2005 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK55AMG COUPE Owner's Manual

423 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.


Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.


Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a more powerful battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.


Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.


Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans or other
parts that move when an engine is
started or running.
Warning!
G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, you might get injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting at-
tempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine us-
ing a battery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it
checked at the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by
repeated failed starting attempts may
damage the catalytic converter and
may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not
have loose or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not
touch any other metal part while the
other end is still attached to a battery.

424 Practical hintsJump startingThe battery is located on the right side of
the engine compartment. For jump start-
ing use the terminals in front of the bat-
tery.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP.

Open the hood.1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

Connect the positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with the positive under
hood terminal 2 in front of the dis-
charged battery with the jumper cable.
Clamp cable to charged battery1
first.

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect the negative terminal4 of
the charged battery with the negative
under hood terminal 3 in front of the
discharged battery with the jumper ca-
ble. Clamp cable to charged battery4
first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now turn on the electrical con-
sumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals3 and4 and
then from the positive terminals1
and2.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(page 314).
!Never invert the terminal connections.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.

425 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 91) and the automatic central
locking (
page 158).
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1). Otherwise, the ESP will immedi-
ately be engaged and will apply the rear
wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN and the SmartKey
must be in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h).
!To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission, however,
we recommend the drive shaft be dis-
connected at the rear axle drive flange
for any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.

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.

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).

428 Practical hintsTowing the vehicleTowing eye bolt CLK 55 AMG
Towing eye bolt in front bumper
The cover for the towing eye bolt in the
front bumper is identical to the cover on
the models CLK320/CLK500.
To remove and to reinstall cover, see “Tow-
ing eye bolt CLK 320/CLK 500”
(page 427)
Towing eye bolt in rear bumper
1Cover on right side of rear bumper
2Recess in the coverTo remove cover:

Insert flat, blunt object as a lever in re-
cess 2 on the edge of cover 1.

Loosen cover 1 from the bumper us-
ing lever, to reveal threaded hole for
towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the compartment
underneath the trunk floor).

Screw towing eye bolt to its stop and
tighten with lug wrench.To reinstall cover:

Hook right-hand side of the cover into
opening.

Slide cover as far as it will go in the di-
rection of the arrow3.

Gently press left-hand side of cover in
direction of the arrow4.
The hooks on the left-hand side en-
gage.iWhen closing the cover, make sure the
cover’s check strap does not get
caught.

429 Practical hintsFuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
stop the supply of electricity to a device
that is malfunctioning. This helps to
prevent damage to the other vehicle
electronics.
The following aids are available to help you
change fuses (
page 430):


Fuse chart


Spare fuses


Fuse extractorThe electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:


Main fuse box in passenger
compartment (
page 430)


Fuse box in engine compartment
(page 431)


Fuse box in trunk (
page 432)
Warning!
G
Only use fuses approved for Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question. Otherwise, a short circuit could
result and cause a fire.!Only install fuses that have been tested
and approved by Mercedes-Benz and
that have the specified amperage
rating.
Otherwise, electrical parts or systems
could be damaged.
Never attempt to repair or bridge a
blown fuse. Have the cause determined
and remedied by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

430 Practical hintsFusesAids for changing fuses
Fuse chart
The fuse chart is found in the main fuse
box in the passenger compartment
(page 430). The amperages of the fuses
are also given there.
Spare fuses
Spare fuses are found in the vehicle tool kit
in the spare wheel well (
page 390).
Fuse extractor
The fuse extractor is located in the cover of
the auxiliary fuse box in the trunk
(
page 432).Main fuse box in passenger
compartment
The main fuse box is located in the passen-
ger compartment on the driver’s side of
the cockpit.
1Main fuse box coverOpening

Open the driver’s door.

Pull fuse box cover1 open with a
screw driver or similar tool (see arrow).

Remove fuse box cover1 rearward.
Closing

Attach fuse box cover1 in the front.

Fold fuse box cover1 in until it engag-
es.