2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG COUPE ESP

138 Controls in detailControl systemDistronic activated
When you activate Distronic, you will see
the set speed for about five seconds in the
Distronic display. The following display
then appears:
1Distronic activated
Malfunction memory menu
Use the malfunction memory menu to scan
malfunction and warning messages that
may be stored in the system. What infor-
mation is shown in the display depends on
whether malfunctions have actually oc-
curred.

Press buttonè orÿ repeatedly
until you see the malfunction message
memory in the display.
No malfunction messages
If no malfunctions have occurred, the mes-
sage in the display is:
No MalfunctionMalfunctions have occurred
If malfunctions have occurred, you will see
the number of malfunctions in the display:
1Number of malfunctions
Press buttonk orj.
The stored messages will now be dis-
played in order. See the “Practical
hints” section for malfunction and
warning messages (
page 314).
Warning!
G
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are inten-
tionally not very detailed. The malfunction
and warning messages are simply a remind-
er with respect to the operation of certain
systems and do not replace the owner’s
and/or driver’s responsibility to maintain
the vehicle’s operating safety by having all
required maintenance and safety checks
performed on the vehicle and by bringing
the vehicle to an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to address the malfunction and
warning messages (
page 314).

146 Controls in detailControl system
With daytime running lamp mode se-
lected and the exterior lamp switch at
position0, the following lamps will
come on automatically when the en-
gine is turned on:

Parking lamps and low beam head-
lamps


License plate lamps (in low ambient
light conditions) Setting locator lighting
During darkness, the following lamps will
come on when the exterior lamp switch is
in position U, the locator lighting fea-
ture is activated, and the vehicle is un-
locked with the SmartKey:


Parking lamps


Tail lamps


License plate lamps


Front fog lamps
To activate locator lighting:

Make sure the function surround light-
ing is set to
on, see (
page 146).

Turn the exterior lamp switch to posi-
tion U.
The locator lighting switches off when the
driver’s door is opened. It switches off au-
tomatically after a period of approximately
40 seconds.

Move the selection marker with
theæ orç button to the
Light-
ning
submenu.

Press buttonj ork repeatedly
until you see this message in the dis-
play:
Function Surround lighting
.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Pressæ orç to select the de-
sired setting.
The locator lighting will be switched on
or off.
iIf you turn the exterior lamp switch to
another position, the corresponding
lamp(s) will switch on.
For safety reasons, resetting the Lighting
submenu to factory settings
(
page 140) while driving will not re-
set the daytime running lamp mode.
In the display you will then see the mes-
sage:
Lighting – Cannot be com-
pletely reset to factory settings
while driving
.


160 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionGear selector lever position
Effect
ì
Park position
Gear selector lever position
when the vehicle is parked. Place
gear selector lever in positionP
only when vehicle is stopped.
The park position is not intended
to serve as a brake when the
vehicle is parked. Rather, the
driver should always set the
parking brake in addition to
placing the gear selector lever in
positionP to secure the vehicle.
EffectThe SmartKey can only be
removed from the starter switch
with the gear selector lever in
positionP. With the SmartKey
removed, the gear selector lever
is locked in positionP.
If the vehicle’s electrical system
is malfunctioning, the gear
selector lever could remain
locked in positionP
(page 347).
í
Reverse gear
Place gear selector lever in
positionR only when vehicle is
stopped.
Effect
ë
Neutral
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When
the brakes are released, the
vehicle can be moved freely
(pushed or towed).
To avoid damage to the trans-
mission, never engageN while
driving.
If the ESP is deactivated or
malfunctioning:
Move gear selector lever toN
only if the vehicle is in danger of
skidding, e.g. on icy roads.
ê
Drive
The transmission shifts
automatically. All five forward
gears are available.

