2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK320 ESP

54 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the side impact airbag in-
flates. This could result in serious inju-
ries or death should the airbag be
triggered. Always sit upright, properly
use the seat belts and appropriate size
infant or child restraint system.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger side front airbag
when it is properly installed. Otherwise
they will be struck by the airbag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, seri-
ous or fatal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle you are responsible
to make the buyer aware of these points. Be
sure to give the buyer this Operator’s Manu-
al.
Warning!
G
Should you choose to place a child 12 years
old or under in the passenger seat of your
vehicle, you must properly use a
BabySmart
TM child restraint which will turn
off the front passenger airbag. BabySmart
TM
will not, however, turn off any side impact
airbag.
It should be noted that with respect to both
side impact airbags there is a possibility for
a side impact airbag related injury if occu-
pants, especially children, are not properly
seated or restrained when next to a side im-
pact airbag which needs to deploy rapidly in
a side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door where the
side impact airbag inflates. This could
result in serious injuries or death should
the side impact airbag be activated.
(2) Always sit upright, properly use the seat
belts and use an appropriately sized in-
fant or child restraint system for all chil-
dren 12 years old or under.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
passenger seat occupants to have the pas-
senger side impact airbag deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional
cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.

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.

68 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 braking distance. Apply con-
tinuous 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.
The malfunction indicator lamp for the ESP
is combined with that of the BAS.
The
¿
malfunction indicator lamp in
the instrument cluster lights up when you
turn the key in the steering lock to
position2. It goes out when the engine is
running.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section.
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 speed-
ometer dial flashes when the ESP is en-
gaged.
The warning lamp
v
in the speedome-
ter dial lights up when you turn the key in
the steering lock to position2. 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.

69 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 194).
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp
v
flashing in the
speedometer dial. In this case proceed as
follows:


While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible


While driving ease up on 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.
!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
steering lock position0 or1) when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the
front 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.

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.

74 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed in your vehicle.
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
More information on the remote control
with folding key can be found in the “Get-
ting started” section (
page 28).
Your vehicle comes supplied with two re-
mote controls with folding key.
The remote control provides an extended
operating range. To prevent theft, howev-
e r , i t i s a d v i s a b l e t o o n l y u n l o ck t he v e h i cl e
when you are in close proximity to it.
The remote control centrally locks and un-
locks:


the doors


the trunk


the fuel filler flap


the storage compartment in armrest
You can lock and unlock each individual
lock with the key.
Remote control with folding key1Œ
Unlock button
2
‹
Lock button
3Release button for key
4Battery check lamp
5
Â
Panic button (
page 65)
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the remote control to high
levels of electromagnetic radiation.

75 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Factory setting
Global unlocking
Press button
Œ
.
All turn signal lamps blink once. The
locking knobs in the doors move up.
The vehicle will lock again automatically
within approximately 40 seconds of un-
locking if neither door nor trunk is opened,
the key is not inserted in the steering lock,
or the central locking switch is not
activated.
Global locking

Press button
‹
.
All turn signal lamps blink three times.
The locking knobs in the doors move
down.Selective setting
If you frequently travel alone, you may wish
to reprogram the remote control so that
pressing
Œ
only unlocks the driver’s
door, the storage compartment in the arm-
rest and the fuel filler flap.

Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹

simultaneously for about 5 seconds un-
til battery check lamp4 blinks twice.The remote control will then function
as follows:
Unlocking driver’s door, storage com-
partment in armrest and fuel filler flap

Press button
Œ
once.
Global unlocking

Press button
Œ
twice.
Global locking

Press button
‹
.
Restoring to factory setting

Press and hold buttons
Œ
and
‹

simultaneously for about 6 seconds un-
til battery check lamp4 blinks twice.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not blink
three times, one of the following ele-
ments may not be properly closed:

a door


the trunk
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.

77 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Loss of remote control with folding key
If you lose a remote control or the folding
key, you should do the following:
Have the remote control deactivated
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Report the loss of the remote control or
the folding key immediately to your car
insurance company.

If necessary have the mechanical lock
replaced.
Your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
will be glad to supply you with a replace-
ment.
Opening the trunk
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
1Trunk lid lock
2Handle
Pull handle2 and lift the trunk lid.
The trunk can also be opened from the in-
side in an emergency, see trunk lid emer-
gency release (
page 78).
Closing the trunk
The recess is located on the inner side of
the trunk lid.
1Recess
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
recess1.
iThe vehicle must be unlocked.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk lid.
Be especially careful when small children
are around.