Page 258 of 481

257 Controls in detail
Retractable hardtop
Opening and closing the retractable
hardtop with the SmartKey*
The power windows (
page 246) will also
be opened or closed when you operate the
retractable hardtop with the SmartKey.
Aim transmitter eye at the outside
driver’s or passenger door handle.
The SmartKey must be in close proxim-
ity to the respective outside door han-
dle.Opening (Summer opening feature)
Press and hold unlock buttonŒ un-
til the retractable hardtop is complete-
ly open.
The retractable hardtop and windows
begin to open after approximately
1 second. In the multifunction display
you will see the message
Retractable
roof in operation
.
Release buttonŒ on the SmartKey
to interrupt procedure.
Warning!
G
Before operating the retractable hardtop,
make sure no persons can be injured by the
moving parts (retractable roof, roof frame,
and trunk lid) due to negligence.
Hands must never be placed near the roof
frame, upper windshield area, hardtop, shelf
behind roll bars, or trunk lid while the re-
tractable hardtop is being raised or lowered.
Serious personal injury may occur.
If potential danger exists, release the re-
spective button on the SmartKey. This im-
mediately interrupts the raising or lowering
procedure. You can then operateŒ
or‹to raise or lower the hardtop away
from the danger zone.
Page 259 of 481

258 Controls in detailRetractable hardtopClosing (Convenience closing feature)
Press and hold lock button‹ until
the retractable hardtop is fully closed.
The retractable hardtop and windows
begin to close after approximately
1 second. In the multifunction display
you will see the message
Retractable
roof in operation
.
Release button‹ on the SmartKey
to interrupt procedure.
Warning!
G
When closing the side windows and retract-
able hardtop, make sure that there is no
danger of anyone being harmed by the
closing procedure.
If potential danger exists, proceed as fol-
lows:
Release button‹ to stop the closing
procedure. To open, press and hold
buttonŒ. To continue the closing
procedure after making sure that there
is no danger of anyone being harmed by
the closing procedure, press and hold
button‹.
Warning!
G
If the retractable hardtop does not com-
pletely open or close, the roof hydraulics will
lose pressure and the retractable hardtop is
lowered
after approximately 7 minutes when the
ignition is switched on.
after approximately 15 seconds when
the ignition is switched off.
Shortly before the hardtop is lowered, a
warning will sound. In the multifunction dis-
play you will seeK and the message
Retractable roof being opened
.
Properly lock the retractable hardtop
before continuing to drive (
page 256).
Page 271 of 481

270 Controls in detailUseful featuresCigarette lighter
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).1Cigarette lighter
Push in cigarette lighter1.
Cigarette lighter1 will pop out auto-
matically when hot.
Reinsert cigarette lighter1 in its
socket after use.
Warning!
G
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the cigarette lighter; they are extremely hot.
Hold the knob only.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.
!The lighter socket can be used to
accommodate 12V DC electrical ac-
cessories (up to a maximum of 85 W)
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type. Keep in
mind, however, that connecting acces-
sories to the lighter socket (for exam-
ple extensive connecting and
disconnecting, or using plugs that do
not fit properly) can damage the lighter
socket. With the socket damaged, the
lighter may no longer be able to be
placed in the heating (pushed-in) posi-
tion, or the lighter may pop out too ear-
ly with the lighter not hot enough.
To help avoid damaging the cigarette
lighter socket, we recommend con-
necting 12V DC electrical assessories
designed for use with the standard
“cigarette lighter” plug type to the 12V
power outlets (
page 271) in your ve-
hicle whenever possible.
Page 281 of 481

