2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON Owners Manual

Tyres and wheels
21
4 Tyre pressure loss warning system
G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system*
does not warn you of an incorrectly set tyre
pressure. The table on the inside of the fue l
filler flap will help you decide whether the
tyre pressures should be corrected.
The tyre pressure loss warning system*
does not replace the need to regularly
check your vehicle's tyre pressures, since
an even loss of pressure on several tyres at
the same time cannot be detected by the
tyre pressure loss warning system*.
The tyre pressure loss warning system* is
not able to warn you of a sudden loss of
pressure, e.g. following penetration by a
foreign object.
In the event of a sudden loss of pressure,
bring the vehicle to a halt by braking care-
fully. Do not make any sudden steering
movements when doing so.
While the vehicle is in motion, the tyre pres-
sure loss warning system* monitors the set
tyre pressure using the rotational speed of
the wheels. This enables the system to detect
significant pressure loss in a tyre. If the spee d
of rotation of a wheel changes as a result of a loss of pressure, a corresponding warning
message will appear in the multi-function dis-
play.
The function of the tyre pressure loss warning
system* is limited or delayed if:
R
snow chains are fitted to your vehicle's
tyres
R road conditions are wintry
R you are driving on sand or grave l
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (cor -
nering at high speeds or driving with high
rates of acceleration)
R you are towing a very heavy or large trailer
R you are driving with a heavy load (in th e
vehicle or on the roof)
Restarting the tyre pressure loss warn-
ing system* Restart the tyre pressure loss warning sys-
tem* if you have
:
R changed the tyre pressure
R changed the wheels or tyre s
R fitted new wheels or tyres
X Before restarting, consult the table of tyre
pressures on the inside of the fuel filler fla pto ensure that the tyre pressure in all fou
r
tyres is set correctly for the operating con-
ditions concerned .
X Also observe the notes in the section on
tyre pressures (Y page 213). G
Risk of accident
The tyre pressure loss warning system* can
only give reliable warnings if you have set
the correct tyre pressure.
If an incorrect tyre pressure is set, thes e
incorrect values will be monitored.
A tyre with insufficient pressure results in
an instability of the vehicle when driving,
thus increasing the risk of an accident .
Configuring with the multi-function steer-
ing wheel
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock .
X Press èto select Tyre pressure
menu: R.
X Press the íbutton.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: RFI active Reactivate: ROperation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Tyres and wheels
21
5
X
Press the íbutton.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: Tyre press. OK?
Yes+ Cancel -
To confirm the restart of the tyre pressure
loss warning system:
X Press the +button.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: Run Flat Indicator restar -
ted.
After a teach-in period, the tyre pressure
loss warning system* will monitor the set
tyre pressures of all four tyres.
or
To cancel the restart of the tyre pressure
loss warning system:
X Press the -button.
The previous settings will not be changed.
Configuring with the luxury multi-func-
tion steering wheel*
X Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock .
X Press (or& to select the Service
menu. X
Press $or% to select Tyre pres-
sur e.
X Press #.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: Run Flat Indicator active
Restart with OK
X Press #.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: Tyre press. now OK?
To confirm the restart of the tyre pressur e
loss warning system:
X Press $or% to select Yes.
X Press #.
The following appears in the multi-function
display: Run Flat Indicator restarted
After a teach-in period, the tyre pressure
loss warning system* will monitor the set
tyre pressures of all four tyres.
or
To cancel the restart of the tyre pressur e
loss warning system:
X Press $or% to select Cancel.
X Press #.
The previous settings will not be changed. Interchanging the wheels
G
Risk of accident
Interchange the front and rear wheels only
if they have the same dimensions, for exam-
ple size, offset, etc.
After every wheel interchange/change,
have the tightening torque checked at a
qualified specialist workshop that has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
The wheels could work loose if they are not
tightened to a tightening torque of
130 Nm.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom -
mends that you only use wheel bolts of the
correct size which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The wheels may be interchanged every 5,000
km to 10,000 km depending on the degree of
tyre wear, provided that the vehicle has the
same size front and rear tyres. Do not reverse
the direction of tyre rotation. Operation
* optiona l
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Winter driving
216
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the wheels before a clear wea
r
pattern has formed on the tyres. The fron t
tyres typically wear more on the shoulders
and the rear tyres in the centre.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a whee l
is interchanged. Check the tyre pressure and,
if necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system*. Winter driving
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Ben z
Service Centre, at the onset of winter. Winter tyres
Use winter tyres at temperatures below +7 °
C and on snow or ice-covered roads. Only
then can the effect of the ABS, ESP ®
and
4MATIC* driving systems be ensured in win-
ter too.
Use winter tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics. G
Risk of accident
You must replace winter tyres with a trea d
depth of less than 4 mm immediately. They
are no longer suitable for winter use, in par-
ticular because they do not provide suffi-
cient grip. This could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent .
Always observe the maximum permitted
speed specified for the winter tyres you have
fitted. If you fit winter tyres which have a
lower maximum permitted speed than that of the vehicle, affix an appropriate warning sign
in the driver's field of vision. This can be
obtained at a qualified specialist workshop,
e.g. from a Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
In such circumstances, you should also use
permanent Speedtronic *15
to restrict the
maximum speed of the vehicle to the maxi-
mum permissible speed for winter tyres
( Y page 148). G
Risk of accident
If you fit the spare wheel* when driving with
winter tyres, bear in mind that driving sta-
bility will be impaired owing to unstable
cornering characteristics caused by the dif-
ferent tyres. You should therefore adap t
your driving style and drive carefully.
