Contents
Tele Aid ........................................ 144
Garage door opener ..................... 153
Operation......................................... 159
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 160
Driving instructions............................ 161
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 161
Drinking and driving ..................... 161
Pedals .......................................... 161
Power assistance ......................... 162
Brakes .......................................... 162
Driving off .................................... 163
Parking......................................... 163
Tires ............................................. 164
Hydroplaning................................ 165
Tire traction ................................. 165
Tire speed rating .......................... 166
Winter driving instructions ........... 167
Standing water ............................. 168
Passenger compartment .............. 168
Driving abroad.............................. 168
Control and operation of radio
transmitter ................................... 168
Catalytic converter....................... 169
Emission control .......................... 170Coolant temperature..................... 170
At the gas station ............................... 171
Refueling....................................... 171
Check regularly and before a
long trip ........................................ 172
Engine compartment .......................... 174
Hood ............................................. 174
Engine oil ...................................... 175
Transmission fluid level................. 180
Coolant ......................................... 180
Battery .......................................... 183
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*.......... 184
Tires and wheels................................. 185
Important guidelines ..................... 185
Life of tire ..................................... 186
Direction of rotation...................... 186
Checking tire inflation pressure .... 186
Rotating wheels ............................ 187
Winter driving ..................................... 188
Winter tires ................................... 188
Block heater (Canada only) ........... 189
Snow chains.................................. 189
Maintenance....................................... 190
Clearing the service indicator ....... 190
Service term exceeded ................. 191Calling up the service indicator .... 191
Resetting the service indicator ..... 191
Vehicle care ....................................... 192
Cleaning and care of vehicle ......... 192
Practical hints.................................. 199
What to do if … ................................... 200
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 200
Additional indicators in the
speedometer display .................... 210
Lamp in center console ................ 211
Where will I find ...? ............................ 212
First aid kit.................................... 212
Vehicle tool kit, vehicle jack ......... 212
Spare wheel (SLK 230
Kompressor, SLK 320) .................. 213
TIREFIT kit (SLK 32 AMG only) ...... 214
Unlocking/locking in an emergency .. 216
Unlocking the vehicle ................... 216
Locking the vehicle ....................... 217
Changing batteries in remote
control .......................................... 218
Synchronizing remote control ....... 219
Fuel filler flap ................................ 219
180 OperationEngine compartmentBe careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap2 back on filler neck.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 277) and (
page 279).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the transmission.Coolant
The engine coolant is a mixture of water
and anticorrosion/antifreeze. To check
the coolant level, the vehicle must be
parked on level ground and the engine
must be cool.
The coolant expansion tank is located on
the passenger side of the engine compart-
ment.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid any possibly serious burns:
Use extreme caution when opening the
hood if there are any signs of steam or
coolant leaking from the cooling system,
or if the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates that the coolant is overheated.
Do not remove pressure cap on coolant
reservoir if engine temperature is above
194°F (90°C). Allow engine to cool
down before removing cap. The coolant
reservoir contains hot fluid and is under
pressure.
Using a rag, slowly open the cap approx-
imately ½ turn to relieve excess pres-
sure. If opened immediately, scalding
hot fluid and steam will be blown out un-
der pressure.
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine
parts. Antifreeze contains ethylene gly-
col which may burn if it comes into con-
tact with hot engine parts.
186 OperationTires and wheelsLife of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
Direction of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advantag-
es, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
ensure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the in-
tended direction of tire rotation.Checking tire inflation pressureCorrect the tire pressure only when tires
are cold.
Regularly check your tire pressure at inter-
vals of no more than 14 days.
If the tires are warm, you should only cor-
rect the tire pressure if it is too low for cur-
rent operating conditions.
A table on the fuel filler flap lists the spec-
ified tire inflation pressures for warm and
cold tires as well as for various operating
conditions.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.
Warning!
G
If the tire pressure repeatedly drops:
Check the tires for punctures from for-
eign objects.
Check to see whether air is leaking from
the valves or from around the rim.
iThe pressures listed for light loads are
minimum values offering high driving
comfort.
Increased inflation pressures listed for
heavier loads may also be used for light
loads. These higher pressures produce
favorable handling characteristics. The
ride of the vehicle, however, will be
somewhat harder. Never exceed the
max. values or inflate tires below the
min. values listed in the fuel filler flap.
280 Technical dataFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel requirements
Use only premium unleaded gasoline
meeting ASTM standard D 439:
The octane number (posted at the
pu mp ) m ust b e 91 m i n. It is an a ve ra ge
of both the Research (R) octane num-
ber and the Motor (M) octane number:
(R+M) / 2). This is also known as the
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not exceed
10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional cosolvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains 10%
ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline, can be
used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure etc.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among engine manufac-
turers is carbon build-up caused by gaso-
line. Mercedes-Benz recommends only the
use of quality gasoline containing additives
that prevent the build up of carbon depos-
its.
