2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 COUPE tire

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

Contents
Practical hints................................. 275
What to do if …?................................. 276
Lamps in instrument cluster ........ 276
Lamp in center console................ 282
Messages in the display ............... 283
Where will I find...? ............................ 305
First aid kit ................................... 305
Vehicle tool kit ............................. 305
Minispare wheel ........................... 307
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 310
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 310
Locking the vehicle ...................... 311
Changing batteries ....................... 312
Fuel filler flap ............................... 313
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 313
Opening/closing in an emergency..... 314
Sliding/pop-up roof ..................... 314
Replacing bulbs ................................. 316
Bulbs ............................................ 316
Replacing bulbs for front lamps ... 318
Side marker lamp bulb ................. 321
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps..... 322Replacing wiper blades....................... 323
Removing ...................................... 323
Installing ....................................... 323
Flat tire ............................................... 324
Preparing the vehicle .................... 324
Mounting the Minispare wheel ...... 324
Battery................................................ 329
Disconnecting the battery............. 330
Removing the batteries ................. 330
Charging and
reinstalling batteries ..................... 330
Reconnecting the batteries ........... 331
Jump starting ...................................... 332
Towing the vehicle .............................. 334
Towing the vehicle ........................ 334
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 336
Fuses .................................................. 337
Fuse box in
passenger compartment ............... 337
Fuse box in engine compartment.. 337
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk............. 338
Technical data.................................. 339
Spare parts service ............................ 340
Warranty coverage ............................. 341
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ...................... 341
Identification labels ............................ 342
Layout of poly-V-belt drive.................. 343
CLK320 / CLK500 /
CLK 55 AMG ................................. 343
Engine ................................................ 344
Rims and tires .................................... 345
Same size tires ............................. 345
Mixed size tires ............................. 346
Minispare wheel............................ 347
Electrical system ................................ 348
Main dimensions ................................ 349
Weights .............................................. 350

ContentsFuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 351
Capacities .................................... 351
Engine oils .................................... 353
Engine oil additives ...................... 353
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 353
Brake fluid .................................... 353
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 354
Fuel requirements ........................ 354
Gasoline additives ........................ 354
Coolants ....................................... 355
Windshield and
headlamp washer system ............. 357
Consumer information ....................... 358
Uniform tire quality grading.......... 358
Technical terms............................... 361Index................................................. 367

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.

75 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Continuous steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will re-
spond even with light brake pressure. The
pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving.ABS control
The
-
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up when you turn the key in
the starter switch to position2 or press
the KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped)
start/stop button twice. It goes out when
the engine is running.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 277).
iTo alert following vehicles to slippery
road conditions you discover, operate
your hazard warning flashers as appro-
priate.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction. The
ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.

76 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsBAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 285).
ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip-
pery road surfaces.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP is en-
gaged.
The warning lamp
v
in the instrument
cluster lights up when you turn the key in
the starter switch to position2 or press
the KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped)
start/stop button twice. It goes out when
the engine is running.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction. The BAS cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, following an-
other vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of a BAS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

77 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 276).
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp
v
flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case proceed as fol-
lows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving, ease upon the accelerator


Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP cannot prevent accidents resulting
from excessive speed.
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.iDistronic* is switched off when ESP is
activated.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic opera-
t i o n , t h e e n g i n e m u s t b e s h u t o f f ( k e y i n
starter switch position0 or1) when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer.


the vehicle is being towed with the
front ⁄ rear axle raised.
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
rear axle brake system.
The ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size.

140 Controls in detailControl system
Press button
í
.
The system dials the selected phone
number.


If connection is successful, the
name of the party you called and
the duration of the call will appear
in the display.


If no connection is made, the con-
trol system stores the dialed num-
ber in the redial memory.Redialing
The control system stores the most recent-
ly dialed phone numbers. This eliminates
the need to search through your entire
phone book.

Press button
ÿ
or
è
repeatedly
until you see the
Tel
menu in the dis-
play.

Press button
í
.
In the display you see the first number
in the redial memory.

Press button
j
or
k
repeatedly
until the desired name appears in the
display.

Press button
í
.
The control system dials the selected
phone number.
iIf you do not want to use the telephone,
press button
ì
.