276 Controls in detailUseful features
Initiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button
Briefly press on cover1.
The cover opens.
Press SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button2
flashes until the emergency call is con-
cluded.
Wait for a voice connection to the
Response Center.
Close cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.
Warning!
G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Call failed
appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be sum-
moned by other means.
Warning!
G
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle, ve-
hicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe loca-
tion. The Response Center will automatically
contact local emergency officials with the
vehicle’s approximate location if they re-
ceive an automatic SOS signal and cannot
make voice contact with the vehicle occu-
pants.
277 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button•
Located below the center armrest cover is
the Roadside Assistance button•.
Open center armrest cover
(page 266).
Press and hold the button (for longer
than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher 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 Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:
Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
iThe indicator lamp in the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approx. 10 seconds
during the system self-check after
switching on ignition (together with the
SOS button and the Information
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 Roadside
Assistance button• is flashing con-
tinuously and there was no voice con-
nection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside
Assistance call (e.g. the relevant cellu-
lar phone network was not available).
The message
Call failed
appears in
the multifunction display.
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.
279 Controls in detail
Useful features
Call priority
If other service calls such as a Roadside
Assistance call or Information call are ac-
tive, an Emergency call is still possible. In
this case, the Emergency call will take pri-
ority and override all other active calls. Information calls can be terminated us-
ing the buttont on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel or the respective
button for ending a telephone call on
the audio system or COMAND* head
unit.
!If the indicator lamps do not start flash-
ing after pressing one of the buttons or
remain illuminated (in red) at any time,
the Tele Aid system has detected a
malfunction or the service is not cur-
rently active, and may not initiate a call.
Visit your Mercedes-Benz Center and
have the system checked or contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada) as soon
as possible.
iThe indicator lamp in the respective
button flashes until the call is conclud-
ed. Calls can only be terminated by a
Response Center or Customer
Assistance Center representative,
except Roadside Assistance and
Information calls, which can also be
terminated by pressing the
tbutton on the multifunction
steering wheel or the respective button
for ending a telephone call on the audio
system or COMAND* head unit.
!If the indicator lamp continues to flash
or the system does not reset, contact
the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada), or
Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) in the USA or
Customer Service at 1-800-387-0100
in Canada.
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).
301 Operation
Driving instructions
Passenger compartmentDriving abroad
Abroad, there is an extensive
Mercedes-Benz service network at your
disposal. If you plan to drive into areas
which are not listed in the index of your
Mercedes-Benz Center directory, you
should request pertinent information from
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.Control and operation of radio
transmitter
COMAND*, radio, and telephone*Telephones and two-way radios
Radio transmitters, such as a portable tele-
phone or a citizens band unit should only
be used inside the vehicle if they are con-
nected to an antenna that is installed on
the outside of the vehicle.
Refer to the radio transmitter operation in-
structions regarding use of an external
antenna.
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.
Warning!
G
Please do not forget that your primary re-
sponsibility is to drive the vehicle safely.
Only operate the COMAND*, radio or tele-
phone
1 if road, traffic and weather condi-
tions 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.
1Observe all legal requirements.
Warning!
G
Never operate radio transmitters equipped
with a built-in or attached antenna (i.e. with-
out being connected to an external antenna)
from inside the vehicle while the engine is
running. Doing so could lead to a malfunc-
tion of the vehicle’s electronic system, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident and/or
personal injury.
310 OperationEngine compartmentOther display messages
If the ignition is not switched on, the fol-
lowing message will appear:Turn on ignition
to see engine oil level
Switch on the ignition (
page 36).
If you see the message:
Observe waiting time
If engine is at operating temperature,
wait 5 minutes before repeating check
procedure.
If engine is not at operating tempera-
ture yet, you must wait 30 minutes
before checking oil.If you see the message:
Engine oil level
Not when engine on
Turn off the engine.
If the engine is at operating tempera-
ture, wait 5 minutes before checking
oil.
If the engine is not at operating
temperature yet, you must wait
30 minutes before checking oil.If there is excess engine oil with the engine
at normal operating temperature, the
following message will appear:
Engine oil level
Reduce oil level
Have excess oil siphoned or drained
off. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
For more information on messages in the
display concerning engine oil, see the
“Practical hints” section (
page 368).
iIf you want to interrupt the checking
procedure, press buttonk orj
on the multifunction steering wheel
(page 124).
!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
312 OperationEngine compartmentAdding engine oil
Only use approved engine oils and oil fil-
ters required for vehicles with
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles). For a listing
of approved engine oils and oil filters, refer
to the Factory Approved Service Products
pamphlet in your vehicle literature
portfolio, or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Using engine oils and oil filters of specifica-
tion other than those expressly required
for the Maintenance System (U.S. vehi-
cles) or FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles), or
changing of oil and oil filter at change inter-
vals longer than those called for by the
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles) or
FSS PLUS (Canada vehicles) will result in
engine damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
SLK 350 (example)1Filler capSLK 55 AMG1Filler cap
Unscrew filler cap1 from filler neck.
Add engine oil as required.
Be careful not to overfill with oil.
Be careful not to spill any oil when adding.
Avoid environmental damage caused by oil
entering the ground or water.
Screw filler cap1 back on filler neck.
For more information on engine oil, see
“Technical data” (
page 449) and
(
page 451).!Excess oil must be siphoned or drained
off. It could cause damage to the
engine and catalytic converter not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.