2007 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK280 warning

164 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift paddles (example illustration
vehicles with AMG-Sport Package*)
1Left shift paddle: limiting gear range or
downshift (in program modeM)
2Right shift paddle: extending gear
range or upshift (in program modeM)
The following instructions describe opera-
tion of the steering wheel gearshift control
when driving in the automatic program
modeC orS.Limiting gear range
Briefly pull left shift paddle1.
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 160).Extending gear range
Briefly pull right shift paddle2.
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 paddles when the gear selector lever is
in positionP,N orR.
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.
iIf you press on the accelerator when the
engine has reached its rpm limit, the trans-
mission will upshift beyond any gear range limit
selected.

167 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in theD-direction.
or
Briefly pull left shift paddle1
(
page 164).
The transmission shifts to the next
lower gear.Kickdown
Using the kickdown when driving in the
manual program modeM is not possible.
Deactivating manual shift program
Press the program mode selector
switch (
page 165) repeatedly
until
CorS appears in the multifunction
display.
or
Restart the engine.
The transmission will go to the
automatic program mode (C orS).
The manual program modeM is not
stored.Emergency operation
(Limp-Home Mode)
If vehicle acceleration becomes less
responsive or sluggish or the transmission
no longer shifts, the transmission is most
likely operating in limp-home (emergency
operation) mode. In this mode only second
gear and reverse gear can be selected.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Turn off the engine.
Wait at least 10 seconds before
restarting.
Restart the engine.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionD (for second gear) or
positionR.
Have the transmission checked at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center as
soon as possible.
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.
iWhen you brake or stop, the transmission
shifts down to a gear from which you can easily
accelerate or take off.

169 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Auto-dimming rear view mirrors*
The reflection brightness of the exterior
rear view mirrors and the interior rear view
mirror will respond automatically to glare
when

ignition is switched on
and

incoming light from headlamps falls on
the sensor in the interior rear view
mirror
The rear view mirrors will not react if

reverse gearR is engaged

interior lighting is switched on
Warning!G
The auto-dimming function does not react if
incoming light is not aimed directly at sen-
sors in the interior rear view mirror.
The interior rear view mirror and the exterior
rear view mirror on the driver’s side do not
react, for example, if the wind screen* is
installed.
Light hitting the mirror(s) at certain angles
(incident light) could blind you. As a result,
you may not be able to observe traffic
conditions and could cause an accident.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.

170 Controls in detail
Good visibility
Sun visors
The sun visors protect you from sun glare
while driving.
1Mirror lamp*
2Mounting
3Mirror cover
4Sun visor
Swing sun visors down when you
experience glare.
To use mirror and switch on mirror
lamp*, lift up mirror cover3.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear.
The defroster is automatically deactivated
after approximately 6 to 17 minutes of
operation depending on the outside
temperature.
Warning!G
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the mirrors in the sun visors closed
while vehicle is in motion. Reflected glare
can endanger you and others.
iVehicles with interior lighting package*:
If sunlight enters through a side window, disen-
gage sun visor from mounting2 and pivot it to
the side. You then can slide the sun visor along
the pivot arm to a different position if so desired.
Mirror lamp*1 will switch off as soon as sun
visor is disengaged from mounting2.
!Vehicles with interior lighting package*:
Close mirror cover3 if open before you
disengage the sun visor4 from mounting2
and pivot it to the side.
Warning!G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.

174 Controls in detail
Climate control
Climate control panel
The climate control is operational when-
ever the engine is running. The system
cools or heats the interior depending on
the selected interior temperature and the
current outside temperature.Nearly all dust particles, pollutants and
odors are filtered out before outside air
enters the interior through the air distribu-
tion system.
The air conditioning will not engage (no
cooling) if the A/Cmode is deactivated
(
page 174).
Item
1Temperature control, left side
2Air volume control, climate control
on/off
3Air distribution control
4Temperature control, right side
5Rear window defroster (page 170)
6Front defroster
7AC cooling on/off,
Residual heat/ventilation
8Air recirculation
Warning!G
When operating the climate control, the air
that enters the passenger compartment
through the air vents can be very hot or very
cold (depending on the set temperature).
This may cause burns or frostbite to unpro-
tected skin in the immediate area of the air
vents. Always keep sufficient distance
between unprotected parts of the body and
the air vents. If necessary, use the air
distribution controls (
page 174) to direct
the air to air vents in the vehicle interior
that are not in the immediate area of un-
protected skin.
Warning!G
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog up,
impairing visibility and endangering you and
others.

