Contents
Maximum tire inflation pressure .. 339
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 340
Tire ply material ........................... 341
Tire and loading terminology ........ 342
Rotating tires ............................... 345
Winter driving .................................... 346
Winter tires .................................. 346
Block heater (Canada only) .......... 347
Snow chains................................. 347
Maintenance ...................................... 348
Maintenance
service indicator message............ 348
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator message............ 349
Maintenance
service term exceeded ................. 349
Calling up the maintenance
service indicator display............... 349
Resetting the maintenance
service indicator........................... 350
Vehicle care ....................................... 351
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 351
Practical hints.................................. 359
What to do if …? ................................. 360
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 360
Lamp in center console................. 368
Vehicle status messages in the
multifunction display..................... 370
Where will I find...? ............................. 398
First aid kit .................................... 398
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 398
Minispare wheel............................ 401
Spare wheel bolts ......................... 403
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 404
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 404
Locking the vehicle ....................... 405
Manually unlocking
the gear selector lever .................. 406
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 407
Power tilt/sliding sunroof* ........... 407
Resetting activated head restraints .... 408
Resetting
activated head restraints .............. 408Replacing SmartKey batteries ............ 409
SmartKey ...................................... 410
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 411
Replacing bulbs .................................. 412
Bulbs............................................. 412
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 414
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 417
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 418
Removing and installing
wiper blades ................................. 418
Flat tire............................................... 420
Preparing the vehicle .................... 420
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 421
MOExtended system* ................... 425
Battery ............................................... 426
Disconnecting the battery ............ 427
Removing the battery ................... 428
Charging and
reinstalling the battery.................. 428
Reconnecting the battery ............. 429
Jump starting...................................... 430
ContentsTowing the vehicle ............................. 432
Towing the vehicle........................ 432
Installing towing eye bolt.............. 434
Fuses ................................................. 436
Aids for replacing fuses ................ 436
Main fuse box in passenger
compartment................................ 437
Fuse box in engine compartment . 437
Fuse box in trunk.......................... 438
Technical data................................. 439
Parts service ...................................... 440
Warranty coverage............................. 441
Loss of Service and Warranty
Information Booklet ..................... 441
Identification labels ........................... 442
Layout of poly-V-belt drive ................. 443
CLK 350 ....................................... 443
CLK 500 ....................................... 443
Engine................................................ 444
Rims and tires.................................... 445
Same size tires ............................. 447
Mixed size tires ............................ 448
Minispare wheel ........................... 449
Electrical system ............................... 450
Main dimensions and weights............ 451
Main dimensions .......................... 451
Weights ........................................ 451Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc. ......... 452
Capacities .................................... 452
Engine oils ................................... 454
Engine oil additives ...................... 454
Air conditioning refrigerant .......... 454
Brake fluid.................................... 454
Premium unleaded gasoline ......... 455
Fuel requirements ........................ 455
Gasoline additives ........................ 456
Coolants ...................................... 457
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 459
Technical terms............................... 461Index................................................. 467
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.
318 OperationTires and wheelsTire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more informa-
tion on checking tire inflation pressure see
“Recommended tire inflation pressure”
(page 326).Tire inspection
Every time you check your tire inflation
pressure, you should also inspect your
tires for the following:
excessive treadwear (
page 319)
cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber
bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in
the tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Make sure you also inspect the spare tire
periodically for condition and inflation.
Spare tires will age and become worn over
time even if never used, and thus should be
inspected and replaced when necessary.Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire inflation pressure
Distance driven
Warning!
G
Regularly check the tires for damage. Dam-
aged tires can cause tire inflation pressure
loss. As a result, you could lose control of
your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires have
sustained damage, replace them.
Warning!
G
Tires and spare tire should be replaced after
six years, regardless of the remaining tread.
320 OperationTires and wheelsDirection of rotation
Unidirectional tires offer added advan-
tages, such as better hydroplaning perfor-
mance. To benefit, however, you must
make sure the tires rotate in the direction
specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
The Tire and Loading Information
placard (Example A) or the Vehicle Tire
Information placard (Example B) can be
found on the driver’s door B-pillar. This
placard tells you important information
about the number of people that can be
in the vehicle and the total weight that
can be carried in the vehicle. It also
contains information on the proper size
and recommended tire inflation
pressures for the original equipment
tires on your vehicle.
The Certification label, also found on
the driver’s door B-pillar tells you about
the gross weight capacity of your vehi-
cle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the
weight of the vehicle, all occupants,
fuel and cargo. The Certification label
also tells you about the front and rear
axle weight capacity, called the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). The GAWR
is the total allowable weight that can be
carried by a single axle (front or rear).
