2000 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK230 Owner's Manual

254 Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities
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Engine oils
Engine oils are specifically tested for their suitability in
our engines. Therefore, use only engine oils
recommended by Mercedes-Benz. Information on
recommended brands is available at your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Please follow Service Booklet recommendations for
scheduled oil changes. Failure to do so could result in
engine damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Engine oil additives
Do not blend oil additives with engine oil. They may be
harmful to the engine operation.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from blending oil
additives are not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
War ra nt y.Air conditioner refrigerant
R-134a (H FC) ref rigerant a nd special PAG l ubricating oil
is used in the air conditioner system.
Never use R-12 (CFC) or mineral-based lubricating oil,
otherwise damage to the system will occur.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point of the brake
fluid is continuously reduced through the absorption of
moisture from the atmosphere. Under extremely hard
operating conditions, this moisture content can lead to
the formation of bubbles in the system thus reducing
the system‘s efficiency.
The brake fluid must therefore be replaced every two
years, preferably in the spring.
It is recommended to use only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will provide you with additional information.

255 Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities
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Caution!
To maintain the engine’s durability and performance,
premium unleaded gasoline must be used. If premium
unleaded is not available and low octane fuel is used,
follow these precautions:
•have the fuel tank filled only partially with unleaded
regular and fill up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible,
•avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceleration,
•do not exceed
2/3 of maximum accelerator pedal
position, if the vehicle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.Fuel requirements
Use only Premium unleaded meeting ASTM
standard D 439:
The octane number (posted at the pump) must be
91 min. It is an average of both the Research (R) octane
number and the Motor (M) octane number: [(R+M) / 2].
This is also known as ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates such as
Ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be used provided the
ratio of any one of these oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%, MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of Methanol to gasoline must not exceed 3%
plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of Ethanol and Methanol is not allowed.
Gasohol, which contains 10% Ethanol and 90% unleaded
gasoline, can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel requirements
such as resistance to spark knock, boiling range, vapor
pressure etc..

256 Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities
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Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufacturers is carbon
build up caused by gasoline. Mercedes-Benz
recommends the use of only quality gasoline containing
additives that prevent the build up of carbon deposits.
After an extended period of using fuels without such
a d d i t i ve s , c a r b o n d e po si t s c a n b u il d u p e s pe c ia l ly o n t h e
intake valves and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:
•warm-up hesitation,
•unstable idle,
•knocking / pinging,
•misfire,
•power loss.
Do not blend other specific fuel additives with fuel.
They only result in unnecessary cost, and may be
harmful to the engine operation.
Damage or malfunctions resulting from poor fuel
quality or from blending specific fuel additives are not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Coolants
The engine coolant is a mixture of water and
anticorrosion / antifreeze, which provides:
•corrosion protection,
•freeze protection,
•boiling protection (by increasing the boiling point).
The cooling system was filled at the factory with a
coolant providing freeze protection to approximately
-22°F (-30°C) and corrosion protection.
If the antifreeze mixture is effective to -22°F (-30°C), the
boiling point of the coolant in the pressurized cooling
system is reached at approximately 266°F (130°C).
The cool ant sol ution must be used yea r round to provide
the necessary corrosion protection and increase in the
boil-over protection. You should have it replaced every
3years.
To provide the important corrosion protection, the
solution must be at least 45% anticorrosion / antifreeze
(equals a freeze protection to approx. - 22 °F [- 30 °C]). If
you use a solution that is more than 55% anticorrosion /
antifreeze (freeze protection to approx. - 49 °F [- 45°C]),

257 Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. - capacities
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cluster displayPractical hints Car care Index the engine temperature will increase due to the lower
h eat transfer ca pa bil ity of th e sol ution. Therefore, d o not
use more than this amount of anticorrosion / antifreeze.
If the coolant level is low, water and MB anticorrosion /
antifreeze should be used to bring it up to the proper
level (have cooling system checked for signs of leakage).
The water in the cooling system must meet minimum
requirements, which are usually satisfied by normal
drinking water. If your are not sure about the water
quality, consult your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Anticorrosion / antifreeze
Your vehicle contains a number of aluminum parts. The
use of aluminum components in motor vehicle engines
necessitates that anticorrosion / antifreeze coolant used
in such e ng ines b e specif ica lly formul ated to protec t th e
aluminum parts. (Failure to use such anticorrosion /
antifreeze coolant will result in a significantly
shortened service life.)
Therefore the following product is strongly
recommended for use in your vehicle: Mercedes-Benz
Anticorrosion / Antifreeze Agent.Before the start of the winter season (or once a year in
the hot southern regions), you should have the
anticorrosion / antifreeze concentration checked. The
coolant is also regularly checked each time you bring
your vehicle to your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for service.
Anticorrosion / antifreeze quantity
Model Approx. freeze protection
– 35°F
(– 37°C)– 49°F
(– 45°C)
SLK 230 KOMPRESSOR 4.9 US qt
(4.7 l)5.4 US qt
(5.1 l)
SLK 320 5.9 US qt
(5.6 l)6.5 US qt
(6.2 l)

