Contents
Luggage cover .............................. 262
Wind screen ................................. 263
Driving systems ................................. 265
Cruise control............................... 265
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)*, Canada only ..... 269
Loading .............................................. 273
Ski sack* (Canada only) ............... 273
Loading instructions ..................... 277
Useful features .................................. 278
Storage compartments................. 278
Center armrest ............................. 281
Armrest in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 283
Cup holders .................................. 283
Ashtrays ....................................... 284
Cigarette lighter ........................... 286
Power outlet in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 287
Floormats* ................................... 287
Telephone*................................... 288
Tele Aid ........................................ 289
Garage door opener* ................... 296
Operation......................................... 305
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 306
Driving instructions............................ 307
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 307
Drinking and driving ..................... 307
Pedals .......................................... 307
Power assistance ......................... 307
Brakes .......................................... 308
Driving off .................................... 310
Parking ......................................... 310
Tires ............................................. 311
Hydroplaning ................................ 311
Tire traction.................................. 312
Tire speed rating .......................... 312
Winter driving instructions ........... 313
Standing water ............................. 314
Passenger compartment .............. 314
Driving abroad.............................. 315
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 315
Catalytic converter ....................... 316
Emission control .......................... 316
Coolant temperature .................... 317At the gas station .............................. 318
Refueling ...................................... 318
Check regularly
and before a long trip................... 320
Engine compartment ......................... 321
Hood ............................................ 321
Engine oil ..................................... 322
Transmission fluid level................ 326
Coolant ........................................ 327
Battery ......................................... 328
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 329
Tires and wheels................................ 330
Important guidelines .................... 330
Tire care and maintenance........... 331
Direction of rotation..................... 333
Loading the vehicle ...................... 333
Recommended
tire inflation pressure ................... 339
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 341
MOExtended system* .................. 345
Tire labeling ................................. 345
Load identification ....................... 349
DOT, Tire Identification Number
(TIN) ............................................. 350
Maximum tire load ....................... 351
144 Controls in detailControl systemStandard display menu
In the standard display, the outside tem-
perature and the trip odometer are shown
in the multifunction display.1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
If you see another display, press
buttonè orÿ repeatedly until the
standard display appears.
Press buttonk orjto select
the functions in the standard display
menu.
The following functions are available:Display digital speedometer
Press buttonj ork until the
digital speedometer appears in the
multifunction display.
The current vehicle speed is shown in
the multifunction display and the sta-
tus line appears.
1Digital Speedometer
2Status line with outside temperature
3Trip odometer
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.iYou can have the digital speedometer
displayed instead of the outside tem-
perature in the standard display. You
can select the setting in the submenu Instr. cluster
via the function
Basic
display
(page 152).
Function
Page
Run Flat Indicator
342
Call up digital speedometer
144
Call up maintenance service
display
362
Check engine oil level
323
iYou can have the digital speedometer
displayed instead of the outside tem-
perature in the status line. You can se-
lect the setting in the submenu
Instr.
cluster
via the function
Status line
display
(page 152).
320 OperationAt the gas stationCheck regularly and before a long tripEngine compartment (CLK 500, example)1Coolant level
2Brake fluid (fuse box cover removed)
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant” (
page 327) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 479).
Brake fluid
Removing fuse box cover (
page 463).Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 329).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 322).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 438).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 52).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Recommended
tire inflation pressure” (
page 339).
iOpening the hood, see (
page 321).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the
brake fluid reservoir has fallen to the
minimum mark or below, have the
brake system checked for brake pad
thickness and leaks immediately.
Notify an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately. Do not add brake
fluid as this will not solve the problem.
For more information, see also “Practi-
cal hints” (
page 375).
323 Operation
Engine compartment
Checking engine oil level with the
control system
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been
stationary for at least 5 minutes with
the engine turned off
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off
To check the engine oil level via the
multifunction display, do the following:
Switch on the ignition (
page 34).
The standard display (
page 144) should
appear in the multifunction display.
