2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C300 warning light

120 Controls in detail
Power windows
Opening and closing power windows
The door windows are opened and closed
electrically. The switches

for all door windows are on the driver’s
door

for the front passenger door window
are on the front passenger door

for each rear door window are on the
respective rear door
1Left front door window
2Right front door window
3Right rear door window
4Override switch
5Left rear door window
Warning!G
Do not keep any part of your body up against
the side window pane when opening a win-
dow. The downward motion of the pane may
pull that part of your body down between
the window pane and the door frame and
trap it there. If there is a risk of entrapment,
release the switch and press it again to
close the window.
Warning!G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
Activate the override switch (
page 57)
when children are riding in the back seats of
the vehicle. The children may otherwise in-
jure themselves, e.g. by becoming trapped
in the window opening.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasing the switch or,
if the switch was pressed past the resis-
tance point and released, by pressing the
lower part of the respective switch again.
The door windows are equipped with the ex-
press-close and automatic reversal func-
tion. If the window encounters an
obstruction that blocks its path in a circum-
stance where you pressed the switch past
the resistance point and released it to close
the window, the automatic reversal function
will stop the window and open it slightly.

122 Controls in detail
Power windows
Express-opening: Press the switch1
to4 (
page 120) past the resistance
point and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Express-closing: Pull the switch1
to4 (
page 120) past the resistance
point and release.
The corresponding window closes com-
pletely.
Stopping during Express-operation:
Briefly press the respective power win-
dow switch again.
Warning!G
Driver’s door only:
If within 5 seconds you again press the
switch past the resistance point and re-
lease, the automatic reversal will not oper-
ate.
Warning!G
If a window is blocked while closing and re-
opens, it can be closed with greater force if
you pull the switch to the resistance point
within 2 seconds.
If the window is blocked again and reopens,
you can close it with deactivated anti-trap
protection by pulling the switch again to the
resistance point within 2 seconds.
When closing windows with the anti-trap
protection deactivated, make sure no one
can become trapped, as this could result in
serious or fatal injuries.
!If the upward movement of the window is
blocked during the closing procedure, the win-
dow will stop and open slightly. Remove the ob-
struction, press the respective power window
switch again past the resistance point and re-
lease. If the window still does not close when
there is no obstruction, press and hold the re-
spective power window switch. The side window
will then close without the protection of the au-
tomatic reversal feature.


133 Controls in detail
Driving and parking
Parking
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering systems. In this case, it is impor-
tant 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 com-
bustible 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 as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

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, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button
(
page 84).

Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you and lock vehicle
when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.


142 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
Leave the transmission in gear.
Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period of time
with the engine idling and/or on a hill:
Set the parking brake.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Working on the vehicle
Warning!G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to park positionP. Otherwise the vehicle
could roll away.

148 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Adjusting instrument cluster display
illumination
1Dimmer
Brightening illumination: Turn
dimmer1 clockwise.
Dimming illumination: Turn
dimmer1 counterclockwise.
Coolant temperature gauge
The coolant temperature gauge is on the
left side in the instrument cluster
(
page 26).
iThe instrument cluster illumination is
dimmed or brightened automatically to suit am-
bient light conditions.
The instrument cluster illumination will also be
adjusted automatically when you switch on the
vehicle’s exterior lamps.
Warning!G

Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.

Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of
the vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle
until the engine has cooled down.

276 Controls in detail
Panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
Roller sunblinds
The roller sunblinds are designed to pro-
tect you from excessive sunlight streaming
in through the panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel.
The front roller sunblind only operates with
the tilt/sliding panel closed. The front and
rear roller sunblind cannot be operated in-
dividually.
Switch on the ignition.Operating roller sunblinds
Roof panel switch
1Extend front roller sunblinds
2Extend front roller sunblinds
3Retract front roller sunblinds
Extending or retracting: Move the
roof panel switch to the resistance
point in the required direction of
arrow1, 2 or3 until the roller sun-
blinds have reached their desired posi-
tion.
Express-extending: Move the roof
panel switch past the resistance point
in direction of arrow1 or 2 and re-
lease.
The roller sunblinds extends
completely.
Stopping during Express-extending:
Move the roof panel switch in any di-
rection.
Warning!G
When extending/retracting the roller sun-
blinds, make sure no one is in danger of be-
ing injured by the closing procedure. The
extending/retracting of the roller sunblinds
can be immediately halted by releasing the
switch or, if the switch was pressed past the
resistance point and released, by pressing
the switch in any direction.

277 Controls in detail
Panorama roof with power tilt/sliding panel*
Opening and closing panorama roof
with power tilt/sliding panel
The tilt/sliding panel only operates with
the roller sunblinds extended.
Warning!G
When opening or closing the tilt/sliding pan-
el, make sure there is no danger of anyone
being harmed by the opening or closing pro-
cedure.
The opening procedure of the tilt/sliding
panel can be immediately halted by releas-
ing the switch or, if the switch was moved
past the resistance point and released, by
moving the switch in any direction.
The closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
panel can be immediately halted by releas-
ing the switch.
The panorama roof with power tilt/sliding
panel is made out of glass. In the event of an
accident, the glass may shatter. This may re-
sult in an opening in the roof.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening.
Such an opening also presents a potential
for injury for occupants wearing their seat
belts properly as entire body parts or por-
tions of them may protrude from the pas-
senger compartment.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
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. A child’s unsupervised
access to a vehicle could result in an acci-
dent and/or serious personal injury.
!To avoid damaging the seals, do not trans-
port any objects with sharp edges which can
stick out of the tilt/sliding panel.
Do not open the tilt/sliding panel if there is snow
or ice on the roof, as this could result in malfunc-
tions.
!Please keep in mind that weather conditions
can sometimes change rapidly. Make sure to
close the tilt/sliding panel when leaving the ve-
hicle. If water enters the vehicle interior, vehicle
electronics could be damaged which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
iWhen the panorama roof with power
tilt/sliding panel is open, resonance noises may
result in addition to the usual wind noises. They
are caused by minimal pressure changes in the
passenger compartment. To reduce or eliminate
these noises, change the position of the panora-
ma roof with power tilt/sliding panel or open a
side window slightly.
iYou can also open or close the tilt/sliding
panel using the SmartKey, see “Summer open-
ing feature” (
page 123) and “Convenience
closing feature” (
page 124).


285 Controls in detail
Loading and storing
Opening small and large storage
compartment: Press button1 or2
the armrests opens automatically to
the left and right side.
Closing small or large storage com-
partment: Swing the left or right arm-
rest backward until it engage.Parcel net in front passenger footwellA small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.
iThere is a small and a large storage compart-
ment located underneath the left armrest. The
small storage compartment can be removed for
the purpose of emptying.
Warning!G
The parcel net is intended for storing
light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel net. In an accident, during hard brak-
ing, or sudden maneuvers, they could be in-
jury to vehicle occupants.
The parcel net cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.