2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS clutch

48 Getting startedDrivingManual transmissionGearshift pattern for manual transmissionFor more information, see “Manual trans-
mission” (
page 150).Starting

Depress brake pedal.

Make sure the gearshift lever is in neu-
tral position (no gear selected).

Fully depress the clutch pedal.
Otherwise the engine cannot be start-
ed due to the integrated safety inter-
lock.

Do not depress accelerator.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 35) and hold until
the engine starts.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 58).Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 152).

51 Getting started
Driving
Manual transmission
Depress the brake pedal.

Fully depress the clutch pedal.

Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive rearward.

Simultaneously release the brake pedal
and slowly the clutch pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Automatic transmission*

Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
to drive forward, or to positionR to
drive rearward.

Release the brake pedal.

Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.!Wait for the gear selection process to
complete before setting the vehicle in
motion.iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
Vehicles with automatic transmission: It is
dangerous to shift the gear selector lever
out of
PorN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly on
the brake pedal, the vehicle could acceler-
ate 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.

54 Getting startedDriving
Intermittent wiping
Set combination switch to positionI.Single wipe

Press combination switch briefly in di-
rection of arrow1.
The windshield wipers wipe one time
without washer fluid.
Wiping with windshield washer fluid

Push combination switch in direction of
arrow2 past the resistance point.
The windshield wipers operate with
washer fluid.
For information on filling up the washer
reservoir, see “Windshield washer sys-
tem and headlamp cleaning system*”
(page 295).
!The switch should not be left in inter-
mittent setting as the wipers will wipe
the windshield once every time the en-
gine is started. Dust that accumulates
on the windshield might scratch the
glass and/or damage the wiper blades
when wiping occurs on a dry wind-
shield.
Vehicles with rain sensor*:
Do not leave windshield wipers in inter-
mittent setting when vehicle is taken to
an automatic car wash or during wind-
shield cleaning. Wipers will operate in
the presence of water sprayed on the
windshield, and wipers may be dam-
aged as a result.
iIntermittent wiping is interrupted when
the vehicle is at a standstill and a door
is opened.
Intermittent wiping will be continued
when

all doors are closed


the clutch pedal is depressed (vehi-
cles with manual transmission)


the gear selector lever is in
positionDorR (vehicles with auto-
matic transmission*)


151 Controls in detail
Manual transmission
Gearshift pattern for manual transmission
Shifting into reverse
Stop the vehicle completely.

Fully depress the clutch pedal.

Move the gearshift lever to the neutral
position (no gear selected).

Move the gearshift lever to the left until
you feel a certain resistance.

Push the gearshift lever past this resis-
tance.

Then move the gearshift lever forward
into positionR.
!When you are shifting into the 5th
or6th gear, make sure that you press
the gearshift lever to the right. Other-
wise, you could accidentally shift into
the3rd or4th gear and damage the
transmission.
Downshifting gears leading to overrev-
ving the engine can result in engine
damage that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Never hold the vehicle stopped on a hill
by using the clutch pedal. The clutch
may be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Do not exceed the engine speed limits.
Refer to tachometer (
page 115) for
engine speeds.
!Only shift into reverse gearR when the
vehicle is stationary, as the transmis-
sion could otherwise be damaged.

246 Controls in detailDriving systems
Canceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel the cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or

Briefly push the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow3 (
page 245).
The cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
iOn uphill or downhill grades, the cruise
control may not be able to maintain the
set speed. Once the grade eases, the
set speed will be resumed.
On downhill grades, the cruise control
will hold the set speed with active brak-
ing action.
In addition, on longer downhill grades
the automatic transmission* will auto-
matically downshift.
iVehicles with manual transmission:
If you depress the clutch pedal when
shifting into another gear, the engine
speed may increase.

Drive with sufficient engine speed.


Shift gears in a timely manner.


If possible, do not shift down more
than one gear.
iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.

247 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting a higher speed
Lift the cruise control lever in direction
of arrow1 (
page 245) and hold it
up until the desired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow2 (
page 245) and
hold it down until the desired speed is
reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
iThe cruise control switches off auto-
matically, if

you step on the brake pedal.


you pull up the parking brake lever
firmly.


the vehicle speed is below 25 mph
(40 km/h).


ESP is in operation or switched off
with the ESP switch (
page 82).


Vehicles with manual transmission:
you depress the clutch pedal for
longer than six seconds during
shifting into another gear.


Vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*: you move the gear selector
lever to positionN while driving.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Moving gear selector lever to
positionN while driving also cancels
cruise control. However, the gear se-
lector lever should not be moved to
positionN while driving except to coast
when the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding (e.g. on icy roads).iDepressing the accelerator pedal does
not deactivate the cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing), the
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
iWhen you use the cruise control lever
to decelerate, the brake system will
automatically brake the vehicle if the
engine’s braking power does not brake
the vehicle sufficiently.

279 Operation
Driving instructions
SLK 350
SLK 350 with Sport Package*
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“W”-rated tires, which have a tire speed
rating of 168 mph (270 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).SLK 55 AMG
Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“Y”-rated tires, which have a tire speed
rating of 186 mph (300 km / h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
155 mph (250 km/h).
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever* to positionN or
declutch in case of manual transmission.
Try to keep the vehicle under control by
corrective steering action.
iFor information on speed rating for
winter tires, see “Winter tires”
(page 327).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 313).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 328).
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 control loss.

435 Technical terms
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


Engine


Clutch/torque converter


Transmission


Transfer case


Drive shaft


Differential


Axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 324)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operation (S)
and comfort operation (C).
Vehicles with steering wheel gearshift
control and manual shift program: in
addition toS andC (for regularS
or comfortC operation, see above),
you can useM for manual shift pro-
gram.
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 324)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 324)REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, air bags
and child restraint systems. As inde-
pendent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.
Rim
(
page 324)
Retractable hardtop
Hardtop that can be opened and closed
at the push of a button and stored in
the trunk.