Page 377 of 521

376 Operation
Vehicle care
Upholstery
Using aftermarket seat covers or wearing
clothing that have the tendency to give off
coloring (e.g. when wet, etc.) may cause
the upholstery to become permanently
discolored. By lining the seats with a
proper intermediate cover,
contact-discoloration will be prevented.Leather upholstery
Please note that leather upholstery is a
natural product and is therefore subject to
a natural aging process. Leather
upholstery may also react to certain
ambient influences such as high humidity
or high temperature by showing wrinkles
for example.
Wipe leather upholstery with a damp
cloth and dry thoroughly or clean with
Mercedes-Benz approved Leather
Care.
Exercise particular care when cleaning
perforated leather as its underside should
not become wet.Wood trims
Dampen cloth using water and use
damp cloth to clean wood trims in your
vehicle.
Warning!G
Only use seat or head restraint covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model.
Using other seat or head restraint covers
may interfere with or prevent
deployment of the head-thorax air bags
(CLK cabriolet)
activation of the active head restraints
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for availability.
!Wipe with light pressure to avoid damage to
the upholstery.
!Do not use solvents like tar remover or
wheel cleaner nor polishes or waxes as these
may be abrasive.
Page 427 of 521

426 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
In case of a flat tire, you may temporarily
use the Minispare wheel when observing
the following restrictions:
Do not exceed a vehicle speed of
50 mph (80 km/h).
Drive to the nearest tire repair facility
to have the flat tire repaired or
replaced as appropriate.
Do not operate vehicle with more than
one Minispare wheel mounted.
For more information, see “Rims and tires”
(
page 482).
Spare wheel bolts
The spare wheel bolts are fixed at the
Minispare wheel.
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel
(located in trunk with spare wheel)
!To prevent damage, always disengage trunk
floor handle from upper edge of trunk and lower
trunk floor before closing the trunk.
Warning!G
The dimensions of the Minispare wheel are
different from those of the road wheels. As
a result, the vehicle handling characteristics
change when driving with a Minispare wheel
mounted.
The Minispare wheel should only be used
temporarily, and should be replaced with a
regular road wheel as quickly as possible.
Do not switch off the ESP
® when a Minis-
pare wheel is mounted.
!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing the Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for the Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
Warning!G
Make sure to use the original length wheel
bolts when remounting the original wheel
after it has been repaired.
Page 446 of 521

445 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Notes on bulb replacement
Only use 12 volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.
Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.
Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.
Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.
If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Additional turn signal lamps in the exte-
rior rear view mirrors
High mounted brake lamp
Bi-Xenon* lamps
Front fog lamps
Front side marker lamps
Warning!G
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas. A
bulb can explode if you:
touch or move it when hot
drop the bulb
scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
!Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the
vehicle. Only have the LEDs replaced at an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Page 462 of 521

461 Practical hints
Flat tire
Mounting the Minispare wheel
1Wheel bolt for light alloy rims
2Wheel bolt for Minispare wheel,
(located in trunk with Minispare wheel)Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.
1Alignment bolt
Guide spare wheel onto the alignment
bolt and push it on.
Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.!Wheel bolts2 must be used when mount-
ing the Minispare wheel. The use of any wheel
bolts other than wheel bolts2 for the Minispare
wheel will physically damage the vehicle’s
brakes.
!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while installing first
wheel bolt.
Warning!G
Always replace wheel bolts that are
damaged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be
repaired immediately. Do not continue to
drive under these circumstances! Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect wheel bolts or improperly tight-
ened wheel bolts can cause the wheel to
come off. This could cause an accident.
Make sure to use the correct wheel bolts.
Page 463 of 521
462 Practical hints
Flat tire
Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.Lowering the vehicle
Lower vehicle by turning crank
counterclockwise until vehicle is
resting fully on its own weight.
Remove the jack.
1 - 5 Wheel bolts
Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly,
following the diagonal sequence
illustrated (1to5), until all bolts are
tight. Observe a tightening torque
of 80 lb-ft (110 Nm).
Before storing the jack, it should be fully
collapsed, with handle folded in (storage
position) (
page 424).
Store the jack and the other vehicle
tools in the trunk.
Warning!G
Only use genuine Mercedes-Benz wheel
bolts. Other wheel bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the
vehicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle
could fall off the jack.
Warning!G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque
of 80 lb-ft (110 Nm).
Page 493 of 521

