2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 service

349 Operation
Tires and wheels


Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a
“ZR” in the size designation AND the
service description must be placed in
parenthesis. Example: 275/40 ZR 18
(99Y). The “(Y)” speed rating in paren-
thesis designates the maximum speed
capability of the tire as being above
186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the tire
manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.
All-season and winter tires
Load identification
1Load identification
Index
Speed rating
QM+S
1
1or M+S.for winter tires
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
TM+S
1
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
HM+S
1
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
VM+S
1
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
iNot all M+S rated tires provide special
winter performance. Make sure the
tires you use show M+S and the moun-
tain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance require-
ments of the Rubber Manufacturers As-
sociation (RMA) and the Rubber
Association of Canada (RAC) and have
been designed specifically for use in
snow conditions.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.

353 Operation
Tires and wheels
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (U.S. vehicles)
Tire manufacturers are required to grade
tires based on three performance
factors: treadwear, traction and
temperature resistance.
1Treadwear
2Traction
3Temperature resistanceQuality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
All passenger car tires must conform to
federal safety requirements in addition to
these grades.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rat-
ing based on the wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one-half (1
1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to low-
est, are AA, A, B, and C. Those grades rep-
resent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfor-
mance.
iFor illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehi-
cle and may vary from data shown in
above illustration.
Treadwear
Traction
Temperature
200
AA
A

359 Operation
Winter driving
Winter driving
Before the onset of winter, have your
vehicle winterized at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. This service
includes:

Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.


Addition of cleaning concentrate to the
water of the windshield and headlamp
cleaning system. Add MB Concentrate
“S” to a premixed windshield washer
solvent / antifreeze which is formulated
for temperatures below freezing point
(page 486).


Battery test. Battery capacity drops
with decreasing ambient temperature.
A well charged battery helps to make
sure that the engine can be started
even at low ambient temperatures.


Tire change.
Winter tires
Always use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry
road conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated
tires provide special winter performance.
Make sure the tires you use show the
mountain/snowflake.marking on the
tire sidewall. These tires meet specific
snow traction performance requirements
of the Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) and The Rubber Association of Can-
ada (RAC) and have been designed specif-
ically for use in snow conditions. Use of
winter tires is the only way to achieve the
maximum effectiveness of the ABS and the
ESP
® in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all
mounted winter tires are of the same make
and have the same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the
winter tires installed on your vehicle. If the
maximum speed for which your tires are
rated is below the speed rating of your ve-
hicle, you must place a notice to this effect
where it will be seen by the driver. Such no-
tices are available at your tire dealer or any
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Winter tires with a tread depth under
1/6in
(4 mm) must be replaced. They are no
longer suitable for winter operation.

361 Operation
Maintenance
Maintenance
We strongly recommend that you have
your vehicle serviced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center, in accordance with
the Maintenance Booklet at the times
called for by the maintenance service
indicator.
Failure to have the vehicle maintained in
accordance with the Maintenance Booklet
and maintenance service indicator at the
designated times /mileage will result in
vehicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Maintenance service indicator
message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage will notify you when your next mainte-
nance service is due.
Starting approximately 1 month before
your next maintenance service is due, one
of the following messages will appear in
the multifunction display while you are
driving or when you switch on the ignition
(example service A):Service A in XXXXX miles (km)
Service A in XXX days
Service A due now
The type of maintenance service due is
indicated in the multifunction display:9
Basic service (A)
½
Extended service (B)
iVehicles equipped with FSS (F
lexible
S
ervice S
ystem) only (Canada vehi-
cles): The interval between
maintenance services depends on your
driving habits. A gentle driving style,
moderate engine speeds and the
avoidance of short-distance trips will
lengthen the interval between services.

362 OperationMaintenanceClearing the maintenance service indicator message
The maintenance service indicator mes-
sage is automatically cleared after approx-
imately 30 seconds when you switch on
the ignition or when reaching the mainte-
nance service threshold while driving.
You can also clear it yourself.
1Reset button
Press reset button 1 on the
instrument cluster.The maintenance service indicator
message is cleared and the standard
display appears in the multifunction
display (
page 144).
Maintenance service term exceeded
If you have exceeded the suggested
maintenance service term, you will see the
following message in the multifunction
display:Service A exceeded by XXXXX miles
(km)
Service A exceeded by XXX daysIn addition, a signal sounds when the
message appears.
Any authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
reset the maintenance service indicator
following a completed maintenance
service.Calling up the maintenance service
indicator display
You can call up the maintenance service in-
dicator display at any time to check when
the next maintenance service is due.
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).

Press buttonè orÿ on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel repeatedly
until the standard display appears in
the multifunction display (
page 144).

Press buttonkorjuntil the
maintenance service indicator display
with the service symbol9or
½

and the service deadline appears in the
multifunction display.

363 Operation
Maintenance
Resetting the maintenance service indicator
In the event that the maintenance service
on your vehicle is not carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center, you can
have the maintenance service indicator
reset. The automotive maintenance facility
carrying out the maintenance service will
find the information for resetting the
maintenance service indicator in the
maintenance-relevant information for your
vehicle. Such information is available from
either your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or directly from Mercedes-Benz.
iIf the battery is disconnected, the days
of disconnection will not be included in
the count shown by the maintenance
service indicator. To arrive at the true
maintenance service deadline, you will
need to subtract these days from the
days shown in the maintenance service
indicator message or maintenance ser-
vice indicator display.
Do not confuse the maintenance
service indicator with the engine oil
level indicator:.
iIf the maintenance service indicator
was inadvertently reset, have an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
correct it.
Only reset if the proper maintenance
service has been performed. Resetting
the system without performing the
proper service as called for by the
maintenance service indicator will
result in engine damage and/or other
vehicle damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

376 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?Problem
Possible cause/consequence
Suggested solution
ú
±
(USA only)
(Canada only)
The yellow engine
malfunction indi-
cator lamp comes
on while driving.
There is a malfunction in:

The fuel management system


The ignition system


The emission control system


Systems which affect emissions
Such malfunctions may result in ex-
cessive emissions values and may
switch the engine to its Limp-Home
Mode (emergency operation).

Have the vehicle checked as soon as possi-
ble by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
An on-board diagnostic connector is used by
the service station to link the vehicle to the
shop diagnostics system. It allows the accu-
rate identification of system malfunctions
through the readout of diagnostic trouble
codes. It is located in the front left area of the
footwell next to the parking brake pedal.
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 318).
If it is not closed properly:

Close the fuel cap.
If it is closed properly:

Have the fuel system checked by an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Your fuel tank is empty.

After refuelling, start turn off and restart the
engine three or four times in succession.
The Limp-Home mode is canceled. You do not
need to have your vehicle checked.

402 Practical hintsWhat to do if …?When the message
Add 1 qt. engine oil
at next refueling (Canada:
1 liter
) ap-
pears while the engine is running and at
operating temperature, the engine oil level
has dropped to approximately the
minimum level.When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.
Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest ser-
vice station where the engine oil should be
topped to the required level with an
approved oil specified in the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet.
Display symbol
Display message
Possible cause/consequence
Possible solution
:
Engine oil level
Visit workshop
The engine oil has dropped to a critical
level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 323) and add oil as required
(page 325).

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.
The measuring system is malfunctioning.

Have the measuring system checked
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.!The engine oil level warnings should
not be ignored. Extended driving with
the symbol displayed could result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.