ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Roll bars ......................................... 71
Children in the vehicle .................... 72
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 82
Panic alarm .......................................... 83
Activating ....................................... 83
Deactivating ................................... 83
Driving safety systems ......................... 84
ABS ................................................ 84
BAS ................................................ 85
ESP ................................................. 86
Anti-theft systems................................ 89
Immobilizer..................................... 89
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 89
Tow-away alarm ............................. 91
Controls in detail............................... 93
Locking and unlocking ......................... 94
SmartKey ....................................... 94
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 98
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 105
Opening the trunk ........................ 106
Closing the trunk.......................... 107
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 109
Automatic central locking ............ 110
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 110
Seats ................................................. 112
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 112
Removing and installing
front seat head restraints............. 113
Rear seat head restraints ............. 114
Multicontour seat* ....................... 116
Seat heating* ............................... 117
Seat ventilation* .......................... 118Memory function ............................... 119
Storing positions into memory ..... 120
Recalling positions from memory . 120
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position ................ 121
Lighting ............................................. 122
Exterior lamp switch .................... 122
Combination switch ..................... 126
Cornering fog lamps*
(CLK 320 with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps) ................. 126
Hazard warning flasher ................ 127
Interior lighting ............................ 128
Door entry lamps ......................... 129
Trunk lamp ................................... 129
Instrument cluster ............................. 130
Instrument cluster illumination .... 130
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 131
Trip odometer .............................. 131
Tachometer .................................. 132
Outside temperature indicator ..... 132
117 Controls in detailSeats
Seat heating*
Both switches for the front seats are
located in the center console.
1Seat heating switchThe red indicator lamps on the switch1
show which heating level you have select-
ed.
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating
Press seat heating switch1 twice.
Three red indicator lamps in the switch
come on.
Continue pressing seat heating
switch1 until desired seat heating
level is reached.
Switching off seat heating
Press seat heating switch1
repeatedly until all red indicator lamps
go out.
Level3
Three indicator lamps on.
After approximately five minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 2.
2
Two indicator lamps on.
After approximately ten minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 1.
1
One indicator lamp on.
After approximately 20 minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched off.
off
No indicator lamp on.
iIf one or all of the indicator lamps flash
on the seat heating switch1, there is
insufficient voltage due to too many
electrical consumers being switched
on. The seat heating switches off
automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as
sufficient voltage is available.
185 Controls in detail
Climate control (CLK 320)
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 52).
Switch to manual mode.
Turn the air distribution control4
toa orY (
page 181).
Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP or0
(page 181).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched offDeactivating
Press buttonP or0
(page 181).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
192 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the climate control system in ei-
ther the automatic or manual mode. The
system cools or heats the interior depend-
ing on the selected interior temperature
and the current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the modeAC
OFF
is activated or
mode AC is deactivated (page 198).
Warning
G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents in the
footwell can be very hot or very cold
(depending on the set temperature). This
may cause burns or frostbite on unprotected
skin in the immediate area of the air vents.
Always keep sufficient distance between
unprotected parts of the body and the foot-
well air vents. If necessary change the air
flow using the air distribution controls to
direct the air away from the footwell air
vents (
page 194).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air
pollution) may require replacement of
the filter 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, see
“Opening (Summer opening feature)”
(page 243).
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing
objects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.
195 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Adjusting automatically
Press buttonU (
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air volume is controlled automati-
cally for the entire vehicle, and the air
distribution is controlled automatically
for each separate half of the vehicle.
Defrosting
Activating
Press buttonP or0
(page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.
The air conditioning switches automatical-
ly to the following functions:
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press buttonP or0
(page 191) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 191) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and soft top are closed).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside. This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the passenger compartment.
iThese settings should only be selected
for a short time.
Warning!
G
When the outside temperature is below
41°F (5°C), only switch to air recirculation
mode for short periods to prevent window
fogging.
Window fogging may impair visibility and
endanger you and others.
199 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Residual heat and ventilation*
(available on Automatic climate control panel design A only)
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Switch off the ignition (
page 36).
Press button°(
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button°(
page 191).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:
when the ignition is switched on
after about 30 minutes
if the battery voltage drops
!If the air conditioning cannot be turned
on again, this indicates that the air
conditioning is losing refrigerant. The
compressor has turned itself off.
Have the air conditioning checked at
the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
iHow long the system will provide
heating depends on
the coolant temperature
the temperature set by the operator
The blower will run at speed setting 1
regardless of the air distribution
control setting.
274 Controls in detailUseful featuresOpening ashtray
Pull at top of cover3.
Removing ashtray insert
Push button1 to disengage ashtray
insert2 and remove it.
Reinstalling ashtray insert
Push the ashtray insert2 down into
the retainer until it engages.
Push at top of cover3 to close
ashtray.
Cigarette lighter
1Cover
2Cigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
Briefly press the bottom of cover
plate1.
The cover plate opens automatically.
Push in cigarette lighter2.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when hot.
Push down cover plate1 to close
ashtray.
The cover plate engages.Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.iThe lighter socket can be used to ac-
commodate electrical accessories up
to a maximum 85 W.
292 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
ject to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, the brake fluid level in the res-
ervoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected immedi-
ately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
!Be very careful not to endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
Refer to the description of the Brake
Assist System (BAS) (
page 85).