2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK300 Owner's Manual

i
For draft-free ventilation, move the
adjustable center and side air vents to the
middle position.
Center air vents :
Left center air vent, fixed
; Thumbwheel for air volume control for
fixed/adjustable left center air vents
= Left center air vent, adjustable
? Right center air vent, adjustable
A Thumbwheel for air volume control for
fixed/adjustable right center air vents
B Right center air vent, fixed
X Opening the center air vents: Turn
thumbwheels ; and A upward to the first
stop.
Center air vents :, =, ? and B are
open.
X Turn thumbwheels ; and A upward all
the way.
Only center air vents = and ? are open.
X Closing the center air vents: Turn
thumbwheels ; and A downward all the
way.
Center air vents :, =, ? and B are
closed. Side air vents Example illustration driver’s side
:
Left side defroster air vent, fixed
; Left side air vent, adjustable
= Thumbwheel for air volume control for
adjustable left side air vent
X Opening/closing: Turn thumbwheel = in
the required direction.
AIRSCARF vent G
Warning!
When switching on the AIRSCARF neck-level
heating, the air streaming from the openings
may be very hot. When in close proximity to
the openings, you could be seriously burned.
To help avoid serious personal injuries, switch
the AIRSCARF to a lower heating level. :
AIRSCARF vent
You can switch on the AIRSCARF neck-level
heating with the AIRSCARF switch
(Y page 65). Climate control system
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Adjusting air distribution
The symbols on the control represent the
following functions: Symbol Function
M
Directs air to the windshield and
through the side defroster air
vents
Q
Directs air into the entire
vehicle interior
O
Directs air to the footwells and
through the side air vents
P
Directs air through the center
and side air vents
Climate control
The air distribution can be adjusted manually.
X
Turn air distribution control =
(Y page 162) to the desired symbol.
The
air distribution is adjusted according to
the chosen setting.
You can also turn the control to a position
between two symbols.
Automatic climate control X
Turn air distribution control D
(Y page 163) to the desired symbol.
The

air distribution is adjusted according to
the chosen setting.
You can also turn the control to a position
between two symbols. Adjusting air volume
Climate control X
Decreasing/increasing: Turn air volume
control ; (Y page 162) clockwise or
counterclockwise. Automatic climate control X
Decreasing/increasing: Turn air volume
control : (Y page 163) clockwise or
counterclockwise. Front defroster
You can use this setting to defrost the
windshield, for example if it is iced up.
You can also defog the windshield and the
door windows.
i Keep this setting selected only until the
windshield or the door windows are clear
again.
X Activating: Press button ¬.
The
indicator lamp in the button comes on.
The climate control switches to the
following functions automatically:
R most efficient blower speed and heating
power, depending on outside
temperature
R air flows onto the windshield and the
door windows (side air vents must be
open)
R the air conditioning compressor
switches on at outside temperatures
above approximately 41‡ (5†) for air-
drying
R the air recirculation mode is switched off
X Deactivating: Press button ¬ again.
The indicator lamp in the button goes out.
The previous settings are once again in
effect.
i The cooling remains switched on. 168
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Windshield fogged on the outside
X
Switch the windshield wipers on
(Y page 76).
X Press button à 12
.
The indicator lamp in the button comes on.
Air distribution and air volume are adjusted
automatically.
or
X Turn air distribution control to P or
O. Maximum cooling MAX COOL
MAX COOL is only available in U.S. vehicles
with automatic climate control.
MAX COOL is only operational when the
engine is running.
If the air distribution controls as well as the
air volume control are set to à and there
is a high demand for cooling, MAX COOL is
activated. MAX COOL appears in display H
(Y page 163).
This provides the fastest possible cooling of
the

vehicle interior (when retractable hardtop
is closed). Air recirculation mode
Switch to air recirculation mode to prevent
unpleasant odors from entering the vehicle
from the outside (e. g. before driving through
a tunnel). This setting cuts off the intake of
outside air and recirculates the air in the
passenger compartment. G
Warning!
Fogged windows impair visibility,
endangering you and others. If the windows
begin to fog on the inside, switching off the
air recirculation mode immediately should
clear interior window fogging. If interior
window fogging persists, make sure the air conditioning is activated, or press button
¬.
X Activating: Press button g.
The
indicator lamp in the button comes on.
i The air recirculation mode is activated
automatically at high outside
temperatures.
The

indicator lamp in button g is not lit
when the air recirculation mode is switched
on automatically.
A quantity of outside air is added after
approximately 30 minutes.
X Deactivating: Press button g again.
The indicator lamp in the button goes out.
i The manually selected air recirculation
mode is deactivated automatically:
R after 5 minutes if the outside
temperature is below approximately
41‡ (5†)
R after 5 minutes if the air conditioning is
turned off
R after 30 minutes if the outside
temperature is above approximately
41‡ (5†) Residual heat and ventilation
With the engine turned off, it is possible to
continue to heat or ventilate the interior for
up to 30 minutes. This feature makes use of
the residual heat produced by the engine.
i If

