Mercedes-Benz AM and FM stereo radio User manual

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Mercedes-Benz
AM AND FM STEREO RADIO WITH CASSETTE PLAYER AND CD CAPABILITY
Operation Guide

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Overview
Prepare to enjoy the many pleasures of listening to a superb sound system:
the Mercedes-Benz AM and FM stereo radio with cassette player. This
Operation Guide is designed to give you both a quick reference of basic
functions and features and a detailed description of the system's entire
range of operation. To maximize your listening satisfaction, take a few
minutes to carefully review all sections of this guide.
Note: The following instructions also include thefunctions of the optional dealer-installed trunk-
mounted compact disc changer. Not available in station wagon models, standard in 12-cylinder
models.

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RADIO FUNCTIONS
BASIC CONTROLS
1. Power Button
2. Volume Bar
3. Bass Control/Balance Left
Button
4. Treble Control/Balance Right
Button
5. Mode Button (Selection of
Operating Mode).
DISPLAY PANEL
1Indicator for Tone Control
2 Cellular telephone. Stereo
Indicator
3 Indicator for Tuner Frequency,
Antitheft Code and Balance
Setting, Telephone Mute*
4 Indicator for Selected Station
Recall Button
5 Wave Band Indicator
6 Indicator for Tuning Sensitivity
Setting
*Telephone mute is activated by
the optional integrated
TUNING
1. Wave Band and Station Recall
Buttons
2. Function Control Button
3. Tuning Sensitivity Button
4. Seek Tuning Bar
5. Scan Tuning Bar
6. Manual Tuning - Increasing
Station Frequency
7. Manual Tuning - Decreasing
Station Frequency

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CASSETTE PLAYER FUNCTIONS
BASIC CONTROLS
1. Power Button
2. Volume Bar
3. Bass Control/Balance Left
Button
4. Treble Control/Balance Right
Button
5. Mode Button (Selection of
Operating Mode)
DISPLAY PANEL
1 Indicator for Tone Control
2 I Indicator for Antitheft Code,
Balance Setting and Cassette
Functions, Telephone Mute*
3 Indicator for Dolby B®/C* Button
* Telephone mute is activated by
the optional integrated cellular
telephone.
CASSETTE OPERATION
1 Reverse Music Search/Fast
Rewind Button
2 Forward Music Search/Fast
Forward Button
3 Track SelectionButton, Eject
Button (Push and Hold)
4 Tape Selection Button
5 Dolby B*/C® Button
6 Cassette Port

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COMPACT DISC CHANGER FUNCTIONS
BASIC CONTROLS
1. Power Button
2. Volume Bar
3. Bass Control/Balance Left
Button
4. Treble Control/Balance Right
Button
5. Mode Button (Selection of
Operating Mode)
DISPLAY PANEL
1 Indicator for Tone Control
2 Indicator for CD Function,
Telephone Mute*
3 Disc Indicator
4 Track Indicator
5 Random Track
6 Play Indicator
CD OPERATION
1 Function Control Button
2 Disc Selection Buttons
Forward Music Search/Fast
Forward Button**
3 Reverse Music Search/Fast
Reverse Button**
4 Number of Tracks Display
Button**
5 Random Track Play Button
6 Elapsed Playing Time Button**
**The Function Control Button
must be pressed to select
these features.

