2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 COUPE snow chains

ContentsOperation......................................... 239
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 240
Driving instructions ............................ 241
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 241
Drinking and driving ..................... 241
Pedals .......................................... 241
Power assistance ......................... 241
Brakes .......................................... 242
Driving off..................................... 243
Parking ......................................... 243
Tires ............................................. 244
Hydroplaning ................................ 245
Tire traction .................................. 245
Tire speed rating .......................... 245
Winter driving instructions ........... 246
Standing water ............................. 247
Passenger compartment .............. 247
Driving abroad .............................. 247
Control and operation of
radio transmitters......................... 248
Catalytic converter ....................... 248
Emission control........................... 249
Coolant temperature .................... 250At the gas station .............................. 251
Check regularly and
before a long trip.......................... 252
Engine compartment ......................... 253
Hood ............................................ 253
Engine oil ..................................... 254
Transmission fluid level ................ 256
Coolant ........................................ 256
Battery ......................................... 258
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system* ......... 259
Tires and wheels ................................ 260
Important guidelines .................... 261
Life of tires ................................... 261
Direction of rotation ..................... 261
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 262
Rotating wheels ........................... 263
Winter driving .................................... 264
Winter tires .................................. 264
Block heater* ............................... 265
Snow chains ................................. 265Maintenance...................................... 266
Clearing the service indicator ...... 266
Service term exceeded ................ 266
Calling up the service indicator .... 267
Resetting the service indicator .... 267
Vehicle care....................................... 268
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 268

74 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
Driving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
ABS
The ABS regulates the brake pressure so
that the wheels do not lock during braking.
This allows you to maintain the ability to
steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode. Keep firm and steady
pressure on the brake pedal while experi-
encing the pulsation.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS and the ESP is
only achieved with winter tires (M + S
tires), or snow chains as required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of ac-
cidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS and ESP cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

78 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsSwitching off ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have the drive wheels
spin and thus cut into surfaces for better
grip such as:

starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains


sand or gravelThe switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP off
2ESP on

Press upper half1 of the switch. The
ESP warning lamp
v
, located in the
instrument cluster, comes on.
ESP is deactivated.
If one or more wheels are spinning, the
ESP warning lamp
v
in the instrument
cluster flashes, regardless of the speed.
Traction control brakes a spinning wheel
even when ESP is deactivated.ESP always operates when you are brak-
ing, even when it has been deactivated.
Switching on ESP

Press lower half2 of the switch.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the in-
strument cluster goes out. You are now
again in normal driving mode.
Warning!
G
ESP should not be switched off during nor-
mal driving other than in the circumstances
described below. Disabling of the system
will reduce vehicle stability in standard driv-
ing maneuvers.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP switched
off. This may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
When the ESP warning lamp
v
is
illuminated continuously, the ESP is
switched off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP.

246 OperationDriving instructionsAn electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 km/h).
CLK 500/
CLK320withSportPackage*
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“W”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 168 mph (270 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).
CLK 55 AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 188 mph (300 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).
Information on tire speed rating for winter
tires, see “Winter tires” (
page 264).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move selector lever to position N. Try to
keep the vehicle under control by correc-
tive steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
We therefore recommend depressing the
brake pedal periodically when traveling at
length on salt-strewn roads.
This can bring road salt impaired braking
efficiency back to normal. Be very careful
that you carry out these braking maneu-
vers without endangering any other road
users.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed while observing the
safety rules in the previous paragraph.
iInformation on driving with snow
chains (
page 265).
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 control loss.

265 Operation
Winter driving
Block heater*
(Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block heat-
er.
The electrical cable may be installed at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Snow chains
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow-covered roads at speeds not to ex-
ceed 30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains
as soon as possible when driving on roads
without snow.Please observe the following guidelines
when using snow chains:


Using snow chains is not permissible
with all wheel/tire combinations.


Chains should only be used on the rear
wheels. Follow the manufacturer's
mounting instructions.


Only use snow chains that are ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz. Your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to advise you on this subject.
iWhen driving with snow chains, you
may wish to deactivate the ESP
(page 78) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle‘s traction.

345 Technical data
Rims and tires
Rims and tires
Only use tires and rims which have been
specifically developed for your vehicle and
tested and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Other tires and rims can have detrimental
effects, such as

poor handling characteristics


increased noise


increased fuel consumption
Same size tires
!Moreover, tires and rims not approved
by Mercedes-Benz may, under load, ex-
hibit dimensional variations and differ-
ent tire deformation characteristics
that could cause them to come into
contact with the vehicle body or axle
parts. Damage to the tires or the vehi-
cle may be the result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. A tire inflation
pressure table is located on the fuel fill-
er cap of the vehicle. The tire pressure
should be checked regularly and
should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Follow tire manufacturer’s mainte-
nance recommendation included with
vehicle.
CLK 320
CLK 500 /
CLK 320 with Sport Package*
CLK 55 AMG
Rims (light alloy)
7J x 16 H2
71/2 J x 17 H2
71/2 Jx17H2
Wheel offset
1.45 in (37 mm)
1.45 in (37 mm)
1.45 in (37 mm)
Winter tires (radial-ply
tires)
205/55 R 16 91 H M+S
225/45 R 17 91 H M+S
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
225 / 45 R17 91 H M+S
1

346 Technical dataRims and tiresMixed size tires
CLK 320
CLK 500 /
CLK 320 with Sport Package*
CLK 55 AMG
Front axle:Rims (light alloy)
7 J x 16 H2
71/2 J x 17 H2
71/2 J x 17 EH2
Wheel offset
1.45 in (37 mm)
1.45 in (37 mm)
1.45 in (37 mm)
Summer tires
(radial-ply tires)
205/55 R 16 91 H
225/45 R 17 91 W
225/45 R 17 91 Y
Rear axle:Rims (light alloy)
8 J x 16 H2
81/2 J x17 H2
81/2 J x17 EH2
Wheel offset
1.26 in (32 mm)
1.18 in (30 mm)
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply
tires)
225/50 R 16 92 H
1
245/40 R 17 91 W
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
245/40 R 17 91 Y
1

347 Technical data
Rims and tires
Minispare wheel
CLK 320
CLK 500 /
CLK 320 with Sport Package*
CLK 55 AMG
Rim
3.5 B x 16 H2
3.5 B x 17 H2
3.5 B x 17 H2
Wheel offset
0.67 in (17 mm)
0.67 in (17 mm)
0.67 in (17 mm)
Tire
T 125/90 R 16 98 M
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.
T 125/80 R 17 99 M
1
T 125/90 R 17 99 M
1