you switch on the residual heat function
when outside temperatures are high, only
the ventilation will be switched on.
i How long the system will provide heating
depends on the coolant temperature and
the selected temperature. The blower will
run at speed setting 1 regardless of the air
volume control setting.
12 Vehicles with automatic climate control Climate control system
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X
Activating: Switch off the ignition.
X Press button Á 13
/Ì 14
.
The indicator lamp in the button comes on.
X Deactivating: Press button Á 13
/
Ì 14
.
The indicator lamp in the button goes out.
The residual heat is deactivated
automatically:
R when the ignition is switched on
R after approximately 30 minutes
R if the battery voltage drops
R if the coolant temperature is too low Rear window defroster
G
Warning!
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed
from the rear window before driving.
Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery drain
to a minimum, switch off the defroster as
soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is switched off automatically after
some time of operation depending on the
outside temperature.
X Switch on the ignition.
X Switching on: Press button ¤ on the
respective climate control panel.
The

indicator lamp in the button comes on.
! The rear window defroster cannot be
switched on when the retractable hardtop
is open. The indicator lamp will start
flashing if the hardtop is open.
R Close the retractable hardtop.
The rear window defroster can then be
switched on. X
Switching off: Press button ¤ again.
The rear window defroster switches off when
the battery voltage is too low. The indicator
lamp in button ¤ flashes. Too many
electrical consumers may be operating
simultaneously.
X Switch off consumers that are currently not
needed if required. Retractable hardtop
Safety notes
For safety reasons, the retractable hardtop
can only be opened and closed when the
vehicle is standing still. G
Observe Safety notes, see page 45. G
Warning!
To prevent possible accidents, only drive the
vehicle with the retractable hardtop either
completely

