2006 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG steering wheel

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.

124 Controls in detailControl systemMultifunction steering wheel
The displays in the multifunction display
and the settings in the control system are
controlled by the buttons on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.Pressing any of the buttons on the multi-
function steering wheel will alter what is
shown in the multifunction display.
The information available in the multifunc-
tion display are arranged in menus, each
containing a number of functions or sub-
menus.
The individual functions are then found
within the relevant menu (radio or CD op-
erations under
Audio
, for example). These
functions serve to call up relevant informa-
tion or to customize the settings for your
vehicle.
It is helpful to think of the menus, and the
functions within each menu, as being ar-
ranged in a circular pattern.


If you press buttonèorÿ re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
menu one after the other.


If you press buttonjork re-
peatedly, you will pass through each
function display, one after the other, in
the current menu.
1
Multifunction displayOperating the control system
2
Selecting the submenu or setting the
volume:
Press buttonæup/to increaseçdown/to decrease
3
Telephone*:
Press buttonsto take a call, or
to dial a calltto end a call, or
to reject an incoming call
4
Moving within a menu:
Press buttonjfor next displaykfor previous display
5
Menu systems:
Press buttonèfor next menuÿfor previous menu

125 Controls in detail
Control system
In the
Settings...
menu, you will find a
number of submenus instead of functions
for calling up and changing settings. For in-
structions on using these submenus, see
“Settings menu” (page 134).
The number of menus available in the sys-
tem depends on which optional equipment
is installed in your vehicle.
iThe headings used in the menus table
are designed to facilitate navigation
within the system and are not neces-
sarily identical to those shown in the
control system displays.
The first function displayed in each
menu will automatically show you
which part of the system you are in.
iSLK 55 AMG:
The steering wheel in this vehicle will
vary from steering wheel shown. How-
ever, multifunction steering wheel sym-
bols and feature description apply to
AMG vehicles as well.

148 Controls in detailControl systemActivating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and deacti-
vate the easy-entry/exit feature
(page 43).

Move the selection marker with
buttonæorç to the Convenience
submenu.

Press buttonjork repeatedly
until you see
Function Easy-entry
feature
in the multifunction display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.

Press buttonæorç to set the
function to
On or
Off
.Setting parking position* for exterior
rear view mirror
Use this function to select whether the
passenger-side exterior rear view mirror
should be turned downward during parking
maneuvers when reverse gearR is en-
gaged.
For additional information, see “Storing
exterior rear view mirror parking position
(parking aid)” (
page 108).

Move the selection marker with
buttonæorç to the Convenience
submenu.
Warning!
G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To cancel steering wheel movement, do one
of the following:

Move steering column lever*
(page 43).


Press one of the memory position but-
tons* or the memory buttonM*
(page 107).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

160 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic shift
programC orS (
page 163), you can
select a gear range for the automatic
transmission to operate within:
Gear selector lever (page 164):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the gear selector lever to the left (D-), and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the gear selector lever to the right (D+).
Steering wheel gearshift control
(
page 165):
You can limit the gear range by pressing
the respective downshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control, and
reverse the gear range limit by pressing
the respective upshift button on the
steering wheel gearshift control.
!Coasting the vehicle, or driving for any
other reason with gear selector lever
inN can result in transmission damage
that is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in positionP
is dangerous. Also, positionP alone is not
intended to or capable of preventing your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting people
or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 52). When
parked on an incline, turn the front wheels
towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible 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.
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. Children
could move the gear selector lever from
positionP, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.

165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Steering wheel gearshift control one-touch gearshifting
The steering wheel gearshift control pro-
vides an alternative method for changing
the gears manually and limiting or extend-
ing the gear range for automatic shifting
with the gear selector lever in positionD
and driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.Steering wheel gearshift control*
SLK 280, SLK 350
The steering wheel gearshift buttons are
located to the left and right of the steering
wheel.
1Button, inside: downshift
2Button, outside: upshift
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
downshifting with steering wheel
gearshift buttons, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine’s
max. speed would be exceeded.!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.

166 Controls in detailAutomatic transmission*
Downshifting
Briefly press the inside1 of one of the
buttons on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously limits
the gear range of the transmission
(
page 160).Upshifting

Briefly press the outside2 of one of
the buttons on the steering wheel.
The transmission will shift to the next
higher gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
extends the gear range of the transmis-
sion.
iYou cannot shift with the steering
wheel gearshift buttons when the gear
selector lever is in positionP,N orR.
The last selected program
mode (CorS) is switched on when the
engine is restarted.
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.