Contents
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 336
Tire ply material ........................... 337
Tire and loading terminology ........ 338
Rotating tires ............................... 341
Winter driving .................................... 342
Winter tires .................................. 342
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 343
Snow chains................................. 343
Maintenance...................................... 344
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator........................... 345
Maintenance
service term exceeded ................. 345
Calling up the
maintenance service indicator ..... 345
Resetting the
maintenance service indicator ..... 346
Vehicle care ....................................... 347
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 347
Practical hints.................................. 353
What to do if …? ................................. 354
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 354
Lamp in center console................. 360
Vehicle status messages
in the multifunction display........... 362
Where will I find...? ............................. 389
First aid kit.................................... 389
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 389
Minispare wheel
(except CLK 55 AMG) ................... 393
Collapsible tire
(CLK 55 AMG only) ....................... 394
Spare wheel bolts ......................... 396
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 397
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 397
Locking the vehicle ....................... 398
Fuel filler flap ................................ 399
Manually unlocking
the gear selector lever .................. 400Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 401
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 401
Replacing batteries in the SmartKey/
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*............. 402
SmartKey ...................................... 402
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 403
Replacing bulbs .................................. 404
Bulbs............................................. 404
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 406
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 410
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 411
Removing wiper blades ................. 411
Installing wiper blades .................. 411
Flat tire............................................... 412
Preparing the vehicle .................... 412
Mounting the spare wheel ............ 413
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
51 Getting started
Driving
Turn exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lampB in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push combination switch in direction of
arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 24).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.Combination switch1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press combination switch in direction
of arrow1or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampLorK in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 24).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
iTo signal minor directional changes
such as changing lanes, press combi-
nation switch only to the point of resis-
tance and release. The corresponding
turn signals will flash three times.
63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!
G
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
It should be noted that with respect to both
front and rear side impact air bags there is a
possibility for a side impact air bag related
injury if occupants, especially children, are
not properly seated or restrained when next
to a side impact air bag which needs to de-
ploy rapidly in a side impact in order to do its
job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door or the rear
side trim panel where the side impact air
bag inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the side impact
air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit nearly upright, properly use
the seat belts and for children 12 years
old and under, use an appropriately
sized infant or toddler restraint or boost-
er seat recommended for the size and
weight of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side impact air bags deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional
cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
iAir bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags)
and in side impacts (side impact and
head protection window curtain air
bags) which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these events will they pro-
vide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should al-
ways wear their seat belts. Otherwise it
is not possible for the air bags to pro-
vide their supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be pro-
tected to the extent possible by a prop-
erly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.Front air bags
1Driver air bag
2Passenger air bag
Driver and front passenger air bags are
deployed:
in the event of certain frontal impacts
if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold
independently of the side impact air
bagsThe air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.
In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other more significant injuries resulting
from air bag deployment.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have
been designed to inflate in two stages.
This allows the air bag to have different
rates of inflation that are based on the
rate of relevant vehicle deceleration as
assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the front passenger side, the front
air bag deployment is additionally influ-
enced by the passenger’s weight cate-
gory as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(page 73).
The lighter the front passenger side oc-
cupant, the higher the vehicle deceler-
ation rate required for the second
stage inflation of the air bag.
66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyThe front passenger front air bag will only
be deployed if:
the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied
the 56 indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (
page 77).
the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment thresholdSide impact air bags, window curtain
air bags
1Front side impact air bags
2Rear side impact air bags
3Window curtain air bagThe side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are deployed:
on the impacted side of the vehicle
in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold
independently of the front air bags
The side impact air bags and window cur-
tain air bags are not deployed in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment threshold.
The front passenger side impact air bag
will only deploy if the system senses that
the front passenger seat is occupied.
68 Safety and SecurityOccupant safetyWarning!
G
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position
as this can be dangerous. You could slide
under the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the belt would apply force at the ab-
domen or neck. That could cause serious or
even fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belt provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a nearly upright position and the
belt is properly positioned on the body.Warning!
G
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are seat belts available. Make
sure everyone riding in the vehicle is cor-
rectly restrained with a separate seat belt.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time.
Warning!
G
Damaged seat belts or belts that were highly
stressed in an accident must be replaced
and their anchoring points must also be
checked.
Only use seat belts which have been
approved by Mercedes-Benz.
Do not make any modifications to the seat
belts. This can lead to unintended activation
of the ETDs or to failure.
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this may
severely weaken them. In a crash they may
not be able to provide adequate protection.
Have all work carried out only by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
USE SEAT BELTS PROPERLY
Seat belts can only work when used
properly. Never wear seat belts in any
other way than as described in this sec-
tion, as that could result in serious inju-
ries in case of an accident.
Each occupant should wear their seat
belt at all times, because seat belts help
reduce the likelihood of and potential
severity of injuries in accidents, includ-
ing rollovers. The integrated restraint
system includes SRS (driver air bag, pas-
senger front air bag, side impact air
bags, head protection window curtain
air bags for side windows), ETD (seat
belt emergency tensioning device), and
front seat knee bolsters. The system is
designed to enhance the protection of-
fered to properly belted occupants in
certain frontal (front air bags and ETD)
and side (side impact, window curtain
air bags and ETD) impacts which exceed
preset deployment thresholds.
69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Emergency tensioning device (ETD),
seat belt force limiter
The seat belts are equipped with emergen-
cy tensioning devices and belt force
limiters.
The ETD is designed to activate in the fol-
lowing cases:
in frontal or rear-end impacts
exceeding a preset severity level
if the restraint systems are operational
and functioning correctly, see
1indicator lamp (
page 60)
Never wear the shoulder belt under your
arm, against your neck or off your shoul-
der. In a frontal crash, your body would
move too far forward. That would in-
crease the chance of head and neck in-
juries. The belt would also apply too
much force to the ribs or abdomen,
which could severely injure internal or-
gans such as your liver or spleen.
Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eyeglasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
might cause injuries.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips and not across the abdo-
m e n . I f t h e b e l t i s p o s i t i o n e d a c r o s s y o u r
abdomen, it could cause serious injuries
in a crash.
Never use a seat belt for more than one
person at a time. Do not fasten a seat
belt around a person and another per-
son or other objects.
Belts should not be worn twisted. In a
crash, you wouldn’t have the full width
of the belt to distribute impact forces.
The twisted belt against your body could
cause injuries.
Pregnant women should also use a
lap-shoulder belt. The lap belt portion
should be positioned as low as possible
on the hips to avoid any possible pres-
sure on the abdomen.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
When using a seat belt to secure infant
or toddler restraints or children in boost-
er seats, always follow the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
!The ETDs for the front seats will only
activate if the front seat belts are fas-
tened (latch plate properly inserted
into buckle).
The ETDs for the rear seats will activate
with or without the respective seat
belts fastened.