ContentsSafety and Security........................... 61
Occupant safety................................... 62
Air bags .......................................... 63
Seat belts ....................................... 69
Active head restraints .................... 73
Children in the vehicle .................... 74
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 85
Panic alarm .......................................... 86
Activating ....................................... 86
Deactivating ................................... 86
Driving safety systems ......................... 87
ABS ................................................ 87
BAS ................................................ 89
ESP
®.............................................. 90
Anti-theft systems................................ 93
Immobilizer..................................... 93
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 93
Tow-away alarm* ........................... 95
Controls in detail............................... 97
Locking and unlocking ......................... 98
SmartKey ....................................... 98
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ...... 103
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 110
Opening the trunk ........................ 111
Closing the trunk.......................... 113
Trunk emergency release ............. 118
Valet locking ................................ 119
Automatic central locking ............ 120
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 121
Seats ................................................. 122
Front seat active head restraints . 122
Rear seat head restraints ............. 122
Multicontour seat* ....................... 125
Seat heating* ............................... 126
Seat ventilation* .......................... 127
Memory function ............................... 128
Storing positions into memory ..... 129
Recalling positions from memory . 129
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position................. 130Lighting ............................................. 131
Exterior lamp switch .................... 131
Combination switch ..................... 135
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* (CLK with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps)................. 135
Hazard warning flasher ................ 137
Interior lighting ............................ 138
Door entry lamps ......................... 139
Trunk lamp ................................... 139
Instrument cluster ............................. 140
Instrument cluster illumination .... 140
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 141
Trip odometer .............................. 141
Tachometer.................................. 142
Clock............................................ 142
Outside temperature indicator ..... 142
Control system .................................. 143
Multifunction display.................... 144
Multifunction steering wheel........ 144
Menus .......................................... 146
Standard display menu ................ 148
AUDIO menu ................................ 149
NAV* menu .................................. 150
Vehicle status
message memory menu ............... 151
126 Controls in detailSeatsSeat heating*
Both switches for the front seats are
located in the center console.
1Seat heating switchThe red indicator lamps on the switch1
show which heating level you have select-
ed.
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).Switching on seat heating
Press seat heating switch1 once.
Three red indicator lamps in the switch
come on.
Continue pressing seat heating
switch1 until desired seat heating
level is reached.
Switching off seat heating
Press seat heating switch1
repeatedly until all red indicator lamps
go out.
Level3
Three indicator lamps on
(highest level).
After approximately five minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 2.
2
Two indicator lamps on.
After approximately ten minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched to level 1.
1
One indicator lamp on
(lowest level).
After approximately 20 minutes,
seat heating is automatically
switched off.
off
No indicator lamp on.
iIf one or more of the indicator lamps on
the seat heater switch1 are flashing,
there is insufficient voltage due to too
many electrical consumers being
switched on. The seat heating switches
off automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as
sufficient voltage is available.
191 Controls in detail
Climate control (CLK 350)
Opening center and side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 2, 6and7
(page 186) upward.
The side air vents1 and3 and cen-
ter air vents5 and 8 are open.
Closing center and side air vents
Turn thumbwheels 2, 6and7
(page 186) downward.
The side air vents1 and3 and cen-
ter air vents5 and 8 are closed.
Adjusting air volume
Six blower speeds are available.
Press buttonU (
page 187).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The automatic air volume control
is switched off. The air volume is con-
trolled according to the currently se-
lected control setting.
Use the air volume control1
(page 187) to adjust the air volume.
Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up.
You can also defog the windshield and the
side windows.
Activating
Press buttonPor0
(page 187).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:
cooling on to dehumidify
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press buttonP or0
(page 187) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. Defrosting is turned off.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
198 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500)The automatic climate control is operation-
al whenever the engine is running. You can
operate the automatic climate control sys-
tem in either the automatic or manual
mode. The system cools or heats the inte-
rior depending on the selected interior
temperature and the current outside tem-
perature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the passenger compartment
through the air distribution system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if theA/C mode is deactivated
(
page 206).
Warning!
