2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS rims

Contents
Installing....................................... 228
Flat tire .............................................. 229
Preparing the vehicle.................... 229
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 1 ..... 229
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 2 ..... 234
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 238
Battery ............................................... 245
Disconnecting the battery ............ 246
Removing the battery ................... 246
Charging and reinstalling battery . 246
Reconnecting the battery ............. 246
Jump starting ..................................... 247
Towing the vehicle ............................. 249
Towing eye ................................... 251
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 252
Fuses ................................................. 253
Main fuse box ............................... 253
Auxiliary fuse box ......................... 254
Technical data.................................. 255
Spare parts service ............................ 256
Warranty coverage ............................. 257
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet...................... 257
Identification labels............................ 258Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 259
SLK 230 Kompressor ................... 259
SLK 320 ....................................... 259
SLK 32 AMG................................. 259
Engine................................................ 260
Rims and Tires ................................... 261
Same size tires ............................. 262
Mixed size tires ............................ 263
Spare wheel with collapsible tire.. 265
Electrical system ............................... 266
Main Dimensions ............................... 267
Weights.............................................. 268
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 269
Capacities .................................... 269
Engine oils.................................... 271
Engine oil additives ...................... 271
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 271
Brake fluid .................................... 271
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 272
Fuel requirements ........................ 272
Gasoline additives ........................ 272
Coolants....................................... 273
Windshield and headlamp*
washer system ............................. 275
Consumer information ....................... 276
Uniform tire quality grading ......... 276
Technical terms............................... 279Index................................................. 285

55 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag
iAirbags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal (front airbags) impacts,
or side (side impact airbags) impacts
which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these types of impacts, if of
sufficient severity to meet the deploy-
ment thresholds, will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for the airbags to pro-
vide their supplemental protection.
In cases of other frontal impacts, an-
gled impacts, roll-overs, other side im-
pacts, rear collisions, or other
accidents the airbags will not be acti-
vated. The driver and passengers will
then be protected by the fastened seat
belts.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the airbags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a pre-
set threshold to reduce the potential
and severity of injury. It is important to
your safety and that of your passengers
that you replace deployed airbags and
repair any malfunctioning airbags to en-
sure that the vehicle will continue to
provide supplemental crash protection
for occupants.Warning!
G


Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Use only belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and ETDs are designed to func-
tion on a one-time-only basis. An airbag
or emergency tensioning device (ETD)
that was activated must be replaced.


No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger airbag cover, door
trim panels, or door frame trims, and in-
stallation of additional electrical/elec-
tronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring. Keep area be-
tween airbags and occupants free from
objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrel-
las, etc.).


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.

180 OperationTires and wheels
Tires and wheelsSee your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter for information on tested and recom-
mended rims and tires for summer and
winter operation. They can also offer ad-
vice concerning tire service and purchase.
Retread tires are not tested or recom-
mended by Mercedes-Benz, since previous
damage cannot always be recognized on
retreads. Mercedes-Benz can therefore
not assure the operating safety of the vehi-
cle when such tires are used.
See your authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter for information on tested and recom-
mended rims and tires for summer and
winter operation.
Important guidelines

Use only sets of tires and rims of the
same type and make.


Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.


Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate
speeds.


Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage.


If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire
pressure and correct as required.


Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. Adhesion properties on wet
roads are sharply reduced at tread
depths under
1/8in (3 mm).


When replacing individual tires, you
should mount new tires on the front
wheels first (on vehicles with
same-sized wheels all around).
Warning!
G
Replace rims or tires with the same designa-
tion, manufacturer and type as shown on the
original part. See your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for further informa-
tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires are
mounted:

The wheel brakes or suspension compo-
nents can be damaged.


The correct operating clearance of the
wheels and the tires are no longer guar-
anteed.
Warning!
G
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, use only genuine
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can re-
sult in the bolts loosening and possibly an
accident.

182 OperationTires and wheelsTire pressure changes by approximately
1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of air
temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire pressure where the
temperature is different from the outside
temperature.
The tire temperature and with it the tire
pressure is increased also while driving,
depending on the driving speed and the
tire load.Check the spare tire periodically for condi-
tion and inflation. Spare tires will age and
b e c o m e w o r n o v e r t i m e e v e n i f n e v e r u s e d ,
and thus should be inspected and replaced
when necessary.
Rotating wheels
The wheels can be rotated every 3000 to
6000 miles (5 000 to 10000 km), or soon-
er if necessary, according to the degree of
tire wear. The same direction of tire rota-
tion must be retained.Rotate the wheels before the characteris-
tic tire wear pattern becomes visible
(shoulder wear on front wheels and tread
center wear on rear wheels).
Thoroughly clean the inner side of the
wheels after each rotation. Check and en-
sure proper tire inflation pressure.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressure.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the pillar in the driver’s
door opening). Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.Warning!
G
Rotate front and rear wheels only if they are
of the same size.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. Wheels could become
loose if not tightened with a torque of
80 ft.lb. (110 Nm).
Use only genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts specified for your vehicle's rims.

207 Practical hints
Where will I find ...?
Vehicles with a spare wheel
(SLK 230 Kompressor, SLK 320)
1Spare wheel with collapsible tire
2Vehicle tool kit
3Wheel wrench
4Jack
5Electric air pump, bolts for spare wheel
rimSparewheel, vehicle tool kit, wheel
wrench, jack and electric air pump are
located under the trunk floor cover.

Lift trunk floor cover.
You can take out vehicle tool kit2,
wheel wrench3 and jack4.
Electric air pump5 is secured with a belt.

Loosen the belt.

Remove electric air pump from pump
holder.
Spare wheel1 is secured with the pump
holder.

Turn pump holder counterclockwise.

Remove pump holder.

Remove spare wheel out of the wheel
well.Spare wheel bolts
Wheel bolts1 Wheel bolt for

wheel rim size 7Jx16 H2 and 8Jx16 H2


AMG wheel rim size 7
1⁄2Jx17 H2 and
8
1⁄2Jx17 H2


spare wheel rim size 4
1⁄2Bx16 H2
2 Wheel bolt for


spare wheel rim size 4
1⁄2Bx15 H2
(located with electric air pump)

255 Technical data
Spare parts service
Warranty coverage
Identification labels
Layout of poly-V-belt drive
Engine
Rims and Tires
Electrical system
Main Dimensions
Weights
Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Consumer information

261 Technical data
Rims and Tires
Rims and Tires
Use only 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
!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.

262 Technical dataRims and TiresSame size tires
SLK 230 Kompressor
SLK 320
SLK 32 AMG
Rims (light alloy)
7Jx16 H2
7Jx16 H2
71⁄2Jx17 H2
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
Winter tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 H M+S
205/55 R16 91 H M+S
205/50 R17 89 H M+S
225/45 R17 91 H M+S
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.