2007 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK63AMG traction control

Contents
Power windows .................................. 249
Opening and closing
the windows ................................. 249
Synchronizing power windows ..... 251
Summer opening feature .............. 252
Convenience closing feature ........ 253
Opening and closing
all side windows with
the soft top switch ....................... 254
Soft top .............................................. 255
Opening and closing
the soft top................................... 255
Opening and closing
the soft top with the SmartKey .... 259
Luggage cover .............................. 260
Wind screen ................................. 261
Driving systems ................................. 263
Cruise control............................... 263
Parktronic system
(Parking assist)*,
CLK 63 AMG (USA),
Canada all vehicles....................... 267
Loading .............................................. 271
Ski sack* (Canada only) ............... 271
Loading instructions ..................... 275Useful features .................................. 276
Storage compartments ................ 276
Center armrest ............................. 278
Armrest in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 279
Cup holders.................................. 279
Ashtrays ....................................... 280
Cigarette lighter ........................... 282
Power outlet in the
rear passenger compartment ....... 283
Floormats* ................................... 283
Telephone* .................................. 284
Tele Aid ........................................ 287
Garage door opener* ................... 293
Operation......................................... 299
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) ........ 300
Driving instructions ........................... 301
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 301
Drinking and driving ..................... 301
Pedals .......................................... 301
Power assistance ......................... 302
Brakes.......................................... 302
Driving off .................................... 304
Parking......................................... 304
Tires ............................................. 305
Hydroplaning................................ 306
Tire traction ................................. 306
Tire speed rating .......................... 307
Winter driving instructions ........... 308
Standing water............................. 309
Passenger compartment .............. 309
Driving abroad ............................. 309
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 309
Catalytic converter....................... 310
Emission control .......................... 310
Coolant temperature.................... 311

82 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Children in the vehicle
If an infant or child is traveling with you in
the vehicle:
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint appropriate to the age and
size of the child.
Make sure that the infant or child is
properly secured at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.Infant and child restraint systems
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
All lap-shoulder belts except the driver’s
seat belt have special seat belt retractors
for secure fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow child
restraint instructions for mounting. Then
pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract. During seat belt retraction, a
ratcheting sound can be heard to indicate
that the special seat belt retractor is acti-
vated. The belt is now locked. Push down
on child restraint to take up any slack.
To deactivate, release seat belt buckle and
let seat belt retract completely. The seat
belt can again be used in the usual
manner.
Warning!G
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system. The children could

injure themselves on parts of the vehicle

be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or
cold
If children open a door, they could

injure other persons

get out of the car and injure themselves
or be injured by oncoming traffic
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned on these
parts.
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment or trunk unless
they are firmly secured in place. For more in-
formation, see “Loading” (
page 271), and
see “Useful features” (
page 276) in the
“Controls in detail” chapter.
Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of

strong braking maneuvers

sudden changes of direction

an accident

92 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
Electronic traction system
The electronic traction system is a
component of ESP
®.
The electronic traction system improves
the vehicle’s ability to utilize available
traction, especially under slippery road
conditions by applying the brakes to a
spinning wheel.
Except CLK 63 AMG:
When you switch off the ESP
®, the
electronic traction system is still enabled.Switching off the ESP
®
Switching off the ESP®
(except CLK 63 AMG)
To improve the vehicle's traction, switch
off the ESP
® in driving situations where it
would be advantageous to have the drive
wheels spin and thus cut into surfaces for
better grip such as:

when driving with snow chains

in deep snow

in sand or gravelWhen you switch off the ESP
®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the traction control will still apply the
brakes to a spinning wheel

the ESP® continues to operate when
you are braking

you cannot activate the cruise control

the cruise control switches off if
currently activated
Warning!G
If you are driving too fast, the electronic
traction system cannot reduce the risk of an
accident.
The electronic traction system cannot pre-
vent the natural laws of physics from acting
on the vehicle.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a spare
wheel is mounted.
!Switch on the ESP® immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not apply
anymore.
iWhen the ESP® is switched off and one or
more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP®
warning lampv in the instrument cluster
flashes. However, the ESP
® will then not
stabilize the vehicle.

93 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
The ESP® switch is located on the center
console.
1ESP
® switch
With the engine running, press ESP®
switch1 until the ESP® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.Switching off the ESP
®
(CLK 63 AMG only)
Warning!G
When the ESP® warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers reduces.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Warning!G
The ESP® should not be switched off during
normal driving. Disabling of the system will
result in the following:

no restriction to engine torque

no differential brake support

loss of system supported traction
control
“ESP
® Off” is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle’s natural oversteer
and understeer characteristics are desired
and requires a highly skilled and
experienced driver able to handle these
critical driving situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP
®.

