2003 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG COUPE warning

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.

145 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Program mode selector switch
1Program mode selector switch
S Standard For regular driving
W Winter For winter driving

Press the program mode selector
switch repeatedly until the letter of the
desired shift program appears in the
speedometer display field
(page 114).
Select
Wfor winter driving:


The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are im-
proved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.


The power transmission ratio for se-
lector lever positionR changes de-
pending on the program mode
selected (
W or
S).
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the starter switch, take the Smart-
Key with KEYLESS-GO* (if so equipped) with
you and lock the vehicle. Do not leave chil-
dren unattended in the vehicle, or with ac-
cess to an unlocked vehicle. Children could
move the selector lever from positionP,
which could result in an accident and/or se-
rious personal injury.
!Never change the program mode when
the selector lever is out of positionP. It
could result in a change of driving char-
acteristics for which you may not be
prepared.

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.

149 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
Information on the windshield wipers
(page 47) and for setting the rear view
mirrors (
page 38) is found in the “Get-
ting started” section.
Rear view mirror
Automatic antiglare rear view mirror
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the inside rear view mirror will respond au-
tomatically to glare when

the ignition is switched on, and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the inside rear view mir-
ror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the inside rear view mirror.
The inside rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun
shade* is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
side rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

152 Controls in detailGood visibilitySun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.1Mounting
2Sun visor
3Mirror cover
4Mirror lamp

To use mirror, lift up cover3.If sunlight enters through a side window:

disengage sun visor from mounting1.

pivot sun visor to the side.
The sun visors are extendable.

Adjust the sun visors by pushing or
pulling in the direction of the arrows.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.
iIf you disengage the sun visor from
mounting1, mirror lamp4 will switch
off.

153 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window sunshade*
The switch is located in the center console.
Turn the key to starter switch position
1 or 2. Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
press the start/stop button once or
twice.

Press the switch briefly at 1 to raise the
sunshade.

Press the switch briefly at 2 to lower
the sunshade.
Always raise the sunshade fully for its sup-
port against the window frame.
Warning!
G
When operating the rear window sunshade,
ma ke s ur e th a t th er e is no da nge r o f an y o ne
being harmed by the raising or lowering pro-
cedure.
The raising or lowering procedure can be im-
mediately halted by briefly pressing the up-
per or lower half of the switch.
Briefly press upper or lower half of the
switch again to raise or lower the rear win-
dow sunshade completely.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from starter switch, and lock your
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equip-
ment may cause an accident and⁄or serious
personal injury.

156 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlThe automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the passenger compartment through
the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the economy mode AC
OFF
is se-
lected (
page 163).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iIf the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing ob-
jects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.

160 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAir recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.Activating

Press button
,
(page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press button
,
(page 155).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
iIf you keep button
,
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof* will be closed.
The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically:


at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel
Please note that the charcoal filter
must be activated (
page 161) for the
air recirculation mode to be activated
automatically.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing system (
page 163) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch on
automatically.
iIf you keep button
,
pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof will be returned to their previous
position.