2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CABRIOLET brakes

Operation Audio and telephone 125 The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) 171 Travelling abroad 200
Power windows 143 Maintenance 171 Cruise control 201
Interior lighting 146 Catalytic converter 172 Brake assist system (BAS) 204
Entrance lamps, exit lamps in doors 146 Emission control 173 Antilock brake system (ABS) 206
Sun visors 147 Tele Aid 174
Electronic stability program (ESP)
208
Illuminated vanity mirrors 147 Steering lock 180 What you should know at the
Interior 148 Starting and turning off the engine 182 gas station 211
Storage compartments, armrest and
cup holder148 Automatic transmission 183 Check regularly and before a
long trip 213
Glove box 148 Parking brake 192
Ashtray 150 Driving instructions 192
Instrument cluster display
Lighter 151 Drive sensibly – save fuel 192 Malfunction and indicator
lamps in the instrument cluster 216
Cargo tie down rings 152 Drinking and driving 193 On-board diagnostic system
Parcel net in front passenger footwell 152 Pedals 193 Check engine malfunction
indicator lamp 216
Armrest, rear bench 152 Power assistance 193 Supplemental restraint system
(SRS) indicator lamp 218
Telephone, general 153 Brakes 193 Fuel reserve and fuel cap
Cellular telephone 153 Driving off 194 placement warning 218
Garage door opener 154 Parking 195 Electronic stability
program(ESP) — warning lamp 219
Soft top 158 Tires 195
BAS/ESP malfunction indicator
lamp
219
Wind screen 165 Snow chains 198
ABS malfunction indicator lamp
219
Winter driving instructions 198 Telescoping steering column –
indicator lamp220
DrivingDeep water 199 Seat belt warning lamp 220
Control and operation of radio transmitters
170 Passenger compartment 200
4

Driving
Parking 195
Tires 195
Control and operation of radio transmitters
170 Snow chains 198
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) 171 Winter driving instructions 198
Maintenance 171 Deep water 199
Catalytic converter 172 Passenger compartment 200
Emission control 173 Travelling abroad 200
Tele Aid 174 Cruise control 201
Steering lock 180 Brake assist system (BAS) 204
Starting and turning off the engine 182 Antilock brake system (ABS) 206
Automatic transmission 183
Electronic stability program (ESP)
208
Parking brake 192 What you should know at the gas station 211
Driving instructions 192 Check regularly and before a long trip 213
Drive sensibly – save fuel 192
Drinking and driving 193
Pedals 193
Power assistance 193
Brakes 193
Driving off 194
169

Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Stopping
For brief stops, e.g. at traffic lights, leave the
transmission in gear and hold vehicle with the service
brake.
For longer stops with the engine idling, shift into “N”
or “P” and hold the vehicle with the service brake.
When stopping the vehicle on an uphill gradient, do not
hold it with the accelerator, use the brake. This avoids
unnecessary transmission heat build up.
Maneuvering
To maneuver in tight areas, e.g. when pulling into a
parking space, control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes. Accelerate gently and never
abruptly step on the accelerator.
To rock a vehicle out of soft ground (mud or snow),
alternately shift from forward to reverse, while applying
slight partial throttle.Rocking a vehicle free in this manner may cause the
ABS or traction system malfunction indicator lamp to
come on. Turn off and restart the engine to clear the
malfunction indication.
Wa r n i n g !
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector lever
not fully engaged in position “P” is dangerous.
Also, when parked on an incline, position “P” alone
may not prevent your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.Always set the parking brake in addition to shifting
to position “P”, see page 204 for parking brake. When parked on an incline, also turn front wheel
against curb.
185

Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Dependent on the program mode selector switch
position “S” or “W” the maximum speed in the
reverse gear is different. However, it is not
possible to change the program mode while in
reverse.
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the engine to the
drive axle. When the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely (pushed or towed). Do
not engage “N” while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g. on
icy roads, see winter driving instructions on
page198).
Important!
Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any other
reason with selector lever in “N” can result in
transmission damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
The transmission automatically upshifts through
5th gear. Position “D” provides optimum driving
characteristics under all normal operating
conditions.Gear selection for special circumstances
The transmission gear ranges for special circumstances
can be selected by pressing the selector lever to the
right or the left with the selector lever in position “D”.
The gear range currently selected is indicated in the
instrument cluster display.
Briefly press selector lever in the çdirection:
The transmission downshifts, one gear at a time, in the
orderD, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Press and hold selector lever in the çdirection:
The selector lever position display will switch to the
gear range currently selected by the automatic
transmission.
The transmission will only shift down one gear if the
gear range currently selected has already shifted to its
highest possible gear.
Briefly press selector lever in the ædirection:
The transmission will shift from the current gear range
to the next higher gear range. If the transmission is
already in gear range “D”, an additional upshift of one
gear is possible.
187

