Contents
Introduction......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle.................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19
At a glance.......................................... 21
Cockpit ................................................. 22
Instrument cluster ................................ 24
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 26
Center console ..................................... 28
Upper part ...................................... 28
Lower part ...................................... 29
Overhead control panel ........................ 30
Door control panel................................ 31
Getting started................................... 33
Unlocking ............................................. 34
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 34
Starter switch positions .................. 35
Adjusting .............................................. 37
Seats .............................................. 37
Steering wheel ................................ 40
Mirrors ............................................ 42
Driving .................................................. 44
Fastening the seat belts ................. 44
Starting the engine ......................... 47
Switching on headlamps ................. 52
Turn signals .................................... 52
Windshield wipers ........................... 53
Problems while driving.................... 55
Parking and locking .............................. 56
Parking brake ................................. 56
Switching off headlamps................. 57
Turning off engine ........................... 58
117 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to
call up information about your vehicle
change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current program mode
(automatic transmission* only)
4Status indicator (outside tempera-
ture/digital speedometer)
5Current gear selector lever posi-
tion/gear range
iThe displays for the audio systems
(radio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.
142 Controls in detailControl systemConvenience submenu
Access the
Convenience
submenu via the
Settings...
menu. Use the
Convenience
submenu to change the settings for a num-
ber of convenience features.
The following functions are available:
Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature.
For additional information, see “Memory
function*” (
page 99)
Move the selection marker with
buttonæorç to the
Conve-
nience
submenu.
Press buttonjork repeatedly
until you see
Function Easy-entry
feature
in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæorç to select
the desired easy-entry/exit setting.
Function
Page
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*
142
Setting key-dependency
143
Setting parking position for
exterior rear view mirror*
144
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel and driver’s seat when the easy-en-
try/exit feature is activated.
To cancel seat/steering wheel movement,
do one of the following:
Press seat adjustment switch*
(page 39).
Move steering column stalk*
(page 41).
Press memory position switch*
(page 104).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door an un-
intentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
154 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*One-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear as permitted by
the shift program. This action simulta-
neously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 155).Upshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD+direction until
D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Press and hold the gear selector lever
in theD-direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD-direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
158 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Automatic shift program
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
C/S) are
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 153).
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired program mode appears in
the multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving:
The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.
Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.
Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.iThe last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
160 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Maneuvering
When you maneuver in tight areas,
e.g. when pulling into a parking space:
Control the vehicle speed by gradually
releasing the brakes.
Accelerate gently.
Never abruptly step on the accelerator.Working on the vehicle
Steering wheel gearshift control
When driving in the automatic program
modesC orS, or in the manual program
modeM (SLK 55 AMG only), you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel or by using the gear selector lever
(page 154).
Warning!
G
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move gear selector lever
to positionP. Otherwise the vehicle could
roll away.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.
164 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*Manual shift program SLK 55 AMG
In the manual program modeM you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 162) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 154).The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 153).Activating manual shift program
Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for
manual program modeM appears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
173 Controls in detail
Climate control
The climate control is operational whenev-
er the engine is running. The system cools
or heats the interior depending on the se-
lected interior temperature and the cur-
rent outside temperature.
Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air en-
ters the interior through the air distribution
system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the ±mode is selected
(page 175).
Item
1
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable left-side air vent
2
Left side air vent, adjustable
3
Left center air vent, fixed
4
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable left center air
vents
5
Left center air vent, adjustable
6
Right center air vent, adjustable
7
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for fixed/adjustable right center air
vents
8
Right center air vent, fixed
9
Right side air vent, adjustable
a
Thumbwheel for air volume control
for adjustable right-side air vent
b
Climate control panel
Warning
G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents in the footwell can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burn or frost-
bite to unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the footwell air vents. If necessary
change the air flow using the air distribution
controls to direct the air away from the foot-
well air vents (
page 175).
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for heat-
ing and cooling given on the following pag-
es. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.