2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG CABRIOLET Owner's Manual

249 Controls in detail
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Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the vehicle capacity weight indicated
on the certification tag which can be found
on the left door pillar.
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the heaviest items being placed to-
wards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
r e a r s e a t b a c k r e s t s , a n d f a s t e n t he m a s s e -
curely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
!To prevent damage to the soft top or
luggage/cargo when lowering the roof:

load trunk only to the height of the
luggage cover


do not permit luggage/cargo to
push up the closed luggage cover


do not place anything on the shelf
behind the roll bar


do not place anything on the soft
top compartment cover
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the shelf below the
rear windows.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.

250 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces
Glove box
1Glove box
2Glove box lid releaseOpening the glove box

Pull lid release2.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
g a g e o r c a r g o i n t h e t r u n k i f p o s s i b l e . D o n o t
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
!Make sure no objects fall into the open-
ings of the subwoofer between the rear
seats.
If necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to remove any
objects which may have fallen into the
openings.
iThe glove box lid contains a compart-
ment for eyeglasses.
Close the compartment for glasses first
before closing the glove box.
Audio system/COMAND* with CD
changer*: The CD changer is located in
the glove box.

251 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cup holder in the dashboardOpening cup holder

Push cover1.
The cup holder opens automatically.
Closing cup holder

Push the cup holder back until it engag-
es.Armrest storage space
Opening compartment in armrest

Lift armrest by pulling on handle1.
Closing

Lower armrest until it locks into place.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle
maneuvers.
!Do not store any items between the
telephone holder and the cover for the
blower. Otherwise these items could
be damaged when the holder is closed.
Use the space in the front door pocket
for stowing.

252 Controls in detailUseful featuresOpening telephone compartment
Lift armrest by pushing button2
or3.
Closing telephone compartment

Lower armrest until it locks into place.
Locking compartment

Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 348).

Turn the compartment lock to
position5.
Unlocking compartment

Turn the compartment lock to
position4.

Insert the mechanical key in the
SmartKey.Changing inclination of armrest

Pull up on armrest.
Lowering armrest

Pull handle1 to lower armrest.Storage bags
Storage bags are located on the rear side
of the front seats.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges, in the storage
bags.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants.

253 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.
Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
Opening ashtray
Briefly touch cover plate1.
The ashtray opens automatically.Removing ashtray insert

Secure vehicle from movement by set-
ting the parking brake. Move the selec-
tor lever to positionN.
Now you have more room to take out
the insert.

Push sliding button2 to the right.
The ashtray is disengaged and slides a
short way in direction of arrow3.

Remove insert from ashtray frame.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges, in the parcel net.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants.
Warning!
G
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle
standing still. Set the parking brake to se-
cure vehicle from movement. Move gear se-
lector lever to positionN. With gear selector
lever in positionN, turn off the engine.

254 Controls in detailUseful featuresReinstalling the ashtray insert
Install insert by pushing back into
frame until it engages again.Rear seat ashtray
Opening ashtray

Pull at top of cover to open ashtray.
Removing ashtray insert

Press latch1 to disengage ashtray in-
sert and remove it.
Reinstalling the ashtray insert

Install ashtray insert.

Close the ashtray.
Cigarette lighter
1Cover
2Cigarette lighter
Turn SmartKey in the starter switch to
position1 or2.

Briefly touch cover plate1.

Push in cigarette lighter2.
The lighter will pop out automatically
when hot.

255 Controls in detail
Useful features
Floormats*
Removing
Pull floormats off of retainer pins2 in
direction of arrow1.

Remove the floormats.
Installing

Lay down the floormat.

Press the floormat eyelets4 onto re-
tainer pins5 in direction of arrow3.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with you and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe lighter socket can be used to ac-
commodate electrical accessories up
to a maximum 85 W.
Warning!
G
Whenever you are using floormats, make
sure there is enough clearance and that the
floormats are securely fastened.
Floormats should always be securely fas-
tened using eyelets
4
and retainer
pins
5
.
Before driving off, check that the floormats
are securely in place and adjust them if nec-
essary. A loose floormat could slip and
hinder proper functioning of the pedals.

256 Controls in detailUseful featuresTelephone*
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit, should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
T he e x t e r n a l a n t e n n a m u s t b e a p p r o v e d b y
Mercedes-Benz. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on the installation of an approved
external antenna. Refer to the radio trans-
mitter operation instructions regarding use
of an external antenna.You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing theí andì buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(
page 154).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road, traf-
fic and weather conditions permit. Some ju-
risdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the COMAND* (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)
1 if road, traffic
and weather conditions permit.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of approx. 44 feet (ap-
proximately 13.5 m) every second.