2005 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 tow

305 Operation
Tires and wheels
Certification label
Even after careful determination of the
combined weight of all occupants, cargo
and the trailer tongue load (if applicable)
(page 305) as to not exceed the permis-
sible load limit, you must make sure that
your vehicle never exceeds the Gross Vehi-
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the
front or rear axle. You can obtain the
GVWR and GAWR from the Certification la-
bel. The Certification Label can be found
on the driver’s door B-pillar (
page 301).Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): The
total weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
all cargo, and the trailer tongue load
(
page 305) must never exceed the
GVWR.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR): The to-
tal allowable weight that can be carried by
a single axle (front or rear).
To assure that your vehicle does not ex-
ceed the maximum permissible weight
limits (GVWR and GAWR for front and rear
axle), have the loaded vehicle (including
driver, passengers and all cargo and, if ap-
plicable, trailer fully loaded) weighed on a
suitable commercial scale.Trailer tongue load
The tongue load of any trailer is an impor-
tant weight to measure because it affects
the load you can carry in your vehicle. If a
trailer is towed, the tongue load must be
added to the weight of all occupants riding
and any cargo you are carrying in the
vehicle. The tongue load typically is ten
percent of the trailer weight and every-
thing loaded in it.
Your Mercedes-Benz has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and their
cargo. Mercedes-Benz does not recom-
mend trailer towing with your vehicle.

336 OperationVehicle carePaintwork, painted body components
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Care
should be applied when water drops on the
paint surface do not “bead up”, normally
every three to five months, depending on
climate and washing detergent used.
Mercedes-Benz approved Paint Cleaner
should be applied if the paint surface
shows signs of embedded dirt (i.e. loss of
gloss).
Do not apply any of these products or wax
if your vehicle is parked in the sun or if the
hood is still hot.
Use the appropriate MB-Touch-Up Stick
for quick and provisional repairs of minor
paint damage (i.e. chips from stones, vehi-
cle doors, etc.).Engine cleaning
Prior to cleaning the engine compartment,
make sure to protect electrical compo-
nents and connectors from the intrusion of
water and cleaning agents.
Corrosion protection, such as
MB Anticorrosion Wax should be applied to
the engine compartment after every en-
gine cleaning. Before applying, all control
linkage bushings and joints should be lu-
bricated. The poly-V-belt and all pulleys
should be protected from any wax.Vehicle washing
Do not use hot water or wash your vehicle
in direct sunlight. Only use a mild car wash
detergent, such as Mercedes-Benz ap-
proved Car Shampoo.
Thoroughly spray the vehicle with a dif-
fused jet of water. Direct only a very weak
spray towards the ventilation intake. Use
plenty of water and rinse the sponge and
chamois frequently.
Rinse with clear water and thoroughly dry
with a chamois. Do not allow cleaning
agents to dry on the finish.
Due to the width of the vehicle, fold in ex-
terior rear view mirrors prior to running the
vehicle through an automatic car wash to
prevent damage to the mirrors.

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.


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

369 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
Where will I find...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored in a parcel net
behind the driver’s seat.Vehicle tool kit, vehicle jack
The vehicle tool kit is stored in a storage
compartment under the trunk floor.
The following is included:

Collapsible chock


Vehicle jack


Protective wrap


Alignment bolt


Towing eye bolt


Wheel wrench


Spare fuses


Fuse extractor


Valve extractor


Electric air pumpRemoving the vehicle tool kit
1Spare wheel
2Vehicle tool kit (under collapsible tire,
together with wheel bolts for spare
wheel with collapsible tire)
3Retaining screw

Lift up trunk floor.

Loosen retaining screw3 by turning it
counter-clockwise.

Remove spare wheel1.

Remove vehicle tool kit2.1Collapsible chock
2Vehicle jack
3Protective wrap
4Alignment bolt
5Towing eye bolt
6Wheel wrench
7Spare fuses, fuse extractor and valve
extractor
8Electric air pump

376 Practical hintsUnlocking/locking in an emergency1Locking
Insert the mechanical key into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.

Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
position1.
The driver’s door is locked.Manually unlocking the gear selector
lever (automatic transmission*)
In the case of power failure, the gear selec-
tor lever can be manually unlocked, e.g. to
tow the vehicle.
1Gear selector lever cover
2Release

Pull out gear selector lever cover1 in
direction of arrows.

Push down and hold release2 in di-
rection of arrow.

Simultaneously move gear selector le-
ver out of positionP.
The gear selector lever is unlocked
now.iThe gear selector lever is locked again
as soon as you place it in positionP
again.


400 Practical hintsJump starting
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Switch off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever* to positionP
(manual transmission to Neutral).

Open the hood (
page 287).

Remove the cover from positive under
hood terminal2 in front of discharged
battery.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 positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive under
hood terminal2 in front of the dis-
charged battery with one jumper cable.
Clamp the cable to positive terminal1
of the charged battery first.

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

Connect negative terminal4 of the
charged battery with negative under
hood terminal3 in front of the dis-
charged battery with the second jump-
er cable. Clamp the cable to negative
terminal4 of the charged battery
first.

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

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals2 and1.
You can now switch 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 294).
!Never invert the terminal connections.
iVehicles with automatic transmission*:
Do not tow-start vehicle.

401 Practical hints
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.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Do not tow-start vehicle.!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with the SmartKey in the starter
switch in 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 86) and the automatic central
locking (
page 97).
!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.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch
position0or1). Otherwise, the ESP
will immediately be engaged and will
apply the rear wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the gear selector lever*
must be in positionN (manual trans-
mission: gear shift lever in neutral posi-
tion) and the SmartKey must be in
starter switch position1.
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).