Page 428 of 498

426 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleWarning!
G
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position
2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch posi-
tion
0 for an extended period of time, it can
no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. 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. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use,
switch on ignition and activate the
combination switch for the left or right
turn signal in the usual manner – only
the selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.
!When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, please note the follow-
ing:
With the automatic central locking acti-
vated and the SmartKey in starter
switch position2, or KEYLESS-GO*
start/stop button in position2, the ve-
hicle doors lock if the left front wheel
as well as the right rear wheel are turn-
ing at vehicle speeds of approx. 9 mph
(15 km / h) or more.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 91).
To prevent the vehicle door locks from
locking, deactivate the automatic cen-
tral locking (
page 158).
Towing of the vehicle should only be
done using the properly installed tow-
ing eye bolt. Never attach tow cable,
tow rope or tow rod to the vehicle chas-
sis, frame or suspension parts.
Page 429 of 498
427 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Towing eye bolt CLK 320/CLK 500
1Cover on right side of front bumper2Cover on right side of rear bumper
To remove cover:
Press mark on cover in direction of ar-
row.
L i f t c o v e r o f f t o r e v e a l t h r e a d e d h o l e f o r
towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the compartment under-
neath the trunk floor).
Screw towing eye bolt to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.
To reinstall cover:
Fit cover and snap into place.
iIf the battery is disconnected or
discharged
the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch. For more informa-
tion, see “Battery” (
page 420)
and “Jump starting” (page 423).
the gear selector lever will remain
locked in positionP. For informa-
tion on manually unlocking the
transmission gear selector lever
see (
page 400).
Page 459 of 498

457 Technical terms
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
coolant temperature and fuel gauge.
KEYLESS-GO*
System for entering and operating the
vehicle without the use of a SmartKey.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the transmis-
sion down to the lowest possible gear.
This very quickly accelerates the vehi-
cle and should not be used for normal
acceleration needs.Line of fall
The direct line that an object moves
downhill when influenced by the force
of gravity alone.
Lock button
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the lock button down
on an individual door from inside will
lock that door.
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. The Maintenance
System in your vehicle tracks distance
driven and the time elapsed since your
last maintenance service, and calls for
the next maintenance service
accordingly.Memory function*
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each SmartKey or, if so equipped,
KEYLESS-GO* feature.
Menu
The control system displays are ar-
ranged in menus. Each menu contains
a number of commands for particular
systems.
MON
(M
otor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized meth-
od. It is an indication of a gasoline's
ability to resist undesired detonation
(knocking). The average of both the
MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Multifunction display
Display field in the speedometer used
to present information provided by the
control system.
Page 461 of 498

459 Technical terms
REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, child restraints, lower an-
chors and tethers for children (LATCH).
As independent systems, their protec-
tive functions complement one anoth-
er.RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line's ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Shift lock
When the vehicle is parked, this lock
prevents the gear selector lever from
being inadvertently moved out of
positionP without SmartKey turned
and brake pedal depressed.
Speedshift (CLK 500*, CLK 55 AMG)
Steering wheel gearshift control. You
can change the gears yourself with the
steering wheel gearshift buttons.
SRS
(S
upplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Air bags, air bag control unit (with
crash sensor), emergency tensioning
device. Though independent systems,
they are closely interfaced to provide
effective occupant protection.
Page 463 of 498

461 Index
A
ABS 25, 84, 455
Malfunction indicator lamp 354
Messages in display 365
Accelerator position,
automatic transmission 171
Accessory weight 338
Accident
In case of 54
Activating
Air conditioning (cooling) 192, 204
Air recirculation mode 190, 201
Anti-theft alarm system 90
Automatic climate control 195
Central locking (control system) 158
Charcoal filter 203
Climate control 185
Climate control system 187
Defrosting 189
Automatic climate control 200
Easy-entry/exit feature 159
Electric air pump 417
ESP 88Exterior headlamps 50
Exterior lamps 125
Exterior rear view
mirror parking position 180
Front and rear fog lamp 128
Hazard warning flasher 131
Headlamps 50
High beams 129
Ignition 34
Ignition with KEYLESS-GO* 36
Immobilizer 56, 89
Rear window defroster 183
Residual heat 205
Seat heating* 119
Seat ventilation* 120
Tow-away alarm 91, 92
Windshield wipers 52
Adding
Coolant 313
Engine oil 312
Additional turn signals 404
Adjustable air vents, rear
passenger compartment 193, 206Adjusting 37
Air distribution 188, 198
Air volume 199
Backrest tilt 38
Exterior rear view mirror 41
Head restraint height 38
Head restraint tilt 39
Instrument cluster illumination 134
Interior rear view mirror 41
Mirrors 41
Multicontour seat* 118
Seat cushion depth 118
Seat cushion tilt 38
Seat fore and aft adjustment 38
Seat height 38
Seats 37
Steering column in/out 41
Steering column up/down 41
Steering wheel 40
Aids for changing fuses 430
Page 464 of 498

