Page 119 of 464
119 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 47).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.MOff
UAutomatic headlamp mode
CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
Canada only:
When engine is running, the low
beam is also switched on.
BLow beam plus parking lamps or
high beam headlamps (combination
switch pushed forward).
ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country where the vehicle is regis-
tered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center
Page 120 of 464

120 Controls in detailLighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch. For exterior lamp
switch, see “Exterior lamp switch”
(page 119).
Automatic headlamp mode
The parking lamps, low beam headlamps
and license plate lamps switch on and off
automatically depending on the brightness
of the ambient light.
Turn the exterior lamp switch toU.
iIf you remove the SmartKey and open
the driver’s door while the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on,
a warning sounds
$ appears in the multifunction
display
the message
Turn off lamps!
ap-
pears in the multifunction display
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU,
the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.
the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch to B when driving or when traffic
and / or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from position U to B with the
vehicle at a standstill. Switching from U
to B will briefly switch off the head-
lamps. Doing so while driving in low ambient
lighting conditions may result in an acci-
dent.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.
Page 121 of 464

121 Controls in detail
Lighting
Daytime running lamp mode
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionM orU.
When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps are automatically switched on.
In low ambient light conditions the parking
lamps will also switch on.
Canada only
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(with a three-minute delay).
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.USA only
The high beam headlamps can also be ac-
tivated when driving with the daytime run-
ning lamp mode activated and exterior
lamp switch in positionM.
To activate the daytime running lamp
mode, see “Setting daytime running lamp
mode (USA only)” (
page 145).
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
Locator lighting and night security illumi-
nation are described in the control system
section, see “Setting locator lighting”
(
page 146) and see “Setting night secu-
rity illumination (Exterior lamps delayed
shut-off)” (
page 147).
iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated, the low beam headlamps will
not be switched off automatically.iThe front fog lamps and rear fog lamp
cannot be switched on manually with
exterior lamp switch in positionU.
To activate the fog lamps, turn exterior
lamp switch to positionB and pull
the exterior lamp switch to first or sec-
ond stop (
page 122).
iSee notes on the exterior lamp switch
(page 119).
Page 127 of 464

127 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Coolant temperature indicatorDuring severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 120°C.
The engine should not be operated with
the coolant temperature above 120°C. Do-
ing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Trip odometer
Make sure you are viewing the trip odome-
ter display (
page 129).
I f i t i s n o t d i s p l a y e d , p r e s s b u t t o nè
orÿ on the multifunction steering
wheel repeatedly until the trip odome-
ter appears.
Press and hold reset button1 on the
instrument cluster (
page 126) until
the trip odometer is reset.
Tachometer
The red marking on the tachometer de-
notes excessive engine speed.
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated
within the red marking.
CLK 55 AMG
The tachometer of the CLK 55 AMG does
not have a red marking denoting excessive
engine speed
To help protect the engine, the fuel supply
is interrupted if the engine is operated at
an excessive engine speed.
Warning!
G
Driving when your engine is overheated
can cause some fluids which may have
leaked into the engine compartment to
catch fire. You could be seriously
burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can
cause serious burns and can occur just
by opening the hood. Stay away from
the engine if you see or hear steam com-
ing from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.iExcessive coolant temperature triggers
a warning in the multifunction display
(page 329) and the red coolant warn-
ing lamp in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 315).
!Avoid driving at excessive engine
speeds, as it may result in serious en-
gine damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Page 128 of 464

128 Controls in detailInstrument clusterOutside temperature indicator
The outside temperature is displayed in
the multifunction display (
page 22). For
information on how to select the unit of the
displayed temperature, i.e. degrees Cel-
sius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F), see
“Selecting temperature display mode”
(
page 142)The temperature sensor is located in the
front bumper area. Due to its location, the
sensor can be affected by road or engine
heat during idling or slow driving. This
means that the accuracy of the displayed
temperature can only be verified by com-
parison to a thermometer placed next to
the sensor, not by comparison to external
displays (e.g. bank signs etc.).When moving the vehicle into colder ambi-
ent temperatures (e.g. when leaving your
garage), you will notice a delay before the
lower temperature is displayed.
A delay also occurs when ambient temper-
atures rise. This prevents inaccurate tem-
perature indications caused by heat
radiated from the engine during idling or
slow driving.Warning!
G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Page 133 of 464
133 Controls in detail
Control system
Menus, submenus and functions
Menu1
Menu2
Menu3
Menu4
Menu5
Menu6
Menu7
Menu8
Commands/submenusStandard dis-
play
AUDIO
NAVI*
Distronic*
Malfunction
memory
Settings
Trip computer
Telephone
Digital speed-
ometer
Select radio
station
Activate
route guid-
ance
Call up set-
tings
Call up malfunc-
tion messages
Reset to factory
settings
Fuel consumption
statistics after
start
Load phone
book
Call up FSS
Select
satellite ra-
dio station
Instrument clus-
ter submenu
Fuel consumption
statistics since
the last reset
Search for
name in
phone book
Check engine oil
level
Operate CD
player*
Time submenu
Call up range
Operate cas-
sette player
Lighting sub-
menuVehicle sub-
menuConvenience
submenu
Page 134 of 464

134 Controls in detailControl system
Standard display menu
You can select the functions in the stan-
dard display menu with buttonk
orj.
The following functions are available:
Display digital speedometer
Press the j or k button repeat-
edly until you see the digital speedom-
eter appear in the display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display.
AUDIO menu
The functions in the
Audio
menu operate
the audio equipment which you currently
have turned on.
If no audio equipment is currently turned
on, the message
Audio off
is shown in the
display.
The following functions are available:
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
Function
Page
Call up digital speedometer
134
Call up FSS
303
Check engine oil level
289
Function
Page
Select radio station
135
Select satellite radio station*
135
Operate CD player*
136
Operate cassette player
136
Page 150 of 464

150 Controls in detailControl systemActivating easy-entry/exit feature
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature. When the
feature is activated, the steering wheel and
driver’s seat will move back to facilitate ex-
iting when you
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
open the driver’s door
However, the engine must be turned off.After entering the vehicle, the steering
wheel and seat will move into the position
stored in memory when
the driver’s door is closed.
you put the SmartKey in the starter
switch or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button.
press the appropriate stored position
button on the memory switch
(page 116).
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and the driver’s seat when the
easy-entry/exit feature is in operation and
the driver’s door is being opened or the
SmartKey is removed from the starter
switch.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iTo cancel seat/steering wheel move-
ment, do one of the following:
Press seat adjustment switch
(page 35)
Move the steering column stalk
(page 38)
Press the memory switch
(page 116)