2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 Steering wheel control

42 Getting startedAdjustingSteering wheel Steering wheel adjustment, manual
1Adjustment handle

To unlock the steering column, pull
handle1 out to its stop limit.

Move the steering wheel to the desired
position.

Push handle1 back to its original po-
sition to relock the steering column.
When you hear an audible click, the
steering column is again fixed into
place.

Make sure the steering column is se-
curely locked by trying to move the
steering wheel up and down, in and out
before driving off.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the steering wheel
adjustment feature locked could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the electrical steering wheel
adjustment feature* can be operated when
the driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering column.Warning!
G
Only adjust the steering wheel with the vehi-
cle at a standstill and make sure the steer-
ing column is securely locked in place
before driving off.
Driving without the steering column locked
may cause an unexpected steering wheel
movement which could cause the driver to
lose control of the vehicle. Make sure the
steering column is securely locked by trying
to move it up and down, and in and out be-
fore driving off.

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The lever for the electrical steering wheel
adjustment is located on the steering col-
umn (lower left).
1Adjusting steering column, in or out
2Adjusting steering column, up or down
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering column in or out

Move the lever in direction of
arrows1 until a comfortable steering
wheel position is reached with your
arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering column up or down

Move the lever in direction of
arrows2.
Make sure your legs can move freely
and all the displays (including malfunc-
tion and indicator lamps) on the instru-
ment cluster are clearly visible.Easy-entry/exit feature*
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience

submenu of the control system
(
page 147).
iThe memory function* (
page 107)
lets you store the settings for the steer-
ing wheel together with the settings for
the exterior rear view mirrors and the
driver’s seat position.

66 Safety and SecurityOccupant safety

Adjust the driver seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper opera-
tion of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
ten inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and the
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.


Do not lean with your head or chest
close to the steering wheel or dash-
board.


Keep hands on the outside of the steer-
ing wheel rim. Placing hands and arms
inside the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver front air bag inflates.


Adjust the passenger seat as far as pos-
sible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.


Occupants, especially children, should
never lean their heads in the area of the
door where the head-thorax air bag in-
flates. This could result in serious inju-
ries or death should the air bag be
triggered. Always sit nearly upright,
properly use the seat belts and appropri-
ately sized infant or child restraint sys-
tem.


Children 12 years old and under must
never ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized
BabySmart
TM compatible child seat,
which operates with the BabySmart
TM
system installed in the vehicle to deacti-
vate the passenger front air bag when it
is properly installed. Otherwise, they will
be struck by the air bag when it inflates
in a crash. If this happens, serious or fa-
tal injury will result.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other occu-
pants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety in-
formation. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.


107 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Memory function*
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags for
proper seat positioning (
page 65).
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small chil-
dren should be seated in a properly se-
cured restraint system that complies with
U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 255 and Canadian Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.The following settings are stored when
using the buttons on the outer side of the
respective seat:
Driver and passenger seat:


Seat and backrest position
Driver only:


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirrorsThe memory button and memory position
switch are located on the outer side of
each seat.
1Memory buttonM
2Memory position switch

Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
or

Open the respective door.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

108 Controls in detailMemory function*Storing positions into memory
Adjust the seat, on the driver’s side
also the steering wheel and exterior
rear view mirrors, to the desired posi-
tions (
page 38).

Press memory buttonM1.

Release memory buttonM1 and
press a memory position switch2
within 3 seconds.
All settings are stored to the selected
position.
Recalling positions from memory
Press and hold desired memory posi-
tion switch2 until the seat, on the
driver’s side also the steering wheel
and exterior rear view mirrors, have
completely moved to the stored posi-
tions.Storing exterior rear view mirror
parking position (parking aid)
For easier parking, you can adjust the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror so
that you can see the right rear wheel as
soon as you engage reverse gearR.
You can switch the parking position fea-
ture on and off via the control system
(page 148).
For information on activating the parking
position feature, see “Activating exterior
rear view mirror parking position*”
(page 175).
!Do not operate the power seats using
the memory position switches if the
seat backrest is in an excessively re-
clined position. Doing so could cause
damage to the seats.iReleasing the memory position switch-
es immediately stops movement to the
stored positions.

110 Controls in detailLightingFor information on how to switch on the
headlamps and use the turn signals, see
“Switching on headlamps” (
page 55)
and “Turn signals” (
page 55).
Exterior lamp switch
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.Exterior lamp switch
MOff
Daytime running lamp mode
(
page 112)
UAutomatic headlamp mode
Daytime running lamp mode
(page 112)
CParking lamps (also tail lamps,
license plate lamps, side marker
lamps, instrument panel lamps)
BLow beam headlamps (or high
beam headlamps when the combi-
nation switch is pushed forward)
and parking lamps
ˆStanding lamps, right
(turn left one stop)
‚Standing lamps, left
(turn left two stops)
CIndicator lamp for parking lamps
‡Indicator lamp for front fog lamps
†Indicator lamp for rear fog lamp
iIf you drive in countries where vehicles
drive on the other side of the road than
the country in which the vehicle is reg-
istered, you must have the headlamps
modified for symmetrical low beams.
Relevant information can be obtained
at your authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

116 Controls in detailLighting
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
The combination switch for the turn signal
resets automatically after major steering
wheel movements. This will switch off the
corner-illuminating front fog lamps if they
where activated by switching on the left or
right turn signal.
If the turn signal should stay on after mak-
ing the turn, the turn signal and corner-illu-
minating front fog lamp can be switched
off by returning the combination switch to
its original position.Driving rearward
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lamps

Place the gearshift lever (gear selector
lever*) in positionR.
The inverse front fog lamp comes on
automatically depending on the
steering direction and steering angle.
Switching off corner-illuminating front
fog lamps

Place the gearshift lever (gear selector
lever*) out of positionR.
The respective front fog lamp goes out.
iThe respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp will stay lit until you
switch off the turn signal, even if the
steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
The respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp may stay on for a brief
period after the turn signal is switched
off.
The respective corner-illuminating
front fog lamp stays on for a maximum
of 3 minutes. After that period, it will go
out even if the turn signal is still on.iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
will come on automatically depending
on the steering angle, even if you did
not switch on either turn signal.
If the corner-illuminating front fog
lamps came on automatically, they will
also go out automatically depending on
the steering angle.


123 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current program mode
(automatic transmission* only)
4Status indicator (outside tempera-
ture/digital speedometer)
5Current gear selector lever posi-
tion/gear range
(automatic transmission* only)
iThe displays for the audio systems
(radio, CD player) will appear in English,
regardless of the language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 14 m) every second.