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Consumer information
This has been prepared as required of all manufactures
of passenger cars under Title 49, Code of U.S. Federal
Regulations, Part 575 pursuant to the “National Traffic
and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.
Uniform tire quality grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
All passenger vehicle tires must conform to federal
safety requirements in addition to these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one-half
(1
1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Tread wear 200 Traction AA Temperature A

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The traction grades, from highest to lowest are “AA”,
“A”, “B”, and “C”. Those grades represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked “C” may
have poor traction performance.Te mp e r a t u r e
The temperature grades are “A” (the highest), “B”, and
“C”, representing the tire‘s resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade “C” corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger vehicle tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Wa r n i n g !
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
straightahead braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or
peak traction characteristics.
Wa r n i n g !
The temperature grade for this tire is established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause excessive heat build up
and possible tire failure.

260 Index
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Index
A
ABS (Antilock brake system) ....................................... 168
Malfunction indicator lamp ..................................... 182
Adjusting telescoping steering column ........................ 63
Air conditioner refrigerant ...........................................254
Air pump ......................................................................... 196
Airbag deactivation system ............................................ 50
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp ........................................ 185
Airbags .............................................................................. 52
Alarm system ............................................................. 35, 37
Antenna ...........................................................................232
Anticorrosion / antifreeze .................. 161, 194, 252, 256
Antilock brake system (ABS) ....................................... 168
Malfunction indicator lamp ..................................... 182
Antitheft alarm system ................................................... 35
Aquaplaning ................................................................... 158
Ashtrays ...........................................................................114
Audio system .................................................................... 91
Anti-theft system ........................................................ 93
Button and soft key operation ................................... 94
Cassette mode ............................................................. 99
CD changer ................................................................ 103CD mode ..................................................................... 102
Operating and display elements ...............................92
Operating safety .......................................................... 91
Operation – audio and telephone ............................. 91
Radio mode .................................................................. 97
Telephone operation .................................................106
Automatic central locking .............................................. 31
Automatic transmission ................................................144
Emergency Operation ............................................... 152
Fluid level ................................................................... 192
Program mode selector switch ................................ 151
Selector lever positions ............................................147
Transmission selector lever,
manually unlocking ............................................. 217
BBabySmart
TM airbag deactivation system ..................... 50
Self-test ......................................................................... 51
BAS (Brake assist system) ............................................ 166
Malfunction indicator lamp ..................................... 181
Battery ............................................................................. 210
Charge indicator lamp .............................................. 184
Recycling .................................................................... 211
Block heater .................................................................... 162

261 Index
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cluster displayPractical hints Car careIndex Brake assist system (BAS) ............................................ 166
Malfunction indicator lamp ..................................... 181
Brake fluid ......................................................................254
Brake pad wear indicator lamp .................................... 180
Brake warning lamp ...................................................... 179
Brake fluid low .......................................................... 179
Brakes .....................................................155, 166, 168, 170
CCapacities
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. ...............................252
Catalytic converter ........................................................ 138
Cellular telephone ..........................................................116
Center console .................................................................. 18
Central locking switch .................................................... 30
Central locking system ................................................... 25
Automatic central locking ......................................... 31
Choosing global or selective mode ........................... 26
Emergency release for trunk lid ............................... 35
General notes ............................................................... 24
Locking and unlocking .............................................. 26
Remote control ............................................ 22, 25, 224
Vehicle keys ................................................................. 22Changing wheels ........................................................... 202
Inflating the collapsible spare tire ........................ 207
Storing spare wheel in wheel well ........................ 208
Charge indicator lamp ................................................... 184
Check engine malfunction indicator lamp .................178
Check regularly and before a long trip ....................... 176
Checking engine oil level
Via engine oil level .....................................................77
Via oil dipstick ........................................................... 193
Child restraint ...............................................44, 50, 51, 61
Cleaning and care of the vehicle ................................ 234
Climate control .................................................................84
Air Recirculation .........................................................89
Basic setting .................................................................86
Defogging windows .....................................................87
Defrosting .....................................................................87
Dust Filter .....................................................................90
Rear window defroster ............................................... 88
Residual Engine Heat Utilization (REST) ................ 89
Special settings ........................................................... 87
Clock, setting .................................................................... 74
Coin Holder ..................................................................... 114
Combination switch ......................................................... 81
Consumer information ................................................. 258
Control and operation of radio transmitters .............. 128