2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS transmission

419 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the bat-
tery of another vehicle. Observe the follow-
ing:

Jump starting should only be performed
when the engine and catalytic convert-
er are cold.

Do not start the engine if the battery is
frozen. Let the battery thaw out first.

Only jump start from batteries with the
same voltage rating (12 V). Jump start-
ing with a higher voltage battery could
damage the vehicle’s electrical system,
which will not be covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.

Only use jumper cables with sufficient
cross-section and insulated terminal
clamps.

Always make sure the jumper cables
are not on or near pulleys, fans, or
other parts that move when an engine
is started or running.
Warning!G
Failure to follow these directions will cause
damage to the electronic components, and
can lead to a battery explosion and severe
injury or death.
Never lean over batteries while connecting
or jump starting, as you could otherwise be
injured.
Battery fluid contains sulfuric acid. Do not
allow this fluid to come in contact with eyes,
skin or clothing. In case it does, immediately
flush affected area with water, and seek
medical help if necessary.
A battery will also produce hydrogen gas,
which is flammable and very explosive. Keep
flames or sparks away from battery, avoid
improper connection of jumper cables,
smoking, etc.
Attempting to jump start a frozen battery
can result in it exploding, causing personal
injury.
Read all instructions before proceeding.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
Do not tow-start vehicle.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine using a
battery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several
unsuccessful starting attempts, have it checked
at the nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by repeated
failed starting attempts may damage the
catalytic converter and may present a fire risk.
Make sure the jumper cables do not have loose
or missing insulation.
Make sure the cable clamps do not touch any
other metal part while the other end is still at-
tached to a battery.

420 Practical hints
Jump starting
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever* is
set to positionP (manual transmission
to Neutral).
Open the hood (page 294).
Flip up cover from positive under hood
terminal2 in front of water tray1
(
page 416).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive terminal
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative terminal
Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive
under-hood terminal2 in front of the
water tray with one jumper cable.
Clamp the cable to positive terminal1
of the charged battery first.
Start the engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with negative
under-hood terminal4 with the
second jumper cable. Clamp the cable
to negative terminal3 of the charged
battery first.
Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not switch on the
headlamps under any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals2 and1.
You can now switch on the headlamps.
Have the battery checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(
page 303).
!Never invert the terminal connections.

421 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*: Do
not tow-start vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with the SmartKey in the starter switch in
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (
page 91) and
the automatic central locking (
page 102).
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:

the engine will not run

there is a malfunction in the brake
system

there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
as that will be necessary to adequately
control the towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock,
remove SmartKey from starter switch and
reinsert.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever* must be in
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever
in neutral position) and the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch position0or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever* must be in
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever
in neutral position) and the SmartKey must be in
starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle
may be towed only for distances up to
30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).

422 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the ve-
hicle tool kit, located in the compartment
underneath the trunk floor (
page 382).
The towing eyes are located on the passen-
ger side in the front and rear bumper.
Take vehicle tool kit out of trunk
(
page 382).
Front cover
1Cover in front bumper
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach a tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2, the
vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as well
as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 102).
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, switch on ignition
and activate the combination switch for the left
or right turn signal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
iThe gear selector lever* will remain locked
in positionP (vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*) and the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch if the battery is disconnected or
discharged. For more information, see “Battery”
(
page 415) or “Jump starting” (page 419).
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
For information on manual unlocking of gear
selector lever, see (
page 389).

425 Practical hints
Fuses
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and
systems secured by that fuse will stop
operating.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The following aids are available to help you
replace fuses. The spare fuses and the fuse
extractor are located in the trunk with the
vehicle tool kit (
page 382) and the fuse
chart is located in the fuse box in the
passenger compartment (
page 425).

Fuse chart
The fuse chart explains the fuse
allocation and fuse amperages.

