2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK280 control system

36 Getting started
The “Getting started” section provides an
overview of the vehicle’s most basic func-
tions. First-time Mercedes-Benz owners
should pay special attention to the infor-
mation given here.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions described here, the “Controls in
detail” section (
page 93) will provide you
with further information. The correspond-
ing page references are located at the end
of each segment.
Unlocking
Unlocking with the SmartKey
SmartKey with remote control
1‹Lock button
2ŠUnlock button for trunk lid
3ŒUnlock button
4ÂPanic button (
page 83)
Press unlock buttonΠon the
SmartKey.

All turn signal lamps flash once.

An acoustic warning sounds once.

The locking knobs in the doors
move up.

The anti-theft alarm system is
disarmed.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
A child’s unsupervised access to a vehicle
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.

44 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel adjustment, electrical*
The steering wheel adjustment stalk is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering wheel, in or out
2Adjusting steering wheel, up or down
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
or
Open the driver’s door.Adjusting steering wheel in or out
Move stalk forward or back in direction
of arrows1 until a comfortable steer-
ing wheel position is reached with your
arms slightly bent at the elbow.
Adjusting steering wheel up or down
Move the stalk up or down in direction
of arrows2.Easy-entry/exit feature*
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be activat-
ed or deactivated in the
Convenience
submenu of the control system
(
page 147).
iThe memory function* (page 107) lets
you store the settings for the steering wheel to-
gether with the settings for the exterior rear view
mirrors and the driver’s seat position.

54 Getting started
Driving
Manual transmission
Depress the brake pedal.
Fully depress the clutch pedal.
Move gearshift lever to first gear to
drive forward, or to reverse gear to
drive rearward.
Simultaneously release the brake pedal
and slowly the clutch pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.Automatic transmission*
Depress the brake pedal.
Move the gear selector lever to
positionDorR.
Release the brake pedal.
Carefully depress the accelerator
pedal.
After a cold start, the transmission engag-
es at a higher revolution. This allows the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature earlier.
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 146).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofPorN if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!In order to avoid damage to the transmis-
sion:

Wait for the gear selection process to com-
plete before setting the vehicle in motion.

Place the gear selector lever in
positionPorR only when the vehicle is
stopped.

59 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.
Parking brake
Warning!G
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Wait until the vehicle is stationary before re-
moving the SmartKey from the starter
switch. The vehicle cannot be steered when
the SmartKey is removed.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
system. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.

Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.

Manual transmission: Move the gear-
shift lever into first or reverse gear.

Automatic transmission*: Move the
gear selector lever to position P.

Slowly release brake pedal.

When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and remove.

Take the SmartKey with you and lock
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.

64 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most
important facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.

Seat belts (page 76)

Child restraints (page 80)
Additional protection potential provided by

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 66)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency Tensioning Device
(ETD) for seat belts (
page 79)Air bag system components with

Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (
page 74)

Passenger seat with Occupant
C
lassification System (OCS)
(
page 71)
Although independent systems, their
protective functions work in conjunction
with each other.The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of malfunctions. The
1indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster comes on when the ignition is
switched on and goes out no later than a
few seconds after the engine has been
started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the 1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the 1indicator lamp:

fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 79).

66 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury in certain frontal impacts (front
air bags, knee bags), or side impacts
(head-thorax air bags) which may cause
significant injuries. However, no system
available today can completely eliminate
injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and passenger to always be in a prop-
erly seated position and to wear their seat
belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest.
Fasten your seat belt and ensure it is prop-
erly positioned on your body (
page 48).
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The dis-
tance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You
should be able to accomplish this by a
combination of adjustments to the seat
and steering wheel. If you have any
problems, please contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of the steer-
ing wheel rim. Placing hands and arms
inside the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when the driver’s front air bag inflates.

Adjust the passenger seat as far as pos-
sible rearward from the dashboard when
the seat is occupied.

70 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
The air bags will not deploy in impacts
which do not exceed the system’s deploy-
ment thresholds. You will then be protect-
ed by the fastened seat belts.The passenger air bag will only be de-
ployed if

the system, based on OCS weight sen-
sor readings, senses that the front pas-
senger seat is occupied

the 75indicator lamp in
the center console is not lit
(
page 74)

the impact exceeds a preset deploy-
ment threshold
Knee bags
The driver-side knee bag is located on the
driver’s side lower instrument panel. The
passenger-side knee bag is located on the
passenger side below the glove box. They
are designed to operate together with the
front air bags in certain frontal impacts
exceeding a preset threshold. The knee
bags operate best in conjunction with
properly positioned and fastened seat
belts.Head-thorax air bags
1Head-thorax air bag
The head-thorax air bags are deployed

in impacts exceeding a preset deploy-
ment threshold

on the impacted side of the vehicle

independently of the front air bags
The head-thorax air bags are not deployed
in impacts which do not exceed the
system’s deployment threshold.
iThe front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on the rate of relevant vehicle deceler-
ation as assessed by the air bag control unit.
On the passenger side, the front air bag
deployment is additionally influenced by the
passenger’s weight category as identified by the
Occupant Classification System (OCS)
(
page 71).
The lighter the passenger side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required for
the second stage inflation of the air bag.

73 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
If the 75 indicator lamp is
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
deactivated and will not be deployed.
If the 75 indicator lamp is not
illuminated, the passenger front air bag is
activated and will be deployed:

in the event of certain frontal impacts

if impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold

independently of the head-thorax air
bags
If the passenger front air bag is deployed,
the rate of inflation will be influenced by:

the rate of relevant vehicle deceleration
as assessed by the air bag control unit

passenger’s weight category as identi-
fied by the Occupant Classification
System (OCS)
Warning!G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ate infant or child restraint recommended
for the size and weight of the child.
The infant or child restraint must be properly
secured with the vehicle’s seat belt fully in
accordance with the child seat manufactur-
er's instructions.
Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information:

Your vehicle is equipped with air bag
technology designed to turn off the pas-
senger front air bag in your vehicle when
the system senses the weight of a typi-
cal 12-month-old child or less along with
the weight of a standard appropriate
child restraint on the passenger seat.

A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology in-
stalled in your vehicle.

If you install a rear-facing child restraint
on the passenger seat, make sure that
the 75indicator lamp is
illuminated, indicating that the passen-
ger front air bag is deactivated. Should
the 75 indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 75
indicator lamp while driving to make
sure the 75 indicator lamp
is illuminated. If the 75 in-
dicator lamp goes out or remains out, do
not transport a child on the passenger
seat until the system has been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on
the passenger seat will be seriously in-
jured or even killed if the passenger
front air bag inflates.