286 Operation
Driving instructions
Winter driving instructions
The most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid
abrupt acceleration, braking and steering
maneuvers. Do not use the cruise control
system under such conditions.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever* to positionN or
declutch in case of manual transmission.
Try to keep the vehicle under control by
corrective steering action.Road salts and chemicals can adversely af-
fect braking efficiency. Increased pedal
force may become necessary to produce
the normal brake effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically
when traveling at length on salt-strewn
roads can bring road-salt-impaired braking
efficiency back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven
on salt-treated roads, the braking efficien-
cy should be tested as soon as possible af-
ter driving is resumed.
For more information, see “Winter driving”
(
page 335).
iFor information on driving with snow chains,
see “Snow chains” (
page 336).
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of control loss.
Warning!G
Make sure not to endanger any other road
users when carrying out these braking ma-
neuvers.
Warning!G
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow, make
sure snow is kept clear of the exhaust pipe
and from around the vehicle with the
engine running. Otherwise, deadly carbon
monoxide (CO) gases may enter the vehicle
interior, resulting in unconsciousness and
death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.
Warning!G
The outside temperature indicator is not de-
signed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Indicated temperatures just above the freez-
ing point do not guarantee that the road sur-
face is free of ice.
396 Practical hints
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Insert mechanical key 2 into the
driver’s door lock until it stops.
Turn mechanical key 2 clockwise to
position1.
The driver’s door is locked.
Turn back mechanical key 2 and
remove it from driver’s door lock.Manually unlocking the gear selector
lever (automatic transmission*)
In case of power failure, the gear selector
lever can be manually unlocked, e.g. to tow
the vehicle.
1Gear selector lever cover
2Release
Insert flat, blunt object (e.g. screw-
driver) into the left edge of cover1 at
the position indicated by the arrows.
Loosen cover1 using this object.
Using your hands, pull cover1 out
and remove.
Push down and hold release2 in
direction of arrow.
Simultaneously move gear selector
lever out of positionP.
The gear selector lever is unlocked
now.1Locking
2Mechanical key
iThis procedure does not arm the anti-theft
alarm system, nor does it lock the fuel filler flap
and the storage compartments.
iThe gear selector lever is locked again as
soon as you place it in positionP again.
408 Practical hints
Flat tire
The SLK 55 AMG with Performance
Package* is equipped with a TIREFIT kit.
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Set the parking brake (page 53).
Move the gear selector lever* toP
(manual transmission to first or reverse
gear).
Turn off the engine (page 61).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Sealing tires with TIREFIT
Small tire punctures, particularly those in
the tread, can be sealed with TIREFIT.
TIREFIT can be used in ambient tempera-
tures down to -4°F (-20°C).Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.
Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the
electric air pump out of the trunk
(
page 389).
Two-part sticker
1Sticker for instrument cluster
2Sticker for wheel
Attach sticker part 1 where it will be
easily seen by the driver on the instru-
ment cluster.
Attach sticker part 2 to the damaged
tire (close to the tire valve).iOpen door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
iSLK 55 AMG with Performance Package*
only.
Warning!G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approximately 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire
damage caused by driving with extremely
low tire inflation pressure, or on a flat tire, or
a damaged wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
for assistance or call Roadside Assistance.
423 Practical hints
Battery
Disconnecting the battery
1Water tray
2Lock
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever* is
set to positionP (manual transmission
to Neutral).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Open the hood (page 294).
Turn locks2 one quarter turn.
Remove water tray1.
Read and observe safety instructions
and precautions (
page 302) and
(
page 422).
Use a 10 mm open-end wrench to dis-
connect the negative lead from battery
negative terminal3 (
page 422).
Remove the cover from battery positive
terminal 2 (
page 422).
Use a 10 mm open-end wrench to dis-
connect the positive lead from battery
positive terminal2 (
page 422).
Warning!G
With a disconnected battery
you will no longer be able to turn the
SmartKey in the starter switch
automatic transmission*: the gear se-
lector lever will remain locked in
positionP
!Always disconnect the battery in the order
described below. Otherwise the vehicle’s
electronics can be damaged.
427 Practical hints
Jump starting
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever* is
set to positionP (manual transmission
to Neutral).
Open the hood (page 294).
Flip up cover from positive under hood
terminal2 in front of water tray1
(
page 423).1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive terminal
3Negative terminal of charged battery
4Negative terminal
Connect positive terminal1 of the
charged battery with positive
under-hood terminal2 in front of the
water tray with one jumper cable.