G
When operating the automatic climate
control, the air that enters the passenger
compartment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the set
temperature). This may cause burns or frost-
bite on unprotected skin in the immediate
area of the air vents. Always keep sufficient
distance between unprotected parts of the
body and the air vents. If necessary, use the
air distribution controls (
page 197) to
direct the air to air vents in the vehicle inte-
rior that are not in the immediate area of un-
protected skin.
Warning!
G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air
pollution) may require replacement of
the filter before its scheduled interval.
A clogged filter will reduce the air
volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate
the interior before driving off, see
“Summer opening feature”
(page 249). The automatic climate
control will then adjust the interior
temperature to the set value much
faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the
windshield free of snow and debris.
Do not obstruct air flow by placing
objects on the air flow-through exhaust
slots below the rear window.
202 Controls in detailAutomatic climate control (CLK 500)Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up.
You can also defog the windshield and the
side windows.
Activating
Press buttonP or0
(page 197).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.The air conditioning switches
automatically to the following functions:
cooling on to dehumidify
maximum blowing and heating
power
air flows onto the windshield and
the front side windows
the air recirculation mode is
switched off
Deactivating
Press buttonP or0
(page 197) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(page 54).
If the automatic mode of the automatic cli-
mate control is switched off:
Turn air distribution control1 or8
toa orY (
page 197).
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL
If the left and right air distribution controls
as well as the airflow volume control are
set toU (
page 197) and there is a
high need for cooling, the display
“MAXCOOL” appears.
This provides the fastest possible cooling
of the vehicle interior (when side windows
and tilt/sliding sunroof* are closed).
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the side windows are
clear again.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
iKeep this setting selected only until the
windshield is clear again.
207 Controls in detail
Automatic climate control (CLK 500)
Residual heat and ventilation* (Canada only)
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.Activating
Switch off the ignition (
page 36).
Press button9(
page 197).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button9(
page 197).
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The residual heat is automatically turned
off:
when the ignition is switched on
after about 30 minutes
if the battery voltage drops
iHow long the system will provide
heating depends on
the coolant temperature
the temperature set by the operator
The blower will run at speed setting 1
regardless of the air distribution
control setting.
276 Controls in detailUseful featuresCigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).1Cover
2Cigarette lighter
Briefly press the bottom of cover
plate1.
The cover plate opens automatically.
Push in cigarette lighter2.
The cigarette lighter will pop out
automatically when hot.
Push down cover plate 1 to close the
ashtray.
The cover plate engages.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the cigarette lighter; they are extremely hot.
Hold the knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Unsupervised use of vehi-
cle equipment may cause an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
!The lighter socket can accommodate
12V DC electrical accessories (up to a
maximum of 85 W) designed for use
with the standard “cigarette lighter”
plug type. Keep in mind, however, that
connecting accessories to the lighter
socket (for example extensive connect-
ing and disconnecting, or using plugs
that do not fit properly) can damage the
lighter socket. With the socket dam-
aged, the lighter may no longer be able
to be placed in the heating (pushed-in)
position, or the lighter may pop out too
early with the lighter not hot enough.
To help avoid damaging the cigarette
lighter socket, we recommend con-
necting 12V DC electrical accessories
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type to the 12V
power outlet (
page 277) in your vehi-
cle whenever possible.
296 OperationDriving instructionsBrakesTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to
parking. The heat generated serves to dry
the brakes.
If your brake system is normally only sub-
ject to moderate loads, you should occa-
sionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above-normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.
Refer to the description of the Brake Assist
System (BAS) (
page 89).If the parking brake is released and the
brake warning lamp in the instrument clus-
ter stays on, the brake fluid level in the res-
ervoir is too low.
Brake pad wear or a leak in the system may
be the reason for low brake fluid in the res-
ervoir.
Have the brake system inspected immedi-
ately. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Only install brake pads and brake fluid rec-
ommended by Mercedes-Benz.
Warning!
G
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through wa-
ter deep enough to wet brake components,
the first braking action may be somewhat
reduced and increased pedal pressure may
be necessary to obtain expected braking ef-
fect. Maintain a safe distance from vehicles
in front.
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of the
brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheating,
thereby significantly reducing their effec-
tiveness. It may not be possible to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an acci-
dent.
Warning!
G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking
maneuvers.