2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK350 ESP

282 Controls in detail
Loading
2Release handle
Pull release handle2.3Seat cushion
4Seat backrestFold seat cushion3 forward.
Fold rear seat backrest4 forward.Setting up rear seat bench
5Indicator right
6Indicator leftFold backrest4 (page 282) rear-
ward until it engages.
Fold seat cushions3 (page 282)
rearward until it locks into position.
If a backrest is not locked into position,
ared indicator5 or6 will be visible.
Check for secure locking by pushing
and pulling on the backrest.
!Always release the seat cushion and fold it
forward before folding the corresponding seat
backrest forward. The covering on the seat back-
rest may otherwise be damaged.


283 Controls in detail
Loading
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the load limit indicated on the
corresponding Tire and Loading Informa-
tion placard located on the driver’s door
B-pillar (
page 334).
The handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Warning!G
If a red indicator is visible with the backrest
up, then the backrest is not properly locked
into position.
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, or the ex-
tended trunk compartment is not in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
iTo prevent unauthorized persons from ac-
cess to the trunk, always lock backrest in its up-
right position.
!CLK cabriolet:
To prevent damage to the soft top or lug-
gage/cargo when lowering the roof:

load trunk only to the height of the luggage
cover

do not permit luggage/cargo to push up the
closed luggage cover

do not place anything on the shelf behind the
roll bar

do not place anything on the soft top com-
partment cover

288 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cup holders
Cup holder in the center armrest
1Cup holder in compartment
(
page 287)
2Cup holderCup holder in rear seat armrest
(CLK coupe only)
Opening cup holder
Briefly press the front of cup holder.
The cup holder slides out slightly.
Pull out the cup holder until it stops.
Closing cup holder
Slide cup holder back in the direction
of arrow1 until it engages.
Warning!G
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants and/or vehicle equip-
ment, only use containers that fit into the
cup holder. Use lids on open containers and
do not fill containers to a height where the
contents, especially hot liquids, could spill
during braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an
accident. Liquids spilled on vehicle occu-
pants may cause serious personal injury.
Liquids spilled on vehicle equipment may
cause damage not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. An open cup holder may cause injury
to you and others when contacted during
braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an
accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior.
Objects thrown around in the vehicle
interior may cause an accident and/or
serious personal injury.

293 Controls in detail
Useful features
Please note that these functions are only
available with Mercedes-Benz approved
mobile phones. Please contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for in-
formation on features available for your
mobile phone of choice.
The cradle is located in the front center
armrest.
Open telephone compartment
(
page 287).
Inserting mobile phone in mobile phone
cradle
Once the mobile phone has been inserted
in the mobile phone cradle, you have to
use the hands-free device to respond dur-
ing phone calls.
If applicable, remove the cover for the
external antenna connection from the
back of the mobile phone and store it in
a s a f e p l a c e . B e s u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e
mobile phone’s operating instructions
as well.
Example illustration
1Insert the mobile phone
2Connector contact
3Mobile phone cradle
Slide the lower end of the mobile phone
into connector contact 2 on
cradle3.
Push the top of the mobile phone in di-
rection of arrow 1, until the lug on the
mobile phone release button engages.
The mobile phone is connected to the
network via the external antenna.
The mobile phone is linked to the
hands-free device and the multifunc-
tion steering wheel.
The battery is charged depending on its
charge status and the position of the
SmartKey in the starter switch. The
charge procedure will be indicated in
the mobile phone’s display.
You can place or receive phone calls. You
can control other functions of the mobile
phone via the control system
(
page 169), audio system (page 236),
COMAND* (see separate operating
instructions).
!Do not try to remove the mobile phone along
with the cradle. You could otherwise damage the
mobile phone cradle.
iWhen you take the SmartKey or SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* out of the starter switch, the
mobile phone remains switched on for approxi-
mately 10 minutes. If you place or receive a call
during this time, the mobile phone switches off
10 minutes after the call has been completed.

295 Controls in detail
Useful features
Tele Aid
The Tele Aid system
(Tele
matic Alarm Identification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response:

automatic and manual emergency

roadside assistance and

informationThe Tele Aid system is operational provid-
ing that the vehicle’s battery is charged,
properly connected, not damaged and
cellular and GPS coverage is available.
The speaker volume of a Tele Aid call can
be adjusted when using the volume control
on the multifunction steering wheel. To
raise, press buttonæ and to lower,
press buttonç. The volume can also be
adjusted using the volume knob on your
audio system or COMAND* head unit.
To activate, press the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• or
the Information button¡, depend-
ing on the type of response required.Shortly after the completion of your
Tele Aid acquaintance call, you will receive
a user ID and password. By visiting
www.mbusa.com and selecting “Tele Aid”
(USA only), you will have access to account
information, remote door unlock and
more.
System self-check
Initially, after switching on the ignition,
malfunctions are detected and indicated
(the indicator lamps in the SOS button, the
Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ stay on longer
than 10 seconds or do not come on).
The message
Tele Aid Inoperative ap-
pears in the multifunction display.
!The initial activation of the Tele Aid system
may only be performed by completing the sub-
scriber agreement and placing an acquaintance
call using the¡ button. Failure to complete
either of these steps will result in a system that
is not activated.
If you have any questions regarding activation,
please call the Response Center at
1-800-756-9018 (in the USA) or
1-888-923-8367 (in Canada).
iThe SOS button is located in the overhead
control panel (
page 33).
The Roadside Assistance button• and the
Information button¡ are located in the cen-
ter armrest below the cover (
page 287).
iThe Tele Aid system utilizes the cellular net-
work for communication and the GPS (G
lobal Po-
sitioning S
ystem) satellites for vehicle location. If
either of these signals is unavailable, the
Tele Aid system may not function and if this oc-
curs, assistance must be summoned by other
means.