94 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
When you switch off the ESP®

the ESP® does not stabilize the vehicle

the engine output is not limited, which
allows the drive wheels to spin and
thus cut into surfaces for better grip

the traction control is not available

the ESP® operates while you are
braking

you cannot activate the cruise control

the cruise control switches off if
currently activatedThe ESP
® switch is located on the center
console.
1ESP
® switch
With the engine running, press ESP®
switch1 until the ESP® warning
lampv in the instrument cluster
comes on.
The ESP
® is switched off.
Switching on the ESP®
Press ESP® switch1 until the ESP®
warning lampv in the instrument
cluster goes out.
You are now again in normal driving
mode with ESP
® switched on.
iWhen the ESP® is switched off and one
or more drive wheels are spinning, the ESP®
warning lampv in the instrument cluster
flashes. However, the ESP
® will then not
stabilize the vehicle.
Warning!G
When the ESP® warning lampv is
illuminated continuously, the ESP® is
switched off or is not operational due to a
malfunction. Vehicle stability in standard
driving maneuvers reduces.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevail-
ing road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP
®.
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period with the ESP® switched off. This
may cause serious damage to the drivetrain
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

177 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Press program mode selector switch
repeatedly until the letter of the
desired program mode appears in the
multifunction display.
SelectCfor comfort driving
(CLK 63 AMG: for standard driving):

The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.

Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.

Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.
SelectSfor standard driving
(CLK 63 AMG: for sporty driving):

The vehicle starts out in first gear.

Upshifts occur later.Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting
With the gear selector lever in drive posi-
tion D and driving in program modeC orS,
you can limit or extend the gear range.
If your vehicle is equipped with manual
shift programM, you can use the gear
selector lever to manually shift the gears.
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the gear selector lever when driving
in the automatic program modeC orS.Limiting gear range
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
The transmission will shift to the next
lower gear as permitted by the shift
program. This action simultaneously
limits the gear range of the transmis-
sion (
page 175).
iFor information on using the gear selector
lever in program modeM, see “Manual shift pro-
gram CLK 63 AMG” (
page 181).
!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 park positionP only
when the vehicle is stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel when driving off
on slippery road surfaces. This may cause seri-
ous damage to the drivetrain which is not cov-
ered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
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.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when down-
shifting, the transmission will not shift to a lower
gear if the engine’s max. speed would be
exceeded.

211 Controls in detail
Audio system
Audio system
Audio and telephone*, operation
These instructions are intended to help
you become familiar with your
Mercedes-Benz audio system. They con-
tain useful tips and a detailed description
of the user functions.Operating safetySound system*
Your vehicle is equipped with a sound sys-
tem. The subwoofer is located between the
rear seats.
Warning!G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should enter
system settings with the vehicle at a
standstill and operate the system only when
road and traffic conditions permit. Always
pay full attention to traffic conditions first
before operating system controls while
driving.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car is
covering a distance of 44 feet
(approximately 14 m) every second.
Warning!G
Any alterations made to electronic
components can cause malfunctions.
The radio, amplifier, CD changer*, satellite
radio*, and telephone* are interconnected.
When one of the components is not opera-
tional or has not been removed/replaced
properly, the function of other components
may be impaired.
This condition might seriously impair the
operating safety of your vehicle.
We recommend that you have any service
work on electronic components carried out
by an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Make sure no objects fall into the openings
of the subwoofer between the rear seats.
If necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to remove any objects
which may have fallen into the openings.

227 Controls in detail
Audio system
CD mode
Safety precautions
General notes
The system may not be able to play audio
CDs with copy protection.
Playing copied CDs may cause
malfunctions during playback.Do not use CDs with an eight cm diameter,
not even with a CD adapter. Attempting to
play CDs with an eight cm diameter or
playing such CDs with an adapter may
cause damage to the CD drive. Such dam-
age is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
Should excessively high or low tempera-
tures occur while in CD changer mode*,
CD TEMP will appear in the display, and the
CD will be muted until the temperature has
reached an acceptable level for the system
to continue operation.
The single CD player play audio CDs, the
CD changer* can play audio CDs as well as
CDs with MP3 files.
Warning!G
The single CD player and the CD changer*
are Class 1 laser products. There is a danger
of invisible laser radiation if the housing is
opened or damaged.
Do not open the housing. The single CD
player and the CD changer* do not contain
any parts that can be serviced by the user.
For safety reasons, have any necessary ser-
vice work performed only by qualified per-
sonnel.
Warning!G
In order to avoid distraction which could
lead to an accident, the driver should insert
CDs with the vehicle at a standstill and oper-
ate the audio system only if permitted by
road, weather and traffic conditions.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your car covers a
distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) ev-
ery second.
!If you affix stickers to the CDs, they can be-
come warped due to the heat that develops in
the CD drive or CD changer*.
In certain situations, the CDs can then no longer
be ejected and cause damage to the drive. Such
damage is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
!Your CD drive or CD changer* has been de-
signed to play CDs which correspond to the
EN 60908 standard. You can therefore only use
CDs with a maximum thickness of 1.3 mm.
If you insert thicker data carriers, e.g. ones that
have data on both sides (one side with DVD data,
the other side with audio data), they cannot be
ejected and will damage the drive.