2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK250 warning light

G
WARNING
Driving when youre ngine is overheated can cause som efluids which may have leaked into the
engine compartmen tto catch fire. You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause serious burns which can occur just by opening the
engine hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do not stand near the vehicle until the engine has cooled down.
! If the coolant temperature is over 248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The engine will
otherwise be damaged. Driving systems
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
000C
The red distance
warning lamp lights up
while the vehicle is in
motion. A warning tone
also sounds.
G
Risk of accident
You are approaching a vehicle or a stationary obstacle in you rline
of travel at too high a speed.
X Be prepared to brake immediately.
X Pay careful attention to the traffic situation. You may have to
brake or take evasive action.
More information about DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 158) and
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake (Y page 62). Warning and indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
237On-board computer and displays Z

Stowage compartments in the doors
In the door trim panel, there is a ruffled
pocket
0003with a storage slot 0002.
Stowage space in the rear Stowage box in the rear wall between the
seats
Ar
uffled pocke tis located on the rear wall
between the seats. 0002
Ruffled pocket
Stowage pockets G
WARNING
Storage bags are intended for storing light-
weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
storage bag. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Storage bags cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident. Storage bags are located in the rear
compartment on the driver's and front-
passenger seat backrests. 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 front-passenger
footwell and on the rear wall behind the
driver's seat. Reversible floor panel in the trunk
Using the flat side of the reversible floor panel
will give you alevel trunk. If you turn the
reversible floor panel over, you can transport
objects, for example a drinks crate, on it. X
To turn over: pull up reversible floor
panel 0003using strap 0002.
X Turn over reversible floor panel 0003and re-
install it. 244
Stowage areasStowage and features

X
To open: slide cover 0003back.
X To remove the insert: slide catch0002
inwards on both sides in the direction of the
arrow.
X Remove the cup holde rinser tupwards.
X To re-install the insert: place the insert in
the stowage space.
X Slide catch 0002outwards in the direction of
the arrow until it engages. Bottle holder
G
WARNING
Do not transport heavy, sharp-edged, or
fragile bottles in the bottle holder.
In the event of an accident, the bottle holder
cannot secure a bottle sufficiently. You and/
or vehicle occupants could be injured.
! Make sure that any bottles weighing more
than 0.5 kg that are stored in the bottle
holder rest on the vehicle floor. The bottle
holder could otherwise be damaged.
The bottle holder is designed for bottles with
a capacity of 25 fl. oz. (0.7 l) up to 54 fl. oz.
(1.5 l).
The bottle holder does not secure the bottles;
it merely prevents them from tipping over. X
Press the outer edge of button 0002and slide
in the direction of the arrow until the bottle
fits into the opening.
X Insert the bottle into the bottle holder. Sun visors
Overview of sun visors G
WARNING
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Reflected glare can endanger you and others. 0002
Mirror light
0003 Bracket
0023 Retaining strip, e.g. for a car park ticket
0022 Vanity mirror
0020 Mirror cover
i When driving at high speeds with the side
window or roof open:
If you have inserted a car park ticket into
retaining strip 0023, make sure that it is not
blown away by the wind.
Vanity mirror in the sun visor Mirror light
0002only functions if the sun visor
is clipped into retainer 0003and mirror cover
0020 has been folded up.
Glare from the side X
Fold down the sun visor.
X Pull the sun visor out of retainer 0003.
X Swing the sun visor to the side.
X Slide the sun visor forwards and back as
required. 246
FeaturesStowage and features

Ashtray
Ashtray in the front-compartment
center console X
To open: press the lower area of cover 0002.
The cover opens.
X To remove the insert: lift insert0023
up 0003 and out.
X To re-install the insert: press insert0023
into the holder until it engages. Cigarette lighter
G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock. Always take
the SmartKey with you and loc kthe 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. Achild'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
ignition lock 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 on these
parts. G
WARNING
Never touch the heating element or sides of
the lighter; they are extremely hot. Hold the
knob only.
Make sure any children traveling with you do
not injure themselves or start a fire with the
hot cigarette lighter. X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X To open: push the lower section of
cover 0002.
The ashtray opens.
X Press in cigarette lighter 0003.
Cigarette lighter 0003will pop out
automatically when the heating element is
red-hot. 12
Vsockets
Points to observe before use !
If you are using all sockets in the vehicle,
make sure that you do no texceed the
maximum current dra wof 55 A. Otherwise,
you will overload the fuses. Features
247Stowage and features Z

