2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG trunk

Contents
Safety and Security........................... 63
Occupant safety................................... 64
Air bags .......................................... 66
Occupant Classification System ..... 71
Seat belts ....................................... 76
Children in the vehicle .................... 79
Panic alarm .......................................... 83
Activating ....................................... 83
Deactivating ................................... 83
Driving safety systems ......................... 84
ABS ................................................ 84
BAS ................................................ 86
ESP
®............................................... 86
Anti-theft systems................................ 90
Immobilizer..................................... 90
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 90
Tow-away alarm ............................. 91
Controls in detail............................... 93
Locking and unlocking ......................... 94
SmartKey ....................................... 94
Opening the doors from the
inside ............................................. 98
Opening the trunk .......................... 99
Closing the trunk.......................... 100
Valet locking ................................ 101
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 102
Automatic central locking ............ 102
Locking and unlocking from the
inside ........................................... 103
Seats ................................................. 104
Seat heating* ............................... 104
Lumbar support*.......................... 105
AIRSCARF neck-level heating* ..... 105
Memory function* ............................. 107
Storing positions into memory ..... 108
Recalling positions from
memory ........................................ 108Lighting ............................................. 109
Exterior lamp switch .................... 109
Combination switch ..................... 113
Corner-illuminating front
fog lamps* ................................... 114
Hazard warning flasher ................ 115
Interior lighting ............................ 116
Door entry lamps ......................... 117
Instrument cluster ............................. 118
Adjusting instrument cluster
illumination .................................. 118
Tachometer.................................. 119
Outside temperature indicator ..... 119
Resetting trip odometer ............... 120
Clock............................................ 120

23 At a glance
Exterior view
ItemPage
1Trunk
Opening the trunk99
Closing the trunk100
Spare wheel392
Vehicle tool kit389
2Rear lamps400
3Rear window defroster170
4Fuel filler flap291
Refueling291
Gasoline454
5Doors
Locking and unlocking94
Opening98
Locking/unlocking in an
emergency394
ItemPage
6Towing428
Installing towing eye bolt429
7Tires and wheels304
Checking tire inflation
pressure313
General information304
Flat tire408
8Front lamps400
9Hood
Opening294
Engine oil296,
453
Coolant300,
456
ItemPage
aWindshield wipers56
Wiper blades, replacing406
Wiper blades, cleaning343
bWindshield
Cleaning with wiper fluid58
Cleaning343
cRetractable hardtop240
Opening/closing242
Wind screen246
Luggage cover241
dExterior rear view mirrors
Adjusting46
Auto-dimming rear view
mirrors*168

33 At a glance
Storage compartments
ItemPage
1Glove box253
2Door pocket
3Trunk
Vehicle tool kit, jack, spare
wheel389
Luggage cover241
Trunk load450
Load limit309
4Door pocket
5Cupholder255
ItemPage
6Parcel net in passenger
footwell254
7Ashtray255
Cigarette lighter256
8Storage tray
9Storage/telephone*
compartment253
aStorage compartment
between seat backrests254

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.

90 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents unauthorized
persons from starting your vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle.
The engine can be started by anyone with
a valid SmartKey that is left inside the
vehicle.
Activating
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Deactivating
Switch on the ignition (page 37).
Anti-theft alarm system
Once the alarm system has been armed, a
visual and audible alarm is triggered when
someone opens

a door

the trunk lid

the hood

the glove box

the storage/telephone* compartment
in the center console
The alarm system will also be triggered
when

someone attempts to raise the vehicle

unlocking and opening the driver’s
door or the trunk with the mechanical
key

someone opens a door from the inside

someone opens the trunk lid with the
emergency release buttonArming the alarm system
The alarm system indicator lamp is located
in the locking switch in the center console.
1Alarm system indicator lamp
iStarting the engine will also deactivate the
immobilizer.
In case the engine cannot be started (yet the
vehicle’s battery is charged), the system is not
operational. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA), or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
iThe alarm will stay on, even if the activating
element (e.g. a door) is immediately closed.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response Center is
initiated automatically by the Tele Aid* system
(
page 262), provided Tele Aid* service was
subscribed to and properly activated, and that
necessary cellular service and GPS coverage are
available (
page 262).

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).

94 Controls in detail
In the “Controls in detail” section you will
find detailed information on how to oper-
ate the equipment installed in your vehicle.
If you are already familiar with the basic
functions of your vehicle, this section will
be of particular interest to you.
To quickly familiarize yourself with the
basic functions of the vehicle, refer to the
“Getting started” section of this manual.
The corresponding page numbers are
given at the beginning of each segment.
For more information on unlocking and
locking, see (
page 36) and (page 59).
Locking and unlocking
SmartKey
Your vehicle comes supplied with two
SmartKeys, each with remote control and
a removable mechanical key.
The SmartKey provides an extended oper-
ating range. To prevent theft, however, it is
advisable to only unlock the vehicle when
you are in close proximity to it.
The SmartKey centrally locks and unlocks:

the doors

the trunk

the fuel filler flap

the glove box

the storage/telephone* compartment
under the armrest
SmartKey with remote control
1‹Lock button
2
ŠUnlock button for the trunk
(
page 99)
3Mechanical key locking tab
4ŒUnlock button
5Battery check lamp
6ÂPanic button (
page 83)

95 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
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.
!To prevent possible malfunction, avoid
exposing the SmartKey to high levels of electro-
magnetic radiation.
!If you can no longer lock or unlock the
vehicle with the SmartKey, the batteries in the
SmartKey are discharged, the SmartKey is
malfunctioning, or the vehicle battery is drained.

Check the batteries in the SmartKey and
replace them if necessary (
page 398).

Use the mechanical key to unlock the
driver’s door (
page 394) and the trunk
(
page 395).

Use the mechanical key to lock the vehicle
(
page 395).

Have the vehicle battery and the battery
connections checked (
page 422).
If the SmartKey is malfunctioning, contact
Roadside Assistance or an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
iWithout the antenna on the left rear side of
the vehicle installed, the SmartKey signaling
range is considerably reduced. Hold the
SmartKey in close proximity towards the
antenna base when locking or unlocking the
vehicle.
iYou can also open and close the retractable
hardtop using the SmartKey* (
page 244).
iUSA only:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada only:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.