2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 COUPE instrument cluster

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Exterior rear view mirror
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.1Adjustment button
2Passenger-side exterior rear view mir-
ror button
3Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.

Press button3 for the left mirror or
button2 for the right mirror.

Push adjustment button1 up, down,
left or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Activating exte-
rior rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 168).
Warning!
G
Exercise care when using the passenger
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.!Electrolyte drops coming into contact
with the vehicle paint finish can only be
completely removed while in their liq-
uid state and by applying plenty of wa-
ter
!If an exterior rear view mirror was forc-
ibly pushed forward (hit from the rear)
or forcibly pushed rearward (hit from
the front), reposition it by applying firm
pressure until it snaps into place. The
mirror housing is now properly posi-
tioned and you can adjust the mirror
normally.iThe memory function (
page 116) lets
you store the setting for the exterior
rear view mirrors together with the set-
tings for the steering wheel and seat
position.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the mir-
rors will be heated automatically.

58 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


Lower anchors and tethers for children
(LATCH)
As independent systems, their protective
effects work in conjunction with each oth-
er.The 1 indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on:


for about 4 seconds when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button once.


for about 4 seconds when you start the
engine by turning the SmartKey or
pressing the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button.The 1 indicator lamp goes out shortly
after you start the engine. This shows that
the restraint systems are operational.
A malfunction in the system has been de-
tected if the 1 indicator lamp:


fails to extinguish after approximately
4 seconds.


does not come on at all.


comes on after the engine was started
or while driving.
For safety reasons, we strongly recom-
mend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to
have the system checked.
More information can be found in the
“Practical hints” section (
page 312).
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 68).
iThe 1 indicator lamp remains lit if
the SmartKey is turned to position2
and left there or if the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button is pressed twice. The
1 indicator lamp will go out when
you start the engine.

77 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 22) comes on when you
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button twice. It goes out when
the engine is running.
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.

Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 305).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(page 305).
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction. The
ABS cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, following another vehicle too closely,
or hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The ca-
pabilities of an ABS 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.

78 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems
ESP
The Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
monitors the vehicle's traction (force of
adhesive friction between the tires and the
road surface) and handling.
The ESP recognizes when a wheel is spin-
ning or if the vehicle starts to skid. By ap-
plying brakes to the appropriate wheel and
by limiting engine output, the ESP works to
stabilize the vehicle. The ESP is especially
useful while driving off and on wet or slip-
pery road surfaces.
The ESP warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when the ESP is en-
gaged.
The warning lamp v in the instrument
cluster comes on when you turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch to
position2 or press the KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button twice. It goes out when
the engine is running.
Warning!
G
The BAS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking efficiency beyond that af-
forded by the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires or the traction. The BAS cannot
prevent accidents, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns, following an-
other vehicle too closely, or hydroplaning.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents. The capabilities of a BAS
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in
a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.
Warning!
G
Never switch off the ESP when you see the
ESP warning lamp v flashing in the in-
strument cluster. In this case, proceed as
follows:

While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.


While driving, ease upon the accelera-
tor.


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.

80 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systems1ESP off
2ESP on
Press upper half1 of the ESP switch
until the ESP warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster comes on.
The ESP is deactivated.
If one or more drive wheels are spinning,
the ESP warning lamp v in the instru-
ment cluster flashes, regardless of the
speed.Traction control brakes a spinning wheel
even when the ESP is deactivated.
The ESP always operates when you are
braking, even when it has been deactivat-
ed.Switching on the ESP

Press lower half2 of the ESP switch
until the ESP warning lamp v in the
instrument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode.
!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 lampv 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.

85 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Audio system
Power windows
Sliding/pop-up roof*
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

113 Controls in detailSeats
Seat ventilation*
Both switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.
1Seat ventilation
The blue indicator lamps on the switch
show which ventilation level you have
selected:

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.
Switching on seat ventilation

Press lower switch position1.
Two blue indicator lamps on the switch
come on.

Continue pressing switch1 until the
desired seat ventilation level is
reached.
Switching off seat ventilation

Press lower switch position1 repeat-
edly until all blue indicator lamps go
out.
Level2
Two indicator lamps on
1
One indicator lamp on
off
No indicator lamp on
!If one or all of the lamps flash on the
seat ventilation switch, there is insuffi-
cient voltage due to too many electrical
consumers being switched on. The seat
ventilation switches off automatically.
The seat ventilation will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.

114 Controls in detailSeatsSeat heating*
Vehicles without seat ventilation*
Both switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press upper switch position1 again.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
Both red indicator lamps on the switch
come on.Switching off rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
iThe seat heating will be automatically
switched off after approximately
20 minutes. iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately ten
minutes. Only one indicator lamp re-
mains lit.
!If one or both of the lamps on the seat
heater switch are flashing, there is in-
sufficient voltage available since too
many electrical consumers are turned
on. The seat heater switches off auto-
matically.
The seat heater will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.