2007 MERCEDES-BENZ C350 tow

286 Operation
Tires and wheels
Steps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed
as required of all manufacturers under
Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal Regulations,
Part 575 pursuant to the “National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Step 1
Locate the statement “The combined
weight of occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on
your vehicle’s placard.
Step 2
Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.Step 3
Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from XXX kilo-
grams or XXX lbs.
Step 4
The resulting figure equals the avail-
able amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and there will
be five 150 lbs passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs
(1400-750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
Step 5
Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in step 4.Step 6 (if applicable)
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be trans-
ferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces
the available cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle (
page 288).
The following table shows examples on
how to calculate total and cargo load
capacities with varying seating configura-
tions and number and size of occupants.
The following examples use a load limit
of 1500 lbs. This is for illustration
purposes only. Make sure you are using
the actual load limit for your vehicle stated
on the vehicle’s placard (
page 285).

288 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(
page 288) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the certification la-
bel. The certification label can be found on
the driver’s door B-pillar, see “Technical
data” (
page 398).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 288) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is ten
percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.

315 Operation
Vehicle care
Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical
components and connectors from contact
with water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB
Anticorrosion Wax, should be applied to
the engine compartment after every
engine cleaning. Before applying, all
control linkage bushings and joints should
be lubricated. The poly-V-belt and all
pulleys should be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do
not forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Hand-wash
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight.
Only use a mild car wash detergent,
such as Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a
diffused jet of water.
Direct only a very weak spray towards
the ventilation intake.
Use plenty of water and rinse the
sponge and chamois frequently.
Rinse with clean water and thoroughly
dry with a chamois.
Do not allow cleaning agents to dry on
the finish.Automatic car wash
You can have your car washed in an
automatic car wash from the start.
Automatic car washes without brushes are
preferable.
To protect the filter system, switch the
climate control or automatic climate
control to air recirculation mode, see
“Air recirculation” (
page 165) for
climate control or (
page 175) for
automatic climate control.
If the vehicle is very dirty, prewash it
before running it through the automatic
car wash.
!Do not use scouring agents on these parts.
Never apply strong force and only use a soft,
non-scratching cloth when cleaning the vehicle.
Do not attempt to wipe the surface with a dry
cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you nay scratch or damage the paint.
!Do not clean your vehicle in an automatic
touchless car wash which uses caustic spray.
Otherwise the caustic spray will damage the
paint or ornamental moldings.

321 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find ...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Resetting activated head restraints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

356 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is located in the trunk on
the left side secured by a hook and loop
fastener.
1First aid kit
2Hook and loop fastener
Unfasten hook and loop fastener2.
Remove first aid kit1.
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is located in the storage
compartment underneath the trunk floor.
The following is included:

Towing eye bolt

Wheel wrench

Alignment bolt

Vehicle jack

Spare fuses

Collapsible wheel chock

A pair of gloves Removing the vehicle tool kit
Lift up trunk floor cover and engage
trunk floor handle in upper edge of
trunk.
1Retaining screw
2Storage well casing
Loosen retaining screw1 by turning it
counterclockwise.
Remove storage well casing2.
iCheck expiration dates and contents for
completeness at least once a year and replace
missing/expired items.

363 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
1Locking
Insert the mechanical key into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position1.
The driver’s door is locked.Manually unlocking the transmission
gear selector lever
In case of power failure, the transmission
gear selector lever can be manually un-
locked, e.g. to tow the vehicle.
Slide out the swiveling cup holder
(
page 240).
1Tool
Insert a tool1 (e.g. flat blade screw
driver) into the opening.
Perform the following two steps
simultaneously:
Press tool1 forward in direction
of the arrow.
Move gear selector lever from
positionP.
Remove tool1 from the opening.
iThis procedure does not arm the anti-theft
alarm system, nor does it lock the fuel filler flap.
iThe gear selector lever is locked again when
moving it to positionP.

365 Practical hints
Resetting activated head restraints
Resetting activated head restraints
Resetting activated head restraints
If the active head restraints have been trig-
gered in a rear-end collision, the active
head restraints must be reset. Otherwise,
the active head restraint cannot offer any
additional protection in the event of anoth-
er rear-end collision.
You can tell that the head restraints have
been triggered when they have been
moved forward and cannot be adjusted.
1Head restraint cushion
2Head restraint cover
3Reset tool
4Hole
Take the reset tool3 out of the
Mercedes-Benz vehicle literature
pouch.
Guide reset tool3 into the hole4 be-
tween the rear head restraint cover2
and the head restraint cushion1.
Press the reset tool3 forward in di-
rection of the arrow.
Press the reset tool3 downward until
you hear the head restraint release
mechanism audibly engage.
Pull out reset tool 3.
Firmly press the head restraint
cushion1 back toward the rear head
restraint cover2 until it engages.
Repeat this procedure on the active
head restraint for the second front
seat.
For information on active head restraints,
see “Active head restraint” (
page 73).
For information on head restraint adjust-
ment, see “Seats” (
page 34).
iFor your convenience, we recommend that
you have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
You will find the reset tool for manually operating
the active head restraints in the Mercedes-Benz
vehicle literature pouch.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, have the active head re-
straints checked by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center after a rear-end
collision.
Warning!G
When pushing back the head restraint cush-
ion, take care that your fingers do not be-
come caught between the head restraint
cushion and the cover. Failing to do so may
lead to injury.!Be careful not to damage upholstery.

386 Practical hints
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the
battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic con-
verter are cold.

Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.

Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12V). Jump
starting with a higher voltage battery
could damage the vehicle’s electrical
system, which will not be covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.

Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or oth-
er parts that move when an engine is
started or running.
Warning!G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission
and/or 4MATIC:
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine using a bat-
tery quick charge unit.
If engine does not run after several unsuccessful
starting attempts, have it checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by repeated
failed starting attempts may damage the catalyt-
ic converter and may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not touch any
other metal part while the other end is still at-
tached to a battery.
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(
page 279).