2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS snow chains

Contents
Pedals .......................................... 159
Power assistance ......................... 160
Brakes .......................................... 160
Driving off .................................... 161
Parking ......................................... 161
Tires ............................................. 162
Hydroplaning................................ 163
Tire traction ................................. 163
Tire speed rating .......................... 163
Winter driving instructions ........... 164
Standing water ............................. 165
Passenger compartment .............. 165
Driving abroad.............................. 165
Control and operation
of radio transmitter ...................... 166
Catalytic converter....................... 166
Emission control .......................... 167
Coolant temperature .................... 167
At the gas station .............................. 169
Check regularly and before
a long trip..................................... 170
Engine compartment ......................... 171
Hood ............................................ 171
Engine oil ..................................... 172
Transmission fluid level ................ 176
Coolant ........................................ 176Battery .......................................... 178
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*.......... 179
Tires and wheels................................. 180
Important guidelines ..................... 180
Life of tire ..................................... 181
Direction of rotation...................... 181
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 181
Rotating wheels ............................ 182
Winter driving ..................................... 183
Winter tires ................................... 183
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 184
Snow chains.................................. 184
Maintenance....................................... 185
Clearing the service indicator ....... 185
Service term exceeded ................. 186
Calling up the service indicator..... 186
Resetting the service indicator ..... 186
Vehicle care........................................ 187
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 187
Practical hints.................................. 193
What to do if ...................................... 194
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 194Additional indicators in the
speedometer display .................... 204
Lamp in center console ................ 205
Where will I find ...? ............................ 206
First aid kit.................................... 206
Vehicle tool kit.............................. 206
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 210
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 210
Locking the vehicle ....................... 211
Changing batteries
in remote control .......................... 212
Synchronizing remote control ....... 213
Fuel filler flap ................................ 213
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever ........... 214
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 215
Raising retractable hardtop
manually ....................................... 215
Replacing bulbs .................................. 221
Bulbs............................................. 221
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 223
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 225
Adjusting headlamp aim
(Halogen headlamps only) ............ 226
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 228
Removing ...................................... 228

66 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 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.

70 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsSwitching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have 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 ESP switch
until the ESP warning lamp
v
in the
speedometer lights up.
The ESP is deactivated.
If one or more drive wheels are spinning,
the ESP warning lamp
v
in the speed-
ometer 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 the ESP

Press lower half2 of the ESP switch.
The ESP warning lamp
v
in the
speedometer goes out. You are now
again in normal driving mode.
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving 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.

164 OperationDriving instructionsVehicles with Sport Package*
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 186 mph (300 km / h).
Despite of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use pru-
dent driving speeds appropriate to prevail-
ing conditions.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 positionN or de-
clutch in case of manual transmission. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake 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 184).
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.
Warning!
G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure that snow is kept clear of the exhaust
pipe and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle in-
terior resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.

184 OperationWinter drivingBlock heater (Canada only)
The engine is equipped with a block
heater.
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
exceed 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:


Use of 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.


Use only 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 70) before setting the vehicle
in motion. This will improve the vehi-
cle’s traction.
!Use of snow chains is not permissible
with tire size 225 / 45 R17 91 H M+S,
with the collapsible tire, with the tire
size 225 / 50 R16 92 V, with the tire
size 225 / 50 R16 92 W and the tire
size 245 / 40 R17 91 Y (Sport Pack-
age*).

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.

263 Technical data
Rims and Tires
Mixed size tires
SLK 230 Kompressor
Except Sport Package*
SLK 320
Except Sport Package*
Front axle:Rims (light alloy)
7Jx16 H2
7Jx16 H2
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
205/55 R16 91 V
205/55 R16 91 W
Rear axle:Rims (light alloy)
8Jx16 H2
8Jx16 H2
Wheel offset
1.18 in (30 mm)
1.18 in (30 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
225/50 R16 92 V
1
225/50 R16 92 W
1
1Must not be used with snow chains.

264 Technical dataRims and Tires
SLK 230 Kompressor, SLK 320
Sport Package*
SLK 32 AMG
Front axle:Rims (light alloy)
71⁄2Jx17 H2
71⁄2Jx17 H2
Wheel offset
1.46 in (37 mm)
1.46 in (37 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
225/45 R17 91 Y
1
225/45 R17 91 Y
1
Rear axle:Rims (light alloy)
81⁄2Jx17 H2
81⁄2Jx17 H2
Wheel offset
1.34 in (34 mm)
1.34 in (34 mm)
Summer tires (radial-ply tires)
245/40 R17 91 Y
2, 3
245/40 R17 91 Y
2, 3
1Also permissible: 225/45 ZR17 91 Y2Also permissible: 245/40 ZR17 91 Y3Must not be used with snow chains