The mbrace system is available if:
R
it has been activated and is operational.
R the corresponding mobile phone network
is available for transmitting data to the
Customer Center.
R a service subscription is available.
R the starter battery is sufficiently charged.
i Determining the location of the vehicle on
a map is only possible if there is sufficient
GPS reception and the vehicle position can
be forwarded to the Customer Center.
The mbrace system The mbrace system provides different
services, e.g.:
R
automatic and manual emergency call
R Roadside Assistance call
R MB Info call
To adjust the volume during an mbrace call,
proceed as follows:
X Press the 000Aor000B button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
or
X Use the volume controller of the audio
system/COMAND.
You can find further information and a
description of all available features under
"Owners Online" at http://
www.mbusa.com 16
.
System self-test After you have switched on the ignition, the
system carries out a self-diagnosis. G
WARNING
Am alfunction in the system has been
detected if one of the following conditions
occurs:
R the indicator lamp in the SOS button does
no tlight up during the system self-
diagnosis.
R the indicator lamp in the 0005Roadside
Assistance button does not light up during
the system self-diagnosis.
R The indicator lamp in the 0007information
button does not light up during self-
diagnosis of the system.
R the indicator lamp in the SOS button,
0005 Roadside Assistance button or 0007
information button continues to be lit red
after the system self-diagnosis.
R The Tele Aid Inoperative or
Tele Aid
Not Activated message appears in the
multifunction display after the system self-
test.
If a malfunction is indicated as outlined above,
the system may not operate as expected. In
the even tofanemergency, assistance must
be summoned by other means.
Have the system checked at the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or contact
the following service hotlines:
R USA: Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance
Center under
1-800-FOR-MERCedes(1-800-367-6372)
or 1-888-990-9007
R Canada: Customer Service at
1-888-923-8367
Emergency call Important safety notes
!
Alicense agreement must exis tinorder
to activate the mbrace service. Ensure that
yours ystem is activated and ready fo ruse,
and press the 0007MB Info call button to
register. If any of the steps mentioned is
16 USA only. Features
249Stowage and features Z

Problems when programming
If you are experiencing problems
programming the integrated garage door
opener on the rear-view mirror, take note of
the following instructions:
R Check the transmitter frequency of garage
door drive remote control 0020.This can
usually be found on the back of the remote
control.
The integrated garage door opener is
compatible with devices that have units
which operate in the frequency range of
280 to 390MHz.
R Replace the batteries in garage door
remote control 0020.This increases the
likelihood that garage door remote control
0020 will transmit a stronga nd precise signal
to the integrated garage door opene rinthe
rear-view mirror.
R When programming, hold remote control
0020 at varying distances and angles from the
button that you are programming. Try
various angles at a distance between
2a nd 12 inches (5 to 30 cm) or at the same
angle bu tatvarying distances.
R If another remote control for the same
garage door drive is available, repeat the
same programming steps with this remote
control. Before performing these steps,
make sure that new batteries have been
installed in garage door driv eremote
control 0020.
R Note that some remote controls only
transmit for a limited amount of time (the
indicator lamp on the remote control goes
out). Press button 0021on remote control
0020 again before transmission ends.
R Align the antenna cable of the garage door
opener unit. This can improve signal
reception/transmission.
Opening/closing the garage door After it has been programmed, the integrated
garage door opener performs the function of
the garage door system remote control. Please also read the operating instructions
for the garage door system.
X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press button 0003,0023or0022 that you have
programmed to operate the garage door.
Garage door system with a fixed code:
indicator lamp 0002lights up green.
Garage door system with a rolling code:
indicator lamp 0002flashes green.
i The transmitter will transmit a signal for
as long as the button is pressed. The
transmission is halted after a maximum of
ten seconds and indicator lamp 0002flashes
yellow. Press button 0003,0023or0022 again if
necessary.
Clearing the memory of the integrated
garage door opener on the rear-view
mirror X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press buttons 0003and 0022.
The indicator lamp lights up yellow.
X Press and hold buttons 0003and 0022until the
indicator lamp turns green.
i Make sure that you clear the memory of
the integrated garage door opener before
selling the vehicle. Floormat on the driver's side
G
WARNING
Whenever you are using a floormat, make sure
there is enough clearance and that the
floormat is securely fastened.
The floormat should always be securely
fastened using the fastening equipment.
Before driving off, check that the floormat is
securely in place and adjust it if necessary. A
loose floormat could slip and hinder proper
functioning of the pedals. Features
257Stowage and features
Z

