2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS ESP

78 Controls in detailLocking and unlockingClosing the trunk
The recess is located on the inner side of
the trunk lid.
1Recess
Lower trunk lid by pulling firmly on
recess1.

Close trunk lid with hands placed flat
on it.
Trunk lid emergency release
The handle for the trunk lid emergency re-
lease is located on the inside of the trunk
lid.
1Handle
Pull handle1 in direction of arrow to
open the trunk lid.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
opening when closing the trunk. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed as, among
other dangers such as visibility blockage,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iTo prevent an inadvertent lockout, do
not place the key in the trunk.
!The emergency release handle unlocks
and opens the trunk while the vehicle is
standing or driving.

91 Controls in detail
Instrument cluster
Outside temperature indicator
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.
Setting clock
Hour
Pull out right knob5 in the instrument
cluster (
page 20) and turn it counter-
clockwise.
Minutes

Pull out right knob5 in the instrument
cluster and turn it clockwise.
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.
iTo adjust the time by a single hour or a
few minutes, turn knob5 just a few
degrees in the direction indicated for
hours or minutes.

96 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*
EffectThe key can only be removed
from the steering lock with the
gear selector lever in positionP.
With the key 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.
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.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 42).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

99 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Good visibility
Information on the windshield wipers
(page 44) and for adjusting the rear view
mirrors see “Adjusting” (
page 30) is
found in the “Getting started” section.
Headlamp cleaning system*
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Headlamp washer switch
Switch on ignition.

Briefly press upper part of switch1.
The headlamps will be cleaned with a
high-pressure water jet.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see "Windshield washer system
and headlamp cleaning system*"
(
page 184).
Rear view mirror
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


the wind screen is installed
(page 135)

100 Controls in detailGood visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
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 wind screen is in-
stalled.
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 the respiratory sys-
tem. In case it does, immediately flush af-
fected 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.
Warning!
G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.

101 Controls in detail
Good visibility
1Mirror cover
Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.

Push mirror cover1 to the side, as
required.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter a maximum of 12 minutes.
Activating
Switch on the ignition.

Press buttonF (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press buttonF (
page 102) 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 blinking, 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 au-
tomatically turns itself back on.

104 Controls in detailClimate control
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls5 (
page 103)
to separately adjust the air temperature on
each side of the passenger compartment.
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments, preferably
starting at 72°F (22°C).Increasing

Turn the temperature control5
slightly upwards.
A red marking will be visible and the
climate control system will correspond-
ingly adjust the interior air tempera-
ture.
iThe selected temperature is reached as
quickly as possible.
Severe conditions (e.g. strong air pollu-
tion) may require replacement of the fil-
ter before its scheduled interval. A
clogged filter will reduce the air volume
to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
iIf you use the standard settings for
heating or cooling the passenger com-
partment (
page 102), you will rarely
need to change the temperature, air
volume or air distribution.

105 Controls in detail
Climate control
Decreasing
Turn the temperature control5
slightly downwards.
A blue marking will be visible and the
climate control system will correspond-
ingly adjust the interior air tempera-
ture.
Adjusting air volume
Use air volume control9 (
page 103) to
adjust the air volume. The following sym-
bols are found on the control:
Adjusting air distribution
Use air distribution control6
(page 103) to adjust the air distribution.
The following symbols are found on the
control:
Symbol
Function
0
No ventilation
between0
andQ
Ventilation without a blow-
er, depending on the
speed driven
between1
and5
Ventilation with blower
Symbol
Function
cP
Directs air to the windows
b
Directs air into the passen-
ger compartment
d
Directs air to the footwells
a
Directs air through the
center, side and rear pas-
senger compartment air
vents