Never exceed the GVWR or GAWR for
either the front axle or rear axle.
1Driver’s door B-pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work
with the information contained on the two
placards with regards to loading your vehi-
cle.
iSpare wheels may be mounted against
the direction of rotation (spinning) even
with a unidirectional tire for temporary
use only until the regular drive wheel
has been repaired or replaced. Always
observe and follow applicable tempo-
rary use restrictions and speed limita-
tions indicated on the spare wheel.
329 Operation
Tires and wheels
Install the valve cap.
Repeat this procedure for each tire.
Run Flat Indicator*
While the vehicle is being driven, the Run
Flat Indicator monitors the set tire inflation
pressures by evaluating each wheel’s rota-
tional speed. This allows the system to de-
tect a significant loss of pressure in a tire.
If a wheel’s rotational speed changes due
to falling tire inflation pressure, you will
see a corresponding warning message in
the multifunction display.
The Run Flat Indicator may function in a re-
stricted manner or with a delay if:
snow chains are mounted to the
vehicle
in presence of ice and snow
you are driving on a loose surface (e.g.
sand or gravel)
you are driving in a very sporty manner
(involving rapid acceleration or high
speeds in curves)
you are driving with the roof loaded or
very heavy cargoWarning!
G
When the multifunction display shows the
message
Tire pressure Check tires
,
one or more of your tires is significantly un-
der-inflated. You should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper tire inflation pressure as
indicated on the vehicle’s tire information
placard. Driving on a significantly under-in-
flated tire causes the tire to overheat and
can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle’s handling and
stopping ability. Each tire, including the
spare, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended tire infla-
tion pressure as specified in the vehicle
placard.
iThe recommended tire inflation pres-
sures for your vehicle can be found on
the tire placard located on the driver’s
door B-pillar (
page 320). The tire in-
flation pressures are not listed in the
operator’s manual.
333 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire size designation, load and speed
rating
1Tire width
2Aspect ratio in %
3Radial tire code
4Rim diameter
5Tire load rating
6Tire speed ratingGeneral:
Depending on the design standards used,
the tire size molded into the sidewall may
have no letter or a letter preceding the tire
size designation.
No letter preceding the size designation
(as illustrated above): Passenger car tire
based on European design standards.
Letter “P” preceding the size designation:
Passenger car tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “LT” preceding the size designation:
Light Truck tire based on U.S. design
standards.
Letter “T” preceding the size designation:
Temporary spare tires which are high
pressure compact spares designed for
temporary emergency use only. Tire width
The tire width1 (
page 333) indicates
the nominal tire width in mm.
Aspect ratio
The aspect ratio2 (page 333) is the
dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width and is
expressed in percentage. The aspect ratio
is arrived at by dividing section height by
section width.
Tire code
The tire code3 (
page 333) indicates
the tire construction type. The “R” stands
for radial tire type. Letter “D” means diag-
onal or bias ply construction; letter “B”
means belted-bias ply construction.
At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a “ZR” in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR 18).
For additional information, see “Tire speed
rating” (
page 335).
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.
342 OperationTires and wheelsTire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
The combined weight (in excess of those
standard items which may be replaced) of
automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power
seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as
factory-installed equipment (whether
installed or not).
Air pressure
The amount of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of the tire.
Air pressure is expressed in pounds per
square inch (psi), or kilopascal (kPa) or
bars.
Aspect ratio
Dimensional relationship between tire
section height and section width
expressed in percentage.Bar
Another metric unit for air pressure. There
are 14.5038 pounds per square inch (psi)
to 1 bar; there are 100 kilopascals (kPa)
to 1 bar.
Bead
The tire bead contains steel wires wrapped
by steel cords that hold the tire onto the
rim.
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure when your vehicle
has been sitting for at least 3 hours or driv-
en no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Curb weight
The weight of a motor vehicle with stan-
dard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, and, if so
equipped, air conditioning and additional
optional equipment, but without passen-
gers and cargo.DOT (D
epartment o
f T
ransportation)
A tire branding symbol which denotes the
tire meets requirements of the
U.S. Department of Transportation.
GAWR (G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible
axle weight. The gross vehicle weight on
each axle must never exceed the GAWR for
the front and rear axle indicated on the
certification label located on the driver’s
door B-pillar.
GVW (G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
The GVW comprises the weight of the
vehicle including fuel, tools, spare wheel,
installed accessories, passengers and
cargo and, if applicable, trailer tongue
load. The GVW must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the certification label
located on the driver’s door B-pillar.