2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK-CLASS door lock

306 OperationVehicle careEngine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as MB Anticor-
rosion Wax, should be applied to the en-
gine compartment after every engine
cleaning. Before applying, all control link-
age bushings and joints should be lubricat-
ed. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys should
be protected from any wax.
Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently. Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in out-
side mirrors prior to running the vehicle
through an automatic car wash to prevent
damage to the mirrors.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the underbody, do not for-
get to clean the inner sides of the wheels.Soft top
Clean soft top with soft top raised and
locked. Lower the soft top into the storage
compartment only if the soft top is com-
pletely dry. If the soft top is kept in the
storage compartment for a lengthy period,
raise it and air out with the windows open
about every 4 months.
Light colored soft tops should be cleaned
frequently to prevent spots and dirt from
setting in, which could stain and discolor
the soft top material permanently.
iVehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
If a door handle is hit by a strong jet of
water, and a SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* is in close proximity, i.e.
within approx. 3 ft (approx. 1 m), the
vehicle could be inadvertently locked
or unlocked.
!Remove bird droppings immediately.
The organic acid damages the material
and causes the soft top to leak
Never use a power washer to clean the
soft top, as you may damage the soft
top material.
Do not use sharp-edged instruments
for the removal of ice and snow.
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335 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
I
Key recognized
in vehicle
A SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* left in the
vehicle was recognized while locking the
vehicle from the outside.

Take the SmartKey out of the vehicle.
Key
do not forget key
This display appears (for a maximum of
60 seconds) if the driver’s door is opened
with the engine shut off and no SmartKey
in the starter switch.
Message is only a reminder.

Insert SmartKey in the starter switch.

Take the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* with you when leaving
the vehicle.
.
3rd stop lamp
The high mounted brake lamp is malfunc-
tioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Back- up lamp, left
The left backup lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Back- up lamp, right
The right backup lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Display defective
Visit workshop!
The display for the lamps or the system is
malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
Front foglamp, left
The left front fog lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Front foglamp, right
The right front fog lamp is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
High beam, left
The left high beam lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
High beam, right
The right high beam lamp is malfunction-
ing.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
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348 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking/locking in an emergencyUnlocking the vehicle
If you are unable to unlock the vehicle with
the SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO*, open the
driver’s door and the trunk using the me-
chanical key.
1Mechanical key locking tab
2Mechanical key

Move locking tab1 in direction of ar-
row and slide the mechanical key2
out of the housing.Unlocking the driver’s door
1Unlocking
2Locking

Unlock the door with the mechanical
key. To do so, push the mechanical key
in the lock until it stops and turn it to
the left.
iUnlocking your vehicle with the me-
chanical key will trigger the anti-theft
alarm system. To cancel the alarm, do
one of the following:

Press button Œ or ‹ on the
SmartKey.


Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*


Pull the outside door handle.


Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 33).
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349 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Unlocking the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.41 ft
(1.65 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The lock is located next to the recessed
handle.
1Unlocking in an emergency
2Handle

Insert the mechanical key into the
trunk lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to position1 and hold it in this
position.

Pull the trunk lid handle2 and lift the
trunk lid.
The trunk opens.
Locking the vehicle
If you are unable to lock the vehicle with
the SmartKey, lock it with the mechanical
key as follows:
Close the passenger door and the trunk
lid.

Press the central locking switch in the
cockpit (
page 108).

Check to see whether the locking knob
on the passenger door down. If neces-
sary push it down manually.

Lock the driver’s door with the me-
chanical key.

Lock the trunk lid if necessary with the
mechanical key (
page 106).
! Always make sure there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
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363 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency
eLocking 
Insert hex wrench into soft top locking
mechanism screw.

Turn the soft top locking mechanism
screw with hex wrench counterclock-
wise in direction of arrowe as far as it
will go.
The soft top is locked onto the wind-
shield frame.

Have the soft top operation checked at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Warning!
G
Position hands as indicated by arrows so
that when you press soft top compartment
cover c forward and lower material ten-
sioning frameb, your hands cannot be-
come trapped.
!Make sure you turn the hex wrench
counterclockwise as far as it will go.
Otherwise the soft top may not lock
properly.!If, after completing the soft top emer-
gency operation, the trunk cannot be
opened using the remote trunk lid re-
lease switch in the driver’s door,
theŠ button on the SmartKey, or
the trunk lid release handle in the li-
cense plate recess, press the soft top
compartment cover down again as de-
scribed above.
Do not open the trunk with the emer-
gency key, as this could otherwise
damage the trunk lid and the soft top
compartment cover.
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371 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency
hLocking 
Insert hex wrench into soft top locking
mechanism screw.

Turn the soft top locking mechanism
screw with hex wrench counterclock-
wise in direction of arrowh as far as it
will go.
The soft top is locked onto the wind-
shield frame.

Have the soft top operation checked at
your authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Warning!
G
Position hands as indicated by arrows so
that when you press soft top compartment
coverf forward and lower material ten-
sioning framee, your hands cannot be-
come trapped.
!Make sure you turn the hex wrench
counterclockwise as far as it will go.
Otherwise the soft top may not lock
properly.!If, after completing the soft top emer-
gency operation, the trunk cannot be
opened using the remote trunk lid re-
lease switch in the driver’s door,
theŠ button on the SmartKey, or
the trunk lid release handle in the li-
cense plate recess, press the soft top
compartment cover down again as de-
scribed above.
Do not open the trunk with the emer-
gency key, as this could otherwise
damage the trunk lid and the soft top
compartment cover.
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386 Practical hintsBatteryDisconnecting the battery
1Negative terminal
2Positive terminal cover

Depress parking brake firmly or move
gear selector lever to positionP.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Remove SmartKey from starter switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the start / stop button until
the engine shuts off.

Open the driver’s door.

Open the hood (
page 287).

Remove the filter box.

Disconnect the battery negative lead.

Remove cover2 from the positive ter-
minal.

Disconnect the battery positive lead.
Removing the battery
Remove the screw securing the bat-
tery.

Remove the battery support and brack-
et.

Take out the battery.
Charging and reinstalling battery
Charge battery in accordance with the
instructions of the battery charger
manufacturer.

Reinstall the charged battery. Follow
the previously described steps in re-
verse order.
Warning!
G
With a disconnected battery

you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch and
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button on the gear selector lever will
have no effect


the gear selector lever will remain
locked in position
P
Warning!
G
Never charge a battery while still installed in
the vehicle. Gases may escape during charg-
ing and cause explosions that may result in
paint damage, corrosion or personal injury.
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392 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Towing eye bolt CLK 320/CLK 500
1Cover on right side of front bumper2Cover on right side of rear bumper
To remove cover:

Press mark on cover in direction of ar-
row.

Lift cover off to reveal threaded hole for
towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the compartment under-
neath the trunk floor).

Screw towing eye bolt to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.
To reinstall cover:

Fit cover and snap into place.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approx. 9 mph
(15 km / h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 84).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 149).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
iThe gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP and the SmartKey
will not turn in the starter switch if the
battery is disconnected or discharged.
See notes on the battery (
page 385)
or on jump starting (
page 388).
Manually unlocking gear selector lever
(
page 352)
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