175 Controls in detail
Climate control
Switching climate control system
on/off
Switching off
Set air volume control2 (page 174)
to position0.
Switching on
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
Set air volume control2 to any speed
(
page 174).
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Setting the temperature
Use temperature controls1 and4
(
page 174) to separately adjust the air
temperature on each side of the passenger
compartment. You should raise or lower
the temperature setting in small incre-
ments, preferably starting at 72°F (22°C).
The climate control will adjust to the set
temperature as fast as possible.
Increasing
Turn temperature control 1
and/or4 (
page 174) slightly
clockwise.
The climate control system will corre-
spondingly adjust the interior air tem-
perature.
iSevere conditions (e.g. strong air pollution)
may require replacement of the filter before its
scheduled interval. A clogged filter will reduce
the air volume to the interior.
If the vehicle interior is hot, ventilate the interior
before driving off. The climate control will then
adjust the interior temperature to the set value
much faster.
Keep the air intake grille in front of the wind-
shield free of snow and debris.
When the retractable hardtop is closed, do not
obstruct air flow by placing objects on the air
flow-through exhaust slots below the rear
window.
Warning!G
When the climate control is switched off, the
outside air supply and circulation are also
switched off. Only choose this setting for a
short time. Otherwise the windows could
fog up, impairing visibility and endangering
you and others.

178 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
Press buttonP (page 174) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
Windshield fogged on the outside
Switch the windshield wipers on
(
page 56).
Turn air distribution control3 to
positionaorY (
page 174).
Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e.g. before driving
through a tunnel). This setting cuts off the
intake of outside air and recirculates the
air in the interior.
Activating
Briefly press button,
(
page 174).
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on.Deactivating
Press button, (page 174) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
iThe cooling remains switched on.
Warning!G
Fogged windows impair visibility, endanger-
ing you and others. If the windows begin to
fog on the inside, switching off the air
recirculation mode immediately should clear
interior window fogging. If interior window
fogging persists, make sure the air
conditioning (
page 180) is activated, or
press buttonP.
iThe air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside temperatures.
The indicator lamp on button, is not lit when
the air recirculation mode is automatically
switched on.
A quantity of outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.
iThe air recirculation mode is deactivated
automatically:

after 5 minutes if the outside temperature is
below approximately 41°F (5°C)

after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off

after 30 minutes if the outside temperature
is above approximately 41°F (5°C)

179 Controls in detail
Climate control
Air recirculation mode with
convenience closing or opening featureConvenience closing
Press and hold button, until the
windows are closed or have reached
the desired position.
The indicator lamp on the button
comes on. The air recirculation mode is
activated.Convenience openingPress and hold button, until the
windows are opened or have reached
the desired position.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out. The air recirculation mode is
deactivated.
Warning!G
Never operate the side windows if there is
the possibility of anyone being harmed by
the closing procedure.
When using the air recirculation mode with
convenience closing feature, should the up-
ward movement of a window be blocked by
some obstruction including but not limited
to arms, hands, fingers, etc., the automatic
reversal feature will not operate.
In the event that the closing procedure caus-
es potential danger, the closing of the door
windows can be immediately halted by
releasing the,button or by pressing
the respective power window switch.
The closing of the rear side windows can be
immediately halted by releasing the
,button.
iThe closing of the windows can be immedi-
ately halted by releasing button,.iThe opening of the windows can be immedi-
ately halted by releasing button,.
A window will only return to its previous position
if it has not been moved to another position
using the respective window switch after it was
closed with button,.
A window that has been moved will remain in its
current position if button, i s u s e d t o r e o p e n
the remaining windows.