280 Controls in detailUseful featuresRemote door unlock
In case you have locked your vehicle unin-
tentionally (e.g. SmartKey inside vehicle),
and the reserve SmartKey is not handy:
Contact the Mercedes-Benz Response
Center at 1-800-756-9018 (in the USA)
or 1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
You will be asked to provide your pass-
word which you provided when you
completed the subscriber agreement.
Then return to your vehicle and pull the
trunk recessed handle for a minimum
of 20 seconds until the SOS button is
flashing.
The message
Connecting call
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
As an alternative, you may unlock the vehi-
cle via Internet using the ID and password
sent to you shortly after the completion of
your acquaintance call.The Response Center will then unlock your
vehicle with the remote door unlocking
feature.Stolen Vehicle Recovery services
In the event your vehicle was stolen:
Report the incident to the police.
The police will issue a numbered inci-
dent report.
Pass this number on to the
Mercedes-Benz Response Center along
with your password issued to you when
you subscribed to the service.
The Response Center will then attempt
to covertly contact the vehicle’s
Tele Aid system. Once the vehicle is lo-
cated, the Response Center will con-
tact the local law enforcement and you.
The vehicle’s location will only be pro-
vided to law enforcement.
iThe remote door unlock feature is avail-
able if the relevant cellular phone net-
work is available.
The SOS button will flash and the mes-
sage
Connecting call
will appear in
the multifunction display to indicate
receipt of the door unlock command.
Once the vehicle is unlocked,
a Response Center specialist may
attempt to establish voice contact with
the vehicle occupants.
If the trunk recessed handle was pulled
for more than 20 seconds before door
unlock authorization was received by
the Response Center, you must wait
15 minutes before pulling the trunk
handle again.
iWhen the anti-theft alarm or the
tow-away alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call is initiated automat-
ically to the Response Center. See
anti-theft alarm system (
page 87)
and tow-away alarm (
page 88).
Page 290 of 481
289 Controls in detail
Useful features
Switching off
Turn switch at tip of lever in direction of
arrow3 and release it.
The steering wheel heating is switched
off. Indicator lamp2 goes out.iIndicator lamp2 flashes or switches
off in case of
power surge or undervoltage
steering wheel heating malfunction
iThe steering wheel heating switches off
automatically when you remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch.
Page 297 of 481

296 OperationDriving instructionsDriving off
Apply the brakes to test them briefly after
driving off. Perform this procedure only
when the road is clear of other traffic.
Warm up the engine smoothly. Do not
place full load on the engine until the oper-
ating temperature has been reached.
When starting off on a slippery surface, do
not allow a drive wheel to spin for an ex-
tended period with the ESP
® switched off.
Doing so may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Parking
!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of vehicle movement, before
turning off
the engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.
Move the selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission: first or reverse
gear).
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove the SmartKey
from the starter switch.
Take the SmartKey and lock vehicle
when leaving.!Set the parking brake whenever park-
ing or leaving the vehicle. In addition,
place gear selector lever* in positionP
(manual transmission: move gearshift
lever to first or reverse gear).
In addition, when parking on hills, turn
front wheel towards the road curb.
Page 306 of 481

305 Operation
At the gas station
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Open fuel filler flap by pushing at point
indicated by arrow1.
The fuel filler flap springs open.
Turn fuel filler cap counterclockwise
and hold on to it until possible pressure
is released.
Take off fuel filler cap and set it in di-
rection of arrow2 in the recess on the
inside of fuel filler flap.
To prevent fuel vapors from escaping
into open air, fully insert filler nozzle
unit.
Only fill your tank until the filler nozzle
unit cuts out – do not top up or over-
fill.
Replace the fuel filler cap by turning it
clockwise until it audibly engages.
Close the fuel filler flap.
Check regularly and before a long tripEngine compartment (SLK 350, example)1Windshield washer system and head-
lamp cleaning system* reservoir
2Brake fluid reservoir
3Coolant expansion tank
Warning!
G
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create pres-
sure in the system which could cause a gas
discharge. This could cause the gas to spray
back out when removing the fuel pump noz-
zle, which could cause personal injury.iLeaving the engine running and the fuel
cap open can cause the yellow fuel
tank reserve warning lamp to flash and
the ?malfunction indicator lamp
(USA only) or the ±malfunction in-
dicator lamp (Canada only) to illumi-
nate.
For more information, see “Practical
hints” (
page 364).
iFor opening the hood, see “Hood”
(page 307).
Page 358 of 481

357 Operation
Vehicle care
Headlamps, tail lamps, side makers,
turn signal lenses
Use a mild car wash detergent, such as
Mercedes-Benz approved Car
Shampoo, with plenty of water.Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 56).
With wiper arms in vertical position,
switch off the ignition (
page 36).
Fold the wiper arms forward until it
snaps into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a clean cloth and window cleaning
solution on all outside and inside glass
surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is recom-
mended.
!Only use window cleaners that are suit-
able for plastic lamp lenses. Window
cleaners which are not suitable may
damage the plastic lamp lenses of the
headlamps. Therefore, do not use abra-
sives, solvents or cleaners that contain
solvents.
Never apply strong force and use only a
soft, non-scratchy cloth when cleaning
the lenses. Do not attempt to wipe dirty
lenses with a dry cloth or sponge.
Otherwise you may scratch or damage
the lens surface.
!The windshield wipers must be in a ver-
tical position before folding them away
from the windshield. They could other-
wise damage the hood.
Never open the hood when the wiper
arms are folded forward.
Warning!
G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and re-
move SmartKey from starter switch before
cleaning the windshield. Otherwise, the wip-
er motor could suddenly turn on and cause
injury.