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BASIC CONTROLS
Power: The sound system will
operate with the car's ignition
switch in either the
on or oft position.
To operate the radio
or the optional CD changer, simply
push the power button located at
the lower left corner of the radio
faceplate. Pushing the power
button again will turnthe radio off.
A tape cassette can be played
without using the power button by
simply inserting the tape into the
cassette port. As soon as the
cassette is drawn into position, it
will begin to play.
Mode: Pushing this button
repeatedly will
cause the radio
to cyclethrough each of its
operating modes: tuner, cassette
player and CD changer (if so
equipped).
Volume: Sound level is adjusted by
means of thevolume bar located on
the left side
of the radio
faceplate.
Press upward to increase volume or
downward to decrease volume.
Speed-Dependent Volume
Adjustment: A special function
adjusts the volume of sound a preset
amount according to vehicle speed.
Thus, increased wind and road noise
are compensated for as the vehicle
is driven faster. Whenvehicle speed
and thus ambient sound level drop,
the volume is automatically lowered
a preset amount.
Telephone Mute (activated by
optional integrated cellular
telephone): The volume of sound
automatically diminishes when the
telephone is inuse and the radio
display will showTEL; set volume
returns when the call is completed.
Tone: Two tone buttons, identified
by musical notes, are located
above thevolume bar. The left
button controls bass, and the right
controls treble. A bar graph at the
left of the radio display indicates
relative bass and treble settings.
To bring both bass and treble tones
to their midrange settings, press
both buttons simultaneously. To
bring either bass or treble toneto
maximum level, press and hold the
respective button. If the button is
released and then pressed again,
the tone level will move toward its
minimum level. To reverse
adjustment direction, themaximum
level must be reached first. The
system is equipped with a memory
function that will store the
adjustment tone levels of AM, FM,
cassette and optional CDmodes
separately.

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BASIC CONTROLS
Balance: Left-to-right stereo balance
is adjusted using the same buttons
that control bass and treblelevels.
First press the function control button,
which ison the right side of the
display and marked with a star "*". To
shift sound balance to the left
speakers, press the bass control
button. To shift balance to the right
speakers, press the treble control
button. Balance can be set to the mid-
position by pressing both buttons
simultaneously. A visual indication of
the balance setting is provided on the
display when the balance feature is
activated.
Fader: Afader control is provided on
models equipped with both front and
rear speaker groups. Located on the
lower console near the gear selector,
this thumbwheel control can be
adjusted to suit your preference.
Dialing the thumbwheel forward will
increase output of thefront
speakers while reducing that of the
rear. Conversely,
dialing the thumbwheel
backward will increase
output of the rear
speakers, while
reducing that of the
front. Positioning the
thumbwheel in its center detent will
equalize sound output.
Antenna: The antenna extends
automatically whenever the radio
or optional integrated cellular
telephone is switched on and
retracts whenever the radio,
telephone or the car'signition is
switched off.
Power-Off Delay: When you are
listening tothe sound system
while the engine is running and
then turn off the ignition key, the
sound system will continue
playing for three seconds. This
allows you sufficient time toturn
the ignition key back to the
accessory position without
interrupting thefunction of the
radio, the cassette player or the
optional CD changer.
Battery Conservation: It is
possible to operatethe radio when
the ignition is off for up to an hour.
After one hour, the radio will
automatically shut itself off to
conserve battery power. If
continued listening is desired,
simply press the power button
again.

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RADIO OPERATION
The radio is capable of receiving
monaural AM broadcasts and
monaural and stereo FM
broadcasts. A stereo indicator will
appear on the radio display
whenever an FM stereo signal is
received. To select the wave band
you wish to hear, simply press any
one of the numbered station recall
buttons located along the top of the
radiofaceplate - 1 through 6for
FM, 7 through 0 for AM. Totune to
a specificstation, use any of the
following methods:
Seek and Scan Tuning: The seek
bar, located on the right side of the
radio face-
plate, can be
used to tune in
broad- cast frequencies within AM
or FM wave bands. Pressing the
bar up will cause the radioto lock
onto stations tracked in ascending
frequencies; pressing it down will
track
stations in descending order.
The scan bar, located directly to the
right of the seek bar, allows
sampling of radio stations within a
wave band for approximately five
seconds each. If no actionis taken
during thefive-second period, the
radio will tune tothe next station.
Pressing either the seek bar or the
scan bar a second time will cause
the radio to stay tunedto the station
being sampled.
Sensitivity Control: This feature
enables you to choose two tuning
sensitivitylevels by pressing the
sensitivity control button located on
the far right side of the radio
faceplate. The level you select will
be indicated by an L (local) or a D
(distant) appearing on
the right side of the
radio display. In the
local mode, the radio will seek and
scan only the strongest signals. In
the distant mode, it will seek and
scan less powerful signalsaswell.
Direct Frequency Tuning:
To tune directly to aspecific
frequency, switch to your desired
wave band - AM or FM - as
described, then press the function
control button, which is identified
by a star "*" and located just to the
right of the radio display. The
display will go blank. Next, press the
numbered buttons corresponding to
the digits of your desired station. For
example, to select the frequency
98.5, you wouldfirst press the
function control button to clear the
display. Then you would press
button numbers 9, 8 and 5in
consecutive order. The display
would then read 98.5, and the
station at that frequency would
begin playing. The driver, of
course, should not use the direct
frequency method when the vehicle
is inmotion.

