2011 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG light

Product Information
Please observe the following in your own best
interest:
We recommend using Genuine Mercedes-
Benz Parts as well as conversion parts and
accessories explicitly approved by us for your
vehicle model.
We have tested these parts to determine their
reliability, safety and special suitability for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
We are unable to make an assessment for
other products and therefore cannot be held
responsible for them, even if in individual
cases an official approval or authorization by
governmental or other agencies should exist.
Use of such parts and accessories could
adversely affect the safety, performance or
reliability of your vehicle. Please do not use
them.
Genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts and pre-
approved conversion parts and accessories
are available at any authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center. In addition, you will receive
comprehensive information on permissible
technical modifications and expert
installations. Operator’s Manual
Notes
This
Operator’s Manual contains a great deal
of useful information. We urge you to read it
carefully and familiarize yourself with the
vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life of
the vehicle, we urge you to follow the
instructions and warnings contained in this
Operator’s Manual. Ignoring them could
result in damage to the vehicle or personal
injury to you or others. Vehicle damage
caused by failure to follow instructions is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty. We continuously strive to improve our
product and ask for your understanding that
we reserve the right to make changes in
design and equipment. Therefore,
information, illustrations, and descriptions in
this

Operator’s Manual might differ from your
vehicle. Vehicle equipment
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
operating particular equipment, any
authorized

Mercedes-Benz Center will be glad
to demonstrate the proper procedures.
Optional equipment is also described in this
manual, including operating instructions
wherever necessary. Since they are special-
order items, the descriptions and illustrations
herein may vary slightly from the actual
equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are not
shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center will be glad to inform you of correct
care and operating procedures. The
Operator’s Manual and Maintenance Booklet
are important documents and should be kept
with the vehicle. Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
booklet contains detailed information about
the

warranties covering your Mercedes-Benz,
including:
R New Vehicle Limited Warranty
R Emission System Warranty
R Emission Performance Warranty
R California, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, 18
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Function Page
E
Seat heating switch,
driver‘s side
65
F
AIRSCARF switch, driver‘s
side
65
G
Passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp 37,
263 H
Climate control system 162
Rear window defroster
switch
170
I
Cigarette lighter 177
J
Ashtray 177 Lower part
Function Page
:
Gearshift lever (manual
transmission)
84
Gear selector lever
(automatic transmission)
85
;
Retractable hardtop switch 170
=
Tow-away alarm switch 52
?
Parking brake lever 83
A
Storage compartment 175
B
Passenger-side exterior
rear view mirror button
68
C
Driver’s side exterior rear
view mirror button
68
D
Exterior rear view mirror
adjustment button
68
E
Program mode selector
switch (automatic
transmission)
88Center console
29At a glance
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Overhead control panel
Function Page
:
Interior lighting switch 75
;
Automatic interior lighting 75
=
Right reading lamp switch 75
?
SOS button (Tele Aid
system)
180
A
Garage door opener 183
B
Sensor for auto-dimming
rear view mirrors
69
C
Interior rear view mirror 68
D
Hands-free microphone for
Tele Aid (emergency call
system) and telephone
178
E
Left reading lamp switch 75 Door control panel
Function Page
:
Inside door handle 58
;
Power window switch,
passenger-side window
78
=
Power window switch,
driver’s side window
7830
Door control panelAt a glance
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Driver and passenger front air bags and knee
bags are deployed
R
in the event of certain frontal impacts
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the respective seat
belt is in use
R independently of the head-thorax air bags
The front air bags in this vehicle have been
designed to inflate in two stages. This allows
the air bags to have different rates of inflation.
The rate of inflation is based on the vehicle
deceleration rate as assessed by the air bag
control unit.
The passenger front air bag deployment is
additionally influenced by the passenger’s
weight category as identified by the Occupant
Classification System (OCS) ( Y page 37).
The lighter the passenger-side occupant, the
higher the vehicle deceleration rate required
for second stage inflation of the passenger
front air bag.
The air bags will not deploy in impacts which
do not exceed the system’s preset
deployment thresholds. You will then be
protected by the fastened seat belts.
The front air bags will not deploy in the event
of a rollover unless the vehicle’s rate of
longitudinal deceleration or acceleration
exceeds the preset deployment threshold for
the front air bags.
The passenger air bag will only be deployed if
R the system, based on OCS weight sensor
readings, detects that the passenger seat
is occupied
R the 04 indicator lamp in the
center console is not lit (Y page 37)
R the impact exceeds a preset deployment
threshold Knee bags
The knee bags are designed to provide
increased protection for the driver and
passenger against the risk of injuries to the
knees, thighs and lower legs.
Driver side knee bag ? is located on the
driver side lower instrument panel. Passenger
side knee bag = is located on the passenger
side below the glove box. They are designed
to operate together with the front air bags in
certain frontal impacts if the system
determines that air bag deployment can offer
additional protection to that provided by the
seat belt. The knee bags operate best in
conjunction with properly positioned and
fastened seat belts.
Head-thorax air bags G
Observe Safety notes, see page 33. Head-thorax air bags
: are designed to
provide increased protection for the head and
thorax but not for the arms.
Head-thorax air bags : are deployed
R on the impacted side of the vehicle
R in instances with a high rate of lateral
vehicle deceleration or acceleration
R if the system determines that air bag
deployment can offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R depending on whether the seat belt is in
use 36
Occupant safetySafety and security
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R
rear view mirror adjustment
R fastening of seat belts Steering wheel
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 66.
X Position steering wheel : properly. See
(Y page 66) for manual adjustment and
(Y page 66) for electrical adjustment.
Make sure:
R You can reach the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent at the elbows.
R You can move your legs freely.
R All displays (including malfunction and
indicator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visible.
Seat belt G
Observe Safety notes, see page 40.
X Fasten and position your seat belt ;
correctly (Y page 42). Make sure:
R
The seat belt is always fitted snugly.
R Adjust the seat belt so that the shoulder
section is located as close as possible to
the middle of the shoulder.
R Place the lap portion of the seat belt as low
as possible on your hips.
Seat and head restraint G
Observe Safety notes, see page 62.
X Position seat = and head restraint
properly. See ( Y page 63) for seat and
head restraint adjustment.
Observe the following points:
R Always be in a properly seated position.
R The position should be as far rearward from
the front air bag in the steering wheel as
possible, while still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls.
R Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely.
R The seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten and position your seat belt.
R The seat backrest must be in a position that
is as nearly upright as possible.
R Adjust the seat cushion so that the front
edge of the seat cushion lightly supports
your legs.
R Adjust the 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.
R Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while the seat is being
adjusted. 44
Occupant safetySafety and security
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Children in the vehicle
Safety notes If an infant or child is traveling with you in the
vehicle:
X
Secure the child using an infant or child
restraint
appropriate to the age and size of
the child.
X Make sure the infant or child is properly
secured at all times while the vehicle is in
motion. G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch. Always
take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle. Do not leave children unattended in
the

