2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CABRIOLET ABS

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

Malfunction and indicator lamps in the
center console 221Practical hintsJump starting 263
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 221 First aid kit 238 Towing the vehicle 265
Roll bar warning lamp 221 Shelf below rear window 238 Transmission selector lever,
manually unlocking 268
Malfunction and warning messages in
the multifunction display 222Stowing things in the vehicle 238 Bulbs 269
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE (engine
control unit) 223Luggage cover 238 Adjusting headlamp aim 274
DISPLAY DEFECTIVE (several
systems) 223Spare wheel, vehicle tools, storage
compartment 240Changing batteries in the
electronic main key 277
BATTERY/ALTERNATOR 224 Vehicle jack 241 Raising soft top manually 280
ABS-SYSTEM 225 Fuses 242 Antenna 287
BRAKE ASSIST 225 Hood 244 Manual release for fuel filler
BRAKE LINING WEAR 226 Checking engine oil level 246 flap 287
BRAKE FLUID 226 Automatic transmission fluid level 247 Trunk lamp 288
PARKING BRAKE 227 Coolant level 247 Replacing wiper blade insert 288
ENGINE FAN 227 Adding coolant 248
COOLANT (coolant level) 228
Windshield washer / headlamp clean.system
249
Vehicle care
COOLANT TEMP. (coolant
temperature) 229Windshield and headlamp washer fluid
mixing ratio 249Cleaning and care of the vehicle 292
LIGHTING SYSTEM 230 Wheels 250 Engine cleaning 293
LIGHT SENSOR 231 Tire replacement 250 Vehicle washing 293
STEER. WHEEL ADJUST. 231 Rotating wheels 251 Power washer 293
OIL TEMP. 232 Spare wheel 252 Plastic and rubber parts 293
ENGINE OIL LEVEL 232 Changing wheels 254 Tar stains 294
ELEC. STABIL. PROG. (Electronic
stability program) 234Tire inflation pressure 259 Window cleaning 294
WASHER FLUID 235 Battery 261
5

Central locking system
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Ve h i c l e k ey s
Included with your vehicle are:
•2 electronic main keys with integrated radio
frequency and infrared remote controls plus
removable mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key portion of
the two electronic main keys are a different color to
help distinguish it.
•1 electronic reserve key without remote control
functions, plus removable mechanical key.
Wa r n i n g !
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
electronic key from the steering lock, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment may cause
serious personal injury.
24

Instrument cluster
Te ch n ica l
data Instruments
and controlsOperationDrivingInstrument
cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index
Indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
High beam
ABS malfunction, see page 219
Brake fluid low (except Canada),
Parking brake engaged, see page 226
Brake fluid low (Canada only),
Parking brake engaged, see page 226
BAS malfunction, see page 204
ESP malfunction, see page 208
ESP. Adjust driving to road condition,
see page208
Fasten seat belts, see page58Telescoping steering column not locked,
see page220
SRS malfunction, see page 218
If the “CHECK ENGINE” malfunction
indicator lamp comes on when the engine is
running, it indicates a malfunction of the
fuel management system, emission control
system, systems which impact emissions, or
the fuel cap is not closed tight. In all cases,
we recommend that you have the
malfunction checked as soon as possible,
see page 218.
Function indicator lamp on the center console
Front passenger airbag automatically
switched off, see page 63.
ABSBRAKEBAS
ESP
SRSCHECK
ENGINE
82

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
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
Winter driving
Have your vehicle winterized at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center before the onset of winter.
•Change the engine oil if the engine contains an oil
which is not approved for winter operation. For
viscosity (SAE/CCMC class) and filling quantity, see
page307.
•Check engine coolant anticorrosion/antifreeze
concentration.
•Additive for the windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system: Add MB Concentrate “S” to a
premixed windshield washer solvent/antifreeze
which is formulated for below freezing temperatures
see page249.
•Test battery: Battery capacity drops with decreasing
ambient temperature. A well charged battery helps
to ensure that the engine can be started, even at low
ambient temperatures.
•Tires: We recommend M+S rated radial-ply tires on
all four wheels for the winter season. Observe
permissible maximum speed for M+S rated
radial-ply tires and the legal speed limit.In winter operation, the maximum effectiveness of the
antilock brake system (ABS) or of the electronic stability
program (ESP) can only be achieved with M+S rated
radial-ply tires and / or snow chains recommended by
Mercedes-Benz. Snow chains maximize performance.
For driving instructions with snow chains, see page198.
Deep water
Caution!
Do not drive through flooded areas or water of unknown
depth.
If you must drive through deep water, drive slowly to
prevent water from entering the engine compartment or
passenger compartment, being ingested by the air
intake, possibly causing damage to electrical
components or wiring, to engine or transmission that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
199