2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK230 Electrical

Contents
Manually unlocking the
transmission selector lever .......... 220
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 221
Raising retractable hardtop
manually ...................................... 221
Replacing bulbs ................................. 226
Bulbs ............................................ 226
Replacing bulbs for front lamps.... 228
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 230
Adjusting headlamp aim
(Halogen headlamps only) ............ 231
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 233
Removing wiper blades ................ 233
Installing wiper blades.................. 234
Flat tire .............................................. 235
Preparing the vehicle.................... 235
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 1 ..... 235
Sealing tires with TIREFIT kit 2 ..... 240
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 244
Battery ............................................... 251
Disconnecting the battery ............ 252
Removing the battery ................... 252
Charging and reinstalling battery . 252
Reconnecting the battery ............. 252
Jump starting ..................................... 254Towing the vehicle ............................. 256
Towing eye ................................... 258
Installing towing eye bolt ............. 259
Fuses ................................................. 260
Main fuse box............................... 260
Auxiliary fuse box ......................... 261
Technical data................................. 263
Spare parts service ............................ 264
Warranty coverage............................. 265
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 265
Identification labels ........................... 266
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 267
SLK 230 Kompressor ................... 267
SLK 320 ....................................... 267
SLK 32 AMG................................. 267
Engine................................................ 268
Rims and Tires ................................... 269
Same size tires ............................. 270
Mixed size tires ............................ 271
Spare wheel with collapsible tire.. 273
Electrical system ............................... 274
Main Dimensions ............................... 275
Weights.............................................. 276Fuels, coolants, lubricants etc. .......... 277
Capacities .................................... 277
Engine oils ................................... 279
Engine oil additives ...................... 279
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 279
Brake fluid.................................... 279
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 280
Fuel requirements ........................ 280
Gasoline additives ........................ 280
Coolants ...................................... 281
Windshield washer system and
headlamp washer system* .......... 283
Consumer information ....................... 284
Uniform tire quality grading ......... 284
Technical terms............................... 287Index................................................. 293

29 Getting started
Unlocking
Steering lock positionsSteering lock0For removing key
The steering is locked when the key is
removed from the steering lock. If nec-
essary, move steering wheel slightly to
allow the locking mechanism to en-
gage.
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
may cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.iThe key can only be withdrawn in
position0.
If necessary, move steering wheel
slightly to allow the key to be turned
clockwise to position1.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The key can only be removed from the
steering lock with the gear selector
lever in positionP.
!To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge and a possible dead battery,
always remove the key from the
steering lock when the engine is not in
operation.

30 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeats
The seats can be adjusted either manually
or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s
equipment.Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body. Your seat
must be adjusted so that you can correctly
fasten your seat belt (
page 37).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock your ve-
hicle.
The power seats* can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

55 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
airbag
iAirbags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal (front airbags) impacts,
or side (side impact airbags) impacts
which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these types of impacts, if of
sufficient severity to meet the deploy-
ment thresholds, will they provide their
supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for the airbags to pro-
vide their supplemental protection.
In cases of other frontal impacts, an-
gled impacts, roll-overs, other side im-
pacts, rear collisions, or other
accidents the airbags will not be acti-
vated. The driver and passengers will
then be protected by the fastened seat
belts.
We caution you not to rely on the pres-
ence of the airbags in order to avoid
wearing your seat belt.
Your vehicle was originally equipped
with airbags that are designed to acti-
vate in certain impacts exceeding a
preset threshold to reduce the poten-
tial and severity of injury. It is important
to your safety and that of your passen-
gers that you replace deployed airbags
and repair any malfunctioning airbags
to ensure the vehicle will continue to
provide supplemental crash protection
for occupants.Warning!
G


Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Use only belts in-
stalled or supplied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Airbags and emergency tensioning de-
vices (ETDs) are designed to function on
a one-time only basis. An airbag or ETD
that was activated must be replaced.


No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or re-
moving any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger airbag cover, door
trim panels, or door frame trims, and in-
stallation of additional electrical/elec-
tronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring. Keep area be-
tween airbags and occupants free from
objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrel-
las, etc.).


Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.


Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.


82 Controls in detailSeatsHeated seats*
Both switches are located in the center
console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lights in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
lights up.
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
light up.Switching off rapid seat heating

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

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.

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.

128 Controls in detailPower windows
Power windowsOpening and closing the windows
The side windows can be opened and
closed electrically. The switches for the
side windows are on the lower part of the
center console.
1Power window switch

Turn key in the steering lock to
position1 or2.Opening the windows

Press switch at the symbolk to the
resistance point.
The corresponding window will move
downwards until you release the
switch.
Closing the windows

Press switch at the symbolj.
The corresponding window will move
upwards until you release the switch.
Fully opening the windows (Ex-
press-open)

Press switch at the symbolk past
the resistance point and release.
The corresponding window opens com-
pletely.
Stopping windows

Briefly press switch atk orj.
Warning!
G
When closing the windows, make sure there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
The closing of the door windows can be im-
mediately halted by releasingj.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from steering lock and lock your vehicle.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment can
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.iThe power windows can also be
operated with the retractable hardtop
switch (
page 132).