Have the spare wheel* replaced at th e
nearest qualified specialist workshop
which has the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work
required. Mercedes-Benz recommends
that you use a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related sys-
tems must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop .
15 Only available for certain countries. Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Driving
tips 21
7 Snow chains
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only use snow chains which
have been specially approved for your vehicle
by Mercedes-Benz or are of a correspondin g
standard of quality.
! Information about the use of snow chain
compatible AMG winter tyres is applicable
for AMG tyres. Use of snow chains is only
permissible with these tyres.
If you intend to fit snow chains, please bear
the following points in mind:
R Snow chains cannot be fitted on all wheel /
tyre combinations .
R Snow chains cannot be fitted to emergency
spare wheels, e.g. on a "Minispare" emer-
gency spare wheel .
R Always fit snow chains on both the rea r
wheels, even on vehicles with 4MATIC* .
Comply with the manufacturer's installa-
tion instructions.
! If snow chains are fitted to the fron t
wheels, they may come into contact with
the bodywork and axle components when
the vehicle is in motion and damage th e
tyre or the vehicle. Do not exceed the maximum permissibl
e
speed of 50 km/h.
i You may wish to deactivate ES P®
when
pulling away with snow chains fitted
( Y page 68). This way you can allow the
wheels to spin in a controlled manner, ach-
ieving an increased driving force (cutting
action). Winter driving
G
Risk of accident
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden accelera-
tion, steering and braking manoeuvres.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission: engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing and the service brake when the engine
is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and you could therefore
lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. Brakin
g G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Operatio
n
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Driving
tips 21
8
Downhill gradient
sOn long and steep downhill stretches, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer,
you must shift to a lower gear in good time or,
on vehicles with automatic transmission*,
select shift range 1,2 or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control* or Speedtronic*.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an exten t
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking ,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu -
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If you drive for a long time in the rain without
braking, there may be a delayed reaction
when you first brake and you will have to
depress the pedal harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. Thi
s
way the brake discs will become warm, dryin g
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion. Limited braking performance on salted
roads G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake linings may cause a delay in the brak-
ing effect, resulting in a significantly longer
braking distance, which could lead to an
accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully when you
are driving on salted roads, so that any
layer of salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
linings is removed without putting other
road users at risk.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicl e
ahead and drive with particular car e
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues ar e
removed from the brake disc.
New brake linings For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom
-
mends that you have only brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle that have been approved Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Driving
tips 21
9
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard.
Brake pads/linings which have not been
approved for Mercedes-Benz or which which
are not of an equivalent quality could affect
your vehicle's operating safety. G
Risk of accident
New brake linings only reach their optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilo-
metres of driving. Before this optimum
braking effect is reached, you should com-
pensate for the reduced braking effect by
applying greater pressure when braking.
This also applies after the brake discs or the
brake linings have been replaced .Tyre gri
p G
Risk of accident
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlle d
at a certain speed on dry roads, you must
reduce your speed on wet or icy roads to
achieve the same road safety. Otherwise
you could cause an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road condi-
tions at temperatures around freezing
point. If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a light film of water rapidly forms
on the ice when you brake, considerably
reducing tyre grip. Drive with particular
care in such weather conditions.
Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain dept h
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
25 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walkin g
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction creat e
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes, otherwise
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission . Operation
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Trailer towing*
22
0 Driving abroad
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service networ k
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain the relevant workshop directories
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Only low-octane fuel is available in certain
countries.
You can find further information about fuel
grades on (Y page 204). Symmetrical dipped beam
If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the
road to the country in which the vehicle is
registered, your headlamps must be switched
to symmetrical dipped beam. Oncoming traf -
fic will be dazzled less .
X Have the headlamps switched over at a
qualified specialist workshop, e. g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you visit a
country in which traffic drives on the same
side of the road as in the country in which
your vehicle was registered. You may oth- erwise dazzle the oncoming traffic and
could cause an accident.
Trailer towing*
Folding out the ball coupling
Please also observe the notes on the restric-
ted function of Parktronic* when towing a
trailer on (Y page 155).
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling.
The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot/luggage
compartment . G
Risk of accident
Make sure that the ball coupling is
engaged, either in its folded out or folded
in position, and that the indicator lamp is
off.
Do not turn the release wheel when a traile r
is coupled up. The trailer might otherwise
become detached. Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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Trailer towing*
22
1 Saloon
1
Handl e
2 Cove r Estate
1
Handl e
2 Cove r X
To open: turn handle 1anti-clockwise.
X Fold cover 2down. 1
Indicator lamp
2 Release wheel for the trailer tow hitch
X Pull out release wheel 2.
X Turn release wheel 2anti-clockwise.
The ball coupling disengages and folds out
from under the rear bumper. Indicator lamp
1 flashes. X
Press the ball coupling in the direction of
the arrow by hand until it engages in a ver-
tical position.
Indicator lamp 1goes out. The power
socket folds away automatically.
Vehicles with a 4-button multi-function
steering wheel: the messageTrailer
hitch Check lock mech. is shown in the
multi-function display until the ball cou-
pling has engaged.
Vehicles with a luxury multi-function
steering wheel* (12 buttons): the mes-
sage Trailer hitch Check lock
mech. is shown in the multi-function dis-
play until the ball coupling is engaged.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling
is clean and that, depending on the trailer Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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