks, flame or smoking materials
near gasoline!
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create
pressure in the system which could cause a
gas discharge. This could cause the gas to
spray back out when removing the fuel
pump nozzle, which could cause personal
injury.

311 Operation
Tires and wheels
Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 313).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 308).