2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK350 Steering wheel control

169 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Manual shift program SLK 55 AMG
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift but-
tons to the left and right of the steering
wheel (
page 167) or the gear selector
lever.The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
!Allow engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gearR or parking
positionP only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drivetrain which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

170 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*The current gear selector lever position
and the selected program mode (
M/C/S)
are indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 158).Activating manual shift program

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for
manual program modeM appears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission switches to the
manual program modeM. Automatic
shifting is switched off. The gear range
is not limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.Upshifting
iFor information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift
program” (
page 163), “Gear selector
lever one-touch gearshifting”
(
page 164), and “Steering wheel
gearshift control one-touch gearshift-
ing” (page 165).
iThe manual program modeM will not
be stored. When the engine is turned
off with the manual program modeM
selected, the transmission will go to
the automatic program mode (CorS)
when the engine is restarted.
!In the manual program modeM, the
transmission will not upshift, even if
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Shift up to the next gear before
the engine has reached its overrevving
range. Make absolutely certain that the
engine speed does not reach the red
marking on the tachometer
(page 24). Otherwise the engine
could be damaged which is not covered
by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.

171 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in theD+direction.
or

Briefly press button2 on the right
side of the steering wheel
(page 167).
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
If, instead of the manual program mode
symbolM, thep symbol appears in the
multifunction display (
page 158), shift to
the next higher gear. The fuel supply will
otherwise be interrupted to prevent the
engine from overrevving.Downshifting

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 167).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not 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.

230 Controls in detailAudio system
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the cellular telephone*.
I f y o u r a u d i o s y s t e m i s s e t u p f o r t e l e p h o n e
operation, the tsymbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile telephone* into the
telephone cradle, you will be prompted to
enter your PIN for 30 seconds
(page 231). This display disappears
when you press any button.
When your mobile telephone* is inserted
into the telephone cradle, you will see the
reception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.Switching on the telephone
Switching on the telephone

Pressh button.
If the telephone was previously
switched off,
PROCESSING
appears in
the display and you will then be
prompted to enter your PIN.
Switching off the telephone

Pressh button for approx.
3 seconds.PROCESSING
appears in the display until
the telephone is off. Afterward,
PHONE OFF
appears in the display.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road must always
be his/her primary focus when driving. For
your safety and the safety of others, we rec-
ommend that you pull over to a safe location
and stop before placing or taking a tele-
phone call. If you choose to use the tele-
phone
1 while driving, please use the
hands-free device and only use the tele-
phone when weather, road, and traffic con-
ditions permit.
Some jurisdictions prohibit the driver from
using a cellular telephone while driving a ve-
hicle.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
1Observe all legal requirements.

237 Controls in detail
Audio system
Using your Mercedes-Benz specified
mobile telephone*, a number of functions
and operating steps can be performed and
displayed in the audio system display.
Further operating instructions not covered
here can be found in the operating instruc-
tions for the multifunction steering wheel
and the mobile telephone*.
I f y o u r a u d i o s y s t e m i s s e t u p f o r t e l e p h o n e
operation, the t symbol will appear in
the display.
When you insert your Mercedes-Benz
specified mobile telephone* into the
telephone cradle, you will be prompted to
enter your PIN for 30 seconds
(page 237). This display disappears
when you press any button.
When your mobile telephone* is inserted
into the telephone cradle, you will see the
reception strength in the upper right-hand
corner of the display.Switching on the telephone
Switching on the telephone

Press h button.
If you have programmed an unlock
code for the telephone, you must now
enter the code.

Enter code using buttons 1
toR.

If necessary, correct number entered
with the
CLR
soft key. Press soft key
briefly to delete the last digit entered;
press soft key and hold to delete the
complete number.

Press
OK soft key after entering correct
code.
The telephone is unlocked. If you have
entered an incorrect code, you must
enter the correct code.
Switching off the telephone

Press h button for approx.
3 seconds.PROCESSING
appears in the display until
the telephone is off. Afterward,
PHONE OFF
appears in the display.
Adjusting the volume

Turn rotary control of
E
button
during a telephone call.
The volume will increase or decrease
depending on the direction turned.
iThe volume can be adjusted separately
for telephone mode and audio mode.

260 Controls in detailDriving systemsThe driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:

Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.
The BAS, ABS and ESP
® driving systems
are described in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 82).
Cruise control
The 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
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the 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 the cruise control when driv-
ing 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.

273 Controls in detail
Useful features
You can take and place telephone calls us-
ing the buttonssandt on the mul-
tifunction steering wheel. Use the control
system for performing other telephone
functions (
page 151).
See separate operating manual for instruc-
tions on how to use the telephone.
Tele Aid
Shortly after the completion of your Tele
Aid acquaintance call, you will receive a
user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.The Tele Aid system
(Telematic Alarm Identification on
Demand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:


Automatic and manual emergency


Roadside Assistance


Information
The Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and cel-
lular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç or use the volume knob
on your audio system or COMAND* head
unit.
Only operate the COMAND (Cockpit Man-
agement and Data System)* or audio sys-
tem if road, weather, and traffic conditions
permit.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid sys-
tem may only be performed by com-
pleting the subscriber agreement and
placing an acquaintance call using the
¡button. Failure to complete either
of these steps will result in a system
that is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding ac-
tivation, please call the Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).

278 Controls in detailUseful featuresInformation button¡
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Information button¡.
Open center armrest cover
(page 266).

Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 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 lo-
cation (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 estab-
lished. Information regarding the operation
of your vehicle, the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center or Mercedes-Benz
USA products and services is available to
you.
For more details concerning the Tele Aid
system, please visit www.mbusa.com and
use your ID and password (sent to you sep-
arately) to learn more (USA only). Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the buttont on the
multifunction steering wheel or the re-
spective button for ending a telephone
call on the audio system or COMAND*
head unit.
iThe indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ remains illuminated in red
for approx. 10 seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after switching on igni-
tion (together with the SOS button and
the Roadside Assistance button•).
See “System self-check” (
page 274)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp in the Information
button¡ is flashing continuously
and there was no voice connection to
the Response Center established, then
the Tele Aid system could not initiate
an Information call (e.g. the relevant
cellular phone network is not avail-
able). The message
Call failed
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.