2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK ROADSTER brake

Loading and stowing
136
Removing X
Pull draught stop 1off the roll-over bars. 6
Handl e
X Detach press-studs 2. To do this, pull han-
dle 6.
X Unhook retainer loop 3. Loading and stowin
g Cup holder
G
Risk of injury
Keep the cup holder closed while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise, vehicle occu -
pants could be injured by objects being
thrown around if you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R are involved in an acciden t
Only use the cup holders for containers of
a suitable size and which have lids. Other-
wise, the drinks could spill.
Cup holders should not be used for hot
drinks. Otherwise, you may scald yourself. 1
Cup holder
X To open: press lightly on the cover of cup
holder 1.
The cup holder slides out automatically. Roof rack system*
G
Risk of accident
You can only mount a roof rack on vehicles
that have covers on the front roof pillars
and reinforced rear wheel arches.
Only use the roof rack when basic carrie r
bars are fitted. The left and right rails are
only stabilised by the basic carrier bars
being fitted. Controls
* optional
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Loading and stowing
138
X
To open: Swing boot floor 1up by th e
opening 2. Boo
t
The boot provides space for two golf bags. We
recommend that you remove the long golf
clubs from the bags and place them sepa-
rately in the boot. Stowage compartments
G
Risk of injury
The stowage compartments must be closed
when items are stored in them. Luggage
nets are not designed to secure heavy
items of luggage.
You or other vehicle occupants could be
injured by objects being thrown around if
you:
R brake sharply
R change direction suddenly
R have an accident
Sharp-edged and fragile objects must not
be carried in the luggage net. Do not carry hard objects in the ruffled
pockets. Objects must not protrude over
the top of the ruffled pockets.
Glove compartment i
Depending on the vehicle equipment, a
CD changer* is located in the glove com-
partment.
The glove compartment is locked and
unlocked via the central locking. 1
Handl e
2 Glove compartment lid
X To open: pull handle 1and open glov e
compartment lid 2. Stowage compartment under the arm-
res t i
The stowage compartment is locked and
unlocked via the central locking.
There is a credit card holder in the stowage
compartment lid.
The mobile phone bracket* is located in the
stowage compartment. 1
Armrest
X To open: lift armrest 1. Cont
rols
* optional
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Refuelling
14
8 The first 1,500 km
If you treat the engine with sufficient car e
from the very start, it will reward you with
excellent performance for a very long period
afterwards .
R You should therefore drive at varying road
and engine speeds for the first 1,500 km.
R Avoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full throt-
tle, during this time. Do not exceed 2
/ 3 of
the maximum permissible engine speed for
each gear.
R Change gear in good time.
R Do not shift down a gear manually in order
to brake.
Vehicles with automatic transmission* :
R Try to avoid depressing the accelerator
pedal beyond the pressure point (kick -
down).
R Only use ranges 3,2 or 1for slow driving,
e.g. in mountainous terrain.
Additional driving tips for AMG vehicles:
R Do not drive faster than 140 km/h for the
first 1,500 km .
R Only bring the engine up to a maximum
speed of 4,500 rpm for a brief period. i
You should also observe these notes if the
engine or rear axle transmission on your
vehicle has been replaced. Refuelling
Refuelling
G
Risk of explosion
Fuel is highly flammable. Fire, naked flames
and smoking are therefore prohibited when
handling fuels.
Before refuelling, always turn off the
engine. G
Risk of injury
Avoid any contact with fuels.
You can damage your health if your skin
comes into direct contact with fuel or if yo u
inhale the vapour.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
petrol engine. Even small amounts of diesel
will damage the injection system. Damage
caused by adding diesel is not covered by
the warranty.
! Do not start the engine if you accidentally
refuel with the wrong fuel. Otherwise, you
risk engine damage. Consult a qualified
specialist workshop and have the fuel sys-
tem emptied completely. 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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Winter driving
160 Interchanging the wheels
G
Risk of accident
Interchange the front and rear wheels only
if they have the same dimensions: for exam-
ple size, offset, etc.
After every wheel interchange/change,
have the tightening torque checked at a
qualified specialist workshop that has the
necessary specialist knowledge and tools
to carry out the work required. Mercedes-
Benz recommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety
or on safety-related systems must be car-
ried out at a qualified specialist workshop.
The wheels could work loose if they are not
tightened to a torque of 110 Nm.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom -
mends that you only use wheel bolts of the
correct size which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
The wheels may be interchanged every 5,000
km to 10,000 km depending on the degree of
tyre wear, provided that the vehicle has the
same size front and rear tyres. Do not reverse
the direction of tyre rotation.
The wear patterns on the front and rear tyres
differ depending on the operating conditions. Interchange the wheels before a clear wear
pattern has formed on the tyres. The fron
t
tyres typically wear more on the shoulders
and the rear tyres in the centre.
Clean the contact surfaces of the wheel and
the brake disc thoroughly every time a whee l
is changed. Check the tyre pressure and, if
necessary, restart the tyre pressure loss
warning system*. Winter driving
Introduction to winter operation
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-Ben z
Service Centre, at the onset of winter. Winter tyres
Use winter tyres at temperatures below +7 °
C and on snow or ice-covered roads. Only
then can the effect of the ABS and ES P®
driv-
ing systems be ensured in winter too.
