2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 4MATIC Owner's Manual

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.

52 Getting started
Driving
Single wipe
Press the combination switch briefly in
direction of arrow1 to the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid
Press the combination switch in direc-
tion of arrow1 past the resistance
point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 280).
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when the
vehicle is at a standstill and a front door is
opened. This protects persons getting into or out
of the vehicle from being sprayed.
Intermittent wiping will be continued when

all doors are closed
and

the clutch pedal is depressed (vehicles with
manual transmission)
or

the gear selector lever is in positionD or R
(vehicles with automatic transmission*)
or

the wiper setting is changed using the com-
bination switch
iTo prevent smears on the windshield, or
noisy/chattering wiper blades, wipe with wind-
shield washer fluid every now and then even
when it is raining.
!If anything blocks the windshield wipers
(leaves, snow, etc.), switch them off immediate-
ly.

For safety reasons, stop the vehicle in a safe
location and remove SmartKey from starter
switch before attempting to remove any
blockage.

Remove blockage.

Turn the windshield wipers on again.
If the windshield wipers fail to function at all with
combination switch in positionI,

set the combination switch to the next high-
er wiper speed

have the windshield wipers checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center

53 Getting started
Driving
Problems while driving
The engine runs erratically and misfires

An ignition cable may be damaged.

The engine electronics may not be op-
erating properly.

Unburned gasoline may have entered
the catalytic converter and damaged it.
Give very little gas.
Have the problem repaired by an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.The coolant temperature is
above 248°F (120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as
soon as possible and turn off the en-
gine. Allow engine and coolant to cool
off.
Check the coolant level and add
coolant if necessary (
page 278).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:
Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.
Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the

Major assemblies

Fuel system

Engine mount
Start the engine in the usual manner.

54 Getting started
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
Warning!G
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before
removing the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle.
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, or
damage to the vehicle or the vehicle
drivetrain, as a result of vehicle movement,
always do the following before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into neutral position (no gear
is selected).

Firmly depress parking brake pedal.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

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

Slowly release brake pedal.

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

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

Take the SmartKey with you and lock
the vehicle when leaving, which could
endanger other road users when you en-
gage the parking brake.
Warning!G
Do not engage the parking brake while the
vehicle is in motion. Doing so can cause the
rear wheels to lock up. You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and cause an accident. In
addition, the vehicle’s brake lights do not
light up when the parking brake is engaged,
which could endanger other road users.

55 Getting started
Parking and locking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the brake
warning lamp; (USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the
instrument cluster comes on.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(
page 50).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 109).
Turning off engine
Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.
Automatic transmission*: Place the
gear selector lever in positionP.
Apply the parking brake (page 54).
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 32).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
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 and/or
move the gear selector lever* from
positionP, either of which could result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.
PositionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects. Always set the parking brake in ad-
dition to shifting to positionP (
page 153)
(manual transmission: first or reverse gear
(
page 149)).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheel
towards the road curb.
Getting out of your vehicle without taking
the above measurements to secure it is
dangerous.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (manual transmission: first
or reverse gear).
On slopes, turn the front wheels towards the
road curb.
iVehicles with automatic transmission: The
SmartKey can only be removed from the starter
switch with the gear selector lever in positionP.