2003 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK32AMG position light

Contents
Automatic central locking .............. 78
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 80
Seats.................................................... 81
Heated seats* ................................ 81
Head restraints............................... 82
Lighting ................................................ 83
Exterior lamp switch ....................... 83
Combination switch........................ 84
Hazard warning flasher................... 85
Interior lighting ............................... 86
Instrument cluster ............................... 88
Instrument cluster illumination....... 88
Coolant temperature gauge............ 88
Trip odometer................................. 89
Tachometer .................................... 89
Outside temperature indicator ....... 90
Setting clock .................................. 90
Manual transmission ............................ 91
Shifting into reverse ....................... 92
Automatic transmission* ..................... 93
One-touch gearshifting ................... 94
Gear ranges .................................... 95
Gear selector lever position ........... 96
Program mode selector switch ....... 97
Accelerator position ....................... 98Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ........................ 98
Good visibility ...................................... 99
Rear view mirror............................. 99
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 100
Sun visors .................................... 101
Climate control .................................. 102
Setting the temperature ............... 104
Adjusting air volume .................... 104
Adjusting air distribution .............. 104
Air recirculation mode .................. 105
Rear window defroster ................. 105
Air conditioning ............................ 106
Residual heat ............................... 107
Basic settings ............................... 108
Special settings............................ 108
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 110
Audio system ..................................... 111
Audio and telephone, operation ... 111
Operating safety........................... 111
Operating and display elements ... 112
Anti-theft system.......................... 114
Button and soft key operation ...... 115
Operation ..................................... 115
Radio mode .................................. 116Cassette mode............................. 118
CD mode ...................................... 120
Telephone* operation .................. 123
Power windows.................................. 127
Opening and closing
the side windows ......................... 127
Retractable hardtop........................... 129
Opening and closing
the retractable hardtop ................ 129
Wind screen ................................. 134
Driving systems ................................. 136
Cruise control .............................. 136
Useful features .................................. 139
Interior storage spaces ................ 139
Ashtray ........................................ 142
Cigarette lighter ........................... 143
Telephone* .................................. 143
Tele Aid ........................................ 144
Garage door opener ..................... 152
Operation......................................... 157
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 158
Driving instructions ........................... 159
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 159
Drinking and driving ..................... 159

29 Getting started
Unlocking
Steering lock positionsSteering lock0For removing key
The steering is locked when the key is
removed from the steering lock. If nec-
essary, move steering wheel slightly to
allow the locking mechanism to en-
gage.
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
may cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.iThe key can only be withdrawn in
position0.
If necessary, move steering wheel
slightly to allow the key to be turned
clockwise to position1.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The key can only be removed from the
steering lock with the gear selector
lever in positionP.
!To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge and a possible dead battery,
always remove the key from the
steering lock.

32 Getting startedAdjusting
Let go of handle4. The seat should
make an audible click.
Backrest tilt

Turn handwheel2 forward or backward
until your arms are slightly angled
when holding the steering wheel.Head restraint height

Adjust the height of the head restraints
by pulling them upwards manually.

For a lower position, press release
button1 and push down on the head
restraints manually.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 82).Power seat*

Switch on the ignition by turning the
key in the steering lock to position2.
or

Open the driver’s or passenger door.
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the outer sides of the seats.
1Seat height
2Seat fore and aft adjustment
3Seat cushion tilt
4Backrest tilt
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

33 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat height
Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow1.
Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow2.
Adjust to a comfortable seating position
that still allows you to reach the
accelerator / brake pedal safely. The posi-
tion should be as far to the rear as possi-
ble, consistent with ability to properly
operate controls.
Seat cushion tilt

Press the switch up or down in the di-
rection of arrow3 until your upper legs
are lightly supported.Backrest tilt

Press the switch forward or backward
in the direction of arrow4 until your
arms are slightly angled when holding
the steering wheel.
Head restraint height
5Release button

Adjust the height of the head restraints
by pulling them upwards manually.

