Contents
Introduction......................................... 9
Product information ................................ 9
Operator’s Manual ............................... 10
Service and warranty information .. 10
Important notice for California
retail buyers and lessees of
Mercedes-Benz automobiles .......... 11
Maintenance .................................. 12
Roadside Assistance ...................... 12
Change of address or ownership.... 12
Operating your vehicle outside
the USA or Canada......................... 13
Where to find it .................................... 14
Symbols ............................................... 15
Operating safety .................................. 16
Proper use of the vehicle ............... 16
Problems with your vehicle .................. 17
Reporting safety defects...................... 18
Reporting safety defects ................ 18
Vehicle data recording ......................... 19
Information regarding electronic
recording devices ........................... 19At a glance.......................................... 21
Exterior view ......................................... 22
Cockpit ................................................. 24
Instrument cluster ................................ 26
Multifunction steering wheel ................ 28
Center console ..................................... 29
Upper part ...................................... 29
Lower part ...................................... 30
Overhead control panel ........................ 31
Storage compartments ......................... 32
Door control panel................................ 34Getting started................................... 35
Unlocking ............................................. 36
Unlocking with the SmartKey ......... 36
Starter switch positions .................. 37
Adjusting .............................................. 39
Seats .............................................. 39
Steering wheel ................................ 43
Mirrors ............................................ 46
Driving .................................................. 48
Fastening the seat belts ................. 48
Starting the engine ......................... 51
Parking brake ................................. 53
Driving off ....................................... 53
Switching on headlamps ................. 55
Turn signals .................................... 55
Windshield wipers ........................... 56
Problems while driving.................... 58
Parking and locking .............................. 59
Parking brake ................................. 59
Switching off headlamps................. 61
Turning off engine ........................... 61
Releasing seat belts........................ 61
Locking ........................................... 62
25 At a glance
Cockpit
ItemPage
1Automatic transmission*:
Steering wheel gearshift
control*163
2Multifunction steering
wheel28,
122
3Horn
4Instrument cluster26,
118
5Overhead control panel31,
116
6Glove box252
CD changer*216,
252
7Center console29, 30
8Sun sensor for automatic
climate control*
9Starter switch37
ItemPage
aSteering wheel adjustment
release handle, manual43
bSteering wheel adjustment
stalk, electrical*44
Heated steering wheel
stalk* (SLK 280,
SLK 350, Canada only)276
cHeadlamp cleaning button*168
dHood lock release lever294
eExterior lamp switch55,
109
fCombination switch
High beam55
Turn signals55
Windshield wipers56
gPower window switches235
hInside door handle99
jCruise control lever247
68 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bagiAir bags are designed to activate only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags, knee
bags) and in side impacts (head-thorax air bags)
which exceed preset thresholds. Only during
these events will they provide their supplemental
protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts
below air bag deployment thresholds, air bags
will not deploy. The driver and passenger will
then be protected to the extent possible by a
properly fastened seat belt. A properly fastened
seat belt is also needed to provide the best
possible protection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your
passenger that you replace deployed air bags
and repair any malfunctioning air bags to make
sure that the vehicle will continue to provide
supplemental crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G
Damaged seat belts or seat belts that
were highly stressed in an accident
must be replaced and their anchoring
points must also be checked. Only use
seat belts installed or supplied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) are designed to function
on a one-time-only basis. An air bag or
ETD that has deployed must be re-
placed.
Do not pass seat belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.
Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the seat
belts.
No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, etc. over the steering
wheel hub, passenger front air bag
cover, door frame trims, or door trim
panels, and installation of additional
electrical/electronic equipment on or
near SRS components and wiring. Keep
area between air bags and occupants
free from objects (e.g. packages, purs-
es, umbrellas, etc.).
Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash,
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.
Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.
Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.
121 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1. The control system
enables you to
call up information about your vehicle
change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control
system to find out when your vehicle is
next due for service, to set the language
for messages in the instrument cluster
display, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Main odometer
2Trip odometer
3Current program mode
(automatic transmission* only)
4Status indicator (outside
temperature/digital speedometer)
5Current gear selector lever posi-
tion/gear range
(automatic transmission* only)
iThe displays for the audio systems (radio,
CD player) will appear in English, regardless of
the language selected.
Warning!G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
conditions must always be his/her primary
focus when driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions
permit it to be done safely.
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.
147 Controls in detail
Control system
Convenience* submenu
Access the
Convenience submenu via the
Settings... menu. Use the Convenience
submenu to change the settings for a num-
ber of convenience features.
The following function is available:Activating easy-entry/exit feature*
Use this function to activate and
deactivate the easy-entry/exit feature
(
page 44).