closed and locked, or fully lowered
into its storage compartment.
If the retractable hardtop does not completely
open or close, the roof hydraulics will lose
pressure and the retractable hardtop is
lowered
R after approximately 7 minutes when the
ignition is switched on
R after approximately 15 seconds when the
ignition is switched off
Shortly before the retractable hardtop is
lowered, a warning will sound. In the
multifunction display you will see K and
the message Retractable Roof Lowering .
Properly lock the retractable hardtop before
continuing to drive. Otherwise, the unlocked
hardtop could open while the vehicle is in
motion and cause you to lose control of the
vehicle. You or others could be injured as a
result.
13 Vehicles with climate control
14 Vehicles with automatic climate control 170
Retractable hardtop
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G
Warning!
Before operating the retractable hardtop,
make sure there is no danger of anyone being
injured by the moving parts (retractable
hardtop, roof frame, and trunk lid).
Hands must never be placed near the roof
frame, upper windshield area, hardtop, shelf
behind roll bars, or trunk lid while the
retractable hardtop is being raised or
lowered. Serious personal injury may occur.
If potential danger exists, release the
retractable hardtop switch or button % or
& on the SmartKey. This immediately
interrupts the raising or lowering procedure.
You then can operate the retractable hardtop
switch or press button % or & on the
SmartKey to raise or lower the retractable
hardtop away from the danger zone
! Never sit or place heavy objects on the
rear shelf. Doing so could cause damage to
the retractable hardtop and the rear shelf.
! Please keep in mind that weather
conditions can sometimes change rapidly.
Make sure to close the retractable hardtop
when leaving the vehicle. If water enters
the vehicle interior, vehicle electronics
could be damaged which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
! When opening and closing the retractable
hardtop, make sure
R there is sufficient clearance for the
retractable hardtop to move up and for
the trunk lid to move back
R the luggage cover is installed, extended
and closed
R the trunk is loaded only to the height of
the luggage cover
R the luggage/cargo does not push up the
closed luggage cover R
the trunk lid is closed
R the outside temperature is above +5‡
(-15†)
Otherwise the retractable hardtop and
trunk as well as other parts of the vehicle
could be damaged. Opening and closing
With the retractable hardtop switch G
Observe Safety notes, see page 170.
X Engage the parking brake.
X Close the luggage cover ( Y page 173).
X Close the trunk lid.
X Switch on the ignition. Retractable hardtop switch
Opening
i
Make sure the retractable hardtop is dry
before you open it. Otherwise water may
enter the trunk interior.
X Push and hold the retractable hardtop
switch in direction of arrow : until the
retractable hardtop is completely lowered
into its trunk storage compartment.
Closing
X Push and hold the retractable hardtop
switch in direction of arrow ; until the
retractable hardtop is completely closed
and locked. Retractable hardtop
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With the SmartKey
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 170. X
Close the luggage cover ( Y page 173).
X Close the trunk lid.
X Aim the transmitter eye at an outside door
handle.
The SmartKey must be in close proximity to
the outside door handle.
Opening (Summer opening feature)
i Make sure the retractable hardtop is dry
before you open it. Otherwise water may
enter the trunk interior.
X Press and hold button % until the
retractable hardtop is completely open.
The rear side windows also open.
X Release button % to interrupt the
opening procedure.
X Press and hold button % once more to
open the door windows.
Closing (Convenience closing feature)
X Press and hold button & until the
retractable hardtop is completely closed.
All currently open windows also close.
X Release button & to interrupt the
closing procedure. Locking
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 170.
The retractable hardtop is not fully closed and
locked or not fully opened and locked if
R the message K Retractable Roof
In Operation appears in the
multifunction display
R a warning sounds for 10 seconds when
driving off or while driving
If the retractable hardtop is not properly
locked, lock it as follows.
Unlocked status noticed when stopped X
Switch on the ignition.
X To lock the retractable hardtop in its fully
closed position, push the retractable
hardtop switch ( Y page 171) forward until
the retractable hardtop is fully closed.
or
X To lock the retractable hardtop in its fully
opened position, push the retractable
hardtop switch (Y page 171) rearward until
the retractable hardtop is fully opened.
Unlocked status noticed while driving G
Warning!
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so and lock the retractable
hardtop before continuing to drive. You could
otherwise endanger yourself and others.
X Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as
soon as it is safe to do so.
X Leave the ignition switched on.
X To lock the retractable hardtop in its fully
closed position, push the retractable
hardtop switch ( Y page 171) forward until
the retractable hardtop is fully closed.
or
X To lock the retractable hardtop in its fully
opened position, push the retractable 172
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hardtop switch (Y page 171) rearward until
the retractable hardtop is fully opened. Wind screen
The wind screen deflects drafts away from the
driver and passenger when the retractable
hardtop is lowered. Your vehicle may be
equipped with a cloth wind screen or a
transparent glass wind screen. This section
applies to installing and removing the cloth
wind screen. For information on the glass
wind screen, refer to the separate mounting
instructions that come with the glass wind
screen. G
Warning!
The cloth wind screen can restrict the driver’s
vision to the rear of the vehicle. To prevent a
possible accident when visibility is limited
(e.g. in darkness), the upper part of the wind
screen should be folded back.
The cloth wind screen is stored in a storage
bag located on the wall behind the seat
backrests. Installing
X
Remove wind screen : from its storage
bag and unfold.
X Attach supporting straps = to fastening
pins ?.
X Make sure the lower wind screen edging is
inserted through gap A between the
storage compartment and the rear panel.
X Close snap fasteners ; by pushing in
handle cap B.
X Pull wind screen : on molding over roll
bars. Pull the wind screen edging, not on
the netting itself.
Removing X
Pull wind screen : from roll bars.
X Open snap fasteners ; by pulling out
handle cap B.
X Loosen supporting straps = from
fastening pins ?.
X Fold the wind screen and put it back into
storage bag. Luggage cover
The luggage cover covers luggage/cargo in
the trunk. Retractable hardtop
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!
To prevent damage to the retractable
hardtop or luggage/cargo when lowering
the retractable hardtop:
R Load trunk only to the height of the
luggage cover.
R Do not permit luggage/cargo to push up
the closed luggage cover.
R Do not place anything on top of or in front
of the luggage cover.
R Do not place anything on the shelf behind
the roll bar. Closing
X
Pull the luggage cover at the handle in
direction of the arrow until it engages on
both sides at the trunk sill.
Opening X
Press the release handle on the luggage
cover.
X Guide the luggage cover forward to its end
stop. Loading and storing
Roof rack
! This vehicle is not designed to carry items
on its roof. Roof rails and any roof-mounted
devices, unless expressly approved by
Mercedes-Benz for use on this vehicle
model, must not be used as they will damage the vehicle and retractable
hardtop.
At time of printing, Mercedes-Benz does
not offer any roof racks or any other roof-
mounted devices for use on this vehicle.
! This vehicle is not designed to carry any
items on its trunk lid or accommodate any
type of trunk lid rack or device. Using such
devices may damage the vehicle and
retractable hardtop mechanism. Parcel nets
G
Warning!
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
Parcel nets are located in the passenger
footwell and behind the driver’s seat. Front storage compartments
G
Warning!
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
storing objects in the vehicle. Put luggage or
cargo in the trunk if possible.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
R braking
R vehicle maneuvers
R an accident 174
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