ContentsDriving systems ................................. 254
Cruise control............................... 254
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)*, Canada only ..... 258
Loading .............................................. 262
Roof rack ...................................... 262
Ski sack* (Canada only) ............... 263
Split rear bench seat .................... 265
Loading instructions ..................... 267
Cargo tie-down rings .................... 268
Useful features .................................. 269
Storage compartments................. 269
Center armrest ............................. 271
Armrest in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 272
Cup holders .................................. 273
Ashtrays ....................................... 274
Cigarette lighter ........................... 276
Power outlet in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 277
Floormats* ................................... 277
Telephone*................................... 278
Tele Aid ........................................ 279
Garage door opener* ................... 287
Operation......................................... 293
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 294
Driving instructions............................ 295
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 295
Drinking and driving ..................... 295
Pedals .......................................... 295
Power assistance ......................... 295
Brakes .......................................... 296
Driving off .................................... 297
Parking ......................................... 297
Tires ............................................. 298
Hydroplaning ................................ 299
Tire traction.................................. 299
Tire speed rating .......................... 300
Winter driving instructions ........... 300
Standing water ............................. 301
Passenger compartment .............. 302
Driving abroad.............................. 302
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 302
Catalytic converter ....................... 303
Emission control .......................... 303
Coolant temperature .................... 304At the gas station .............................. 305
Refueling ...................................... 305
Check regularly
and before a long trip................... 307
Engine compartment ......................... 308
Hood ............................................ 308
Engine oil ..................................... 309
Transmission fluid level................ 313
Coolant ........................................ 314
Battery ......................................... 315
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 316
Tires and wheels................................ 317
Important guidelines .................... 317
Tire care and maintenance........... 318
Direction of rotation..................... 320
Loading the vehicle ...................... 320
Recommended
tire inflation pressure ................... 326
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 328
MOExtended system* .................. 332
Tire labeling ................................. 332
Load identification ....................... 336
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 337
Maximum tire load ....................... 338
23 At a glance
Cockpit
Item
Page
1
Steering wheel gearshift
buttons (CLK 500 only)
178
2
Combination switch
Turn signals
Windshield wipers
High beam
53
53
52
3
Cruise control lever
254
4
Multifunction steering
wheel
26,
144
5
Instrument cluster
24,
140
6
Starter switch
34
7
Front Parktronic* warning
indicator (Canada only)
258
8
Overhead control panel
29
Item
Page
9
Glove box
269
a
Cup holder
273
b
Center console
27, 28
c
Hood lock release
308
d
Horn
e
Steering wheel adjustment
stalk
41
f
Parking brake pedal
50
g
Door control panel
30
h
Parking brake release
50
j
Exterior lamp switch
52,
131
k
Exterior rear view mirror ad-
justment
43
l
Headlamp washer switch*
180
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.
255 Controls in detail
Driving systems
1Set current or higher speed
2Set current or lower speed
3Cancel cruise control
4Resume to last set speed
Setting current speed
Accelerate or decelerate to the desired
speed.
Briefly lift1 or depress2 the cruise
control lever.
The current speed is set.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated.The selected speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds, and the corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed to the
vehicle maximum speed are illuminated.
Warning!
G
Cruise control brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded. The brake
pedal depresses when the cruise control en-
gages the brakes.
Keep driver’s foot area clear at all times, in-
cluding the area under the brake pedal. Ob-
jects stored in this area may impair pedal
movement which could interfere with the
braking ability of the cruise control system.
Do not place your foot under the brake pedal
- your foot could become caught.
Keep in mind that cruise control is a conve-
nience system designed to assist the driver
during vehicle operation. The driver is and
must always remain responsible for the ve-
hicle’s speed and for safe brake operation.
iOn uphill or downhill grades, 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 braking
from the vehicle’s brake system.
In addition, on longer downhill grades
the automatic transmission will auto-
matically downshift.
256 Controls in detailDriving systemsCanceling cruise control
There are several ways to cancel cruise
control:
Step on the brake pedal.
Cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.
or
Briefly push the cruise control lever to
position3.
Cruise control is canceled. The last
speed set is stored for later use.iThe last stored speed is canceled when
you turn off the engine.
iCruise control automatically switched
off, if
you step on the brake pedal.
you press the parking brake pedal.
In this case the segments in the
multifunction display (
page 255)
go out and no warning sounds.
the vehicle speed is below 20 mph
(30 km/h).
ESP
® is in operation or switched off
with the ESP
® switch (
page 91).
you move the gear selector lever in
positionN while driving.
The segments in the multifunction dis-
play (page 255) go out, and an
acoustic warning sounds.
!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 cruise control. After
brief acceleration (e.g. for passing),
cruise control will resume the last
speed set.
257 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Setting a higher speed
Lift cruise control lever in the direction
of arrow1 and hold it up until the de-
sired speed is reached.
Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed
Depress cruise control lever in the di-
rection of arrow2 and hold it down
until the desired speed is reached.
Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.Fine adjustment in 1 mph
(Canada: 1 km/h) increments
Faster
Briefly tip cruise control lever in the di-
rection of arrow1.
Slower
Briefly tip cruise control lever in the di-
rection of arrow2.Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function)
Briefly push cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow4.
The cruise control resumes the last set
speed.
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The selected speed appears in the multi-
function display for approximately five sec-
onds, and the corresponding speedometer
segments from the selected speed to the
vehicle maximum speed are illuminated
(
page 255).
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.
Warning!
G
The speed stored in memory should only be
set again if prevailing road conditions per-
mit. Possible acceleration or deceleration
differences arising from returning to the pre-
set speed could cause an accident and/or
serious injury to you and others.
300 OperationDriving instructionsTire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use
prudent driving speeds appropriate to
prevailing conditions.Your vehicle is factory equipped with
“W”-rated tires, which have a speed rating
of 168 mph (270 km/h).
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of
130 mph (210 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 position N. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.
Warning!
G
Even when permitted by law, never operate
a vehicle at speeds greater than the maxi-
mum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure, causing loss of vehicle control and pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury and possible death, for you
and for others.
iFor information on tire speed rating for
winter tires, see “Winter tires”
(page 346).
For additional general information on
tire speed markings on tire sidewall,
see “Tire speed rating” (
page 335).
iFor information on driving with snow
chains, see “Snow chains”
(page 347).
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.
387 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
4
Check gas cap
See Oper.’s Man.
A loss of pressure has been detected in
the fuel system. The fuel cap may not be
closed properly or the fuel system may be
leaky.
Check the fuel cap (
page 305).
If it is not closed properly:
Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:
Have the fuel system checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
G
Display malfunction
Visit workshop
The instrument cluster display is malfunc-
tioning.
Continue driving with added caution.
Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center as soon as possible.
The displays for several systems have
malfunctioned. Some systems them-
selves may also have malfunctioned.
Have the electronic systems checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
±
Display defective
Visit workshop
Certain electronic systems are unable to
relay information to the control system.
The following systems may have failed:
Coolant temperature display
Tachometer
Cruise control display
Have the electronic systems checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter.
J
Doors open
You are attempting to drive with one or
more doors open.
Close the doors.