2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 page 92

467 Practical hints
Jump starting
Jump starting
If the battery is discharged, the engine can
be started with jumper cables and the
battery of another vehicle. Observe the
following:

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, you might get 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.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Avoid repeated and lengthy starting
attempts.
Do not attempt to start the engine using a bat-
tery quick charge unit.
If the engine does not run after several unsuc-
cessful starting attempts, have it checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Excessive unburned fuel generated by repeated
failed starting attempts may damage the catalyt-
ic 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
attached to a battery.
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(
page 329).

468 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located on the right side of
the engine compartment. For jump start-
ing, use the terminals in front of the
battery.
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 (
page 174).
Open the hood (page 323).
Flip up cover from positive under hood
terminal2 in front of the filter box
(
page 465).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive under hood terminal in front of
discharged battery
3Negative under hood terminal in front
of discharged battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery
Connect the positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with the positive under
hood terminal 2 in front of the filter
box with the jumper cable. Clamp cable
to charged battery1 first.
Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect the negative terminal4 of
the charged battery with the negative
under hood terminal 3 in front of the
filter box with the second jumper cable.
Clamp the cable to the negative
terminal4 of the charged battery
first.
Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now turn on the electrical con-
sumers. Do not switch on the headlamps
under any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
the negative terminals3 and4 and
then from the positive terminals2
and1.
You can now switch on the headlamps.
Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
!Never invert the terminal connections.

469 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
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.
!Do not tow-start the vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with SmartKey in starter switch turned to
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.
Switch off the automatic central locking
(
page 166).
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 sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
This is 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
position 0 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
position N and the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0 or1).
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 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).

470 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
Towing eye bolt CLK 350
1Cover on right side of front bumper2Cover on right side of rear bumper
To remove cover:
Press mark on cover 1 or 2.
Lift cover off to reveal the threaded
hole for towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the compartment under-
neath the trunk floor).
Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with wheel wrench.
To reinstall cover:
Fit cover 1 or 2 and snap into place.
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach 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, or
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button in 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 166).
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, switch on the
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
warning flasher will operate again.
iIf the battery is disconnected or discharged

the SmartKey will not turn in the starter
switch. For more information, see “Battery”
(
page 464) and “Jump starting”
(
page 467).

the gear selector lever will remain locked in
positionP. For information on manually un-
locking the transmission gear selector lever,
see (
page 429).

471 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Towing eye bolt CLK 550/CLK 63 AMG
Towing eye bolt in front bumper
The cover for the towing eye bolt in the
front bumper is identical to the cover on
the CLK 350.
To remove and to reinstall cover, see “Tow-
ing eye bolt CLK 350” (
page 470).
Towing eye bolt in rear bumper
1Cover on right side of rear bumper
2Recess in the coverTo remove cover 1:
Insert flat, blunt object as a lever in
recess 2 on the edge of cover 1.
Loosen cover 1 from the bumper us-
ing lever, to reveal the threaded hole
for towing eye bolt.
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the
tool kit (located in the compartment
underneath the trunk floor).
Screw towing eye bolt in to its stop and
tighten with wheel wrench.To reinstall cover 1:Hook right-hand side of the cover1
into opening.
Slide cover1 as far as it will go in the
direction of the arrow3.
Gently press left-hand side of cover1
in direction of the arrow4.
The hooks on the left-hand side
engage.
iWhen closing the cover1, make sure the
cover’s check strap does not get caught.

472 Practical hints
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and sys-
tems secured by that fuse will stop operat-
ing.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified at an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
A fuse chart explains the fuse allocation
and fuse amperages. It is located in the
main fuse box in the passenger compart-
ment (
page 472).
The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:

in the passenger compartment on the
driver’s side (
page 472)

on the driver’s side of the engine com-
partment (
page 473)

in the trunk (page 474)
Before replacing fuses:
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to position P (
page 174).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (page 60).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO*:
Open the driver’s door.
Fuse box in passenger compartment
The fuse box is located in the passenger
compartment on the driver’s side of the
cockpit.
1Fuse box coverWarning!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 ap-
proved 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 at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iA blown fuse must be replaced by an appro-
priate 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.
iIn case of a blown fuse contact Roadside
Assistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
!Do not use sharp objects such as a screw
driver to open the fuse box cover1 in the
cockpit, as this could damage it.

478 Technical data
Identification labels
1Certification label (on driver’s B-pillar)
The V
ehicle Identification Number (VIN)
can be found in the following locations:

on the certification label.

embossed underneath the carpet in
front of the passenger seat
(
page 479).

on the lower edge of the windshield
(
page 479).
Example certification label (U.S. vehicles)
2VIN
3Paintwork code
Example certification label
(Canada vehicles)
2VIN
3Paintwork code
iData shown on certification label are for
illustration purpose only. These data are specific
to each vehicle and may vary from data shown in
the illustration. Refer to certification label on
vehicle for actual data specific to your vehicle.

482 Technical data
Rims and tires
!Only use tires which have been tested and
approved for your vehicle by Mercedes-Benz.
Tires approved by Mercedes-Benz are developed
to provide best possible performance in conjunc-
tion with the driving safety systems on your vehi-
cle such as ABS or ESP
®. Tires specially
developed for your vehicle and tested and ap-
proved by Mercedes-Benz can be identified by
finding the following on the tire’s sidewall:

MO = Mercedes-Benz Original equipment
tires
AMG vehicles:
Does not apply to all approved tires on AMG
vehicles. For information on tested and ap-
proved tires for AMG vehicles, contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(tires with limited run-flat characteristics)
original equipment tires
Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz may result in damage that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
iFor information on driving with MOExtended
tires, see “MOExtended system*” (
page 348).
!Using tires other than those approved by
Mercedes-Benz can have detrimental effects,
such as

poor handling characteristics

increased noise

increased fuel consumption
Moreover, tires and rims not approved by
Mercedes-Benz may, under load, exhibit dimen-
sional variations and different tire deformation
characteristics that could cause them to come
into contact with the vehicle body or axle parts.
Damage to the tires or the vehicle may be the
result.
iFurther information on tires and rims is
available at any authorized Mercedes-Benz Cen-
ter. A placard with the recommended tire infla-
tion pressures is located on the driver’s door
B-pillar. Some vehicles may have supplemental
tire inflation pressure information for driving at
high speeds (
page 340) or for vehicle loads
less than the maximum loaded vehicle condition
(
page 339).If such information is provided, it can be found
on the placard located on the inside of the fuel
filler flap. The tire inflation pressure should be
checked regularly and should only be adjusted
on cold tires. Follow tire manufacturer’s mainte-
nance recommendation included with vehicle.
iThe following pages also list the approved
wheel rim and tire sizes for equipping your vehi-
cles with winter tires. Winter tires are not avail-
able as standard or optional factory equipment,
but can be purchased from an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Depending on vehicle model and the standard or
optional factory-equipped wheel rim/tire config-
uration on your vehicle (Appearance Package,
Sport Package etc.), equipping your vehicle with
winter tires approved for your vehicle model may
also require the purchase of two or four wheel
rims of the recommended size for use with these
winter tires. See an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for more information.