Automatic transmission
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Press and hold selector lever in the ædirection:
The transmission will shift from the current gear
directly to gear range “D”.
Important!
With transmission in gear range “D”, “4” or “3”,
upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd gear is delayed
depending on vehicle speed and engine temperature.
This allows the catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperatures.During the brief warm-up period this delayed upshift
and increased engine noise might be perceived as a
malfunction. However, neither the engine nor
transmission are negatively affected by this mode of
operation.
The delayed upshift is effective with vehicle speeds
below 31 mph (50 km/h) at partial throttle and engine
temperatures below 95°F (35°C).
To avoid overrevving the engine when the selector lever
is moved to a lower gear range, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear, if the engine’s revolutions per
minute limit would be exceeded. In this case there will
be no downshift, even when the vehicle speed reaches
the engine’s RPM limit of that gear, e.g. by applying the
service brakes.
To prevent the engine from laboring at low RPM when
driving uphill gradients or with your vehicle heavily
loaded, the automatic transmission will downshift when
necessary to maintain engine RPM within the best
torque range.
Warning!
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift in order
to obtain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.
188

Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index Drinking and driving
Pedals
Wa r n i n g !
Drinking or taking drugs and driving can be a very
dangerous combination. Even a small amount of
alcohol or drugs can affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgement.The possibility of a serious or even fatal accident is
sharply increased when you drink or take drugs
and drive.Please don’t drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive after drinking or taking drugs.Wa r n i n g !
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times. Objects
stored in this area may impair pedal movement.Power assistance
Brakes
Warning!
When the engine is not running, the brake and
steering systems are without power assistance.
Under these circumstances, a much greater effort is
necessary to stop or steer the vehicle.Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for some time without
applying the brakes or through water deep enough
to wet brake components, the first braking action
may be somewhat reduced and increased pedal
pressure may be necessary to obtain expected
braking effect. Be sure to maintain a safe distance
from vehicles in front.Resting your foot on the brake pedal will cause
excessive and premature wear of the brake pads.It can also result in the brakes overheating thereby
significantly reducing their effectiveness. It may
not be possible to stop the vehicle in sufficient time
to avoid an accident.
193

Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
The condition of the parking brake system is checked
each time the vehicle is in the shop for the required
maintenance service.
If the parking brake is released and the brake warning
lamp in the instrument cluster stays on, the brake fluid
level in the reservoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may be the
reason for low brake f luid in the reservoir.
Have the brake system inspected at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
All checks and service work on the brake system should
be carried out by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Install only brake pads and brake fluid recommended by
Mercedes-Benz.
Wa r n i n g !
If other than recommended brake pads are
installed, or other than recommended brake fluid
is used, the braking properties of the vehicle can be
degraded to an extent that safe braking is
substantially impaired. This could result in an
accident.Caution!
When driving down long and steep grades, relieve the
load on the brakes by shifting into a lower gear to use
the engine’s braking power. This helps prevent
overheating of the brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on for some
time, rather than immediately parking, so the air stream
will cool down the brakes faster.
Driving off
Apply the service brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only when the road
is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not place full load on
the engine until the operating temperature has been
reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do not allow one
drive wheel to spin for an extended period with the ESP
switched off. Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drive train which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
194

Driving instructions
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Wa r n i n g !
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far. As
tread depth approaches
1/16in (1.5 mm), the
adhesion properties on a wet road are sharply
reduced.
Depending upon the weather and / or road surface
(conditions), the tire traction varies widely.
Specified tire pressures must be maintained. This
applies particularly if the tires are subjected to high
loads (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high ambient
temperatures).
Aquaplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer on the road,
aquaplaning may occur, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in
the road and apply brakes cautiously in the rain.Warning!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects the
ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You may lose
control of the vehicle. Continued driving with a flat
tire or driving at high speed with a flat tire will
cause excessive heat build-up and possibly a fire.
196