For a lower position, press release
button5 and push down on the head
restraints manually.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 82).
iWhen moving the seat, be sure that
there are no items in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint to support the back of
the head approximately at ear level.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.

42 Getting startedDrivingParking brake
1Brake lever
2Release button

Pull up slightly on brake lever1 and
press release button2.
Return brake lever1 down to its origi-
nal position.
The indicator lamp
;
(USA only)
or
3
(Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Driving

Depress the brake pedal.

Move selector lever to positionD orR
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear)

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
Once the vehicle is in motion, the auto-
matic central locking system engages
and the locking knobs drop down.After a cold start, the automatic transmis-
sion engages at a higher revolution. This al-
lows the catalytic converter to reach its
operating temperature earlier.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Children could release the parking
brake, which could result in an accident or
serious injury.
iYou can open a locked door from the
inside. Open door only when conditions
are safe to do so.!If you hear a warning signal when driv-
ing off, you have forgotten to release
the parking brake.
Release the parking brake.iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.

44 Getting startedDrivingHigh beam
Push the combination switch forward.
The high beam symbol
A
in the
instrument cluster lights up.
More information can be found in the
“Controls in detail” section (
page 85).
Windshield wipers
The combination switch is on the left of the
steering column.Combination switch1Switching on windshield wipers
2Single wipe
Make sure that the ignition is switched
on.Switching on windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the de-
sired position depending on the inten-
sity of the rain.
0Windshield wipers off
IIntermittent wiping
IINormal wiper speed
IIIFast wiper speed
iTo signal minor directional changes,
move combination switch to point of
resistance only and release. The turn
signal blinks three times.
iFast wiper speedIII goes to settingII
when the vehicle is standing still.

52 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety
Occupant safetyIn this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint systems
of the vehicle.
The restraint systems are

Seat belts


Emergency tensioning device


Airbags


Child seats


Child seat recognition
As independent systems their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The
1
warning lamp in the instrument
cluster lights up for about 4 seconds when
you turn the key in the steering lock to
position1 or2. It goes out when you start
the engine. This shows that the restraint
systems are operational.
If the lamp does not come on at all or if it
fails to extinguish after approximately
4 seconds or if it comes on thereafter, a
malfunction in the system has been de-
tected.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 197).
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 60).
Warning!
G
In the event that the SRS malfunction indica-
tor lamp lights up during driving or does not
come on at all, the SRS may not be opera-
tional. For your safety, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not be activated when needed in an acci-
dent, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in inju-
ry.
Improper work on the restraint systems, in-
cluding incorrect installation and removal,
can lead to possible injury through an unin-
tended activation of the SRS.
In addition, through improper work there is
a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or
causing unintended airbag deployment.
Work on the SRS must therefore only be per-
formed by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

57 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Side impact airbags
The side impact airbags are deployed:

on the impacted side of the vehicle


in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold


independently of the front airbags
The side impact airbags will not deploy in
impacts which do not exceed the system’s
deployment threshold.
The passenger side impact airbag will only
be deployed if the system senses that the
passenger seat is occupied.
Seat belts
The seat belt nonusage warning lamp
<

in the instrument cluster lights up and a
warning sounds for a short time when you
turn the key in the steering lock to
position2 and the driver’s seat belt is not
fastened.
After starting the engine, the seat belt non-
usage warning lamp blinks for a brief peri-
od to remind the driver and passengers to
fasten the seat belts.
The use of seat belts and infant and child
restraint systems is required by law in
most states and all Canadian provinces.
Even where this is not the case, all vehicle
occupants should have their seat belts fas-
tened whenever the vehicle is in motion.
Information on fastening seat belts is
found in the “Getting started” section
(
page 37).
!Do not place objects heavier than
20 lbs (9 kg) on the passenger seat.
This could cause the front or side im-
pact airbag on the passenger side to
deploy in a crash which exceeds the
system's deployment threshold.
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and re-
straint systems for infants and chil-
dren, see “Children in the vehicle”
(page 60).