After an extended period of using fuels
without such additives, carbon deposits
can build up especially on the intake valves
and in the combustion area, leading to
engine performance problems such as:
Warm-up hesitation
Unstable idle
Knocking/pinging
Misfire
Power loss
Do not blend any specific fuel additives
with fuel. This only results in unnecessary
costs and may be harmful to engine opera-
tion.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and
performance, premium unleaded gaso-
line must be used. If premium unleaded
is not available and low octane fuel is
used, follow these precautions:
Have the fuel tank only partially
filled with unleaded regular and fill
up with premium unleaded as soon
as possible.
Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.
Do not exceed an engine speed of
3000 rpm if the vehicle is loaded
with a light load such as two per-
sons and no luggage.
Do not exceed
2/3of maximum ac-
celerator pedal position if the vehi-
cle is fully loaded or operating in
mountainous terrain.
293 Index
A
ABS 22, 66, 287
Malfunction indicator lamp 201
Warning lamp 201
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 98
Accident
In case of 46
Activating
Air conditioning 107
Air recirculation mode 106
Anti-theft alarm system 71
Climate control 103
ESP 70
Exterior headlamps 43
Hazard warning flasher 86
Headlamps 43
High beams 85
Ignition 29
Immobilizer 71
Rear window defroster 101
Residual heat 107
Seat heater* 82
Tow-away alarm 72
Windshield wipers 44Activating automatic central locking 80
Adding
Coolant 181
Engine oil 179
Additional turn signals 226
Adjusting 30
Air distribution 105
Air volume 105
Backrest tilt 32, 33
Exterior rear view mirror 35
Head restraint height 32
Inside rear view mirror 35
Instrument cluster illumination 89
Manual seat 31
Mirrors 35
Seat cushion tilt 33
Seat fore and aft adjustment 31, 33
Seat height 31, 33
Seats 30
Telescoping steering column* 34
Adjusting headlamp aim
Horizontal headlamp aim 232
Vertical headlamp aim 231
Air conditioning 106Activating 107
Deactivating 107
Air conditioning refrigerant 279
Air distribution
Adjusting 105
Air pressure see Tire inflation
pressure 186
Air recirculation mode 106
Activating 106
Deactivating 106
Air volume
Adjusting 105
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp 211
Airbags 53
BabySmart
TM airbag deactivation
system 287
BabySmartTM deactivation
system 62
Children 54
Front 56
Passenger 56
Safety guidelines 55
Side impact 57
296 IndexCentral locking
From inside 80
Unlocking from inside 80
Certification label 266
Changing CDs
CD mode 121
Charging
Vehicle battery 252
CHECK ENGINE malfunction indicator
lamp 205
Checking
Coolant level 173, 180
Oil level 172, 175
Tire inflation pressure 173
Vehicle lighting 173
Child safety 60
Airbags 54
Infant and child restraint systems 57,
60
Cigarette lighter 143
Cleaning
Cloth upholstery 197Cup holder 196
Gear selector lever 196
Hard plastic trim items 196
Headliner 197
Instrument cluster 196
Leather upholstery 197
Light alloy wheels 196
Plastic and rubber parts 197
Rear window 195
Seat belts 197
Steering wheel 196
Windows 195
Windshield 45
Wiper blades 195
Cleaning*
Headlamps 99
Climate control 102
Adjusting air distribution 105
Adjusting air volume 105
Air conditioning 106
Air recirculation mode 106
Deactivating the climate control
system 110
Defogging windshield 110
Defrosting 109Reactivating the climate control
system 110
Rear window defroster 101
Residual heat utilization 107
Residual ventilation 107
Setting the temperature 104
Clock 21
Setting 91
Closing
Glove box 139
Hood 175
Retractable hardtop 221
Side windows 128
Trunk lid 78
Windows 128
Closing hardtop
In an emergency 221
Cloth upholstery
Cleaning 197
Cockpit 18, 287
Coin holder 142
Collapsible tire 287
308 Index
Brake fluid 279
Coolant 277
Coolants 281
Electrical system 274
Engine 268
Engine oil 279
Engine oil additives 279
Fuel requirements 280
Fuels 277
Gasoline additives 280
Lubricants 277
Main dimensions 275
Premium unleaded gasoline 280
Rims and tires 269
Weights 276
Windshield and headlamp washer*
system 278, 283
Tele Aid 144
Emergency calls 146
Information 149
Initiating an emergency call
manually 147
Remote door unlock 151Roadside assistance 148
Stolen vehicle tracking services 152
System self-check 145
Tele Aid System 145
Upgrade signals 150
Tele Aid System 290
Telephone* 143
Hands-free microphone 25
Operation 125
Telescoping steering column*
Adjusting 34
Temperature
Grades of tires 285
Setting interior temperature 104
Tires 187
Tightening torque 290
Tightening torque (Wheel bolts) 248
Tire inflation pressure 242
Checking 173, 186Tire speed rating 166, 291
Tire traction 165
TIREFIT 290
TIREFIT kit
Sealing tires with TIREFIT 235, 240
TIREFIT kit 1 235
TIREFIT kit 2 240
TIREFIT-Kit
Adding TIREFIT 237
Inflating the tire 238
Preparing TIREFIT 236, 241
Tires 185, 269
Collapsible 287
Consumer information 284
Direction of rotation 186
Driving instructions 164
Retreads 185
Rims and tires 269
Service life 186
Temperature 187