2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG COUPE ABS

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 55
Occupant safety................................... 56
Airbags ........................................... 57
Seat belts ....................................... 62
Children in the vehicle .................... 66
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 72
Panic alarm .......................................... 73
Activating ....................................... 73
Deactivating ................................... 73
Driving safety systems ......................... 74
ABS ................................................ 74
BAS ................................................ 76
ESP ................................................. 76
Anti-theft systems................................ 79
Immobilizer..................................... 79
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 80
Tow-away alarm ............................. 81
Controls in detail............................... 83
Locking and unlocking ......................... 84
Keys ............................................... 84
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 88
Opening the doors from the inside . 92
Opening the trunk from the inside . 92
Trunk lid emergency release .......... 93
Closing the trunk lid ....................... 94
Separately locking the trunk .......... 94
Separately unlocking the trunk ...... 95
Automatic central locking .............. 95
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 95
Seats ................................................... 97
Easy-entry/exit feature .................. 97
Head restraints .............................. 97
Multicontour seat* ....................... 100
Heated seats* .............................. 101
Memory function ............................... 102
Storing positions into memory ..... 103
Recalling positions from memory . 103
Storing parking position ............... 103Lighting ............................................. 105
Exterior lamp switch .................... 105
Combination switch ..................... 107
Hazard warning flasher ................ 108
Interior lighting ............................ 109
Door entry lamps ......................... 110
Instrument cluster ............................. 111
Instrument cluster illumination .... 111
Coolant temperature display ........ 112
Trip odometer .............................. 112
Tachometer .................................. 113
Outside temperature indicator ..... 113
Control system .................................. 114
Multifunction display.................... 114
Multifunction steering wheel........ 115
Menus .......................................... 117
Standard display menu ................ 119
AUDIO menu ................................ 119
NAV menu .................................... 121
Distronic* menu .......................... 121
Malfunction memory menu .......... 122
Settings menu .............................. 123
Trip computer menu..................... 136
TEL menu* ................................... 138

23 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
L
Left turn signal indi-
cator lamp
47
2
v
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP)
warning lamp
276
3
Speedometer
4
Multifunction display
with:
114
Basic display with outside
temperature display
119,
128
Status indicator with mal-
function warning message
119,
122
Trip odometer
112
5
l
Distance warning
lamp
1
1Vehicles without Distronic*: Warning lamp without
function. It illuminates with key in starter switch
position 2. It should go out when the engine is run-
ning.
277
6
K
Right turn signal in-
dicator lamp
47
Item
Page
7
Coolant temperature dis-
play with:
112
Ï
Coolant tempera-
ture warning lamp
281,
290
8
Tachometer with:
113
1
Supplemental
restraint system
indicator lamp
278,
303
-
Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) malfunc-
tion indicator lamp
277
<
Seat belt nonusage
warning lamp
280,
299
A
High beam head-
lamp indicator
108
9
Main odometer with:

Selector lever position
114


Program mode
114
Item
Page
10
Clock with:
128
;
Brake warning
lamp, except
Canada
279
3
Brake warning
lamp, Canada only
?
Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
280
11
Fuel display with:W
Fuel reserve warn-
ing lamp
280
12
Reset knob for:

Resetting trip
odometer
111


Instrument cluster illu-
mination
111


Confirming new time
settings
128

32 Getting startedUnlockingUnlocking with KEYLESS-GO*
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The function of the SmartKey overrules the
KEYLESS-GO function.
If you have the KEYLESS-GO function, your
vehicle checks whether the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO is valid when you grasp the
door handle. If your key is valid, the doors
will unlock, and you can open them.

Grasp the door handle.
The turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs on the doors move up.
Pressing the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton on the selector lever corresponds to
turning the key to the various starter
switch positions.iTo unlock the vehicle, the SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO must be outside the
vehicle, no further than approx. 3 feet
(1 meter) away from the door.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
key and the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.

46 Getting startedDrivingAfter a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
Switching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch to
B
.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (page 105).
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the selector lever out
ofPorN if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on the
brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the en-
gine is idling normally and when your right
foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.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.

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.

84 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are giv-
en at the beginning of each segment.
Locking and unlockingKeys
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys with remote controls and a re-
movable mechanical key. The locking tabs
for the mechanical key portion of the two
keys are a different color to help distin-
guish each key unit.
The remote control key provides an ex-
tended operating range. To prevent theft,
however, it is advisable to only unlock the
vehicle when you are in close proximity to
it.
The key centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹
Lock button
2
Š
Unlock button for trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4
Œ
Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6
Â
Panic button (
page 73)
iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 188) and slid-
ing/pop-up roof (
page 191) using
the SmartKey.