2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK320 COUPE Owner's Manual

145 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Program mode selector switch
1Program mode selector switch
S Standard For regular driving
W Winter For winter driving

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired shift program appears in the
speedometer display field
(page 114).
Select
Wfor winter driving:


The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are im-
proved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.


The power transmission ratio for se-
lector lever positionR changes de-
pending on the program mode
selected (
W or
S).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
move the selector lever from positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.
!Never change the program mode when
the selector lever is out of positionP. It
could result in a change of driving char-
acteristics for which you may not be
prepared.

146 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionAccelerator position
Your driving style influences the transmis-
sion’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode, only 2nd gear and reverse gear can
be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before re-
starting.

Move selector lever to positionD (for
2nd gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) and manual shift program
CLK 55 AMG
The CLK 55 AMG can be driven in both the
automatic and manual shift program
modes. In the manual shift program mode,
you can change the gears yourself on the
steering wheel or by using the selector le-
ver.
1Shift button
2Left button: downshift
3Right button: upshift

147 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
To do so, you must first select the manual
shift program M on the program mode se-
lector switch.
1Program mode selector switch
S SPORT For regular driving
C COMFORT For comfortable driving
M MANUAL For manual gear shifting
The selected shift program (
S/C/M) is indi-
cated in the speedometer display field
(
page 114).Activating steering wheel gearshift
control

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the
M for manual
shift program appears in the speedom-
eter display field.
Automatic gear shifting is deactivated.Upshifting

Press button 3 located on the right side
of the steering wheel.
or

Briefly press the selector lever to the
right in the D+direction.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
Warm up the engine gently. Do not place
full load on the engine until the operating
temperature has been reached. Shift into
reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped.
!Never change the program mode when
the selector lever is out of positionP. It
could result in a change of driving char-
acteristics for which you may not be
prepared.
!When driving off on slippery road sur-
faces, avoid spinning a drive wheel for
longer periods. This may cause damage
to the drivetrain.

148 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionDownshifting
Press button 2 located on the left side
of the steering wheel.
or

Briefly press the selector lever to the
left in the D-direction.
The transmission shifts to the next low-
er gear.
Warm up the engine gently. Do not place
full load on the engine until the operating
temperature has been reached. Shift into
reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped.Deactivating steering wheel gearshift
control

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the
S or
C for au-
tomatic shift program appears in the
speedometer display field.
Automatic gear shifting is activated.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
iAt each engine start, the transmission
will go into the last automatic shift pro-
gram mode selected (
S or
C). Program
mode
M is not stored and will not be re-
called when the engine is restarted.

149 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
Information on the windshield wipers
(page 47) and for setting the rear view
mirrors (
page 38) is found in the “Get-
ting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirror
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the inside rear view mirror will respond au-
tomatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the inside rear view mir-
ror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.
The inside rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun
shade* is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

150 Controls in detailGood visibilityParking position
The button is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Passenger-side exterior mirror
2Driver’s side exterior mirror
You can store a parking position for an ex-
terior rear view mirror in the memory
(page 103).

Make sure that the
Mirror adjustment
parking aid function
, found under
the
Convenience
submenu in the con-
troll system, is switched on
(
page 135).

Switch on ignition.

Press button1 for the passenger-side
exterior rear view mirror.

Place the gear selector lever in R Re-
verse.
The passenger-side mirror will be
turned downward in the stored posi-
tion.The exterior rear view mirror returns to its
previously stored driving position:


10 seconds after you put the gear se-
lector lever out of positionR


immediately once you exceed a speed
of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h)


immediately when you press the button
for driver’s side mirror

151 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Windshield wipers
Information on the windshield wipers is
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 47).
A rain sensor automatically controls the
windshield wipers depending on how wet
the windshield is.

Switch ignition on.

Set the wiper switch to position I
(page 48).
After the initial wipe, pauses between
wipes are automatically controlled by the
rain sensor which monitors the wetness of
the windshield.
Headlamp cleaning system*
The switch is located on the left side of the
dashboard.
1Headlamp washer switch
Switch on ignition.

Press switch1.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a front
door is opened.
!To prevent the windshield wipers from
being damaged, do not leave the wiper
switch in intermittent setting when the
vehicle is taken to an automatic car
wash or when cleaning the windshield.
The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass when wiping occurs on a dry
windshield.iIf intermittent wiping is on and you turn
the key in the steering lock from posi-
tion 1 to position 2 (
page 31) and
keep the key in that position longer
than 2 seconds, the wipe interval will
be set to approx. 5 seconds.

152 Controls in detailGood visibilitySun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.1Mounting
2Sun visor
3Mirror cover
4Mirror lamp

To use mirror, lift up cover3.If sunlight enters through a side window:

disengage sun visor from mounting1.

pivot sun visor to the side.
The sun visors are extendable.

Adjust the sun visors by pushing or
pulling in the direction of the arrows.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.
iIf you disengage the sun visor from
mounting1, mirror lamp4 will switch
off.