2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG Spect

16 Introduction
Operating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual

the “Technical data” section
(
page 436) in this manual

the traffic rules and regulations

the motor vehicle laws and safety stan-
dards
Warning!G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are
interconnected, any modification made may
produce an undesired effect on other
systems.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center for repairs or modifications to
electronic components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore
never turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!G
Heavy blows against the vehicle undercar-
riage or tires/wheels, for example when
running over an obstacle, road debris or a
pothole, may cause serious damage and im-
pair the operating safety or your vehicle. If
you feel a sudden significant vibration or
ride disturbance, or you suspect that dam-
age to your vehicle has occurred, you should
turn on your hazard warning flashers, care-
fully slow down, and drive with caution to an
area which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle undercarriage or
tires/wheels for possible damage. If the
vehicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair
facility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!G
Various labels are attached to your vehicle.
These warning labels are intended to make
you and others aware of various risks. You
should not remove any of these warning
labels unless explicitly instructed to do so by
information on the label itself. Removal of
any of these labels may cause you and
others to be unaware of certain risks which
may result in an accident and/or personal
injury.

40 Getting started
Adjusting
Manual seat adjustment
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Seat backrest tilt
Warning!G
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 power seats* can be op-
erated when the respective 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.
Warning!G
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an appropri-
ate infant, or toddler restraint, or booster
seat recommended for the size and weight
of the child. For additional information, see
“Children in the vehicle” (
page 79).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
!When moving the seats, make sure there are
no items in the footwell or behind the seats;
otherwise you could damage the seats.

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.

47 Getting started
Adjusting
The buttons are located on the lower part
of the center console.
1Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
2Adjustment button
3Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror button
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
Press button1 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button3
for passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror.
The indicator lamp in the respective
button comes on for approximately
10 seconds.
Press adjustment button2 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.
iIf you do not make adjustments to the
selected exterior rear view mirror within
10 seconds, the indicator lamp goes out. You will
then have to select the desired exterior rear view
mirror again before any adjustments can be
made. Adjustments can only be made with the
indicator lamp for the respective exterior rear
view mirror button illuminated.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
iThe memory function* (page 107) lets
you store the settings for the exterior rear view
mirrors together with the settings for the steer-
ing wheel and the driver’s seat position.

91 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
and an acoustic warning sounds three
times to indicate that the alarm system
is armed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 starts
flashing.Disarming the alarm system
Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey.
The turn signal lamps flash once and
an acoustic warning sounds once to
indicate that the alarm system is
disarmed.
Alarm system indicator lamp 1 goes
out.
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
Press theŒ or‹button on the
SmartKey.
or
Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash three
times and no acoustic warning sounds three
times, a door or the trunk lid may not be properly
closed.
Close the respective element and lock the
vehicle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automatically
again after approximately 40 seconds if no door
was opened.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is triggered,
for example, if the vehicle is lifted on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than 30 seconds,
a call to the Response Center is initiated auto-
matically by the Tele Aid* system (
page 262),
provided Tele Aid* service was subscribed to
and properly activated, and that necessary cellu-
lar service and GPS coverage are available
(
page 262).

106 Controls in detail
Seats
Red indicator lamps2 on AIRSCARF
switch 1 show which heating level you
have selected:
Switch on the ignition (page 37).Switching on
Press the AIRSCARF switch1 for the
desired side.
All three indicator lamps 2 on
respective AIRSCARF switch 1 come
on. After a preheating time of approxi-
mately 7 seconds, the blower starts.
Press AIRSCARF switch 1 repeatedly
until the desired AIRSCARF heating
level for the corresponding seat is
reached.Switching off
Press AIRSCARF switch1 repeatedly
until all indicator lamps 2 on
AIRSCARF switch 1 go out.
Level
3Three indicator lamps on
(highest level).
2Two indicator lamps on.
1One indicator lamp on
(lowest level).
offNo indicator lamp on.
iAfter switching off the AIRSCARF neck-level
heating, the AIRSCARF fan continues to operate
for approximately 10 seconds to cool down the
heater elements.
iIf one or more indicator lamps2 on
AIRSCARF switch 1 are flashing, there is insuf-
ficient voltage available since too many electri-
cal consumers are turned on. The AIRSCARF
neck-level heating switches off automatically.
The AIRSCARF neck-level heating will switch
back on again automatically as soon as sufficient
voltage is available.

107 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Memory function*
Prior to operating the vehicle, the driver
should check and adjust the seat height,
seat position fore and aft, and seat back-
rest angle if necessary, to ensure adequate
control, reach and comfort. The head re-
straint should also be adjusted for proper
height. See also the section on air bags
(
page 66) for proper seat positioning.
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, operation
and comfort. Both the interior and exterior
rear view mirrors should be adjusted for
adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in an appropri-
ate infant or child restraint system which is
properly secured by a lap-shoulder belt
and that complies with U.S. Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standards 213 and 255
and Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 210.2.With the memory function you can store up
to three different configurations.
Each store position on the driver’s side
includes the following settings:

Seat position

Steering wheel position

Exterior rear view mirrors’ position
Each store position on the passenger side
includes the following setting:

Seat positionThe memory button and memory position
switch are located on the outer side of
each seat.
1Memory buttonM
2Memory position switch
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
or
Open the respective door.
Warning!G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

114 Controls in detail
Lighting
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps*
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps
improve illumination of the area in the
direction into which you are turning.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamps will
operate with the engine running and with

the exterior lamp switch in
positionB (
page 109)
or

the exterior lamp switch in
positionU (
page 109)
or

the daytime running lamp mode
activated (
page 111)Driving forward
Switching on corner-illuminating front
fog lamps
Switch on the left or right turn signal
(
page 55), depending on whether
you are turning left or right.
The respective front fog lamp comes on
and illuminates the area in the
direction into which you are turning.
or
Turn the steering wheel in the desired
direction.
The front fog lamp on the side of your
steering direction comes on.
iCorner-illuminating front fog lamps are not
available for the following models:

SLK 280 and SLK 350 without Bi-Xenon*
headlamps

SLK 280 and SLK 350 with Sport Package*

SLK 55 AMG
iWith automatic headlamp mode activated:
Corner-illuminating front fog lamps will only
come on in low ambient lighting conditions.
iIf you are driving faster than
25 mph (40 km/h) or have the front fog lamps
switched on, the corner-illuminating front fog
lamps function is not available.
iIf you have switched on the turn signal for
one side but turn the steering wheel in the
opposite direction, the corner-illuminating front
fog lamp the corner-illuminating lamp comes on
for the side indicated by the turn signal.
The corner-illuminating front fog lamp remains lit
for a maximum of 3 minutes. Afterwards, it goes
out even if the turn signal is still switched on.
iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
temporarily come on on both sides of the vehicle
if you turn the steering wheel in one direction
and then again in the other direction shortly
thereafter.
iThe corner-illuminating front fog lamps
will come on automatically depending on the
steering angle, even if you did not switch on
either turn signal.
If the corner-illuminating front fog lamps came
on automatically, they will also go out automati-
cally depending on the steering angle.