2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG steering

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting
Seats
The seats can be adjusted either manually
or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s
equipment.
Warning!G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide un-
der the seat belt in a collision. If you slide
under it, the seat belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and
seat belts provide the best restraint when
the wearer is in a position that is as upright
as possible and seat belts are properly posi-
tioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt (
page 48).
Observe the following points:

Adjust the seat backrest until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.

Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far back as
possible with the driver still able to
operate the controls properly.

Adjust head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible and the
center of the head restraint supports
the back of the head at eye level.

Never place hands under the seat or
near any moving parts while a seat is
being adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in result in an
accident and/or serious personal injury.

41 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Pull handle1.
Slide the seat to the desired position.
Allow handle1 to reengage with an
audible click.
Check for proper engagement before
driving.Seat height
Pull or push handle2 up or down and
adjust the seat height until your legs
are slightly supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Pull handle3 and adjust the backrest
until your arms are slightly angled
when holding the steering wheel.
Release handle3 when the desired
backrest tilt is reached.
When you hear an audible click, the
backrest is again fixed into place.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 104).Power seat* adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the outer side of each seat.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat backrest tilt
4Seat cushion tilt
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
or
Open the respective door.

42 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat fore and aft adjustment
Press the horizontal switch forward or
backward in direction of arrows1.
Seat height
Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrows2 and adjust the
seat height until your legs are slightly
supported.
Seat backrest tilt
Press the vertical switch forward or
backward in direction of arrows3.
Seat cushion tilt
Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrows4 until your
upper legs are lightly supported.Head restraint height
Head restraint
Adjust the height of head restraints
manually by pulling them upwards or
pushing them downwards.
iThe memory function* (page 107) lets
you store the settings for power seats*, steering
wheel adjustment (electrical)*, and exterior rear
view mirrors.
Warning!G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head
restraint supports the back of the head at
eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of
an accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are in-
tended to help reduce injuries during an
accident.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way that
it is as close to the head as possible.

43 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheelMake sure that

you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows

you can move your legs freely

all displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument
cluster are clearly visible
Steering wheel adjustment, manual
The steering wheel adjustment release
handle is located on the lower left of the
steering column.
1Steering wheel adjustment release
handle
To unlock the steering wheel, pull
handle1 out to its stop limit.
Move the steering wheel to the desired
position.
To lock the steering wheel, push
handle1 in all the way until it
engages.
The steering wheel is locked into
position again.
Make sure the steering wheel is
securely locked by trying to move the
steering wheel up and down, in and out
before driving off.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the steering wheel
adjustment feature locked could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the electrical steering wheel
adjustment feature* can be operated when
the driver’s door is open. Therefore, 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.
!Do not drive the vehicle until you have
properly locked the steering wheel.

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.

45 Getting started
Adjusting
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:

close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or

insert the SmartKey into the starter
switchWith the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you:

remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or

open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch
position0or1
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To cancel steering wheel movement, do one
of the following:

Move steering wheel adjustment stalk*
(
page 44).

Press one of the memory position but-
tons* or the memory buttonM*
(
page 107).
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle, or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could open the driver’s door and
unintentionally activate the easy-entry/exit
feature, which could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iThe last set steering wheel position is stored
when

the ignition is switched off

the position is stored in memory
(
page 107)
iIf the current position for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
The adjustment procedure is briefly interrupted
when the engine is started.

46 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Adjust the interior rear view mirror
manually.
For more information, see “Rear view
mirrors” (
page 168).Exterior rear view mirrors
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. All steering wheel adjustment must be
completed before setting the vehicle in mo-
tion. Driving off with the steering wheel still
adjusting could cause the driver to lose con-
trol of the vehicle.Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your in-
terior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
!If an exterior rear view mirror housing is
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear) or
rearward (hit from the front), reposition it by
applying firm pressure until it snaps into place.
The exterior rear view mirror housing is now
properly positioned and you can adjust the
mirror in the usual manner.

52 Getting started
Driving
Automatic transmission*
Gearshift pattern for automatic
transmission
PPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission*” (
page 155).Starting
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Do not depress accelerator.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 37) and release it
again immediately. The engine starts
automatically.
For information on turning off the engine,
see “Turning off engine” (
page 61).Starting difficulties
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of time,
it can no longer be turned in the starter
switch. In this case the steering is locked.
To unlock, remove SmartKey from the
starter switch and reinsert.
If the engine does not start as described,
carry out the following steps:
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 and repeat the starting
procedure.
Remember that extended starting at-
tempts can drain the vehicle battery.
Get a jump start (page 426).
If the engine does not start after several
starting attempts, there could be a mal-
function in the engine electronics or in the
fuel supply system.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center or call Roadside Assistance.