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RADIO OPERATION / CASSETTE OPERATION
Manual Tuning: To manually tune
through each possible radio
broadcast
frequency in
ascending
order, press the right manual
tuning button. Each possible
frequency number will appear in
the display as you reachit. To
manually tune through radio
stations in descending order, press
the left manual tuning button.
Push-Button Memory Tuning:
The most convenient method of
tuningis to store your favorite
stations in the radio'smemory. Six
FM stations and four AM stations
may be stored by using the
numbered station recall buttons
located along the top of the radio
faceplate.
First, using either the seek, scan, or
direct frequency tuning methods,
tune in the station you wish to store.
Next, push and hold the numbered
station recall button you wish to use.
The radio will display the station
currently stored at that number.
Continue holding the button until this
station is deleted frommemory and
the frequency of your newly selected
station appears on the display. The
new frequency will be stored in
memory.
To play a cassette, insert it intothe
cassette port with its side one or A
up and the exposed tape side
facing the port. The cassette will be
drawn automatically into the deck.
At the conclusion of thefirst side's
play, the auto-reverse mechanism
will automatically begin playing the
other side of the tape.
If a tape has already been loaded
but a different mode (tuner or CD)
has been subsequently selected,
press the mode button until
cassette play resumes.
Tape Switch:
Thisfeature
allows you to
select the proper equalization
setting for playing chromium
dioxide (CrO2) or "metal" cassette
tapes. The radio display will show
CR when this option has been
selected.

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CASSETTE OPERATION
Eject: To remove a cassette, push
and hold
the track
selection/eject button until the tape
automatically disengages and can
then be retrieved from the cassette
port.
Ejecting a cassette switches the
system to radio operation.
Forward Music Search/Fast
Forward:
A cassette tape can be
automatically advanced to the next
selection by
pressing the
forward music
search button once. The radio's
display will showMSF and the
current track to indicate that music
search has been activated.
Tofast forward thetape to the end
of the side, press the forward
music search button twice. The
radios display will showFF and the
current track to indicate the fast
forwardfunction has been
activated.
Reverse Music Search / Rewind: A
cassette tape selection can be
repeated by pressing the reverse
music search button once. The
radio's display will show MSR and
the current track toindicate that
music search has been activated.
Push the button twice to completely
re-wind the tape. Once engaged, it
will lockinto position until the tapeis
fully rewound
or until
another tape
function is activated. The radio's
display will show REW and the
current track to indicate that the
rewind function has been activated.
Track Selection: Once acassette
has been engaged, the track
selection button can be used to
switch tothe tape's other side
without having to remove and flip the
cassette. The radio's display will
always indicate the current track
being played.
Dolby B and Dolby C Noise
Reduction: This function, which is
activated by
pressing the
Dolby noise
reduction button, reduces
background hiss while playing a
cassette that was recorded using
the Dolby B" or Dolby C" noise
reduction system. Most
prerecorded cassettes indicate the
type of noise reduction that was
used during recording (if any). The
radio's display will indicatethe
noise-reduction system selected.

