2005 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG CABRIOLET traction control

ContentsSoft top .............................................. 244
Opening and closing the soft top . 244
Driving systems ................................. 255
Cruise control............................... 255
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)* ........................... 260
Loading .............................................. 264
Ski sack* ...................................... 264
Loading instructions ..................... 268
Useful features .................................. 269
Storage compartments................. 269
Ashtrays ....................................... 273
Cigarette lighter ........................... 274
Electrical outlet in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 275
Floormats* ................................... 275
Telephone*................................... 276
Tele Aid ........................................ 277
Garage door opener ..................... 284
Operation......................................... 289
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 290
Driving instructions............................ 291
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 291
Drinking and driving ..................... 291
Pedals .......................................... 291
Power assistance ......................... 291
Brakes .......................................... 292
Driving off .................................... 294
Parking ......................................... 294
Tires ............................................. 295
Hydroplaning ................................ 295
Tire traction.................................. 296
Tire speed rating .......................... 296
Winter driving instructions ........... 297
Standing water ............................. 298
Passenger compartment .............. 299
Driving abroad.............................. 299
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 299
Catalytic converter ....................... 300
Emission control .......................... 300
Coolant temperature .................... 301At the gas station .............................. 302
Refueling ...................................... 302
Check regularly and
before a long trip ......................... 304
Engine compartment ......................... 305
Hood ............................................ 305
Engine oil ..................................... 306
Transmission fluid level ................ 309
Coolant ........................................ 310
Battery ......................................... 311
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 312
Tires and wheels................................ 313
Important guidelines .................... 313
Tire care and maintenance........... 314
Direction of rotation..................... 316
Loading the vehicle ...................... 316
Recommended
tire inflation pressure ................... 322
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 324
Tire labeling ................................. 326
Load identification ....................... 330
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 330
Maximum tire load ....................... 332
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 332

88 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsWhen you switch off the ESP

the ESP does not stabilize the vehicle


the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip


the traction control will still brake a
spinning wheel


the ESP continues to operate when you
are brakingThe switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1ESP switch (off/on)

Press switch1.
The ESP warning lamp v in the in-
strument cluster comes on.
The ESP is deactivated.
Switching on the ESP

Press switch1 again.
The ESP warning lamp v in the in-
strument cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with ESP switched on.
iWhen the ESP is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the
ESP warning lampv in the instru-
ment cluster flashes. However, the ESP
will then not stabilize the vehicle.
Warning!
G
When the ESP warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP is
switched off.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP.!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP switched
off. This may cause serious damage to
the drivetrain which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

169 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 164).

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

201 Controls in detail
Audio system
Audio system
Audio and telephone, operation
These instructions are intended to help
you become familiar with your
Mercedes-Benz audio system. They con-
tain useful tips and a detailed description
of the user functions.
Operating safety
Sound system*
Your vehicle is equipped with a sound sys-
tem. The subwoofer is located between the
rear seats.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should enter
system settings with the vehicle at a
standstill and operate the system only when
road and traffic conditions permit. Always
pay full attention to traffic conditions first
before operating system controls while
driving.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Warning!
G
Any alterations made to electronic
components can cause malfunctions.
The radio, amplifier, CD changer*, satellite
radio*, and telephone* are interconnected.
When one of the components is not opera-
tional or has not been removed/replaced
properly, the function of other components
may be impaired.
This condition might seriously impair the
operating safety of your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any service
work on electronic components carried out
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Make sure no objects fall into the open-
ings of the subwoofer between the rear
seats.
If necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to remove any
objects which may have fallen into the
openings.

218 Controls in detailAudio systemCD mode
Safety precautions
General notes
The system may not be able to play audio
CDs with copy protection.
Playing copied CDs may cause
malfunctions during playback.Warning!
G
The single CD player and the CD changer*
are Class 1 laser products. There is a danger
of invisible laser radiation if the housing is
opened or damaged.
Do not open the housing. The single CD
player and the CD changer* do not contain
any parts that can be serviced by the user.
For safety reasons, have any service work
which may be necessary performed only by
qualified personnel.
Warning!
G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should insert
CDs with the vehicle at a standstill and oper-
ate the audio system only if permitted by
road, weather and traffic conditions.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car covers a
distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) ev-
ery second.
!If you affix stickers to the CDs, they can
become warped due to the heat that
develops in the CD drive or CD chang-
er*.
In certain situations, the CDs can then
no longer be ejected and cause dam-
age to the drive. Such damage is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.!Your CD drive or CD changer* has been
designed to play CDs which corre-
spond to the EN 60908 standard. You
can therefore only use CDs with a max-
imum thickness of 1.3 mm.
If you insert thicker data carriers, e.g.
ones that have data on both sides (one
side with DVD data, the other side with
audio data), they cannot be ejected and
will damage the drive.

255 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed


Parktronic*, which serves as a parking
assistant
For information on the BAS, ABS, and ESP
driving systems, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
page 84).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time.
CLK 320/CLK 55 AMG:
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
CLK 500:
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed over 25 mph (40 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle speed and
for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

295 Operation
Driving instructions
TiresTreadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and be-
come visible at a tread depth of approxi-
mately
1/16 in (1.6 mm), at which point the
tire is considered worn and should be re-
placed.
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to extreme operating con-
ditions (e.g. high speeds, heavy loads, high
ambient temperatures).
Hydroplaning
Depending on the depth of the water layer
on the road, hydroplaning may occur, even
at low speeds and with new tires. Reduce
vehicle speed, avoid track grooves in the
road and apply brakes cautiously in the
rain.
Warning!
G
If you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that possi-
ble damage to your vehicle has occurred,
you should turn on the hazard warning flash-
ers, carefully slow down, and drive with cau-
tion to an area which is a safe distance from
the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle underbody
for possible damage. If the vehicle or tires
appear unsafe, have it towed to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center or tire dealer for re-
pairs.
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not al-
low your tires to wear down to that level. As
tread depth approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the
adhesion properties on a wet road are
sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
Warning!
G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle. You
may lose control of the vehicle. Continued
driving with a flat tire or driving at high
speed with a flat tire will cause excessive
heat build-up and possibly a fire.

296 OperationDriving instructionsTire traction
The safe speed on a wet, snow covered or
icy road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing
point.Mercedes-Benz recommends M+S rated
radial-ply tires with a minimum tread depth
of approximately
1/6in (4 mm) on all four
wheels for the winter season to ensure
normal balanced handling characteristics.
On packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance compared to summer
tires. Stopping distance, however, is still
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise
appropriate caution.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use
prudent driving speeds appropriate to
prevailing conditions.
Warning!
G
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel. This
may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.