2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER Owners Manual

Engine compartment
150formance and increase petrol consump-
tion. You must avoid driving at full throttle.
! In emergencies, only when the recom-
mended fuel is not available, you may also
use standard unleaded petrol, 91 RON/
82.5 MON. However, using this fuel result s
in considerably higher petrol consumption
and significantly reduced performance.
Avoid driving at full throttle, and only drive
in drive program C.
If no fuel other than regular petrol fuel 91
RON/82.5 MON or a lower grade is per-
manently available, you should have the
vehicle adapted to run on this fuel by the
local after-sales service. Engine compartment
Bonnet
G
Risk of accident
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. The bonnet could other-
wise open.
Opening G
Risk of injury
There is a risk of injury if the bonnet is open,
even if the engine is not running.
Some engine components can become
very hot.
To avoid the risk of burns, only touch thos e
components described in the Owner’s Man-
ual and observe the relevant safety notes. G
Risk of injury
The radiator fan between the radiator and
the engine can start automatically, even if
the key has been removed from the ignition
lock. For this reason you must not reach
into the turning area of the fan. You could
otherwise sustain an injury . The electronic ignition system uses high
voltage. For this reason you must never
touch components of the ignition system
(ignition coil, ignition cable, spark plug con-
nector or test socket) when:
R
the engine is running
R the engine is being started
R the ignition is switched on and the engine
is being cranked by hand
X Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off. G
Risk of injury
The windscreen wipers and wiper rod s
could be set in motion.
When the bonnet is open, you or others
could be injured by the wiper rods.
Make sure that the windscreen wipers are
switched off and that the key has bee n
pulled out of the ignition lock before open-
ing the bonnet. Operation
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Engine compartment
151
The bonnet release lever is located in th
e
driver's footwell. 1
Bonnet release lever
X Pull release lever 1.
The bonnet is released.
! Make sure that the windscreen wipers
are not folded away from the windscreen.
You could otherwise damage the wind-
screen wipers or the bonnet. The handle for opening the bonnet is located
in the middle of the radiator grille. 2
Bonnet catch handl e
X Reach into the gap, pull bonnet catch han-
dle 2up and lift the bonnet.
Closing G
Risk of injury
Make sure that nobody can become trap-
ped as you close the bonnet.
X Lower the bonnet and let it fall from a
height of approximately 20 cm. The bonnet
engages into place. Engine oil
Depending on how it is driven, the vehicle
consumes a maximum of 0.8 l oil per 1,000
km. The oil consumption may be higher than
this when the vehicle is new or if you fre-
quently drive at high engine speeds. You can
only estimate the oil consumption after you
have driven a considerable distance.
You will find further information about engine
oil in the "Technical data" section
( Y page 258).
Checking the engine oil level To do so:
R
the vehicle should be parked on leve l
ground
R the engine should be switched off for at
least five minutes if the engine was at nor -
mal operating temperature
R the engine should be switched off for at
least 30 minutes if the engine was not at
operating temperature (i.e. if you only star-
ted the engine briefly ) Operation
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Engine compartment
152
Via the on-board computer*
X
Make sure that the key is in position 2in
the ignition lock (Y page 59).
X Press the jork button to select the
following message: The measurement takes a few seconds. You
will see one of the following messages in the
display:
R Engine oil level OK
R Add 1.0 litre to reach maximum oil
level
R Add 1.5 litres to reach maximum oil
level
R Add 2.0 litres to reach maximum oil
level
X Top up the oil if necessary (Y page 153). Other messages in the multi-function dis-
play
If the engine is at normal operating tempera-
ture and there is too much oil, you will see the
following message:
Eng. oil level
Reduce oil level
X
Have excess oil siphoned off.
! There is a risk of damage to the engine or
the catalytic converter if there is excess oil
in the engine.
If the Switch ignition on to chec k
engine oil level message appears:
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock (Y page 59).
You will see the following message if you did
not observe the required waiting time:
Observe waiting period
X Repeat the measurement after about fiv e
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature.