Clamp the cable to positive terminal1
of the charged battery first.
Start the engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.
Connect negative terminal3 of the
charged battery with negative
under-hood terminal4 with the
second jumper cable. Clamp the cable
to negative terminal3 of the charged
battery first.
Start the engine of the disabled
vehicle.
You can now turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not switch on the
headlamps under any circumstances.
Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 and then
from positive terminals2 and1.
You can now switch on the headlamps.
Have the battery checked at the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries
(
page 302).
!Never invert the terminal connections.
428 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment.
When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Vehicles with automatic transmission*: Do
not tow-start vehicle.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equipment
with the SmartKey in the starter switch in
position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment. Towing
with sling-type equipment over bumpy roads will
damage radiator and supports.
To prevent damage during transport, do not tie
down vehicle by its chassis or suspension parts.
Use the towing eyes.
Switch off the tow-away alarm (
page 91) and
the automatic central locking (
page 102).
Warning!G
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:
the engine will not run
there is a malfunction in the brake
system
there is a malfunction in the power
supply or in the vehicle’s electrical
system
This is necessary to adequately control the
towed vehicle.
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make sure the SmartKey is in
starter switch position2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock,
remove SmartKey from starter switch and
reinsert.
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the
vehicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.
!If the vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised, the gear selector lever* must be in
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever
in neutral position) and the engine must be shut
off (SmartKey in starter switch position0or1).
Active braking action through the ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground, the gear selector lever* must be in
positionN (manual transmission: gear shift lever
in neutral position) and the SmartKey must be in
starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels on the
ground or the front axle raised, the vehicle
may be towed only for distances up to
30 miles (50 km) and at a speed not to
exceed 30 mph (50 km/h).
429 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
Installing towing eye bolt
The towing eye bolt is supplied with the ve-
hicle tool kit, located in the compartment
underneath the trunk floor (
page 389).
The towing eyes are located on the passen-
ger side in the front and rear bumper.
Take vehicle tool kit out of trunk
(
page 389).
Front cover
1Cover in front bumper
!Towing of the vehicle should only be done
using the properly installed towing eye bolt.
Never attach a tow cable, tow rope or tow rod to
the vehicle chassis, frame or suspension parts.
iWhen towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, please note the following:
With the automatic central locking activated and
the SmartKey in starter switch position2, the
vehicle doors lock if the left front wheel as well
as the right rear wheel are turning at vehicle
speeds of approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more.
To prevent the vehicle door locks from locking,
deactivate the automatic central locking
(
page 102).
iTo signal turns while being towed with the
hazard warning flasher in use, switch on ignition
and activate the combination switch for the left
or right turn signal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the hazard warn-
ing flasher will operate again.
iThe gear selector lever* will remain locked
in positionP (vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion*) and the SmartKey will not turn in the
starter switch if the battery is disconnected or
discharged. For more information, see “Battery”
(
page 422) or “Jump starting” (page 426).
Vehicles with automatic transmission*:
For information on manual unlocking of gear
selector lever, see (
page 396).
432 Practical hints
Fuses
The electrical fuses in your vehicle serve to
switch off malfunctioning power circuits.
If a fuse is blown, the components and
systems secured by that fuse will stop
operating.If a newly inserted fuse blows again, have
the cause determined and rectified by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
A fuse chart explains the fuse allocation
and fuse amperages. It is located in the
fuse box in the passenger compartment
(
page 433).
The electrical fuses are located in different
fuse boxes:
in the passenger compartment on the
driver’s side (
page 433)
on the driver’s side of the engine
compartment (
page 433)Before replacing fuses:
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Make sure the gear selector lever* is
set to positionP (
page 157) (manual
transmission to Neutral).
Turn off all electrical consumers.
Turn off the engine (page 61).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Warning!G
Only use fuses approved by Mercedes-Benz
with the specified amperage for the system
in question and do not attempt to repair or
bridge a blown fuse. Using other than
approved fuses or using repaired or bridged
fuses may cause an overload leading to a
fire, and/or cause damage to electrical
components and/or systems. Have the
cause determined and remedied by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
iA blown fuse must be replaced by an
appropriate spare fuse (recognizable by its color
or the fuse rating given on the fuse) of the
amperage recommended in the fuse chart.
Any Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad to advise
you on this subject.
iIn case of a blown fuse contact Roadside
Assistance or an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.