vehicle, even if they are secured in a child
restraint system, 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. The children
could
R injure themselves on parts of the vehicle
R be seriously or fatally injured through
excessive exposure to extreme heat or cold
R injure themselves or cause an accident with
vehicle equipment that can be operated
even if the SmartKey is removed from the
starter switch or removed from the vehicle,
such as seat adjustment, steering wheel
adjustment, or the memory function
If children open a door, they could injure other
persons or get out of the vehicle and injure
themselves or be injured by following traffic.
Do not expose the child restraint system to
direct sunlight. The child restraint system’s
metal parts, for example, could become very
hot, and the child could be burned by these
parts. G
Warning!
Do not carry heavy or hard objects in the
passenger compartment unless they are
firmly secured in place. Unsecured or improperly positioned cargo
increases a child’s risk of injury in the event
of
R
strong braking maneuvers
R sudden changes of direction
R an accident
Infant and child restraint systems G
Observe Safety notes, see page 45.
We recommend all infants and children be
properly restrained at all times while the
vehicle is in motion.
The passenger lap/shoulder belt has a
special seat belt retractor for secure
fastening of child restraints.
To fasten a child restraint, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions for
mounting.
To activate the special seat belt retractor:
X Pull the shoulder belt out completely and
let it retract.
During seat belt retraction, a ratcheting
sound can be heard to indicate that the
special seat belt retractor is activated.
The seat belt is now locked.
X Push down on child restraint to take up any
slack.
To deactivate the special seat belt retractor:
X Release the seat belt buckle and let the
seat belt retract completely.
The

seat belt can then again be used in the
usual manner. G
Warning!
Never release the seat belt buckle while the
vehicle
is in motion, since the special seat belt
retractor will be deactivated.
The use of infant or child restraints is required
by law in all 50 states, the District of
Columbia, the U.S. territories and all
Canadian provinces. Occupant safety
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i
In winter operation, the maximum
effectiveness of most of the driving
systems described in this section is only
achieved with winter tires, or snow chains
as required.
Safety notes G
Warning!
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
R Excessive speed, especially in turns
R Wet and slippery road surfaces
R Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in this
section cannot reduce these risks or prevent
the
natural laws of physics from acting on the
vehicle. They cannot increase braking or
steering efficiency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle brakes and tires
or the traction afforded.
Only a safe, attentive, and skillful driver can
prevent accidents.
The capabilities of a vehicle equipped with the
driving safety systems described in this
section must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner which could jeopardize
the user’s safety or the safety of others.
Always adjust your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather conditions and
keep a safe distance to other road users and
objects on the street.
If a driving system malfunctions, other driving
safety systems may also switch off. Observe
indicator and warning lamps that may come
on as well as messages in the multifunction
display that may appear. ABS
G
Observe Safety notes, see page 48. G
Warning!
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm, steady
brake pedal pressure instead. Pumping the
brake pedal defeats the purpose of the ABS
and significantly reduces braking
effectiveness.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) regulates
the

brake pressure so that the wheels do not
lock during braking. This allows you to
maintain the ability to steer your vehicle.
The ABS is functional above a speed of
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) independent
of road surface conditions.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The ABS indicator lamp ! in the
instrument cluster comes on when you switch
on the ignition. It goes out when the engine
is running.
Braking At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal. The pulsation indicates that the
ABS is in the regulating mode.
X
Keep firm and steady pressure on the brake
pedal while you feel the pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely

braking power and the ability to steer
the vehicle.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an
indication of hazardous road conditions and
functions as a reminder to take extra care
while driving.
Emergency brake maneuver X
Keep continuous full pressure on the brake
pedal. 48
Driving safety systems
Safety and security
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Vehicle equipment ..............................
56
Locking and unlocking .......................56
Starter switch positions ..................... 61
Seats .................................................... 62
Multifunction steering wheel .............66
Mirrors ................................................. 68
Memory function ................................. 70
Lighting ................................................ 70
Wipers .................................................. 76
Power windows ................................... 78
Driving and parking ............................ 79
Manual transmission .......................... 84
Automatic transmission ..................... 85
Instrument cluster ..............................92
Control system .................................... 93
Audio system .................................... 112
Driving systems ................................ 159
Climate control system ....................162
Rear window defroster ..................... 170
Retractable hardtop .........................170
Loading and storing ..........................174
Useful features ................................. 176 55Controls in detail
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