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COMPACT DISC OPERATION
If the optional dealer-installed CD
changer is connected to your
system,* it can be operated viathe
same keys that control the radio
and cassette player.
The sameinstructions that govern
volume, tone and balancein the
radio and cassette modes apply to
the CD mode as well. However,
some system functions and
procedures are exclusiveto the CD
mode.
Loading the CD Magazine and
CD Changer: The CD changer is
inside the car'strunk. Itsmagazine
will accept up to
*Standard on 12-cylinder models.
six discs. Insert the discs into the
magazine compartments with the
label surface facing up, as indicated
on the magazine.
When the magazine is loaded, slide
the CD port door open and place the
magazine into the CD changer port.
An arrow on the top surface of the
magazine indicates which end
should be inserted first. When you
feel the magazine lock snugly into
position in the port, close the port
door.
During this procedure, the display
panel will read LOAD M if in CD
mode. The first CD will play within
approximately 20 seconds.
Ejecting the CD Magazine: To
eject the magazine from the CD
changer, slide the CD port door
open. Press the magazine eject
button 1inside the port door and
the magazine will automatically
slide part way out of the magazine
port; remove the magazine
manually and slide the port door
closed.
To Play CDs: First, turn on the
radio. Press the mode button once
or twice, depending on the
operatingmode set before, until
CD appears on the display. If the
CDmagazine has not been
inserted intothe CD changer or if
there are no discs inthe CD
magazine, the display will indicate
CD-M-E, meaning CDMagazine
Empty.
The radio's FM station recall
buttons, numbered 1FM through
6FM, function as CD disc-select
buttons as well. To play the disc in
the CD magazine's fourth
compartment, for example, press
button 4FM.

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COMPACT DISC OPERATION
LOAD 4 appears on the display as
the disc is placedinto position; the
display changes to CD 1 4 once
the disc begins to play.
Tointerrupt one disc and choose
another, press the appropriate disc
selector button for the disc desired.
The display will read LOAD and
the number of the desired disc until
the newly selected disc begins
playing.
Should two horizontal lines appear
on the right side of the display, this
indicates that an empty
compartment in the CD magazine
was selected or that one of the
station select buttons 7AM through
0AM was depressed
Forward Music Search/Fast
Forward:
To move from one track to the next
on the same CD, simply press the
forwardmusic search button. The
current track will begin.
Similarly, tomove ahead three
selections, quickly press the key
three times.
To move consecutively through
several tracks, press and hold the
forward music search button; in this
way, you can advance as far as the
beginning of the last track on the
disc.
Tofast forward through a given
track, press the function control
button "*" andthen the forward
music search button. To help gauge
your progress through a track, the
disc'selapsed playing time will be
indicated on the display.
Reverse Music Search/Fast
Reverse:
To repeat an earlier track on the disc
you are listening to, press the
reverse music search button. Press
it once to go back to the beginning of
the selection currently playing, twice
to returnto the beginning of the
previous selection, and so forth.
Press this button for a sustained
period, and you will move
consecutively through several
selections, all the way to the
beginning of the disc, if you
choose.
Tofast reverse through a given
selection, press the function control
button "*" followed by the reverse
music search button. To help
monitor how far you have
backtracked through the selection,
the display will indicate the disc's
elapsed playing time.
Random Track Play: To play the
tracks on a CD in non consecutive
order, press the Dolby B®/C®
button once. In this mode, the track
number indicated on the display
will be followed by an Rto show
that selections are being randomly
chosen. To cancel this command
and return to sequential playing of
CD selections as they are ordered
on the disc, press the Dolby B®/C*
button once more.

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COMPACT DISC OPERATION
Display of Tracks and Playing
Time:
To determine the number of tracks
on the selected disc, press the
function control button "*" and then
the tape selection button CR. The
display will indicatethe total
number of selections for eight
seconds. Similarly, to determine
howlong a disc has been playing,
press the function control button "*"
and then the mode button. A three-
or four-digit number will appear in
the display - the first one or two
indicating minutes, the second two
indicating seconds. A display
readout of 3417 means the disc
has been playing for thirty-four
minutes and seventeen seconds.
Maintenance Notes For CD
System:
Extreme temperatures will affect
the performance of the CD system.
However, optimum performance
will occur between 0 and 160
degrees Fahrenheit. Dampness on
the disc surfacecan be caused by
changing temperatures and may
affect disc performance, inhibiting
the system'slaser from focusing and
making it impossiblefor the laser to
read the contents of a disc. As soon
as relativehumidity has decreased,
this situation will correct itself,
usually within one totwo hours.
Although compact discs are
specially coated for durability, they
should still be handled carefully.
Handle discs only by the edges and
avoid fingerprints, dust, scratches,
and dampness on both surfaces. Do
not label the discs or affix paper or
tape to them. After removing a disc
from the magazine, store it in its
original case.
If needed, clean the disc with a CD
cleaning cloth, wiping radially from
the center of the disc tothe edge.
Do not use solvents such as
benzene, thinner, or commercially
available cleaners intended for
analog discs. Mistracking or
skipping due to road shockis
unavoidable but will not damagethe
unit or discs
CAUTION: This CD player
contains a Class 1 laser unit. If
the cover is opened or damaged,
there is danger from invisible
laser radiation. Do not remove
the cover. There are no parts
that can be repaired by the user.
Only qualified service
technicians should attempt
internal maintenance or repairs.

