2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS stop start

46 Getting startedDrivingThe coolant temperature is over 248°F
(120°C)
The coolant is too hot and is no longer
cooling the engine.
Stop the vehicle as soon as possible
and turn off the engine. Allow engine
and coolant to cool down.

Check the coolant level and add cool-
ant if necessary (
page 180).In case of accident
If the vehicle is leaking gasoline:

Do not start the engine under any cir-
cumstances.

Notify local fire and/or police authori-
ties.
If the extent of the damage cannot be de-
termined:

Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
If no damage can be determined on the


major assemblies


fuel system


engine mount

Start the engine in the usual manner.

47 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
1Brake lever
2Release button
Pull up brake lever1 firmly.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp; (USA only) or3
(Canada only) in the instrument cluster
will be illuminated.
Warning!
G
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the key from the starter switch. The
vehicle cannot be steered when the key is
removed.Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. 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.
Warning!
G
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull up the brake lever firmly.


Move the selector lever to position
P
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the key to steering lock position
0
and remove.

81 Controls in detail
Seats
Seats
Information on seat adjustment can be
found in the “Getting started” section
(page 27).
Removing and installing head
restraints
1Release button
Removing head restraint

Open the retractable hardtop
(page 130).

Pull head restraint to its highest
position.

Push button1 and pull out head re-
straint.Installing head restraint

Insert head restraint and push it down
to the stop.

Push button1 and adjust head re-
straint to desired position.
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head re-
straint supports the back of the head at eye
level. This will reduce the potential for injury
to the head and neck in the event of an ac-
cident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.iSLK 32 AMG has integrated,
non-removable head restraints.
Warning!
G
Be sure to install the head restraint so that
it is facing in the right direction. Otherwise
you could damage the mounting.
In addition, a head restraint installed in the
wrong direction will not provide the intend-
ed protection and can cause injury in an ac-
cident or similar situation.

83 Controls in detail
Lighting
Lighting
For notes on how to switch on the head-
lamps and use the turn signals, see the
“Getting started” section (
page 43).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
MOff
CParking lamps (also side marker
lamps, tail lamps, license plate
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
Canada only: When engine is run-
ning, the low beam is also switched
on.
BLow beam plus parking lamps or
high beam headlamps (combination
switch pushed forward).ˆStanding lamps, right (turn left one
stop)
‚Standing lamps, left (turn left two
stops)
iIf you remove the key and open the
driver’s door while the parking lamps or
low beam headlamps are switched on,
a warning sounds.iWith the daytime running lamp mode
activated and the engine running, the
low beam headlamps cannot be
switched off manually.

92 Controls in detailManual transmission
Manual transmissionInformation on driving with a manual trans-
mission is found in the “Getting started”
section (
page 40).
Do not exceed the maximum speed in the
individual gears. Refer to tachometer
(
page 90) for engine speeds.
Shifting into reverse
Stop the vehicle completely.

Pull gearshift lever up and shift in
Rreverse.
Warning!
G
For vehicles equipped with a manual trans-
mission, getting out of your vehicle with the
gearshift lever not engaged in first or re-
verse gear and parking brake engaged is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
an engaged first or reverse gear alone may
not prevent your vehicle from moving, possi-
bly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
engaging first or reverse gear (
page 47).
When parked on an incline, turn 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.Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock, and lock the ve-
hicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could move the gearshift
lever, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.
On slippery road surfaces as well as high en-
gine speeds, never downshift in order to ob-
tain braking action. This could result in drive
wheel slip and reduced vehicle control. Your
vehicle’s ABS will not prevent this type of
loss of control.
!Downshifting gears leading to overrev-
ving the engine can result in engine
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill
by using the clutch pedal. The clutch
may be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not exceed the engine speed limits
(page 90).

98 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.

120 Controls in detailAudio systemFast forward/reverse
Press the d button.FORWARD
will appear on the display and
fast forward will start.

Press the c button.REWIND
will appear on the display and
fast reverse will start.

Press the same button again to stop
fast forward/reverse, or it will stop au-
tomatically at the beginning or the end
of the tape. The track will automatically
change at the end or beginning of the
tape and play will begin.Scanning

Press the
SC key.
Each track on the cassette will be
played for eight seconds in ascending
order.Dolby NR
1 (noise reduction system)
To enable optimum reproduction of cas-
settes recorded using the Dolby B system,
press the AUD
key followed by the
NR key.
NR is shown in the display in inversed-color
format. To turn off Dolby B noise reduc-
tion, press the
NR key again. The
NR in the
display will be shown in the original color
format.
iThe beginning of a track can only be lo-
cated if there is a break of at least four
seconds between tracks.
Scan will be interrupted if the d,
c, f, e buttons or the SC
key is pressed.
1Dolby and the double-D symbol Ù are trade-
marks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corpora-
tion. The Dolby noise reduction system is
manufactured under license from Dolby Laborato-
ries Licensing Corporation.

123 Controls in detail
Audio system
CD changer* installed
1CD
2CD changer
3CD tray
4CD magazine
If a CD changer is installed, it can be oper-
ated from the front control panel of the ra-
dio. A loaded magazine must be installed
for CD playing.Loading/unloading the CD magazine

Slide the changer door to the right.

Press the eject button d.
The magazine will be ejected.

Remove the magazine.

Pull out the CD tray until its stop is
reached.

Place the CDs in the recess of the tray,
label side up.

Push the tray into the magazine in the
direction shown by the arrow.

Insert the loaded magazine into the
changer.Playing CDs

Press the CD button.
The CD most recently played will start
at the point where it was last switched
off. CDs stored in the magazine can be
selected by using the station preset
buttons 1-6.
The magazine slot number of the selected
CD will then be displayed after
CD. The
number of the track being played will be
displayed after
TRACK
.
If there is no CD in the selected magazine
slot,
NO CD
and the corresponding slot
number will be displayed (e.g.
NO CD3
). Af-
ter the last track on a CD has been played,
the next CD will automatically be selected
and played.
!Close the door after the magazine has
been inserted.