462 IndexAir bags 61
Children 62
Front 65
Passenger 65
Safety guidelines 64
Side impact 66
Window curtain 66
Air conditioning (cooling) 191
Turning off 192, 204
Turning on 192, 204
Air conditioning refrigerant 450
Air distribution
Adjusting 188, 198
Air pressure 338
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
Air pump, electric
Turning on 417
Air recirculation mode 190, 201
Activating 190, 201
Deactivating 191, 202
Air vents, rear passenger compartment
Adjustable 193, 206
Air volume
Adjusting 199Alarm
Audible 83, 91, 92
Canceling 91, 92
Visual 90
Alarm system
Anti-theft 90
Alignment bolt (vehicle tool kit) 415, 455
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 453
Antiglare
Auto-dimming 178
Antilock brake system (ABS) 455
Anti-theft alarm system
Arming 90
Canceling alarm 91, 92
Disarming 91
Anti-theft systems 89
Anti-theft alarm system 90
Immobilizer 89
Tow-away alarm 91
Aquaplaning see Hydroplaning
Armrest
Front 273
Rear 274
Storage compartments 273Ashtray (Center console) 276
Opening 276
Reinstalling 276
Removing 276
Ashtray (Rear seat) 276
Opening 277
Reinstalling 277
Removing 277
Aspect ratio 338
At the gas station 305
ATF (automatic transmission fluid) 312
AUDIO menu 143
Operate CD player 144
Selecting radio station 143
Selecting satellite radio* station 143
Audio system 207
Audio and telephone, operation 207
Button and soft key operation 210
CD operation 225
Operating and display elements 208
Operating safety 207
Operation 210
Radio operation 215
Switching off 211
Switching on 210
Telephone* operation 232
Page 465 of 498

463 Index
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors 178
Automatic central locking
Activating/deactivating
(control system) 158
Automatic climate control 194
Activating 195
Adjusting air distribution 198
Air recirculation mode 201
Deactivating 195
Defrosting 200
Rear window defroster 183
Setting the temperature 197
Automatic headlamp mode 125
Automatic lighting control
Activating 132
Deactivating 132
Automatic locking when driving 110
Automatic shift program 170
Automatic time change
(Daylight Saving Time
(DST) summer/winter) 153Automatic transmission 165
Accelerator position 171
Comfort program mode 170
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 177
Fluid level 312
Gear ranges 168
Gear selector lever 165
Gear selector lever position 165, 169
Gear shifting malfunctions 177
Kickdown 171
Manual shifting 167
One-touch gearshifting 167
Program mode selector switch 170
Starting the engine 47
Transmission fluid 312
Auxiliary fuse box 432B
Backrest
Folding forward 268
Folding rearward 269
Backup lamp 405, 410
Bulbs 405
Back-up lamps
Bulbs 404
Bar 338
BAS 85, 455
Messages in display 366
Batteries, SmartKey
Check lamp 97, 102
Checking 97, 103
Replacing 402
Batteries, SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Check lamp 97, 102
Checking 97, 103
Replacing 403
Battery discharged
Jump starting 423
Page 467 of 498

465 Index
Central locking
Automatic 110
From inside 110
Switch 110
Switching on/off
(control system) 158
Unlocking from inside 110
Central locking switch 110
Changing
CDs 225
Key setting 158
Charcoal filter 202
Activating 203
Deactivating 203
Charging
Vehicle battery 422
CHECK ENGINE
malfunction indicator lamp 356
Checking
Coolant level 313
Oil level 307, 310
Tire inflate pressure 307
Vehicle lighting 307Child safety 70
Air bags 62
Front passenger front
air bag off indicator lamp 77
Infant and child
restraint systems 67, 70
LATCH child seat anchors 80
OCS 73
Child safety switch see
Blocking of rear window operation
Child seat anchors see
LATCH child seat anchors
Cigarette lighter 277Cleaning 347
Cup holder 351
Gear selector lever 351
Hard plastic trim items 351
Headlamps 178
Headliner 352
Instrument cluster 351
Leather upholstery 352
Light alloy wheels 351
Nubuck leather upholstery
(CLK 55 AMG) 352
Parktronic system* sensor 350
Plastic and rubber parts 352
Seat belts 352
Steering wheel 351
Upholstery 352
Windows 351
Windshield 53
Wiper blades 350
Wood trims 352
Cleaning and care of vehicle 347
Cleaning tires 318