2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS SALOON automatic transmission

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
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 218

Trailer towing*
22
3
R
has an increased braking distance
R is affected more by strong crosswinds
R demands more sensitive steering
R consumes more fue l
On long and steep downhill gradients you
must select a lower gear in good time, or on
vehicles with automatic transmission*, select
the 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. 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. Driving tips
R
Maintain a greater distance from the vehi-
cle in front than when driving without a
trailer.
R Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake
gently at first to allow the trailer to run on.
Then increase the braking force rapidly.
R The values given for gradient-climbing
capabilities from a standstill refer to sea
level. When driving in mountainous areas,
note that the power output of the engine
and with it its gradient-climbing capability
decrease with increasing altitude.
If the trailer swings from side to side:
X Do not accelerate.
X Do not counter-steer.
X Brake if necessary. G
Risk of accident
On no account should you attempt to dra w
the vehicle/trailer combination out by
increasing speed. Folding in the ball couplin
g
i Fold in the ball coupling when you are not
using the trailer tow hitch . G
Risk of injury
Make sure that no persons or animals are
in the pivoting range of the ball coupling.
Otherwise, they could be injured .
The release wheel is located behind the side
trim panel in the boot/luggage compartment. Saloon
1 Handl e
2 Cove r Operation
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
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2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 223

Display
messages 24
6 Display messages Possible cause/consequence Possible solution
Left windowbag
malfunc-
tion:wksh
p
or
Right windowbag
malfunc-
tion:wkshp The left-hand or right-hand windowbag is
faulty. The
=warning lamp also light s
up in the instrument cluster. X
Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Cruise ctrl.
/
LIM inoperative Cr. control and
SPEEDTRONIC inop-
erative
Cruise control* and Speedtronic* are
inoperative. A warning tone also sounds. X
Have Speedtronic* and cruise control*
checked at a qualified specialist workshop .Cruise control
- - - km/h Cruise control
- - - km/h
A condition for activating cruise control*
has not been met. You have tried to store
a speed below 30 km/h, for example.
A
warning tone also sounds. X
If conditions permit, drive faster than
30 km/h and store the speed.
X Check the conditions for activating cruise con-
trol*:
R
ESP ®
must be activated .
R The parking brake must be released.
R In vehicles with automatic transmission*,
the selector lever must be in position D. Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 246

Troubleshooting
29
2 Automatic transmission
*Problem Possible cause/consequence Suggested solutions
The transmission has problems
shifting gear The transmission is losing oil. X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately . The acceleration ability is deteri-
orating.
The transmission no longer
changes gear. The transmission is in emergenc
y
mode.
It is only possible to shift into
2nd gear and reverse gear. X
Stop the vehicle.
X Move the selector lever to P.
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition lock .
X Wait at least 10 seconds before restarting the engine.
X Move the selector lever to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into 2nd gear; if Ris selec -
ted, the transmission shifts into reverse gear .
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist workshop
immediately . Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 292

Flat tyre
314
Vehicles with automatic transmission
*X
Move the selector lever to P.
For all vehicles X
Place the warning triangle (Y page 232) or
warning lamps at a suitable distance.
Observe legal requirements. G
Risk of injury
The jack is designed only to raise and hol d
the vehicle for a short time while a whee l
is being changed.
If you are carrying out work on the vehicle,
you must use stands.
Make sure that the jack is placed on a firm ,
non-slip and level surface. Do not us e
wooden blocks or similar objects as a jac k
underlay. Otherwise the jack will not be
able to achieve its load-bearing capacit y
due to the restricted height.
Do not start the engine at any time while a
wheel is being changed.
Do not lie under the vehicle when it is bein g
supported by the jack. If you do not raise
the vehicle as described, it could slip off the
jack (e.g. if the engine is started or a door or the boot lid/tailgate is opened or closed)
and you could be seriously injured. Using the TIREFIT kit
You can use the TIREFIT kit to seal small
punctures, particularly those in the tyre tread.
You can use TIREFIT in outdoor temperatures
down to -20 °C. G
Risk of accident
In the following situations, your safety is at
particular risk and TIREFIT is unable to pro -
vide breakdown assistance:
R if there are cuts or punctures in the tyre
greater than 4 mm
R if the wheel rim is damaged
R if you have driven at very low tyre pres-
sures or on a flat tyre
Do not drive any further. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop which has the neces-
sary specialist knowledge and tools to carr y
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 systems must be carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Do not remove any foreign objects which
have penetrated the tyre, e.g. screws or
nails .
X Remove TIREFIT, the accompanying "max .
80 km/h“ and the electric air pump from
the stowage compartment in the boot floo r
(Saloon) or the luggage compartment floor
(Estate) (Y page 232). 1
Driver's field of vision sticker
2 Wheel sticker
X Affix part 1of the sticker within the driv-
er's field of vision.
X Affix part 2of the sticker near the valve
on the wheel with the defective tyre. Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 314