167 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear view mirror
More information on setting the rear view
mirrors can be found in the “Getting start-
ed” section (
page 38).
Automatic antiglare rear view mirror
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side and
the interior rear view mirror will respond
automatically to glare when


the ignition is switched on,
and


incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view mir-
ror.
The rear view mirror will not react if


reverse gear is engaged


the interior lighting is turned on
Warning!
G
The automatic antiglare function does not
react if incoming light is not aimed directly
at sensors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the rear window sun
shade* is in raised position.
Glare can endanger you and others.Warning!
G
In the case of an accident, liquid electrolyte
may escape from the mirror housing if the
mirror glass breaks.
Electrolyte has an irritating effect. Do not al-
low the liquid to come into contact with
eyes, skin, clothing, or respiratory system.
In case it does, immediately flush affected
area with water, and seek medical help if
necessary.
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 be
completely removed only while in the
liquid state by applying plenty of water.

171 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep battery drain to
a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The de-
froster is automatically deactivated after
approximately 6 to 17 minutes of opera-
tion depending on the outside tempera-
ture.Activating

Press buttonF (
page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Deactivating

Press buttonF (
page 173) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts flashing, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster
automatically switches on again.

175 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls (
page 173)1
and2 for the left side or7 and8 for
the right side to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).Increasing

Push temperature control2
and/or7.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.
Decreasing

Push temperature control1
and/or8.
The automatic climate control system
will correspondingly adjust the interior
air temperature.Adding outside air

Turn thumbwheel8 in dashboard
(page 172) to increase flow of out-
side air through air vents for center, left
and right sides, as well as dashboard
top center and rear passenger com-
partment.
iWhen operating the climate control
system in automatic mode, you will
only rarely need to adjust the tempera-
ture, air volume and air distribution.

178 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlAir recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
Activating
Press button, (
page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
iIf you keep button, pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof* will close.Warning
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding/pop-up roof* if there is the possibil-
ity of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by
releasing the, button or by pressing or
pulling the respective window switch. The
closing of the sliding/pop-up roof* can be
immediately halted by releasing the,
button or by moving the sliding/pop-up
roof* switch in the overhead control panel in
any direction.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically:

at high outside temperatures


if the concentration of carbon mon-
oxide and nitrogen oxide in the out-
side air increases, for example in a
tunnel
Please note that the charcoal filter
must be activated (
page 179) for the
air recirculation mode to be activated
automatically.
If you have turned off the air condition-
ing system (
page 181) or the outside
temperature is below 41°F (5°C), the
air recirculation mode will not switch
on automatically.

180 Controls in detailAutomatic climate controlDeactivating
Press buttone (
page 173).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.The system switches automatically to the
air recirculation mode if the carbon
monoxide (CO) or nitrogen oxide (NO
X)
concentration of the outside air increases
beyond a predetermined level.
The automatic air recirculation mode does
not function if economy mode ° is se-
lected or if the outside temperature has
fallen below 41°F (5°C).
The activated charcoal filter should be
switched off when windows fog up on the
inside, or if the passenger compartment
needs to be quickly heated or cooled
down.Deactivating the climate control
system
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the automatic
climate control system.
Press buttonM (
page 173) until
the display is cleared.
The climate control system is deacti-
vated.
Reactivating

Press button Q (
page 173).
Warning
G
Never operate the side windows and the
sliding/pop-up roof* if there is the possibil-
ity of anyone being harmed by the closing
procedure.
In the event that the procedure causes po-
tential danger, the closing of the side win-
dows can be immediately halted by
releasing thee button or by pressing or
pulling the respective window switch. The
closing of the sliding/pop-up roof* can be
immediately halted by releasing thee
button or by moving the sliding/pop-up
roof* switch in the overhead control panel in
any direction.
iIf you keep buttone pressed, the
side windows and the sliding/pop-up
roof* will return to their previous
position.
iWhen the automatic climate control
system is deactivated, the air flow and
circulation are also switched off.
Only choose this setting temporarily to
prevent the windows from fogging up.