2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK320 COUPE tow

144 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
P
Park position
Selector position when the vehicle
is parked. Only place selector lever
in positionP when vehicle is
stopped. The park position is not in-
tended to serve as a brake when
the vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the park-
ing brake in addition to placing the
selector lever in positionP to se-
cure the vehicle.
The key can only be removed from
the starter switch with the selector
lever in positionP. With the key re-
moved the selector lever is locked
in positionP.
Effect
R
Reverse gear
Place selector lever in positionR only
when vehicle is stopped.
N
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the en-
gine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle can
be moved freely (pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the transmission,
never engageN while driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or malfunc-
tioning:
Only move selector lever toN if the
vehicle is in danger of skidding (e.g.
on icy roads).
D
Drive
The transmission shifts automatical-
ly. All five forward gears are avail-
able.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with selector lever inN
can result in transmission damage that
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the selector
lever not fully engaged in positionP is dan-
gerous. Also, positionP alone is not intend-
ed to or capable of preventing your vehicle
from moving, possibly hitting people or ob-
jects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 45).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.

170 Controls in detailAudio systemBalance
In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
the
AUD
key repeatedly until
BALANCE

appears on the display.

Press the
L or
R key to shift the sound
accordingly.
or

Press both the
L and
R keys simulta-
neously to reset the balance to its cen-
ter level.Returning audio functions to factory set-
tings

In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
and hold the
AUD
key longer than two
seconds.
RESET
will appear on the dis-
play.
All settings for bass, treble and balance
are returned to center and the volume
is set to a predefined level.Audio system sound selection (EXT)*

In radio, cassette and CD mode, press
the
AUD
key.
The sound settings menu appears on
the display.

Press the
EXT
key.

Press one of the function keys.
You can select from among the follow-
ing settings:

DRV
: The tone level is set to the
“Driver” position, sound is directed
toward the passengers.

204 Controls in detailDriving systems1Distance warning function on/off
switch
2Control lamp
3Thumbwheel for setting distance
Increasing distance
Increasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a greater following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.
Turn thumbwheel3 towards
¯
.Decreasing distance
Decreasing the distance setting tells Dis-
tronic to maintain a shorter following dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead.

Turn thumbwheel3 towards
®
.
Distance warning function
When Distronic is deactivated, this func-
tion will continue to warn you when recog-
nizing a stationary obstacle or a slower
vehicle moving in the vehicle’s path and
the danger of a collision exists:


The distance warning lamp
l
in the
instrument cluster lights up


An intermittent warning sounds.
If these warnings are issued, you must
brake manually to maintain a safe distance
and avoid a collision with the vehicle
ahead.
When pressing the brake pedal, the warn-
ing sound stops. The warning sound also
stops when the distance to the vehicle ahead is sufficient again without applying
the brake pedal. In this case the distance
warning lamp also extinguishes.
Warning!
G
If the DTR warning lamp
l
in the instru-
ment cluster lights up while driving and/or
an intermittent warning sounds, immediate
attention on the part of the driver is re-
quired.
As required by the traffic situation, apply the
brakes and navigate around a possible ob-
stacle. However, do not drive by relying on
the distance warning function, as this will re-
sult in an emergency braking application.
Especially depending on road surface condi-
tions and driver reaction, this will not always
enable you to avoid a collision.
iComplex driving situations are not al-
ways fully recognized by Distronic. This
could result in wrong or missing dis-
tance warnings.

218 Controls in detailLoadingThe handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Cargo tie-down rings
Four rings (arrows) are located in the cargo
compartment.
Carefully secure cargo by applying
even load on all rings with rope of suffi-
cient strength to hold down the cargo.
Always follow loading instructions
(page 217).
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the shelf below the
rear windows.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.

219 Controls in detail
Useful features
Useful features
Interior storage spaces Glove box
1Glove box
2Glove box lid releaseOpening the glove box

Pull lid release2.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the cargo compartment if
possible. Do not pile luggage or cargo higher
than the seat backs.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
iThe glove box lid contains a compart-
ment for eyeglasses.
Close the compartment for glasses first
before closing the glove box.
Audio system/COMAND* with CD
changer*: The CD changer is located in
the glove box.

221 Controls in detail
Useful features
Opening cup holder
Push front of sliding compartment1.
The cup holder slides out.
Closing cup holder

Push sliding compartment1 back until
it engages.Armrest storage space
Opening compartment in armrest

Lift armrest by handle1.
Closing

Lower armrest until it locks into place.Opening telephone compartment

Lift armrest by pushing button2 or 3.
Closing telephone compartment

Lower armrest until it locks into place.
Locking compartment

Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 310).

Turn the compartment lock to
position5.
Unlocking compartment

Turn the compartment lock to
position4.

Insert the mechanical key in the Smart-
Key.
!Do not store any items between the
telephone holder and the cover for the
blower. Otherwise these items could
be damaged when the holder is closed.
Use the space in the front door pocket
for stowing.

228 Controls in detailUseful featuresSystem self-check
Initially, after turning the key in starter
switch to position2, malfunctions are de-
tected and indicated (the indicator lamps
in the SOS button, the Roadside Assis-
tance button
•
and the Information
button
¡
stay on longer than
10 seconds or do not come on). The mes-
sage
Tele Aid defective! Visit work-
shop! appears for approx. 10 seconds in
the multifunction display.Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated automatical-
ly:


following an accident in which the
emergency tensioning devices (ETDs)
or airbags deploy


if the anti-theft alarm or the tow-away
alarm stays on for more than
20 seconds, see “Anti-theft systems”
(page 79) and see “Tow-away alarm”
(page 81).
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
inside rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See below for instructions on
initiating an emergency call manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
Emergency call –
Connecting call
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button do not come on dur-
ing the system self-check or if any of these
indicators remain illuminated constantly in
red and/or the message
Tele Aid defec-
tive! Visit workshop! is displayed in
the multifunction display after the system
self-check, a malfunction in the system has
been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as ex-
pected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.

231 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button
•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button
•
.

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside As-
sistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The button will flash while the call is in
progress. The message
Roadside As-
sistance – Connecting call
will ap-
pear in the multifunction display.
When the connection is established, the
message
Roadside Assistance –
Call connected
appears in the multifunc-
tion display. The Tele Aid system will trans-
mit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established the audio
system mutes and the message
Tele Aid
– Roadside Assistance call active
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside As-
sistance button
•
remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after turn-
ing the key in the starter switch to
position2 (together with the SOS but-
ton and the Information button
¡
).
See system self-check (
page 228)
when the indicator lamp does not light
up in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.