2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C230 Driving

44 Getting started
Driving
1Latch plate
2Release button
3Buckle
With a smooth motion, pull the belt
from the belt outlet.
Place the shoulder portion of the belt
across the top of your shoulder and the
lap portion across your hips.
Push latch plate1 into buckle3 until
it engages.
If necessary, tighten the lap portion to
a snug fit by pulling shoulder portion
up.
Warning!G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Be sure
everyone riding in the vehicle is correctly
restrained with a separate seat belt. Never
use a seat belt for more than one person at
a time.
Warning!G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.
Warning!G
Read and observe the additional warning
notices printed in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 62) and (page 69).

45 Getting started
Driving
Belt outlet height adjustment
1Release button
Press release button1 and move the
seat belt height adjuster upward or
downward.
Proper use of seat belts

Do not twist the seat belt when fasten-
ing.

Adjust seat belt so that the shoulder
portion is located as close as possible
to the middle of the shoulder (it should
not touch the neck). Never pass the shoulder portion of the belt under your
arm. For this purpose, you can adjust
the height of the belt outlet.

Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips (over hip joint) and not
across the abdomen.

Place the seat backrest in a nearly
upright position.

Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.

Do not fasten a seat belt around a
person and another object at the same
time.

When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in
booster seats, always follow the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.

Check your seat belt during travel to
make sure that it is properly posi-
tioned.

Make sure that the seat belt is always
fitted snugly. Take special care of this
when wearing loose clothing.
Warning!G
Do not pass belts over sharp edges. They
could tear.
Do not allow the belt to get caught in the
door or in the seat adjustment mechanism.
This could damage the belt.
Never attempt to make modifications to
seat belts. This could impair the effective-
ness 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 adequate protection.
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

46 Getting started
Driving
Starting the engine Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
For more information, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 149).Starting
Depress brake pedal.
Make sure the gearshift lever is in
neutral position (no gear selected).
Fully depress clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be
started due to the integrated safety
interlock.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 32) and hold until
the engine starts.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 55).
Warning!G
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can cause un-
consciousness and possible death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as garage) which are not properly ven-
tilated. If you think that exhaust gas fumes
are entering the vehicle while driving, have
the cause determined and corrected imme-
diately. If you must drive under these condi-
tions, drive only with at least one window
fully open.

47 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 151).Starting
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Do not depress the accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 32) and release it
again immediately. The engine then
starts automatically.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 55).Starting difficulties
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time,
it can no longer be turned in the switch. In
this case, the steering is locked.
To unlock, remove SmartKey from
starter switch and reinsert.
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn the SmartKey in starter switch to
position0 and repeat the starting
procedure (
page 46).
Remember that extended starting
attempts can drain the vehicle battery.
Get a jump start (page 386).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

48 Getting started
Driving
Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedalRelease parking brake by pulling on
handle1.
The warning lamp; (USA only)
or3 (Canada only) in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Driving
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. Children
could release the parking brake, which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
!If you hear a warning signal and the mes-
sage
Release parking brake appears in the
multifunction display when driving off, you have
forgotten to release the parking brake.
Release the parking brake (
page 48).
iAt vehicle speeds of approximately 9 mph
(15 km/h), the automatic central locking system
engages and the locking knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 143).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brake reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
!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.

49 Getting started
Driving
Manual transmission
Depress the brake pedal.
Fully depress the clutch pedal.
Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive rearward.
Simultaneously release the brake pedal
and slowly the clutch pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Automatic transmission*
Depress the brake pedal.
Move gear selector lever to positionD
to drive forward, or to positionR to
drive rearward.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
!In order to avoid damage to the transmis-
sion, place the gearshift lever to reverse gear
only when the vehicle is stopped.
!Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.
!Place the gear selector lever in positionP
orR only when the vehicle is stopped in order to
avoid damaging the transmission.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofP orN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate 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.

50 Getting started
Driving
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamps and 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 switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1.
The high beam headlamps and the high
beam headlamp indicator lampA in
the instrument cluster comes on
(
page 24).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 109).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in
direction of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampL orK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 24).
The combination switch resets
automatically after major steering
wheel movements.

51 Getting started
Driving
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Single wipe
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
2Switching on windshield wipers
Switch on the ignition (page 32).Switching on windshield wipers
Turn the combination switch to the
desired position depending on the
intensity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speedIntermittent wiping
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Intermittent wiping interval is dependent
on wetness of windshield.
Turn the combination switch to
positionI.
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by
the rain sensor.
iIf the combination switch is pressed to the
point of resistance and released, the
corresponding turn signals will flash three times.!Do not operate the windshield wipers when
the windshield is dry. Dust that accumulates on
a windshield might scratch the glass and/or
damage the wiper blades when wiping occurs on
a dry windshield. If it is necessary to operate the
windshield wipers in dry weather conditions, al-
ways operate the windshield wipers with wind-
shield washer fluid (
page 52).
!Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Do not leave windshield wipers in intermittent
setting when the vehicle is taken to an automatic
car wash or during windshield cleaning. Wind-
shield wipers will operate in the presence of wa-
ter sprayed on the windshield, and windshield
wipers may be damaged as a result.
!Vehicles with rain sensor*:
If you have set intermittent wiping, dirt on the
surface of the rain sensor or optical effects may
cause the windshield wipers to wipe in an undes-
ired fashion. This could then damage the wind-
shield wiper blades or scratch the windows. You
should therefore switch off the windshield wip-
ers when weather conditions are dry.