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SOUND SYSTEMS
High Performance Sound System:
Standard on SL models, as well as
on the 300 E, 300 E 4MATIC,TM
300® CE, 400 E and 500 E; is a
special High Performance Sound
System, which has been
specifically engineered and
equalized for the interiors of these
particular models. Developing
vibrant stereo power by means of
separate audio power amplifiers,
the system plays through ten high-
quality speakers in the 300 Class
models: two low-frequency, two
mid-frequency, four high-frequency
and two mid-high-frequency units.
The SL sound system has six
speakers: two low-frequency, two
mid-frequency, and two high-
frequency units.
* Optionally available on the
300D 2.5 Turbo and the 300E 2.8
Bose® Beta System: Standard on all
S-Class models, the Bose® Beta
System is the result of the most
extensive acoustic research effort to
date by Bose . This system is
substantially more sophisticated
than any sound system currently
offered as standard equipment by a
car manufacturer. Its aim is to
provide uniformly crystalline,
distortion-free sound at any seating
position. The system uses four
electronic equalizers, seven power
amplifiers and 11 speakers, and
generates up to 240 watts of power.
Active Bass System: Standard on
the 300E 2.8 and 300D 2.5turbo is a
substantial enhancement to the four-
speaker sound system's bass
component. Deep, vibrant bass is
assured by additional sub-woofers,
one mounted in each front door, and
a bass power amplifier.

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ANTITHEFT SYSTEM
The Mercedes-Benz AM and FM
stereo radio with cassette player
and CD compatibilityis fitted with a
built-in system designed to help
render it inoperativein case of
theft. If the radio or batteryis dis-
connected, the radio will be
automatically disabled. To indicate
this state, the word CODE will
appear on the radio's display. To
render the radio operable again,
the correct four-digit codemust be
entered into the radioviaits
numbered station recall buttons. A
code is preassigned to each radio
and supplied to the owner on two
wallet--sized cards.
Recoding Sequence: To recode a
radio, follow this procedure: 1.
Turn ignition key to lock position
one. 2. Turn on theradio. The
word CODE appears on the
display. 3. Enter thefirst digit of
theradio's antitheft code as it
appears on the code card. The
word CODE will disappear and the
first number that you have entered
will be displayed. 4. Enter the rest of
the antitheft code. Eachnumber will
be displayed when it is keyed in. 5.
When all four antitheft code numbers
have been correctly entered, radio
operation will resume. The station
stored at push-button 1 FM will play.
Incorrect Code: If an incorrect
antitheft code digit is entered,
continue to enter numbers until four
are displayed. The word CODE will
appear again. The system allows
two more recoding attempts. After
the third incorrect attempt, the word
WAIT is displayed. A period of 15
minutes must pass and the word
CODE must again be displayed
before recoding can be successful.
The radio must be left on during this
period. Thismeasure ismeant to
prevent a thief from recoding the
radio by randomly entering numbers.
If the correct antitheft code has not
been entered after three separate
attempts-and therefore after two
15minute wait intervals - the radio
will lockfor 24 hours to prevent
any further recoding attempts. The
radiomust be left on during this
period in order for it to re-enter the
code mode.
CODE CARDS SHOULD NOT BE
STORED IN THE GLOVE
COMPARTMENT. During vehicle
service at an authorized Mercedes-
Benz dealer, we recommend that
you leave one card withyour
service advisor. Thus, if the battery
is disconnected, the service
advisor can recode the radio before
the car is returned to you.
If the car is equipped with a
Mercedes-Benz antitheft alarm
system, the alarm will sound
should the radio be removed from
the console while the alarm system
is armed. If you have difficulty
reprogramming the radio or if the
reprogramming function fails to
operate, please contact your
authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer.