Get Driving and parking -> Driving tips Guide for Mercedes C Class 4 Door Second Generation (2007-2013)

To apply: depress parking brake ; firmly.

Whenthe engine is running, the $ (USA

only) or J (Canada only) indicator lamp

lights up in the instrumentcluster.

To release: depress the brake pedal and

keep it depressed.

Pull release handle :.

When the ignition is switched on or the

engine is running, the $ (USA only) or

J (Canada only) indicator lamp goes out

in the instrument cluster.

Parking the vehicle for along period

If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than

four weeks, the battery may be damaged by

exhaustive discharging.

Connecting a trickle charger.

You can obtain information about trickle

chargers from a qualified specialist

workshop.

If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than

six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as

a result of lack of use.

Visit a qualified specialist workshop and

seek advice.

Driving tips

General driving tips

Important safety notes

WARNING

If you switch off the ignitionwhile driving,

safety-relevant functions are only available

with limitations, or not at all. This could affect,

for example, the power steering and the brake

boosting effect.You will require considerably

more effort to steer and brake. There is a risk

of an accident.

Do not switch off the ignition while driving.

WARNING

If you operate mobile communication

equipment while driving, you will be

distracted from traffic conditions. You could

also lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk

of an accident.

Only operate this equipment when the vehicle

is stationary.

Observe the legal requirements for the

country in which you are driving. Some

jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a

mobile phone while driving a vehicle.

If you make a call while driving, always use

hands-free mode. Only operate the telephone

when the traffic situation permits. If you are

unsure, pull over to a safe location and stop

before operating the telephone.

Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph

(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers

a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m)

per second.

Drive sensibly –save fuel

Observe the following tips to save fuel:

The tires should always be inflated to the

recommended tire pressure.

Remove unnecessary loads.

Remove roof racks whenthey are not

needed.

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Driving tips

Driving and parking

Warm up the engine at low engine speeds.

Avoid frequent acceleration or braking.

Have all maintenance work carried out as

indicated by the service intervals in the

Maintenance Booklet or by the service

interval display.

Fuel consumption also increases when

driving in cold weather, in stop-start traffic

and in hilly terrain.

Drinking and driving

WARNING

Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and

driving are very dangerous combinations.

Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can

affect your reflexes, perceptions and

judgment.

The possibility of a serious or even fatal

accident are greatly increased when you drink

or take drugs and drive.

Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow

anyone to drive who has been drinking or

taking drugs.

Emission control

WARNING

Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust

gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling

these exhaust gases leads to poisoning.There

is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave

the engine running in enclosed spaces

without sufficient ventilation.

Certain engine systems are designed to keep

the level of poisonous components in exhaust

fumes within legal limits.

These systems only work at peak efficiency if

they are serviced exactly in accordance with

the manufacturer's specifications. For this

reason, all work on the engine must be carried

out by qualified and authorized Mercedes-

Benz technicians.

The engine settings must not be changed

under any circumstances. Furthermore, all

specific service work must be carried out at

regular intervals and in accordance with the

Mercedes-Benzservice requirements. Details

can be found in the Maintenance Booklet.

ECO display

The ECO display gives you information on how

economical your driving style is. The ECO

display assists you in achieving the optimum

driving style in terms of consumption, taking

the actual and selected conditions into

consideration.Your driving style can

significantly influence the vehicle's

consumption.

Example: ECO display

The ECO display consists of three bars:

Acceleration

Constant

Coasting

The percent value is the average value of the

three bars. The three bars and the mean value

begin at the value of 50%. Ahigher

percentage indicates a moreeconomical

driving style.

The ECO display does not indicate the actual

fuel consumption and a fixed percentage

count in the ECO display does not indicate a

fixed consumption figure.

Apart from driving style, consumption is

dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:

load

tire pressure

cold start

choice of route

electrical consumers switched on

Driving tips

161

Driving and parking

These factors are not taken into

consideration by the ECO display.

The evaluation of your driving style is carried

out using the following three categories:

Acceleration (evaluation of all

acceleration processes):

The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,

especially at higher speeds

The bar empties: sporty acceleration

Constant

(assessment of driving behavior

at all times):

The bar fills up: constant speed and

avoidance of unnecessary acceleration

and deceleration

The bar empties: fluctuations in speed

Coasting (assessment of all deceleration

processes):

The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,

keeping your distance and early release

of the accelerator.The vehicle can coast

without use of the brakes.

The bar empties: frequent braking

An economical driving style specially

requires driving at moderate engine

speeds.

To achieve a higher value in the categories

Acceleration and Constant:

observe the gearshift recommendations.

drive in drive program E.

On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.

on the highway, only the bar for

Constant

will change.

The ECO display summaries the driving

characteristics from the start of the journey

to its completion. For this reason, the bars

change dynamically at the beginning of the

journey. On longer journeys, there are

fewer changes. For more dynamic changes,

carry out a manual reset.

Further information on the ECO display

(Y page 202).

Braking

Important safety notes

WARNING

If you shift down on a slippery road surface in

an attempt to increase the engine's braking

effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.

There is an increased danger of skidding and

accidents.

Do not shift down for additional engine

braking on a slippery road surface.

Downhill gradients

On long and steep gradients, you must

reduce the load on the brakes by shifting

early to a lower gear. This allows you to take

advantage of the engine braking effect and

helps avoid overheating and excessive

wear of the brakes.

When you take advantage of the engine

braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn

for some time, e.g. on a slippery road

surface. This could cause damage to the

drive train. This type of damage is not

covered by the Mercedes-Benzwarranty.