492 Technical data
Fuels, coolants, lubricants, etc.
Premium unleaded gasolineFuel requirements
Only use premium unleaded fuel:
The octane number (posted at the
pump) must be 91 min. It is an average
of both the Research Octane Number
(RON) and the Motor Octane Number
(MON): (RON+MON)/2. This is also
known as the ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.
Unleaded gasoline containing oxygenates
such as ethanol, IPA, IBA and TBA can be
used provided the ratio of any one of these
oxygenates to gasoline does not
exceed 10%; MTBE not to exceed 15%.
The ratio of methanol to gasoline must not
exceed 3% plus additional co-solvents.
Using mixtures of ethanol and methanol is
not allowed. Gasohol, which contains
10% ethanol and 90% unleaded gasoline,
can be used.
These blends must also meet all other fuel
requirements, such as resistance to spark
knock, boiling range, vapor pressure, etc.Warning!G
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking mate-
rials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid in-
haling fumes and skin or clothing contact,
extinguish all smoking materials.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the inha-
lation of fuel vapors can damage your
health.
!To maintain the engine’s durability and per-
formance, premium unleaded gasoline must be
used. If premium unleaded gasoline is not avail-
able and low octane fuel is used, follow these
precautions:
Have the fuel tank only partially filled with
unleaded regular gasoline and fill up with
premium unleaded gasoline as soon as
possible.
Avoid full throttle driving and abrupt
acceleration.
Do not exceed an engine speed of 3 000 rpm
if the vehicle is loaded with a light load such
as two persons and no luggage.
Do not exceed 2/3 of maximum accelerator
pedal position if the vehicle is fully loaded or
operating in mountainous terrain.
Page 499 of 521

498 Index
Automatic lighting control,
Interior lighting 136
Automatic locking when driving 118
Automatic shift program 178
Automatic transmission
Accelerator position 176
Automatic shift program 178
Emergency operation
(limp-home mode) 184
Gear ranges 177
Gear selector lever 51, 172
Gear selector lever control
one-touch gearshifting 179
Gear selector lever positions 174
Gear shifting malfunctions 184
Kickdown 176
Kickdown, manual shift program 184
Manual shift program
CLK 63 AMG 182
Program mode selector switch 178
Shifting procedure 173
Starting engine 51
Steering wheel gearshift control
one-touch gearshifting* 180
Transmission fluid level 327
Automatic Transmission Fluid see ATFB
Backrest 281
Seat, Multicontour* 124
Seat, Power 42
Backup lamps
Messages in display 414
Replacing bulbs 443, 444
Bar 358
BAS 92
Batteries, SmartKey
Changing 442
Checking battery condition 108
Battery, Vehicle 329, 464
Charging 466
Connecting 466
Disconnecting 465
Installing 466
Jump starting 467
Messages in display 403
Removing 465
Bead 358
Beverage holder see Cup holder
Block heater (Canada only) 363
Bolts, Spare wheel 426Brake fluid 491
Checking 322
Message in display 404
Brake lamp
Cleaning lenses 372
High mounted 444
Replacing bulbs 444, 448
Brake pads
Message in display 404
Brakes 310
High-performance brake system
(CLK 63 AMG only) 311
Warning lamp 380
Break-in period 308
Bulbs, replacing see Replacing bulbs
Page 501 of 521

500 Index
Control system menus 144, 145
AMG 148
AUDIO 151
NAV* 153
Settings 155
Settings, Submenus 156
Standard display 147
Submenus 143
TEL* 169
Trip computer 167
Vehicle status message memory 154
Control system submenus 143, 145, 157
Convenience 166
Instrument cluster 158
Lighting 162
Time/Date 160
Vehicle 165Coolant 328, 494
Adding 328
Anticorrosion/antifreeze
mixing ratio and quantity 494
Capacities 489
Checking coolant level 328
Messages in display 405–407
Temperature 319
Temperature indicator 139
Warning lamp 382
Coolants 494
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps* 133
Replacing bulbs 444
Cruise control 267
Canceling 269
Cruise control lever 267
Current speed 268
Fine adjustment 270
Higher speed 269
Last stored speed ("Resume"
function) 270
Slower speed 270
Cup holder 288
Curb weight 358D
Date 160
Date, Setting 161, 162
Daytime running lamp mode 131
Setting 162
Deep water see Standing water
Defogging
Windshield 196, 206
Defrosting, Front 195, 206
Defrosting, Rear 189
Delayed shut-off
Exterior lamps 164
Interior lighting 165
Department of Transportation see DOT
Difficulties
With starting 53
Digital speedometer 147
Dimensions, Vehicle 488
Direction of rotation (tires) 334
Displays
Digital speedometer 147
Lap analysis 151
Maintenance service indicator 364
Messages in display 392
Multifunction display 141
Outside temperature 140