Spare fuses

Fuse extractor
The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:

in the passenger compartment on the
driver’s side (
page 425)

on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment (
page 426)Before replacing fuses:
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever* is
set to positionP (
page 157) (manual
transmission to Neutral).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (page 61).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Fuse box in passenger compartment
1Fuse box cover
Warning!G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than
approved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iA blown fuse must be replaced by an
appropriate spare fuse (recognizable by its color
or the fuse rating given on the fuse) of the
amperage recommended in the fuse chart.
Any Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to advise
you on this subject.

443 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Capacities
Vehicle components and their respective
lubricants must match. Therefore, only use
products tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz.
Please refer to the Factory Approved
Service Products pamphlet (USA only), or
inquire at an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Comply with all valid regulations with
respect to handling, storing and disposing
of service fluids. Otherwise you could
endanger persons or the environment.
Keep service fluids out of the reach of
children.
For health reasons, you should prevent
service fluids from coming into direct
contact with you skin or clothing.
If a service fluid is swallowed, contact a
physician immediately.
ModelCapacityFuels, coolants, lubricants etc.
Engine with oil filterAll models8.5 US qt (8.0 l)Approved engine oils
Automatic transmission*SLK 280, SLK 3509.5 US qt (9.0 l)MB Automatic Transmission Fluid
SLK 55 AMG9.2 US qt (8.7 l)
Manual transmissionSLK 280, SLK 3501.6 US qt (1.5 l)MB Manual Transmission Oil
Rear axleSLK 2801.1 US qt (1.0 l)Hypoid gear oil SAE 85 W 90
SLK 3501.2 US qt (1.1 l)
SLK 55 AMG1.3 US qt (1.2 l)

451 Index
A
ABS 84
Indicator lamp 346, 347
Messages in the multifunction
display 358
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 159
Accessory weight 327
Accident 58
Air bags 66
Children in the vehicle 79
Front 69
Head-thorax 70
Knee bag 70
Occupant Classification System
(OCS) 71
Passenger 69
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 74
Safety guidelines 68Air conditioning
Automatic climate control* 191
Climate control 180
Air conditioning refrigerant 445
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
AIRSCARF neck level heating* 105
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt
(Vehicle tool kit) 382, 409
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 449
Antilock Brake System see ABS
Anti-theft systems 90
Alarm system 90
Immobilizer 90
Tow-away alarm 91
Ashtray 32, 255
Aspect ratio 327
Audio search function 146Audio system 193
Audio and telephone*, operation 193
CD changer* 212
CD operation 208
Introduction to satellite radio*
(USA only) 203
MP3 210
Operating and display elements 194
Auto-dimming*, Rear view mirrors 169
Automatic central locking 102
Control system 146
Automatic climate control* 182
Air conditioning refrigerant 444
Air conditioning, Cooling 191
Air recirculation mode 189
Air vents 182, 187
Air volume 188
Automatic mode 186
Control panel 184

452 Index
Deactivating 185
Defrosting 170, 188
Residual heat utilization 192
Sun sensor 25
Temperature 186
Automatic shift program 161
Automatic transmission*
Accelerator position 159
Automatic shift program 161
Automatic transmission fluid
(ATF) 300
Driving 53
Emergency operation (limp-home
mode) 167
Fluid level 300
Gear ranges 160
Gear selector lever 155
Gear selector lever
(Unlocking manually) 389Gear selector lever control one-touch
gearshifting 162
Gear selector lever positions 157
Gear shifting malfunctions 167
Gearshift pattern 52
Kickdown 159
Kickdown, manual shift
program* 167
Manual shift program* 165
Program mode selector switch 161
Shifting procedure 156
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* 163
B
Backup lamp
Messages in the multifunction
display 377
Replacing bulbs 395Bar 328
BAS 86
Batteries (SmartKey)
Replacing 391
Battery (Vehicle) 303, 415
Charging 417
Jump starting 419
Messages in the multifunction
display 366
Bead 328
Bi-Xenon headlamps* 394
Brake Assist System see BAS
Brakes 280
Brake fluid 292, 446
Messages in the multifunction
display 367
SLK 55 AMG 281
Warning lamp 348
Break-in period 278
Bulbs
Messages in the multifunction
display 375–380
Replacing 393