X Repeat the measurement after about
30 minutes if the engine is not at normal
operating temperature (if the engine was
only started briefly). The following message appears if the engin
e
is running:
Engine oil level Not when engine on
X Switch off the engine and wait for fiv e
minutes if the engine is at normal operating
temperature, or for about 30 minutes if the
engine is not at normal operating temper-
ature (if the engine was only started
briefly), before measuring.
i If you wish to cancel the measurement,
press the korj button on the multi-
function steering wheel. Operation
* optional
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Engine compartment
153
Using the oil dipstick
Example (SLK 350
)
1 Oil dipstick
2 Upper mark
3 Lower mark
X Pull oil dipstick 1out of the oil dipstick
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick 1.
X Insert oil dipstick 1into the oil dipstic k
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
The oil level is correct if the level is betwee n
lower mark 3and upper mark 2.
X Top up the oil if necessary (Y page 153). i
The difference in quantity between lower
mark 3and upper mark 2is approxi-
mately 2 litres .
Topping up the engine oi l Example (SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR)
1
Cover Example (SLK 350
)
1 Cover
X Unscrew cap 1and remove it.
X Top up by the amount of oil required.
! Do not add too much oil. If too much oil
is added, there is a risk of damage to the
engine or the catalytic converter.
X Screw cap 1onto the filler neck. H
Environmental note
When topping up the oil, take care not to
spill any. Oil must not be allowed to escape
into the soil or waterways. You would oth -
erwise be damaging the environment. Operation
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Engine compartment
154 Coolan
t G
Risk of injury
The cooling system is pressurised. There-
fore, only unscrew the cap once the engine
has cooled down. The coolant temperature
gauge must display less than 70°C. Yo u
could otherwise be scalded by escaping hot
coolant.
Coolant consists of water and antifreeze/cor-
rosion inhibitor. Only check the coolant level
when the vehicle is on a level surface and the
engine has cooled down. Checking the coolant leve
l The expansion tank is located in the engine
compartment on the right-hand side of the
vehicle when viewed in the direction of travel.
1
Expansion tank
2 Cove r
3 Marker bar
X Slowly turn cap 2by half a turn anti-clock -
wise to allow excess pressure to escape.
X Turn cap 2further anti-clockwise and
remove it.
There is sufficient coolant in expansion
tank 1if the coolant is level with marker
bar 3in the filler neck when cold or
approximately 1.5 cm higher when hot .X
Top up the coolant if necessary.
X Replace cap 2and tighten all the way to
the stop.
You will find further information about coolan t
in the "Technical data" section
( Y page 259). Windscreen washer system/head-
lamp cleaning system
*
The washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment on the right when
viewed in the direction of travel. The head-
lamp cleaning system* is also supplied from
the washer fluid reservoir. 1
Cove r Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
15
5
X
Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
washer fluid all year round. G
Risk of fire
Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
flammable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
are prohibited when windscreen washe r
concentrate is being handled.
Use
R a windscreen washer fluid additive
such as MB Summerwash to preven t
smearing (for temperatures above freez-
ing).
R a windscreen washer fluid additive wit h
antifreeze properties such as MB Winter-
wash (if there is a risk of frost).
X Mix the windscreen washer fluid in a con-
tainer beforehand. Adapt the mixing ratio
to the outside temperatures.
! Only use windscreen washer fluid which
is suitable for plastic lamp lenses. Unsuit-
able windscreen washer fluid could dam-
age the plastic lamp lenses of the head-
lamps. X
To open: pull cap1upwards by the tab .
X To close: press cap 1onto the filler neck
until it clicks into place. Tyres and wheels
Points to remember
! For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz rec-
ommends that you only use tyres and
wheels which have been approved by
Mercedes-Benz specifically for your vehi-
cle. These tyres have been specially adap-
ted for use with the control systems, such
as ABS or ESP ®
, and are marked as follows:
R MO = Mercedes-Benz Original
R MOE = Mercedes-Benz Original Extended
(with run-flat characteristics)*
Mercedes-Benz Original Extended tyres*
should only be used on wheels that have
been specifically approved by Mercedes-
Benz.
If you use other tyres and wheels,
Mercedes-Benz cannot accept any respon-
sibility for damage that may result from
this. Further information about tyres,
wheels and approved combinations can be
obtained from any Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If you use tyres other than those tested and
recommended for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles, characteristics such as handling, vehi-
cle noise emissions and fuel consumption Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
15
6
may be adversely affected. In addition, the
wheels may come into contact with the
body or axle components when heavily loa-
ded or when driving with snow chains. This
could result in damage to the tyres or the
vehicle.
! Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
recommended by Mercedes-Benz, sinc e
previous damage cannot always be detec -
ted on retreaded tyres. As a result,
Mercedes-Benz cannot guarantee vehicl e
safety if retreaded tyres are fitted. Do not
fit used tyres if you have no information
about their previous usage. G
Risk of accident
If wheels or tyres other than those which
have been tested are fitted:
R the brakes or chassis components could
be damage d
R wheel and tyre clearances can no longer
be guarantee d
This could cause an accident .
Modification work on the brake system and
wheels is not permitted, nor is the use of
spacer plates or brake dust shields. This inva-
lidates the General Operating Permit for the
vehicle. Notes on selecting, fitting and replacing
tyres R
Only fit tyres and wheels of the same type
and make.
R Only fit tyres of the correct size onto the
wheels.
R After fitting new tyres, run them in at mod -
erate speeds for the first 100 km as they
only reach their full performance after this
distance.
R Fit new tyres on the front wheels first if
tyres of the same size are required on the
front and rear wheels.
R Replace the tyres after six years at the lat -
est, regardless of wear. This also applies to
the spare wheel*.
R Do not drive with tyres which have too little
tread depth as this significantly reduce s
the traction on wet roads (aquaplaning).
! Store tyres that are not being used in a
cool, dry and preferably dark place. Protect
the tyres against oil, grease, petrol and die-
sel . Notes on regularly inspecting wheels
and tyre s R
Regularly check the wheels and tyres of
your vehicle for damage (e.g. cuts, punctu-
res, tears, bumps on tyres and deforma-
tion, cracks or severe corrosion on wheels),
at least every 14 days, as well as after off -
road trips or after travelling on rough roads.
Damaged wheels could cause a loss of tyre
pressure.
R Regularly check the tyre tread depth and
the condition of the tread across the whol e
width of the tyre (Y page 157). If neces-
sary, turn the front wheels to full lock in
order to inspect the inner side of the tyre
surface.
R All wheels must have a valve cap to protect
the valve against dirt and moisture.
R Regularly check the pressure of all your
tyres (including the spare tyre*), particu-
larly prior to long trips, and correct th e
pressure as necessary (Y page 157).
Notes on driving R
While driving, pay attention to vibrations,
noises and unusual handling characteris-
tics, e.g. pulling to one side. This may indi- Operation
* optional
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Tyres and wheels
15
7
cate that the wheels or tyres are damaged.
If you suspect that a tyre is defective,
reduce your speed and stop the vehicle as
soon as possible to check the wheels and
tyres for damage. Hidden tyre damag e
could also be causing the unusual handling
characteristics. If you find no signs of dam-
age, have the wheels and tyres inspected
at a specialist workshop, for example at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
R When parking your vehicle, make sure that
the tyres do not get deformed by the kerb
or other obstacles. If it is necessary to drive
over kerbs, speed humps or similar, try to
do so slowly and at an obtuse angle. Oth-
erwise, the tyres, particularly the sidewalls,
could get damaged. Direction of rotation
Direction of rotation Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
have additional benefits, e.g. if there is a risk
of aquaplaning. You will only gain these ben-
efits if the correct direction of rotation is
observed.
An arrow on the sidewall of the tyre indicates
its correct direction of rotation.
i You may fit a spare tyre *against th e
direction of rotation. Tyre tread
G
Risk of accident
Bear in mind that:
R tyre grip decreases rapidly on wet roads
when the tread depth is less than 3 mm.
You should thus replace tyres that have
insufficient tread.
R winter tyres should be replaced when th e
tread depth is 4 mm or less because oth - erwise they no longer provide adequate
grip.
R the tread on a tyre may not wear evenly .
You should thus regularly check the tread
depth and the condition of the tread
across the entire width of all tyres. If nec -
essary, turn the steering wheel so that
you can see the tyre tread more easily.
You could otherwise lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident due to the
reduced grip of the tyres on the road. Tyre pressures
G
Risk of accident
Tyre pressure that is either too high or too
low has a negative effect on the vehicle’ s
active safety, which could lead you to caus e
an accident. You should therefore regularly
check the pressure of all your tyres (includ -
ing the spare tyre*), particularly prior to
long trips, and correct the pressure as nec -
essary.
To test tyre pressure, use a suitable pressure
gauge. The outer appearance of a tyre does
not permit any reliable conclusion about the
tyre pressure. Operation
* optional
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