Use winter tyres of the same make and tread
on all wheels to maintain safe handling char-
acteristics. G
Risk of accident
You must replace winter tyres with a trea d
depth of less than 4 mm immediately. They
are no longer suitable for winter use, in par-
ticular because they do not provide suffi-
cient grip. This could cause you to lose
control of your vehicle and cause an acci-
dent .
Always observe the maximum permitted
speed specified for the winter tyres you have
fitted. If you fit winter tyres which have a
lower maximum permitted speed than that of Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 16
2
X
Vehicles with manual transmission: engage
neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
shift the selector lever to N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering. Driving tips
Rolling with the engine switched off
G
Risk of accident
Never switch the engine off while the vehi-
cle is in motion.
There is no power assistance for the steer-
ing and the service brake when the engine
is not running.
You will require considerably more effort to
steer and brake and you could therefore
lose control of the vehicle and cause an
accident. Brakin
g G
Risk of accident
Do not change down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface. Thi s
could cause the drive wheels to lose thei r
grip and the vehicle could skid. G
Risk of accident
Make sure that other road users are not
endangered by your braking. Downhill gradients On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden, you must shift to
a lower gear in good time or, on vehicles with
automatic transmission*, select shift rang e
1 ,2 or 3.
i This also applies if you have activated
cruise control or Speedtronic.
This uses the braking effect of the engine and
you will not have to brake to such an exten t
to maintain the same speed. This relieves the
load on the brake system and prevents the
brakes from overheating and wearing too
quickly. If you need additional braking ,
depress the brake pedal repeatedly rather
than continuously.
Heavy and light loads If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly. G
Risk of accident
Never depress the brake pedal continu -
ously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g.
never cause the brakes to rub by applying Operation
* optional
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Driving
tips 16
3 constant slight pedal pressure. This causes
the brake system to overheat, increases
the braking distance and can lead to the
brakes failing completely .
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effective-
ness. To do this, brake more firmly from a
higher speed. This improves the grip of the
brakes.
Wet roads If driving in heavy rain for a prolonged period
of time without braking, there may be a
delayed reaction from the brakes, when brak-
ing for the first time. You must brake harder.
You must therefore maintain a greater dis-
tance from the vehicle in front.
Brake firmly after driving on a wet road. This
way the brake discs will become warm, drying
more quickly, which will protect them against
corrosion. Limited braking performance on salted
road s G
Risk of accident
The layer of salt on the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings may cause a delay in
the braking effect, resulting in a signifi -
cantly longer braking distance, which could
lead to an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without put-
ting other road users at risk, when you
are driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distance to the vehicl e
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues ar e
removed from the brake disc.
New brake pads/lining s For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom
-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle that have been approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard
.
Brake pads/linings which have not bee n
approved for Mercedes-Benz or which are no t
of an equivalent quality could affect your vehi-
cle's operating safety. G
Risk of accident
New brake pads/linings only reach thei r
optimum braking effect after several hun-
dred kilometres of driving. Before this opti-
mum braking effect is reached, you should
compensate for the reduced braking effect
by applying greater pressure when braking.
This also applies after the brake discs or the
brake pads/linings have been replaced.
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles The high-performance brake system is
designed for heavy loads. Braking can there-
fore cause noises. This will depend on:
R speed
R braking forc e
R environmental conditions, such as temper -
ature and humidity
The wear of individual components of th e
brake system, such as the brake pads/linings Operation
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Driving ab
road 164
or brake discs, depends on the individual driv-
ing style and operating conditions.
Because of this, it is impossible to state
a
mileage that will be valid under all circum-
stances. An aggressive driving style will lead
to high wear . Tyre gri
p G
Risk of accident
Whereas the vehicle can be fully controlle d
at a certain speed on dry roads, you must
reduce your speed on wet or icy roads to
achieve the same road safety. Otherwise
you could cause an accident.
Pay particular attention to the road condi-
tions at temperatures around freezing
point.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
from fog), a light film of water rapidly forms
on the ice when you brake, considerably
reducing tyre grip. Drive with particular
care in such weather conditions. Driving on wet roads
If water has accumulated to a certain dept h
on the road surface, there is a danger of aqua-
planing occurring, even if:
R you drive at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, do not drive in tyre ruts, and
brake carefully. Driving on flooded roads
If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, please bear in
mind that:
R the maximum permitted still water depth is
12 cm.
R you should drive no faster than at walkin g
pace.
! Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in
front or in the opposite direction creat e
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
You must observe these notes, otherwise
damage may occur to the engine, electrics
and transmission . Driving abroad
Points to remember
An extensive Mercedes-Benz Service networ k
is also available in other countries. You can
obtain the relevant workshop directories
from any Mercedes-Benz Service Centre.
Only low-octane fuel is available in certain
countries.
You can find further information about fuel
grades on (Y page 148). Symmetrical dipped beam
If your journey takes you to countries where
vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the
road to the country in which the vehicle is
registered, your headlamps must be switched
to symmetrical dipped beam. Oncoming traf -
fic will be dazzled less .
X Have the headlamps switched over at a
qualified specialist workshop, e. g. a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. G
Risk of accident
Have your headlamps switched back to
asymmetrical dipped beam if you visit a
country in which traffic drives on the same Operation
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