369 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission, however,
we recommend the drive shaft be dis-
connected at the rear axle drive flange
for any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position
2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch posi-
tion
0 for an extended period of time, it can
no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combina-
tion switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
370 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 83).
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 363)
or on jump starting (
page 366).
Manually unlocking gear selector lever
(
page 347)
399 Technical terms
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(E
lectronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts.
->SRSFSS
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Service indicator in the multifunction
display that informs the driver when
the next vehicle maintenance service is
due.
Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the gear selector le-
ver.
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers. Employs CD digital maps for
navigation.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
engine temperature and fuel gauge.KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.
Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
400 Technical termsMemory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each SmartKey or, if so equipped,
KEYLESS-GO* feature.
Menu
The control system displays are ar-
ranged in menus. Each menu contains
a number of commands for particular
systems. In the Audio menu, for exam-
ple, you will find the commands
Select
radio station
or Operate CD player
.
Using commands, you can directly
change the settings for your vehicle.
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Multifunction display
Display field in the speedometer used
to present information provided by the
control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
on the tachometer dial. Avoid this en-
gine speed range, as it may result in se-
rious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Parktronic (Parking assist)*
System which uses visual and acoustic
signals to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine-components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing
engine
clutch/torque converter
transmission
transfer case
drive shaft
differential
axle shafts/axles
Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between regular operationS and
comfort operationC.
CLK 55 AMG with steering wheel gear-
shift control and manual shift program:
In addition toS andC (for regularS or
comfortC operation, see above) you
can use theM for manual shift
program.
401 Technical terms
Remote Vehicle Diagnostics
Transmission of vehicle data and cur-
rent location to the Mercedes-Benz
Customer Assistance Center for sub-
scribers to Tele Aid service.
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, airbags and
child restraint systems. As indepen-
dent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of
positionP without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Speedshift (CLK 55 AMG)
Steering wheel gearshift control. You
can change the gears yourself with the
steering wheel gearshift buttons.
SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning de-
vice and airbags. Though independent
systems, they are closely interfaced to
provide effective occupant protection.
403 Index
A
ABS 23, 76, 397
Malfunction indicator lamp 306
Messages in display 315
Accelerator position,
automatic transmission 163
Accident
In case of 50
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 181
Air recirculation mode 178
Anti-theft alarm system 82
Automatic climate control 173
Central locking (control system) 149
Charcoal filter 179, 180
Distance warning function* 230
Distronic* 225, 226
Easy-entry/exit feature 150
ESP 80
Exterior headlamps 47
Exterior lamps 120
Exterior rear view
mirror parking position 168
Front and rear fog lamp 121, 122
Hazard warning flasher 123
Headlamps 47High beams 123
Ignition 31
Ignition with KEYLESS-GO* 33
Immobilizer 53, 81
Manual shift program
CLK 55 AMG 164
Rapid seat heating*
with seat ventilation* 115
Rapid seat heating*
without seat ventilation* 114
Rear window defroster 171
Residual heat 181
Seat heating*
with seat ventilation* 115
Seat heating*
without seat ventilation* 114
Seat ventilation* 113
Steering wheel gearshift
control (CLK 55 AMG) 164
Tow-away alarm 83
Trunk lid opening limiter*
(control system) 149
Windshield wipers 49Adding
Coolant 287
Engine oil 285
Additional turn signals 351
Adjustable air vents,
rear passenger compartment 182
Adjusting 34
Air distribution 176
Air volume 177
Backrest tilt 36
Exterior rear view mirror 39
Head restraint height 36
Head restraint tilt 36
Instrument cluster illumination 126
Interior rear view mirror 38
Mirrors 38
Multicontour seat* 112
Seat cushion depth 112
Seat cushion tilt 36
Seat fore and aft adjustment 35
Seat height 36
Seats 34
Steering column in/out 38
Steering column up/down 38
Steering wheel 37
404 IndexAir conditioning (cooling)
Turning off 181
Turning on 181
Air conditioning refrigerant 390
Air distribution
Adjusting 176
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air recirculation mode 178
Activating 178
Deactivating 179
Air vents, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 182
Air volume
Adjusting 177
Airbags 59
BabySmart
TM
airbag deactivation system 397
Children 60
Front 63
Passenger 63
Safety guidelines 62
Side impact 64
Window curtain 64Alarm
Audible 75, 83, 84
Canceling 83, 84
Visual 82
Alarm system
Anti-theft 82
Alignment bolt 360
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 397
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 393
Antiglare
Automatic 167
Antilock brake system (ABS) 397
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 82
Canceling alarm 83, 84
Disarming 82
Anti-theft systems 81
Anti-theft alarm system 82
Immobilizer 81
Tow-away alarm 83
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest
Storage spaces 246Ashtray (Center console) 247
Opening 247
Reinstalling 248
Removing 248
Ashtray (Rear seat) 248
Opening 248
Reinstalling 248
Removing 248
At the gas station 278
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 286
AUDIO menu 134
Selecting radio station 135
Selecting satellite radio* station 135
Audio system 183
Audio and telephone, operation 183
Button and soft key operation 186
Cassette operation 196
CD operation 199
Operating and display elements 184
Operating safety 183
Operation 186
Radio operation 189
Switching off 186
Switching on 186
Telephone operation 203
405 Index
Automatic antiglare
for rear view mirror 167
Automatic central locking
Activating/deactivating
(control system) 149
Automatic climate control 172
Adjusting air distribution 176
Air recirculation mode 178
Defrosting 177
Rear window defroster 171
Setting the temperature 175
Automatic headlamp mode 120
Automatic lighting control
Activating 124
Deactivating 125
Automatic locking when driving 105Automatic transmission 157
Accelerator position 163
Comfort (C) program mode 163, 164
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 165
Fluid level 286
Gear ranges 159
Gear selector lever position 157, 160
Gear shifting malfunctions 165
Kickdown 163
Manual (M) program mode 164
Manual shift program mode
(CLK 55 AMG) 164
One-touch gearshifting 158
Program mode selector switch 163
Program mode
selector switch CLK 55 AMG 164
Speedshift (CLK 55 AMG) 161
Sport (S) program mode 163, 164
Starting the engine 44
Steering wheel gearshift control
(CLK 55 AMG) 161
Transmission fluid 286
Auxiliary fuse box 374B
BabySmart
TM
Airbag deactivation system 70, 397
Compatible child seats 70, 397
Self-test 71
Backrest
Folding forward 241
Folding rearward 242
Backup lamps 351, 356
Bulbs 351
BAS 77, 397
Messages in display 316
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 345
Check lamp 87, 92
Checking 88, 93
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Changing 346
Check lamp 87, 92
Checking 88, 93
Battery discharged
Jump starting 366