Press buttonk or j on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel until the fol-
lowing message is seen in the
multifunction display:One of the following messages will
subsequently appear in the multifunc-
tion display:
Engine oil level
ok
Add 1.0 qt.
to reach max. oil level(Canada:
1.0 liter
)
Add 1.5 qt.
to reach max. oil level(Canada:
1.5 liter
)
Add 2.0 qt.
to reach max. oil level(Canada:
2.0 liter
)
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see (
page 325).
For more information on engine oil, see the
“Technical data” section (
page 479) and
(
page 481).
Other display messages
If the SmartKey is not turned to position2
in the starter switch, the following
message will appear:
Turn on ignition
to see engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press thek orj
button on the multifunction steering
wheel.
324 OperationEngine compartmentIf you see the message:Observe waiting time
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait 5 minutes before repeating check
procedure.
If engine is not at operating
temperature yet, wait 30 minutes
before repeating check procedure.
If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating
temperature, wait 5 minutes before
checking oil.
If the engine is not at operating
temperature yet, you must wait
30 minutes before checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at operating temperature, the following
message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(
page 401). Checking engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, CLK 350
When checking the oil level
the vehicle must be parked on level
ground.
with the engine at operating tempera-
ture, the vehicle must have been sta-
tionary for at least 5 minutes with the
engine turned off.
with the engine not at operating tem-
perature yet, the vehicle must have
been stationary for at least 30 minutes
with the engine turned off.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
325 Operation
Engine compartment
1Oil dipstick
2Upper (max) mark
3Lower (min) mark
To check the engine oil level with the oil
dipstick, do the following:
Open the hood (
page 321).
Pull out oil dipstick1.
Wipe oil dipstick1 clean.
Fully insert oil dipstick1 into the
dipstick guide tube.
Pull out oil dipstick1 again after
approximately 3 seconds to obtain ac-
curate reading.
The oil level is correct when it is be-
tween the lower (min) mark3 and
upper (max) mark2 of oil dipstick1.
If necessary, add engine oil.
For adding engine oil, see “Adding en-
gine oil” (
page 325).
For more information on engine oil, see
“Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 479).
For more information on messages in the
multifunction display concerning engine
oil, see the “Practical hints” section
(page 401).Adding engine oiliThe filling quantity between the upper
and lower marks on the oil dipstick is
approximately 2.1 US qt. (2.0 l).
!Only use approved engine oils and oil
filters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS (Canada vehicles). For a listing of
approved engine oils and oil filters,
refer to the Factory Approved Service
Products pamphlet in your vehicle
literature portfolio, or contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of
specification other than those
expressly required for the Maintenance
System (U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada
vehicles), or changing of oil and oil filter
at change intervals longer than those
called for by the Maintenance System
(U.S. vehicles) or FSS (Canada vehi-
cles) will result in engine damage not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
326 OperationEngine compartmentCLK 3501Filler capCLK 500, CLK 55 AMG1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required. Be careful
not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
More information on engine oil can be
found in the “Technical data” section
(
page 479) and (
page 481).
Transmission fluid level
The transmission fluid level does not need
to be checked. If you notice transmission
fluid loss or gear shifting malfunctions,
have an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
check the automatic transmission.
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
332 OperationTires and wheelsTread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too
far. Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths under 1/8in (3 mm).
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six
places on the tread circumference and
become visible at a tread depth of approx-
imately
1/16
in (1.6 mm), at which point
the tire is considered worn and should be
replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
1TWI (T
read W
ear I
ndicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.Storing tires
Cleaning tires
Warning!
G
Although the applicable federal motor safety
laws consider a tire to be worn when the
treadwear indicators (TWI) become visible at
approximately
1/16in (1.6 mm), we recom-
mend that you do not allow your tires
to wear down to that level. As tread depth
approaches
1/8in (3 mm), the adhesion
properties on a wet road are sharply re-
duced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction varies
widely.
!Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry
place with as little exposure to light as
possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease and gasoline.!Never use a round nozzle to power
wash tires. The intense jet of water can
result in damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.