X
Reach into the gap, pull hoo dcatch
handle 0003up and lift the hood.
Once you have lifted the hood about
15 inches (40cm), it is automatically
opened the res tofthe way and held open
by the gas-filled struts.
Closing the hood G
WARNING
When closing the hood, use extreme caution
not to catch hands or fingers. Be careful that
you do not close the hood on anyone.
Make sure the hood is securely engaged
before driving off. Do not continue driving if
the hood can no longer engage after an
accident, for example. The hood could
otherwise come loose while the vehicle is in
motion and injure you and/or others.
X Lower the hood and let it fall from a height
of approximately 8inche s(20cm).
X Check that the hood has engaged properly.
If the hood can be raised slightly, it is not
properly engaged. Open it again and close
it with a little more force. Engine oil
Notes on the oil level Depending on the driving style, the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qts
(0.8 l) of oil over
a distance of 600 miles (1,000 km). The oil
consumption may be highe rthan this when the vehicle is new or if you frequently drive at
high engine speeds.
AMG vehicles: before operation on race
tracks, check the oil level and (Y page 261)
add oil if necessary (Y page 262). Race track
operation is only permitted with a maximum
engine oil level.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be in a different location.
When checking the oil level:
R park the vehicle on a level surface.
R the engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature.
R if the engine is not at normal operating
temperature, e.g. if the engine was only
started briefly: wait about 30 minutes
before carrying out the measurement.
Checking the oil level using the oil
dipstick X
Pull oil dipstick 0002out of the dipstick guide
tube.
X Wipe off oil dipstick 0002.
X Slowly slide oil dipstick 0002into the guide
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark 0023and
MAX mark 0003, the oil level is correct.
X If the oil level is at or below MIN mark 0023,
add 0.55 US qt to 1.1 US qt (0.5 to 1.0 l) of
engine oil. Engine compartment
261Maintenance and care Z

cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it before
cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
! Make sure that the automatic
transmissio nis in position Nwhen washing
your vehicle in a tow-through car wash. The
vehicle could be damaged if the
transmission is in another position.
! Make sure that:
R the side windows and roof are
completely closed.
R the blower for the ventilation/heating is
switched off (OFF button is depressed/
airflow control is turned to position 0).
R the windshield wiper switch is at position
0.
The vehicle could otherwise be damaged.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windshield and the wiper
blades. This will prevent smears and reduce
wiping noises caused by residue on the
windshield.
Washing by hand In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in all
countries concerned.
X Do not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
X Use a soft sponge to clean.
X Use a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by Mercedes-Benz.
X Thoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
X Do not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
X Use plenty of water and rinse out the
sponge frequently. X
Rinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
X Do not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
When using the vehicle in winter, remove all
traces of road salt deposits carefully and as
soon as possible.
Powerw ashers G
WARNING
Do not use power washers with circular-jet
nozzles (dirt grinders) to clea nyour vehicle, in
particular the tires. You could otherwise
damage the tires and cause an accident.
! Always maintain a distance of at least
11.8 in (30 cm) between the vehicle and the
power washer nozzle. Information about
the correc tdistance is available fro mthe
equipment manufacturer.
Move the power washer nozzle around
when cleaning your vehicle.
Do not aim directly at any of the following:
R tires
R door gaps, roof gaps, joints, etc.
R electrical components
R battery
R connectors
R lights
R seals
R trim
R ventilation slots
Damaged seals or electrical components
can lead to leaks or failures.
! Do not use high-pressure cleaners if the
tank recess is open while you clean it. This
can cause damage to the seals or other
components.
Cleaning the wheels !
Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components. 266
CareMaintenance and care