2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK COUPE steering

178 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionSteering wheel gearshift control one-touch gearshifting (CLK 500)
The steering wheel gearshift control pro-
vides an alternative method for changing
the gears manually and limiting or extend-
ing the gear range for automatic shifting
with the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.Steering wheel gearshift control
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right on the back of
the steering wheel.
1Button, inside: downshift
2Button, outside: upshift
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.
!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 po-
sition P 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.
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.
The last selected automatic program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.

179 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Downshifting
Briefly press the inside1 of one of the
buttons on the back of the steering
wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 175).
Upshifting

Briefly press the outside2 of one of
the buttons on the back of the steering
wheel.The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program.This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmis-
sion.
Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the outside2 of one of
the buttons on the back of the steering
wheel until
D reappears in the multi-
function display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the inside1 of one of
the buttons on the back of the steering
wheel.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This may
involve shifting down one or more gears.Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less re-
sponsive, sluggish, or the transmission no
longer shifts, the transmission is most like-
ly operating in limp-home (emergency op-
eration) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be selected.
Stop the vehicle.

Move gear selector lever toP.

Turn off the engine.

Wait at least ten seconds before
restarting.

Restart the engine.

Move gear selector lever to positionD
(for second gear) orR.

Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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.

231 Controls in detail
Audio system
Track and time display
Press
T soft key.
The number of the track being played
and the elapsed playing time appear in
the display.

Press
T soft key again.
The total number of tracks and the total
playing time of the CD appear in the
display.

Press
T soft key.
The standard CD playback menu ap-
pears in the display.
GSM network phonesUsing your Mercedes-Benz specified mo-
bile phone*, a number of functions and op-
erating steps can be performed and
displayed in the audio system display.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the cellular telephone*.
If your audio system is set up for telephone
operation, the tsymbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile phone* into the tele-
phone cradle, you will be prompted to en-
ter your PIN for 30 seconds (
page 232).
This display disappears when you press
any button.
When your mobile phone is inserted into
the telephone cradle, you will see the re-
ception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.

238 Controls in detailAudio systemTDMA or CDMA network phonesUsing your Mercedes-Benz specified mo-
bile phone*, a number of functions and op-
erating steps can be performed and
displayed in the audio system display.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the mobile phone*.
If your audio system is set up for telephone
operation, the t symbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile phone* into the tele-
phone cradle, you will be prompted to en-
ter your PIN for 30 seconds (
page 238).
This display disappears when you press
any button.
When your mobile phone is inserted into
the telephone cradle, you will see the re-
ception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.Switching on the telephone
Switching on the telephone

Press h button.
If you have programmed an unlock
code for the telephone, you must now
enter the code.

Enter code using buttons 1 to
R.

If necessary, correct number entered
with the
CLR
soft key. Press soft key
briefly to delete the last digit entered;
press soft key and hold to delete the
complete number.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 13.5 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.

254 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving systems of your vehicle are de-
scribed on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.


Parktronic* (Canada only), which
serves as a parking assistant.
For information on the BAS, ABS, and
ESP®, see “Driving safety systems”
(
page 87).
Cruise control
Cruise control automatically maintains the
speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time.
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 22).
Warning!
G
Cruise control is a convenience system de-
signed to assist the driver during vehicle op-
eration. The driver is and must always
remain responsible for the vehicle’s speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use cruise control if the road, traffic
and weather conditions make it advisable to
travel at a steady speed.

The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.


The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.


Deactivate cruise control when driving
in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.

278 Controls in detailUseful featuresTelephone*
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit, should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
The external antenna must be approved by
Mercedes-Benz. Please contact an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for informa-
tion on the installation of an approved
external antenna. Refer to the radio trans-
mitter operation instructions regarding use
of an external antenna.You can take and place telephone calls
using thes andt buttons on the
steering wheel. To carry out other tele-
phone functions, use the control system
(
page 167).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle. A driver’s
attention to the road must always be
his /her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call.
If you choose to use the telephone
1 while
driving, please use the hands-free device
and only use the telephone when road,
weather and traffic conditions permit. Some
jurisdictions prohibit the driver from using a
cellular telephone while driving a vehicle.
Only operate the audio system or
COMAND* (Cockpit Management and Data
System)
1 if road, weather and traffic condi-
tions permit.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km / h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 13.5 m) every second.

279 Controls in detail
Useful features
Tele Aid
The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency


roadside assistance and


informationThe Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and
cellular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç. The volume can also be
adjusted using the volume knob on your
audio system or COMAND* head unit.

To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid
system may only be performed by
completing the subscriber agreement
and placing an acquaintance call using
the¡ button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a
system that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding
activation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
iThe SOS button is located in the over-
head control panel (
page 29).
The Roadside Assistance button•
and the Information button¡ are
located in the telephone compartment
(
page 271) center armrest design A,
or below the cover (
page 272) center
armrest design B.

283 Controls in detail
Useful features
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may
apply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance
manual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.Information button¡
The Information button¡ is located
below the center armrest cover.

Press and hold the ¡button (for
longer than two seconds).
A call to the Customer Assistance
Center will be initiated. The button will
flash while the call is in progress. The
message
Connecting call
will appear
in the multifunction display and the
audio system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call connected
appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and
location (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Customer
Assistance Center representative and the
occupants of the vehicle will be
established. Information regarding the
operation of your vehicle, the nearest
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately ten
seconds during the system self-check
after switching on the ignition (together
with the SOS button and the Informa-
tion button¡).
See system self-check (
page 280)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than
approximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• is flashing
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be
terminated using the tbutton on
the multifunction steering wheel or the
respective button for ending a
telephone call on the audio system or
the COMAND* head unit.