2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 brake

180 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionDownshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or

Briefly press button1 on the left side
of the steering wheel (
page 176).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program

Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 178) repeatedly
until
Cor
S appears in the multifunction
display.
or

Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.Emergency operation (Limp Home
Mode)
If vehicle acceleration worsens or the
transmission no longer shifts, the trans-
mission is most likely operating in limp
home (emergency operation) mode. In this
mode only second gear and reverse gear
can be activated.
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.iWhen you brake or stop, the transmis-
sion shifts down to a gear from which
you can easily accelerate or take off.

256 Controls in detailSoft topOpening the soft top
1Soft top, opening
Before pulling on the soft top switch, you
must make sure:

the parking brake is engaged
(page 50)


the luggage cover is latched, see
“Latch luggage cover” (
page 262)


the trunk lid is closed


the ignition is switched on (
page 36)

Pull up on the soft top switch as indi-
cated by the arrow1 until the soft top
is completely lowered into its trunk
storage compartment.
During the opening procedure the mul-
tifunction display shows the message Top in operation
.
If the opening procedure is finished,
the multifunction display will briefly
show the message Top open
.
If you continuously pull on the soft top
switch, the windows will close.
However, the windows can also be
closed/opened later on, for more informa-
tion see “Opening and closing all side win-
dows with the soft top switch”
(
page 254), or see “Opening and closing
the windows” (
page 249).
iThe soft top cannot be opened using
the soft top switch when the roll bars
have been released. The roll bars need
to be lowered before the soft top can
be operated again using the soft top
switch. If the roll bars have released
and the soft top is closed, contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center to
have the roll bars lowered. Do not at-
tempt to lower the roll bars manually
with the soft top closed. Lowering the
roll bars manually with the soft top
closed may impair the function of the
roll bars (
page 423).
If the roll bars have released and the
soft top is open, you can lower the roll
bars manually (
page 424) or contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
to have the roll bars lowered.

257 Controls in detail
Soft top
Closing the soft top
1Soft top, closing
Before pressing the soft top switch, you
must make sure:

the parking brake is engaged
(page 50)


the trunk lid is closed


the ignition is switched on (
page 36)
iFor safety reasons, the soft top cannot
be opened while driving.
Make sure the soft top is dry before you
open it. Otherwise water may enter the
trunk interior.!To prevent mildew, the soft top must be
dry before lowering it into the storage
compartment.
Do not lower a frozen soft top until
thawed and dry. Lowering a frozen soft
top may result in damage not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Warning!
G
Do not place anything on the soft top com-
partment cover.
The soft top compartment cover must never
be used by any persons as a seat bench.
Raising of the roll bars could result in seri-
ous personal injury.

265 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The 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
®
driving systems, see “Driving safety sys-
tems” (
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 remain at all
times responsible for the vehicle 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.

266 Controls in detailDriving systems1Set 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 (
page 266).
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.

267 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Canceling 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 266)
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 90).


you move the gear selector lever to
positionN while driving.
The segments in the multifunction dis-
play (page 266) 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.

268 Controls in detailDriving systemsSetting a higher speed
Lift the cruise control lever in direction
of arrow1 (
page 266) and hold it
up until the desired speed is reached.

Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is set.
Setting a lower speed

Depress the cruise control lever in
direction of arrow2 (
page 266) 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 the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow1 (
page 266).
Slower

Briefly tip the cruise control lever in di-
rection of arrow2 (
page 266).Setting to last stored speed
(“Resume” function)

Briefly push cruise control lever to
position4 (
page 266).
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 266).
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.

269 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Parktronic system (Parking assist)*, Canada only
The Parktronic system is an electronic aid
designed to assist the driver during park-
ing maneuvers. It visually and audibly indi-
cates the relative distance between the
vehicle and an obstacle.
The Parktronic system is automatically ac-
tivated when you switch on the ignition
(
page 34) and placed the gear selector
lever in positionD,R,orN.The Parktronic system deactivates at
speeds over approximately 11 mph
(18 km/h). At lower speeds the Parktronic
system turns on again.
The Parktronic system also deactivates
when you place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
The Parktronic system monitors the sur-
roundings of your vehicle with six sensors
in the front bumper and four sensors in the
rear bumper.
1Sensors in the front bumper
Warning!
G
Parktronic is a supplemental system. It is
not intended to, nor does it replace, the
need for extreme care. The responsibility
during parking and other critical maneuvers
always rests with the driver.
Special attention must be paid to objects
with smooth surfaces or low silhouettes
(e.g. trailer couplings, painted posts or road
curbs). Such objects may not be detected by
the system and can damage the vehicle.
The operational function of the Parktronic
system can be affected by dirty sensors, es-
pecially at times of snow and ice, see
“Cleaning the Parktronic system*
(Canada only) sensors” (
page 369).
Interference caused by other ultrasonic sig-
nals (e.g. working jackhammers, car wash,
or the air brakes of trucks) can cause the
system to send erratic indications, and
should be taken into consideration.Warning!
G
Make sure no persons or animals are in the
area in which you are maneuvering. You
could otherwise injure them.