2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK550 brake light

308 Operation
Driving instructions
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to position N. Try
to keep the vehicle under control by cor-
rective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 351).
iFor information on driving with snow chains,
see “Snow chains” (
page 352).
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the engine
running. Otherwise, deadly carbon monox-
ide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior re-
sulting in unconsciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the ve-
hicle not facing the wind.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. In-
dicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice.

314 Operation
At the gas station
Check regularly and before a long trip
Engine compartment (CLK 550, example)
1Coolant level
2Brake fluid (fuse box cover removed)
3Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*Coolant
For normal replenishing, use water (pota-
ble water quality). For more information,
see “Coolant” (
page 320) and see “Fu-
els, coolants, lubricants, etc.”
(
page 472).
Brake fluid
Removing fuse box cover (
page 457).Windshield washer and headlamp
cleaning system*
For more information on filling up the
washer reservoir, see “Windshield washer
system and headlamp cleaning system*”
(
page 322).
Engine oil level
For more information on engine oil, see
“Engine oil” (
page 317).
Vehicle lighting
Check function and cleanliness. For more
information on replacing light bulbs, see
“Replacing bulbs” (
page 427).
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 54).
Tire inflation pressure
For more information, see “Recommended
tire inflation pressure” (
page 331).
iOpening the hood, see (page 315).
!If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks immediately. Notify an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately.
Do not add brake fluid as this will not solve the
problem. For more information, see also “Practi-
cal hints” (
page 368).

362 Operation
Vehicle care
Cleaning the windows and the wiper
blades
Make sure the hood is fully closed.
Make sure the vehicle’s on-board
electronics have status0 (
page 36).
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
snap into place.
Clean the wiper blade inserts with a
clean cloth and detergent solution.
Use a soft, clean cloth and a mild
window cleaning solution on all outside
and inside glass surfaces.
An automotive glass cleaner is
recommended.Light alloy wheels
If possible, clean wheels once a week.Use Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel
Care, a soft bristle brush and a strong
spray of water for cleaning the light
alloy wheels.!Never open the hood when the wiper arms
are folded forward.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove SmartKey from starter switch
(vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*: Make sure the
vehicle's on-board electronics have
status0) before cleaning the windshield
and/or the wiper blades. Otherwise, the
wiper motor could suddenly turn on and
cause injury.
!Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!Fold the windshield wiper arms back onto
the windshield before turning the SmartKey in
the starter switch or pressing the KEYLESS-GO
start/stop button (vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*).
Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper arm
back. If released, the force of the impact from
the tensioning spring could crack the windshield.
!To clean the window interior, do not use a
dry cloth, abrasives, solvents or cleaners
containing solvents. Do not touch the inside of
the front, rear or side windows with hard objects
such as an ice scraper or ring. Doing so may
damage the windows.
!Only use acid-free cleaning materials. Acid
may cause corrosion or damage the clear coat.
!The vehicle should not be parked for an
extended period of time immediately after it has
been cleaned, especially not after the wheel rims
have been cleaned with wheel rim cleaner.
Wheel rim cleaners can lead to increased
corrosion of the brake disks and brake pads.
Non-approved wheel cleaners may also damage
the wheel paint if the car is not driven after
cleaning. Therefore, the vehicle’s brake system
should always be warmed-up before it is parked
after cleaning. To do so, please drive your vehicle
for several minutes to allow the brakes to dry.
When applying Mercedes-Benz approved Tire
Care and Mercedes-Benz approved Wheel Care
products, take care not to spray them on the
brake disks.

409 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
In case of a flat tire, you may temporarily
use the Minispare wheel when observing
the following restrictions:

Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).

Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or
replaced as appropriate.

Do not operate vehicle with more than
one Minispare wheel mounted.
For more information, see “Rims and tires”
(
page 466).
Spare wheel bolts
The spare wheel bolts are fixed at the
Minispare wheel.
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel
(located in trunk with spare wheel)!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing the Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for the Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
Warning!G
Make sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.

429 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12 volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.

Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.

Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.

Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.

If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Additional turn signal lamps in the exte-
rior rear view mirrors

High mounted brake lamp

Bi-Xenon* lamps

Front fog lamps

Front side marker lamps
Warning!G
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot

drop the bulb

scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
!Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the
vehicle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

438 Practical hints
Flat tire
Screw the air pump’s air hose5 onto
flange6 of the TIREFIT container.
Stick TIREFIT container1 upside
down into notch3 of the electric air
pump.
7Tire valve
8Electric air pump switch
9Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
aFiller hose
Unscrew the valve cap from tire
valve7.
Screw filler hosea onto tire valve7.
Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket (
page 282)
or the power outlet in the rear passen-
ger compartment (
page 283).
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 (
page 36).
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Press the KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button (
page 37) on the gear se-
lector lever once. Do not depress
brake pedal.
PressI on electric air pump switch8.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.After 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose can become hot during inflation.
Please exercise appropriate caution.
If this tire inflation pressure is not
attained:
Turn off the electric air pump, de-
tach the filler hose from the tire
valve, and drive vehicle back and
forth very slowly approximately
30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the
tire.
Unscrew the air pump’s air hose5
from flange6 of the TIREFIT
container.
Screw air hose5onto tire
valve7.
Inflate the tire again.Warning!G
Observe safety instructions on air pump
label.
!Do not operate the electric air pump longer
than 6 minutes without interruption. Otherwise it
may overheat.


444 Practical hints
Flat tire
Mounting the spare wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel
(located in trunk with Minispare wheel)Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
1Alignment bolt
Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing the Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for the Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while installing first
wheel bolt.
Warning!G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct wheel bolts.

475 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Brake fluid
During vehicle operation, the boiling point
of the brake fluid is continuously reduced
through the absorption of moisture from
the atmosphere.
Only brake fluid approved by
Mercedes-Benz is recommended. An
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center will
provide you with additional information.Premium unleaded gasoline
Warning!G
Under extremely strenuous operating condi-
tions, this moisture content can lead to the
formation of bubbles in the system, thus re-
ducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be replaced
regularly. Refer to your vehicle's Mainte-
nance Booklet for replacement interval.
Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious per-
sonal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors can be damaging to
your health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded is not available and
low octane fuel is used, follow these precau-
tions:

Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular and fill up with premium
unleaded as soon as possible.

Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt acceler-
ation.

Do not exceed an engine speed of 3 000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.

Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.