2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK320 wheel

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.

78 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingOpening the doors from the inside
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
1Inside door handle
Pull on door handle1.If a door was locked, the locking knob
will move up.
Trunk lid emergency release
The handle for the trunk lid emergency
release is located in the trunk lid.
1Handle
Pull handle1 in direction of arrow to
open the trunk lid.
Automatic central locking
Factory setting
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
left front wheel turns at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle interi-
or.
iThe anti-theft alarm system is triggered
when the trunk is opened from the
inside and the vehicle was previously
centrally locked.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking when the vehicle

is pushed or


is on a test stand

83 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 43).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switch
M
Off
C
Parking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
Canada only: When engine is run-
ning, the low beam is also switched
on.
B
Low beam plus parking lamps or
high beam headlamps (combination
switch pushed forward).
ˆ
Standing lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚
Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)Daytime running lamp mode (Canada
only)
Vehicles with automatic transmission
When the engine is running and the
selector lever is in driving position, the low
beam headlamps are automatically
switched on.
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(2 seconds delay).
Vehicles with manual transmission
With the engine running, the low beam
headlamps are automatically switched on.
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
then a warning sounds.
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.

91 Controls in detail
Manual transmission
Manual transmission
Information for driving with a manual
transmission is found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 40).
Gearshift leverDo not exceed the maximum speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer
(page 89) for engine speeds.
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or re-
verse gear and parking brake engaged is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
an engaged first or reverse gear alone may
not prevent your vehicle from moving, possi-
bly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 47).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock, and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could move the gearshift
lever, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.iNever hold the vehicle stopped on a hill
by using the clutch pedal. The clutch
may be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

92 Controls in detailManual transmission
Shifting into reverse
Stop the vehicle completely.

Pull gearshift lever up and shift in
Rreverse.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces as well as high en-
gine speeds, never downshift in order to ob-
tain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of
loss of control.!Downshifting gears leading to overrev-
ving the engine can result in engine
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Do not exceed the engine speed limits
(page 89).

94 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears yourself when the
selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the selector lever to the
left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action si-
multaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 95).Upshifting

Briefly press the selector lever to the
right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simulta-
neously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the selector lever in the
D+direction until Dreappears in the
tachometer display field.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D–direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal accelera-
tion and deceleration. This will involve
shifting down one or more gears.
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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the selector lever is moved to the
D–direction, the transmission will not
shift to a lower gear if the engine's
max. speed limit would be exceeded.

96 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Gear 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 steering lock 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 47).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.