2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS key

276 OperationDriving instructionsDriving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:


Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.


Move the selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.


Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
place gear selector lever* in positionP
(manual transmission: move gearshift
lever to first or reverse gear).
In addition, when parking on hills, turn
front wheel towards the road curb.

285 Operation
At the gas station

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.

Open fuel filler flap by pushing at point
indicated by arrow1.
The fuel filler flap springs open.

Turn fuel filler cap counterclockwise
and hold on to it until possible pressure
is released.

Take off fuel filler cap and set it in di-
rection of arrow2 in the recess on the
inside of fuel filler flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.

Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or over-
fill.

Replace the fuel filler cap by turning it
clockwise until it engages audibly.

Close the fuel filler flap.
Check regularly and before a long tripEngine compartment (SLK 350, example)1Windshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system* reservoir
2Brake fluid reservoir
3Coolant expansion tank
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the yellow fuel
tank reserve warning lamp to flash and
the ? malfunction indicator lamp
(USA only) or the ± malfunction in-
dicator lamp (Canada only) to illumi-
nate.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 344).
iFor opening the hood, see “Hood”
(page 287).

337 Operation
Vehicle care
To prevent damage to the antenna, un-
screw and remove antenna on left rear
side of vehicle before taking the vehicle
through a car wash. Note that without the
antenna on the left rear side of the vehicle
installed, the signaling range of the
SmartKey is considerably reduced. Hold
the SmartKey in close proximity towards
the antenna base when locking and un-
locking the vehicle.
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces
of road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the undercarriage, do not
forget to clean the inner sides of the
wheels.Ornamental moldings
For regular cleaning and care of very dirty
chrome-plated parts, use a chrome clean-
er.
Headlamps, side makers, tail lamps,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car Shampoo,
with plenty of water.
To prevent scratches, never apply strong
force and use only a soft, non-scratchy
cloth when cleaning the lenses. Do not at-
tempt to wipe dirty lenses with a dry cloth
or sponge.Wiper blades

Switch on wipers and place them in a
vertical position.
For information on placing the wipers
in a vertical position, see “Replacing
wiper blades” (
page 386).
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.


338 OperationVehicle care
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.Window cleaning

Switch on wipers and place them in a
vertical position.
For information on placing the wipers
in a vertical position, see “Replacing
wiper blades” (
page 386).

Use a window cleaning solution on all
glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch before
cleaning the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.!Fold the windshield wipers back onto
the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
windshield wiper back. If released, the
force of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch before
cleaning the wiper blade. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Fold the windshield wipers back onto
the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold on to the wiper when folding the
windshield wiper back. If released, the
force of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.!Fold the windshield wiper arms back
onto the windshield before turning the
SmartKey in the starter switch.
Hold onto the wiper when folding the
wiper arm back. If released, the force
of the impact from the tensioning
spring could crack the windshield.


341 Practical hints
What to do if …
Where will I find...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

362 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution
A
Fuel reserve
The fuel level has dropped below
the reserve mark.

Refuel at the next gas station (
page 284).
Check gas cap
See Operator’s Manual
The fuel cap may not be closed
properly.

Check the fuel cap (
page 284).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
K
Lock retractable roof
The retractable hardtop is not
locked properly.

Push the retractable hardtop switch forward
or rearward until the retractable hardtop is
completely closed or open (
page 237).
Retractable roof
Visit workshop
The retractable hardtop is
malfunctioning.

Have the retractable hardtop checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
O
Close hood
You are driving with the hood open.

Close the hood (
page 287).
F
Replace key
The SmartKey is malfunctioning.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

365 Practical hints
What to do if …
.
Low beam, left
The left low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Low beam, right
The right low beam lamp is malfunc-
tioning.
Halogen headlamp:
Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Park. light,
front left
The left front parking lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Park. light,
front right
The right front parking lamp is mal-
functioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Remove key
You have forgotten to remove the
SmartKey.

Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Side marker lamp,
front left
The left front side marker lamp is
malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Side marker lamp,
front right
The right front side marker lamp is
malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution

366 Practical hintsWhat to do if ….
Rear left side marker
lamp malfunction
The left rear side marker lamp is
malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if a critical number of
LEDs have stopped working.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Rear right side marker
lamp malfunction
The right rear side marker lamp is
malfunctioning. This message will
only appear if a critical number of
LEDs have stopped working.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Tail light, left
Back-up lamp on
The left tail lamp is malfunctioning.
This message will only appear if a
critical number of LEDs have
stopped working. A backup bulb
has been brought into use.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Tail light, right
Back-up lamp on
The right tail lamp is malfunction-
ing. This message will only appear if
a critical number of LEDs have
stopped working. A backup bulb
has been brought into use.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
as soon as possible.
Turn off
lights
You have forgotten to switch off the
headlamps when exiting the vehicle
and no SmartKey is in the starter
switch.

Switch off the headlamps.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause
Possible solution