Battery
32
6 Battery in the engine compartment
1
Batter y
2 Positive terminal
3 Negative terminal
4 Breather hos e Battery in the boo
t
1 Positive terminal
2 Battery
3 Negative terminal
4 Breather hos e Disconnecting the batter
y G
Risk of accident
If the battery is disconnected:
R there is no brake boosting effect and yo u
will need to apply more pressure to brak e
and the brake pedal travel will be longer ; you may have to depress the brake peda
l
with full force
R you can no longer turn the key in the igni-
tion and with KEYLESS GO*, pressing th e
KEYLESS GO button* on the selector
lever will have no effect
R the selector lever is locked in position P
on vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*
! Always disconnect the battery in the
sequence described below. Never swap the
terminal clamps. You may otherwise dam-
age the vehicle electronics.
Vehicles with the battery in the engine
compartment:
X Firmly depress the parking brake and shift
the selector lever to position Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission*.
X Switch off all electrical consumers .
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
X Open the bonnet.
X Remove the retaining clamps on the cover .
X Remove the negative terminal clamp from
the battery. Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 32
6

Battery
32
7
X
Remove the cover from the positive termi-
nal clamp.
X Remove the positive terminal clamp from
the battery.
X Disconnect the breather hose .
Vehicles with the battery in the boot/lug -
gage compartment :
X Firmly depress the parking brake and shift
the selector lever to position Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission*.
X Switch off all electrical consumers .
X Turn the key to position 0in the ignition
lock and remove it.
X Open the boot/luggage compartment.
X Remove the negative terminal clamp from
the battery.
X Remove the cover from the positive termi-
nal clamp.
X Remove the positive terminal clamp from
the battery.
X Disconnect the breather hose . Removing the battery
X Disconnect the battery (Y page 326).
X Loosen the screw which holds the battery
in place.
X Remove the battery. Charging and fitting the batter
y G
Risk of injury
Only charge the installed battery with a bat-
tery charger which has been tested and
approved by Mercedes-Benz. These battery
chargers allow the battery to be charge d
while it is still installed. Otherwise, the vehi -
cle's electronic system may be damaged.
Only charge the battery in a well-ventilate d
area. As the battery is being charged, gases
can escape and generate minor explosions.
This may injure you and other persons or
cause damage to the paintwork or acid cor-
rosion on the vehicle .
You can obtain information about battery
chargers which allow the battery to be
charged when still installed from a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Ben z
Service Centre. G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns during the
charging process due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean ove r
the battery during the charging process.
! Only use battery chargers with a maxi-
mum charging voltage of 14.8 V.
X Charge the battery. Observe the notes in
the operating instructions for your battery
charger.
X Refit the charged battery.
To do this, follow the steps described in
"Removing the battery" (Y page 327) in
reverse order. G
Risk of injury
Battery acid is caustic. Avoid contact with
the skin, eyes or clothing . Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 327

Jump-starting
328 Reconnecting the battery
! Always reconnect the battery in the
sequence described below. Never swap the
terminal clamps. You may otherwise dam-
age the vehicle electronics.
X Switch off all electrical consumers .
X Connect the positive terminal clamp and
secure the cover .
X Connect the negative terminal clamp.
X Connect the breather hose. Make sure that
a cell cap is fitted between the battery and
the breather hose.
X Close the boot/luggage compartment.
i If the battery power supply has been inter-
rupted (e.g. if it has been reconnected), you
must carry out the following tasks:
R Reset the function for folding the exterio r
mirrors in/out automatically* by folding
the mirrors out once (Y page 94). Jump-starting
Jump-starting your vehicle
If your vehicle's battery is discharged, the
engine can be jump-started from another
vehicle or from an external battery using jump
leads.
Observe the following points:
R Jump-starting must only be performed
when the engine and catalytic converte r
are cold.
R Do not start the engine if the battery ha s
frozen. Thaw the battery out first.
R Jump-starting may only be performed from
12V batteries .
R Only use jump leads which are protected
against polarity reversal and which have a
sufficient cross-section and insulated ter-
minal clamps.
i Jump leads which are protected against
polarity reversal and further informatio n
about jump-starting can be obtained from
any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
! Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts. Never start the vehicle using a rapid battery
charger. G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of acid burns when jump -
starting a vehicle due to the gases which
escape from the battery. Do not lean over
the battery while the engine is being jump-
started. G
Risk of explosion
Gases escaping from the battery during
jump-starting may cause minor explosions.
Avoid creating sparks. Keep naked flames
away from the battery, and do not smoke .
Comply with safety precautions and tak e
protective measures when handling batter-
ies. You will find these under “Battery” in
the index .
X Make sure that the two vehicles do not
touch.
X Depress the parking brake.
X Manual transmission: engage neutral.
X Automatic transmission*: move the
selector lever to P.
X All vehicles: switch off all electric consum-
ers . Practical advice
* optional
204_AKB; 2; 3, en-GB
mkalafa,
2007-06-26T23:11:51+02:00 - Seite 328