52 Getting startedDrivingFor more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 295).
Switching on headlamps
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 131).
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lampB in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasher
!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofPorN 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 in 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.
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 make sure that it is prop-
erly positioned 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’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration 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 an 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’s front air bag inflates.
Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
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 Op-
erator’s Manual.
66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bag We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the air bags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of
your passengers that you replace de-
ployed air bags and repair any malfunc-
tioning air bags to make sure that the
vehicle will continue to provide supple-
mental crash protection for occupants.Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Air bags and emergency tensioning de-
vices (ETDs) are designed to function on
a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that is deployed must be replaced.
Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the front seat
backrest, door trim panels, or door
frame trims, and installation of addition-
al electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not hang items such as coat hangers
from the coat hooks or handles over the
door. These items may turn into projec-
tiles and cause head and other injuries
when curtain air bag is deployed.
Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
71 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Depending on vehicle production date,
your vehicle is equipped with either a seat
belt reminder system or an enhanced seat
belt reminder system as follows:
Seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started the seat belt
telltale< illuminates for a maximum of
6 seconds and a warning chime sounds to
remind you and your passengers to fasten
your seat belts.
For more information on the seat belt
telltale<, see “Practical hints”
(page 366).Enhanced seat belt reminder system
When the engine is started the seat belt
telltale< illuminates for a maximum of
6 seconds and a warning chime sounds to
remind you and your passengers to fasten
your seat belts.
If after these 6 seconds, the driver’s or the
front passenger’s seat belt (with the front
passenger seat occupied) are not fastened
with all doors closed,
and the vehicle speed does not exceed
15 mph (25 km/h), the seat belt tell-
tale < remains illuminated for as
long as either the driver’s or front pas-
senger’s seat belt is not fastened.
and the vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph
(25 km/h), the seat belt telltale <
starts flashing and a warning chime
sounds with increasing intensity until
both the driver’s and front passenger’s
seat belt are fastened, or for a maxi-
mum of 60 seconds from the time the
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible
pressure on the abdomen.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.
131 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 52)
and “Turn signals” (
page 53).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switch
MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 133)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 133)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the combi-
nation switch is pushed forward)
and parking lamps
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.iVehicles equipped with active Bi-Xe-
non* headlamps: The active Bi-Xenon
headlamps monitor your steering angle
and driving speed, then automatically
shift their beams to either side to bet-
ter follow the curvature of the road
ahead, increasing usable illumination
over conventional headlamps.
150 Controls in detailControl systemOperate the CD player
Turn on the radio and select CD or
CD changer* (
page 228). Vehicles
with COMAND*: Refer to separate
operating instructions.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the settings for the CD currently
being played appear in the multifunc-
tion display.1Current CD (with additional number
from 1 to 6 when running from
CD changer*)
2Current track
Press buttonk orj repeatedly
until the desired track is selected.
For more information on CD operation, see
“CD mode” (
page 225) and for the
CD changer*, see “CD changer*”
(
page 228).
NAV* menu
The
Nav
menu contains the functions
needed to operate your navigation system.
Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until the message
Nav
appears in the
multifunction display.
If COMAND* is switched off, the mes-
sage
Nav off
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
With COMAND* switched on but route
guidance not activated, the direction of
travel and, if available, the name of the
street currently traveld on appear in
the multifunction display.
With COMAND* switched on and route
guidance activated, the direction of
travel and maneuver instructions ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
Please refer to the COMAND* manual for
instructions on how to activate the route
guidance system*.
iFor more information on satellite radio
operation, see “Introduction to satellite
radio* (USA only)” (
page 220).
Vehicles with COMAND*: Refer to
separate operating instructions.
iTo select a CD from the CD changer*
magazine, press a number on the audio
system or the COMAND* system key
pad located in the center dashboard.
180 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 36).
Press button1.
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 459).
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 position
by moving lever1 towards the wind-
shield.
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 fifteen
times
When you switch off ignition, the
counter resets.
195 Controls in detail
Climate control (CLK 350)
Rear passenger compartment adjustable air vents
The air conditioning for the rear passenger
compartment is controlled via the climate
control panel (
page 187).The air vents for the rear passenger
compartment are located in the rear
center console.
1Thumbwheel for air volume control for
center air vents
2Left center air vent
3Right center air ventAdjusting air distribution
Push the slide for the left center
vent2 or right center vent3 to the
left, right, up or down.
The air flow is directed in the corre-
sponding direction.
Adjusting air volume
Turn thumbwheel1 to the left or right.
The air volume is increased or
decreased.
iThe temperature at the center air vents
for the rear passenger
compartment2 and3 (
page 195)
is the same as at the dashboard center
air vents.
iFor draft-free ventilation, push
slides2 and3 upward.