296 Controls in detail
Useful features
Emergency calls
An emergency call is initiated
automatically following an accident in
which the emergency tensioning devices
(ETDs) or air bags deploy.
An emergency call can also be initiated
manually by opening the cover next to the
interior rear view mirror labeled SOS, then
briefly pressing the button located under
the cover. See (
page 297) for
instructions on initiating an emergency call
manually.
Once the emergency call is in progress, the
indicator lamp in the SOS button will begin
to flash. The message
Connecting Call
appears in the multifunction display and
the audio system is muted. When the
connection is established, the message
Call Connected appears in the multifunc-
tion display. All information relevant to the
emergency, such as the location of the
vehicle (determined by the GPS satellite
location system), vehicle model, identifica-
tion number and color are generated.A voice connection between the Response
Center and the occupants of the vehicle
will be established automatically soon af-
ter the emergency call has been initiated.
The Response Center will attempt to
determine more precisely the nature of the
emergency provided they can speak to an
occupant of the vehicle.
The Tele Aid system is available if:

it has been activated and is
operational. Activation requires a
subscription for monitoring services,
connection and cellular air time

the relevant cellular phone network
and GPS signals are available and pass
the information on to the Response
Center
Warning!G
If the indicator lamps in the SOS button, in
the Roadside Assistance button and/or in
the Information button remain illuminated
constantly in red and/or message
Tele Aid Inoperative is displayed in the
multifunction display after the system
self-check, a malfunction in the system has
been detected.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined
above, the system may not operate as
expected. Have the system checked at the
nearest Mercedes-Benz Center as soon as
possible.
iLocation of the vehicle on a map is only pos-
sible if the vehicle is able to receive signals from
the GPS satellite network and pass the informa-
tion on to the Response Center.

297 Controls in detail
Useful features
Initiating an emergency call manually
1Cover
2SOS button
Briefly press on cover1.
The cover will open.
Press SOS button2 briefly.
The indicator lamp in SOS button2
will flash until the emergency call is
concluded.
Wait for a voice connection to the
Response Center.
Close cover1 after the emergency
call is concluded.
Warning!G
If the indicator lamp in the SOS button is
flashing continuously and there was no
voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could
not initiate an emergency call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available).
The message
Call Failed appears in the
multifunction display for approximately
10 seconds.
Should this occur, assistance must be
summoned by other means.
Warning!G
If you feel at any way in jeopardy when in the
vehicle (e.g. smoke or fire in the vehicle,
vehicle in a dangerous road location), please
do not wait for voice contact after you have
pressed the emergency button. Carefully
leave the vehicle and move to a safe loca-
tion. The Response Center will automatically
contact local emergency officials with the
vehicle’s approximate location if they
receive an automatic SOS signal and cannot
make voice contact with the vehicle
occupants.

298 Controls in detail
Useful features
Roadside Assistance button•
The Roadside Assistance button• is
located below the center armrest cover.
Press and hold the •button (for
longer than 2 seconds).
A call to a Mercedes-Benz Roadside
Assistance dispatcher will be initiated.
The •button will flash while the call
is in progress. The message
Connecting Call will appear in the
multifunction display and the audio
system is muted.
When the connection is established, the
message
Call Connected appears in the
multifunction display. The Tele Aid system
will transmit data generating the vehicle
identification number, model, color and lo-
cation (subject to availability of cellular
and GPS signals).
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established.
Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.The Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may
apply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance
manual for more information.
The following is only available in the USA:

Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.
iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• remains illuminated in
red for approximately 10 seconds during the sys-
tem self-check after switching on the ignition (to-
gether with the SOS button and the Information
button¡).See system self-check (
page 295) when the
indicator lamp does not come on in red or stays
on longer than approximately 10 seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside Assistance
button• is flashing continuously and there
was no voice connection to the Response Center
established, then the Tele Aid system could not
initiate a Roadside Assistance call (e.g. the rele-
vant cellular phone network is not available). The
message
Call Failed appears in the multi-
function display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be terminated us-
ing the tbutton on the multifunction steer-
ing wheel or the respective button for ending a
telephone call on the audio system or the
COMAND* head unit.