2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG warning light

62 Getting startedParking and locking
Locking

Exit the vehicle and close all doors.

Press the lock button‹ on the
SmartKey (
page 34).
With the trunk and all doors closed, all
turn signal lamps flash three times. The
locking knobs on the doors move
down.
The anti-theft alarm system is armed
now (
page 87).
For more information, see “Locking and
unlocking” (page 92).
iOpening a door causes the windows on
that side of the car to open slightly.
They will return to the up position when
the door is closed.!The side windows will not open or close
if the battery is discharged or the win-
dows are covered with ice. As a result,
you may no longer be able to properly
close the door. Do not attempt to force
the door shut. Doing so may damage
the door or the side window. Correct
the condition that prevents the
windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.Warning!
G
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.
iWithout the antenna on the left rear
side of the vehicle installed, the
SmartKey signaling range is consider-
ably reduced. Hold the SmartKey in
close proximity towards the antenna
base when locking or unlocking the
vehicle.

82 Safety and SecurityDriving safety systemsIn this section you will find information on
the following driving safety systems:

ABS (A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)


BAS (B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)


ESP
® (E
lectronic S
tability P
rogram)
ABS
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the brake pressure so that the wheels do
not lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) indepen-
dent of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The -indicator lamp in the speedome-
ter dial (
page 24) comes on when you
switch on the ignition. It goes out when the
engine is running.
iIn winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of the ABS, the BAS, and
the ESP
® is only achieved with winter
tires (
page 348), or snow chains as
required.
Warning!
G
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:

Excessive speed, especially in turns


Wet and slippery road surfaces


Following another vehicle too closely
The ABS, BAS, and ESP
® cannot reduce this
risk.
Always adjust your driving style to the pre-
vailing road and weather conditions.
Warning!
G
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead. Pump-
ing the brake pedal defeats the purpose of
the ABS and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.

83 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is in
the regulating mode.
Keep firm and steady pressure on the
brake pedal while experiencing the pul-
sation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to
steer the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.Emergency brake maneuver

Keep continuous full pressure on the
brake pedal.
For more information, see “Practical Hints”
(
page 362).
BAS
The Brake Assist System (BAS) operates in
emergency situations. If you apply the
brakes very quickly, the BAS automatically
provides full brake boost, thereby poten-
tially reducing braking distance. Apply con-
tinuous full braking pressure until the
emergency braking situation is over. The
ABS will prevent the wheels from locking.
When you release the brake pedal, the
brakes function again as normal. The BAS
is then deactivated.
Warning!
G
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase braking or steering efficiency be-
yond that afforded by the condition of the
vehicle brakes and tires or the traction af-
forded. The ABS cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning. Only a safe, atten-
tive, and skillful driver can prevent acci-
dents. The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a reck-
less or dangerous manner which could jeop-
ardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Warning!
G
If the BAS is malfunctioning, the brake sys-
tem is still functioning normally, but without
the additional brake boost available that
BAS would normally provide in an emergen-
cy braking maneuver. Therefore, the braking
distance may increase.

93 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
iOpening a door causes the windows on
that side of the car to open slightly.
They will return to the up position when
the door is closed.!The side windows will not open or close
if the battery is discharged or the win-
dows are covered with ice. As a result,
you may no longer be able to properly
close the door. Do not attempt to force
the door shut. Doing so may damage
the door or the side window. Correct
the condition that prevents the
windows from operating before
attempting to close the door.
iWithout the antenna on the left rear
side of the vehicle installed, the
SmartKey signaling range is consider-
ably reduced. Hold the SmartKey in
close proximity towards the antenna
base when locking or unlocking the
vehicle.
Warning!
G
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. It is possible
for children to open a locked door from the
inside, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of
electromagnetic radiation.

100 Controls in detailLocking and unlocking
Trunk lid emergency release
The emergency release button is located
on the inside of the trunk lid.
With the emergency release button, the
trunk can be opened from inside the trunk.
1Emergency release button
Briefly press emergency release
button1.
The trunk lid unlocks and opens
slightly.

Push up the trunk lid to fully open.Illumination of the emergency release but-
ton:


The button flashes for 30 minutes after
opening the trunk.


The button flashes for 60 minutes after
closing the trunk.
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk lid closed as,
among other dangers such as blocked visi-
bility, exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.iDo not place the SmartKey in the open
trunk. You may lock yourself out.iIf the vehicle was previously centrally
locked, the trunk lid will lock automati-
cally when closed. The turn signal
lamps will flash three times to confirm
locking.
iThe emergency release button unlocks
the trunk while the vehicle is standing
still or in motion.iThe emergency release button does
not unlock the trunk if the vehicle bat-
tery is discharged or disconnected.

111 Controls in detail
Lighting
Manual headlamp mode
The low beam headlamps and the parking
lamps can be switched on and off with the
exterior lamp switch.
Automatic headlamp mode
The following lamps switch on and off au-
tomatically depending on the brightness of
the ambient light:

Low beam headlamps


Tail and parking lamps


License plate lamps


Side marker lamps

Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionU.
With the SmartKey in starter switch
position1 only the parking lamps will
switch on and off automatically.
When the engine is running, the low
beam headlamps, the tail and parking
lamps, the license plate lamps, and the
side marker lamps will switch on and
off automatically.
iWith the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch and the driver’s door
open, a warning sounds if the parking
lamps or low beam headlamps are
switched on.
The message
Turn off lights
appears
in the multifunction display.
Warning!
G
If the exterior lamp switch is set toU

the headlamps may switch off unexpect-
edly when the system senses bright am-
bient light, for example light from
oncoming traffic.


the headlamps will not be automatically
switched on under foggy conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others, acti-
vate headlamps by turning exterior lamp
switch toB when driving or when traffic
and/or ambient lighting conditions require
you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from positionUtoB with the
vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromUtoB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an
aid to the driver. The driver is responsible for
the operation of the vehicle's lights at all
times.

113 Controls in detail
Lighting
Locator lighting and night security illu-
mination
The locator lighting and the night security
illumination are described in the “Control
system” section, see (
page 144) and
(
page 145).Fog lamps
Warning!
G
In low ambient lighting or foggy conditions,
only switch from positionUtoB with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe location.
Switching fromUtoB will briefly
switch off the headlamps. Doing so while
driving in low ambient lighting conditions
may result in an accident.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or low beam headlamps on.
Fog lamps should only be used in con-
junction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding allow-
able lamp operation.iFog lamps cannot be switched on with
the exterior lamp switch in
positionU. To switch on the fog
lamps, turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB first.

117 Controls in detail
Lighting
Hazard warning flasher
The hazard warning flasher can be
switched on at all times, even with the
SmartKey removed from the starter
switch.
The hazard warning flasher switches on au-
tomatically when an air bag deploys.
The hazard warning flasher switch is locat-
ed on the upper part of the center console.
1Hazard warning flasher switchSwitching on hazard warning flasher

Press hazard warning flasher
switch1.
All turn signal lamps are flashing.
Switching off hazard warning flasher

Press hazard warning flasher switch1
again.
Interior lighting
The controls are located in the overhead
control panel.
1Interior lighting on/off
2Automatic control on/off
3Right reading lamp on/off
4Left reading lamp on/off
iWith the hazard warning flasher acti-
vated and the combination switch set
for either left or right turn, only the re-
spective turn signals will operate when
the SmartKey is in the starter switch
position1or2.iIf the hazard warning flasher has been
activated automatically, press hazard
warning flasher switch1 once to
switch it off.
iLeaving an interior light switch in the
ON position for extended periods of
time with the engine turned off could
result in a discharged battery.