Move the selection marker with
buttonæorç to the
Convenience submenu.
Press buttonjork repeatedly
until the message
Easy-entry
function
appears in the multifunction
display.
The selection marker is on the current
setting.
Press buttonæorç to switch
the easy-entry function
On or Off.
FunctionPage
Activating easy-entry/exit
feature*147
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To cancel steering wheel movement, do one
of the following:
Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 44).
Press one of the memory position
buttons* or the memory buttonM*
(
page 107).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
165 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission*
Canceling gear range limit
Pull and hold right shift paddle2
until
D reappears in the multifunction
display (
page 157).
The transmission will shift from the
current gear range directly to gear
rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range
Pull and hold left shift paddle1.
The transmission will automatically
select the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more
gears.
Manual shift program*
Manual shift program is available on
vehicles with AMG-Sport Package* and
SLK 55 AMG only.
In addition to the automatic shift
programC orS, your vehicle is equipped
with the manual shift programM.
In the manual program modeM,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by manually upshifting or downshift-
ing using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles (
page 164) or the gear selector
lever.The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.Program mode selector switch
M Manual For manual gear shifting
C Comfort For comfort driving
S Sport For standard driving
The selected program mode appears in the
multifunction display (
page 161).
!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 for an extended
period when driving off on slippery road
surfaces. This may cause serious damage to the
drivetrain which is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
iFor information on automatic program
modesC orS, see “Automatic shift program”
(
page 161), “Gear selector lever one-touch
gearshifting” (
page 162), and “Steering wheel
gearshift control one-touch gearshifting*”
(
page 163).
247 Controls in detail
Driving systems
Driving systems
The driving system of your vehicle is
described on the following pages:
Cruise control, with which the vehicle
can maintain a preset speed.
The BAS, ABS and ESP
® driving systems
are described in the “Safety and Security”
section (
page 84).
Cruise control
The cruise control automatically maintains
the speed you set for your vehicle.
Use of cruise control is recommended for
driving at a constant speed for extended
periods of time.
You can set or resume cruise control at any
speed over 20 mph (30 km/h).
The cruise control function is operated by
means of the cruise control lever.
The cruise control lever is the uppermost
lever on the left-hand side of the steering
column (
page 24).
Warning!G
The cruise control is a convenience system
designed to assist the driver during vehicle
operation. The driver is and must remain at
all times responsible for the vehicle speed
and for safe brake operation.
Only use the cruise control if the road,
traffic, and weather conditions make it
advisable to travel at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe
driving at a steady speed.
The use of cruise control can be danger-
ous on slippery roads. Rapid changes in
tire traction can result in wheel spin and
loss of control.
Deactivate the cruise control when driv-
ing in fog.
The “Resume” function should only be oper-
ated if the driver is fully aware of the previ-
ously set speed and wishes to resume this
particular preset speed.
314 Operation
Tires and wheels
Tire inflation pressure changes by approxi-
mately 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) per 18°F (10°C) of
air temperature change. Keep this in mind
when checking tire inflation pressure
where the temperature is different from
the outside temperature.
Checking tire inflation pressure
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month.
Check and adjust the tire inflation
pressure when the tires are cold. The tires
can be considered cold if the vehicle has
been parked for at least 3 hours or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km).
If you check the tire inflation pressure
when the tires are warm (the vehicle has
been driven for several miles or sitting less
than 3 hours), the reading will be
approximately 4 psi (0.3 bar) higher than
the cold reading. This is normal. Do not let
air out to match the specified cold tire in-
flation pressure. Otherwise, the tire will be
underinflated.Checking tire inflation pressure
manually
Follow the steps below to achieve correct
tire inflation pressure:
Remove the cap from the valve on one
tire.
Firmly press a tire gauge onto the
valve.
Read tire inflation pressure on tire
gauge and check against the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure on the
Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B-pillar
(
page 307). If necessary, add air to
achieve the recommended tire inflation
pressure.
Install the valve cap.
Repeat this procedure for each tire.
Warning!G
Follow recommend tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel economy,
and are more likely to fail from being over-
heated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires
can adversely affect handling and ride
comfort, wear unevenly, increase stopping
distance, and result in sudden deflation
(blowout) because they are more likely to
become punctured or damaged by road
debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the Tire
and Loading Information placard on the
driver’s door B-pillar. Overloading the tires
can overheat them, possibly causing a
blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
iIf you have overfilled the tire, release tire in-
flation pressure by pushing the metal stem of the
valve with e.g. a tip of a pen. Then recheck the
tire inflation pressure with the tire gauge.