ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Children in the vehicle .................... 70
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 .................. 90
Tow-away alarm ............................. 91
Controls in detail............................... 93
Locking and unlocking ......................... 94
SmartKey ....................................... 94
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 99
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 ............. 115
Multicontour seat* ....................... 118
Seat heating* ............................... 119
Seat ventilation* .......................... 120
Memory function ............................... 121
Storing positions into memory ..... 122
Recalling positions from memory . 122
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position................. 123Lighting ............................................. 124
Exterior lamp switch .................... 124
Combination switch ..................... 129
Cornering fog lamps*
(CLK 320 with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps) ................. 130
Hazard warning flasher ................ 131
Interior lighting ............................ 132
Door entry lamps ......................... 133
Trunk lamp ................................... 133
Instrument cluster ............................. 134
Instrument cluster illumination .... 134
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 135
Trip odometer .............................. 135
Tachometer .................................. 136
Outside temperature indicator ..... 136
25 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
LLeft turn signal indi-
cator lamp
51
2
vESP warning lamp
358
3
Speedometer
4
Multifunction display
137
5
lDistance warning
lamp
Warning lamp without func-
tion. It illuminates with the
ignition on. It should go out
when the engine is running.
6
KRight turn signal indi-
cator lamp
51
7
Coolant temperature indi-
cator with:
135
•
Coolant temperature
warning lamp
357,
376
Item
Page
8
Tachometer with:
136
1Supplemental
restraint system
indicator lamp
359,
386
-Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) warning
lamp
354
386
AHigh beam headlamp
indicator lamp
129
BLow beam headlamp
indicator lamp
129
9
Main odometer with:
Gear selector lever posi-
tion
166
Program mode
170
Item
Page
a
Clock with:
151
;Brake warning lamp,
USA only
355
3Brake warning lamp,
Canada only?Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
USA only
356
±Engine malfunction
indicator lamp,
Canada only
356
b
Fuel display with:AFuel reserve warning
lamp
359
c
Reset button for:
Resetting trip odometer
135
Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination
134
Confirming new time set-
tings
151
50 Getting startedDriving
For more information on driving, see “Driv-
ing instructions” (
page 295).
Switching on headlamps
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 124).
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
iWait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofPorN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.!Simultaneously depressing the
accelerator pedal and applying the
brake reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionRorP only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.
84 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:
ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
ESP (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
ABS
The A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of ap-
proximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The - indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum ef-
fectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, and
the ESP is only achieved with winter
tires (M + S tires) or snow chains as
required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
Excessive speed, especially in turns
Wet and slippery road surfaces
Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, and ESP cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
85 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the
pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions
and functions as a reminder to take extra
care while driving.Emergency brake maneuver
Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(
page 353).
BAS
The B
rake A
ssist S
ystem (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing the braking distance. Apply
continuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency
beyond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeop-
ardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Warning!
G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning normally, but without
the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.
94 Controls in detailIn the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed on your vehi-
cle. If you are already familiar with the
basic functions of your vehicle, this section
will be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the ba-
sic functions of the, refer to the “Getting
started” section of this manual. The corre-
sponding page numbers are given at the
beginning of each segment.Locking and unlocking
For more information on locking and
unlocking, see “Getting started”
(page 32) and (
page 55).
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key.
The locking tabs for the mechanical key
portion of the two SmartKeys are a
different color to help distinguish each
SmartKey unit.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:
the doors
the trunk
the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote control1‹ Lock button
2Š Opening button for trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4Œ Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 83)
99 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
Vehicles equipped with KEYLESS-GO come
with two SmartKeys with KEYLESS-GO,
each with remote control and a removable
mechanical key. The locking tabs for the
mechanical key portion of the two
SmartKeys are a different color to help dis-
tinguish each SmartKey unit.
The KEYLESS-GO function is integrated
into the SmartKey. On these vehicles, the
validity of the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO
is checked every time you pull a door
handle.
If the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO is valid,
your vehicle unlocks
the doors
the trunk lid
the fuel filler flap
SmartKey with remote controls1‹ Lock button
2Š Opening button for trunk lid
3Mechanical key locking tab
4Œ Unlock button
5Battery check lamp
6Â Panic button (
page 83)
For more information on using the
SmartKey buttons, see “SmartKey”
(
page 94) iWhen the passenger outside door han-
dle is pulled, the vehicle is centrally un-
locked.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* 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.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.iYou can also open and close the power
windows (
page 249) and power
tilt/sliding sunroof* (
page 253) us-
ing the SmartKey.
167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by
the shift program. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 168).Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain 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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.