2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 COUPE stop start

89 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking


In order to start the engine with the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO:

the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
must be located in the vehicle


all the doors must be closed


If you have started the engine with the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button, you
can only turn it off again with this but-
ton, even if you have put the key in the
starter switch in the meantime.


This does not apply if, after starting, the
selector lever is still in positionP. The
SmartKey will then have priority over
the KEYLESS-GO function and the vehi-
cle’s electrical system will operate ac-
cording to the position of the key in the
starter switch, even stopping the en-
gine.


If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
positioned farther away from the vehi-
cle (e.g. inside clothing or briefcase)
and can no longer be recognized by the system, the vehicle cannot be locked
or the engine started via the KEY-
LESS-GO system.


I f t he Sm a rtK ey with K EY L ES S-G O is re -
moved from the vehicle while the igni-
tion is switched on (e.g. if passenger
exits the vehicle with the key), the mes-
sage
Key not recognized!
will appear
in the multifunction display.
Find the key or change its present loca-
tion immediately (e.g. place it on the
front passenger seat or insert it in shirt
pocket).


Remember that the engine can be
started by anyone with a SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO that is left inside the
vehicle. If you leave the card behind
when exiting and locking the vehicle,
the message
Key recognized in vehi-
cle!
will appear in the multifunction
display.Factory setting
Global unlocking

Grasp the door handle.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds if neither
door nor trunk is opened.iThe vehicle could inadvertently unlock
if the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is
within 3 ft. (1 m) of the vehicle and

the door handle is splashed with
water, or


you attempt to clean the door
handle.

97 Controls in detail
Seats
Seats
Information on seat adjustment can be
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 34).
Easy-entry/exit feature
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards and the
driver’s seat moves to the rear.
This allows easier entry into and exit from
the vehicle when the driver’s door is
opened. However, the engine must be
turned off.
When the SmartKey is inserted in the start-
er switch or you have pressed the KEY-
LESS-GO* start/stop button once and the
driver’s door is closed, the steering wheel
and the driver’s seat return to their last set
positions.You can activate the following functions:


Steering column:
Only the steering column is adjusted.


Steering column and seat:
Both the steering column and the seat
are adjusted.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
switched on or off in the Convenience sub-
menu of the control system (
page 133).
Head restraints
Information on head restraint adjustment
can be found in the “Getting started” sec-
tion (
page 36).
Warning!
G
You must ensure that no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the
easy-entry / exit feature is activated, the
driver’s door is being opened, and the en-
gine is turned off or the SmartKey removed
from the starter switch. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised
use of vehicle equipment may cause an ac-
cident and/or serious personal injury.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.iTilt the seat backrest to the rear for
easier removal and installation of the
head restraints.

100 Controls in detailSeatsMulticontour seat*
Some models may be equipped with multi-
contour seats. This seat has a movable
seat cushion and inflatable air cushions
built into the seat backrest to provide addi-
tional lumbar and side support.
The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be con-
tinuously varied with regulators on the
right side of the seat after turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or pressing the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button twice.1Seat cushion depth
2Backrest bottom
3Backrest center
4Side bolster adjustment
Adjusting the multicontour seat in the or-
der listed above is recommended.

Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.
All lamps in the instrument cluster light
up.The seat cushion movement, backrest
cushion height and curvature can be ad-
justed with regulators1, 2 and3.
The side bolsters of the seat backrest can
be adjusted with rocker switch4:

Press to the left.
Side support will be increased.

Press to the right.
Side support will be decreased.iWhen the engine is turned off, the last
cushion setting is retained in memory,
and the cushion is automatically ad-
justed to this setting when the engine
is restarted.

105 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 46).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
M
Off
U
Automatic headlamp mode
C
Parking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
Canada only: When engine is run-
ning, the low beam is also switched
on.
B
Low beam plus parking lamps or
high beam headlamps (combination
switch pushed forward).
ˆ
Standing lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚
Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
then

a warning sounds


$
appears in the multifunction
display


the message
Turn off lamps!
ap-
pears in the multifunction display
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.

131 Controls in detail
Control system
Setting night security illumination
(Exterior lamps delayed shut-off)
Use the
Headlamps delayed shut-off

function to set whether and for how long
you would like the exterior lamps to illumi-
nate during darkness after all doors are
closed. When the delayed shut-off feature
is activated and the exterior lamp switch is
in position
U
, the following lamps will
remain lit after you remove the key from
the starter switch:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lampsTo activate night security illumination:

Select delayed shut-off period (see be-
low).

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion
U
.
To select delayed shut-off period:

Move the selection marker with
the
æ
or
ç
button to the
Light-
ing
submenu.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Headlamps delayed shut-off
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press
æ
or
ç
to select the de-
sired lamp-on period.You can select:


0 s
, the delayed shut-off feature is
deactivated


15 s
, 30 s
, 45 s
or
60 s
, the delayed
shut-off feature is activated
You can temporarily deactivate the de-
layed shut-off feature:

Before leaving the vehicle turn the key
in the starter switch to position0.

Then turn it to position2 and back
to0.
The delayed shut-off feature is deacti-
vated. It will reactivate as soon as you
reinsert the key in the starter switch.
For vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the gear selector lever
(page 33).
iYou can reactivate this function within
ten minutes by opening a door.
If you do not open a door after remov-
ing the key, the lamps will automatical-
ly switch off after 60 seconds.

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.

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

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.