Heavy and light loads

WARNING

If you restyour foot on the brake pedal while

driving, the braking system can overheat. This

increases the stopping distance and can even

cause the braking system to fail. There is a

risk of an accident.

Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.Never

depress the brake pedal and the accelerator

pedal at the same time.

Depressing the brake pedal constantly

results in excessive and premature wear to

the brake pads.

If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy

load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.

Drive on for a short while. This allows the

airflow to cool the brakes more quickly.

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Driving tips

Driving and parking

Wet roads

If you have drivenfor a long time in heavy rain

without braking, there may be a delayed

reaction from the brakes when braking for the

first time. This may also occur after the

vehicle has been washed.

You have to depress the brake pedal more

firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the

vehicle in front.

After driving on a wet road or having the

vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying

attention to the traffic conditions. This will

warm up the brake discs, thereby drying them

more quickly and protecting them against

corrosion.

Limited braking performance on salt-

treated roads

If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt

residue may form on the brake discs and

brake pads. This can result in a significantly

longer braking distance.

Brake occasionally to remove any possible

salt residue. Make sure that you do not

endanger other road users when doing so.

Carefully depress the brake pedal and the

beginning and end of a journey.

Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle

ahead.

Servicing the brakes

If the red brake warning lamp lights up in

the instrument cluster and you hear a

warning tone while the engine is running,

the brake fluid level may be too low.

Observe additional warning messages in

the multifunction display.

The brake fluid level may be too low due to

brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.

Have the brake system checked

immediately. This work should be carried

out at a qualified specialist workshop.

All checks and maintenance work on the

brake system must be carried out at a

qualified specialist workshop. Consult a

qualified specialist workshop to arrange this.

Have brake pads installed and brake fluid

replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.

Vehicles with 4MATIC: function or

performance tests may only be carried out

on a 2-axle dynamometer. If you are

planning to have the vehicle tested on such

a dynamometer, contact an authorized

Mercedes-Benz Center to obtain further

information first. Otherwise, you could

damage the drive train or the brake system.

Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP

system operates automatically, the engine

and the ignition must be switched off

(SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the ignition

lock or Start/Stop button in position 0 or

1) while the parking brake is being tested

on a brake dynamometer.

Braking maneuvers triggered automatically

by ESP

may seriously damage the brake

system.

Vehicles with 4MATIC: as the ESP

system operates automatically, the engine

and the ignition system must be switched

off (SmartKey in position 0 or 1 in the

ignition lock or Start/Stop button in

position 0 or 1) when:

testing the parking brake on a brake

dynamometer.

you intend to have the vehicle towed with

the front axle raised.

Braking maneuvers triggered automatically

by ESP

may seriously damage the brake

system.

If the brake system has only been subject to

moderate loads, you should test the

functionality of your brakes at regular

intervals. To do so, press firmly on the brake

pedal when driving at a high speed. This

improves the grip of the brake pads.

You can find a description of Brake Assist

(BAS) on (Y page 65) or of BAS PLUS on

(Y page 65).

Driving tips

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Driving and parking

Mercedes-Benzrecommends that you only

have brake pads/linings installed on your

vehicle which have been approved for

Mercedes-Benzvehicles or which correspond

to an equivalent quality standard. Brake

pads/linings which have not been approved

for Mercedes-Benzvehicles or which are not

of an equivalent quality could affect your

vehicle's operating safety.

Mercedes-Benzrecommends that you only

use brake fluid that has been specially

approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz,

or which corresponds to an equivalent quality

standard. Brake fluid which has not been

approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or

which is not of an equivalent quality could

affect your vehicle's operating safety.

High-performance brake system for

AMG vehicles

The high-performance brake system is

installed only on the C 63 AMG.

The high-performance brake system is

designed for heavy loads. This may lead to

noise when braking. This will depend on:

Speed

Braking force

Environmental conditions,such as

temperature and humidity

The wear and tear on individual brake system

components, e.g. brake pads/linings or

discs, depends on:

the individual driving style

the operating conditions

Forthis reason, it is impossible to state a

mileage that will be valid under all

circumstances. An aggressive driving style

will lead to high wear. You can obtain further

information about this from your authorized

Mercedes-BenzCenter.

New and replaced brake pads and discs only

reach their optimum braking effect after

several hundred kilometers of driving.

Compensate for this by applying greater force

to the brake pedal. Keep this in mind, and

adapt your driving and braking accordingly

during this break-in period.

Excessive heavy braking results in

correspondingly high brake wear. Observe

the brake wear warning lamp in the

instrument cluster and note any brake status

messages in the multifunction display.

Especially for high performance driving, it is

important to maintain and have the brake

system checked regularly.

Driving on wet roads

Hydroplaning

If water has accumulated to a certain depth

on the road surface, there is a danger of

hydroplaning occurring, even if:

you drive at low speeds.

the tires have adequate tread depth.

For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or

in conditions in which hydroplaning may

occur, you must drive in the following

manner:

lower your speed.

avoid ruts.

brake carefully.

Driving on flooded roads

Do not drive through flooded areas.

Check the depth of any water before driving

through it. Drive slowly through standing

water. Otherwise, water may enter the

vehicle interior or the engine compartment.

This can damage the electronic

components in the engineorthe automatic

transmission. Water can also be drawn in

by the engine's air suction nozzles and this

can cause engine damage.

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Driving tips

Driving and parking

Driving and parking -> Driving tips for Your Mercedes C Class 4 Door Second Generation (2007-2013)

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