2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG display

If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the 000BESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree. X
To activate: briefly press button 0002.
The 0002 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button 0002.
The 0002 SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®G
WARNING
The ESP ®
should not be switched off during
normal driving.
Disabling of the system willr esult in the
following:
R no restriction to engine torque
R loss of system-supported traction control
"ESP ®
OFF" is designed for driving on closed
tracks when the vehicle's natural oversteer
and understeer characteristics are desired
and requires a highly skilled and experienced
driver able to handle these critical driving
situations.
You could lose control of your vehicle and
cause an accident.
Please be aware of these limits when you
switch off the ESP ®
. Do not switch off the ESP
®
when a spare
wheel is mounted.
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
i Vehicles with ECO start/stop function:
the ECO start/stop function switches the
engine off automatically when the vehicle
comes to a stop. The engine starts
automatically when the driver wants to pull
away again. ESP ®
remains in its previously
selected status. Example: if ESP ®
was
deactivated before the engine was
switched off, ESP ®
remains deactivated
when the engine is switched on again.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the
following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
WARNING
Switch on ESP ®
immediately if one of the
previously stated conditions is no longer met.
Otherwise, ESP ®
cannot stabilize the vehicle
if it begins to lurch or when a wheel spins.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R engine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin. The spinning
wheels produce a cutting effec tfor better
traction.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP ®
intervenes.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available,
nor is it activated if you brake firmly and
ESP ®
intervenes.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the 000BESP®
warning lamp in Driving safety systems
61Safety Z

the instrument cluste
rdoes not flash. In such
situations, ESP ®
will not stabilize the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button0002until the
0012 ESP®
OFF warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster.
The 000BOFF message appears in the
multifunction display. G
WARNING
When the 0012ESP®
OFF warning lamp is lit,
ESP ®
is deactivated.
If the 000B ESP®
warning lamp and the
0012 ESP®
OFF warning lamp remain lit,
ESP ®
is not available due to amalfunction.
When ESP ®
is deactivated or no toperational,
vehicle stability in standard driving
maneuvers is reduced.
Adapt your speed and driving to the prevailing
road conditions and to the non-operating
status of the ESP ®
.
! Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP ®
deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
X To activate: briefly press button 0002.
The 0012 ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The 000BONmessage appears in the multifunction
display. EBD (electronic brake force
distribution)
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 56).
EBD monitors and controls the brake
pressure on the rear wheels to improve
driving stability while braking. G
WARNING
If EBDh as malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, the rear wheels can still lock,
e.g. under full braking. This could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident .You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling
characteristics.
X Observe the notes on warning and indicator
lamps (Y page 230) as well as display
messages (Y page 202). ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In
addition to the braking function, ADAPTIVE
BRAKE also has the HOLD function
(Y page 168) and hill start assist
(Y page 134). For further information, see
Driving tips (Y page 153). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is only available in vehicles
with DISTRONIC PLUS.
i Observe the "Important safety notes"
section (Y page 56).
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimize
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effect sofsuch a
collision. If PRE-SAFE ®
Brake has detected a
ris kofc ollision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically as well as by automatic 62
Driving safety systemsSafety

G
WARNING
Even if PRE-SAFE ®
Brake slows the vehicle
before an imminent rear-end collision, the
system cannot avert a collision without the
intervention of the driver. There is a risk of an
accident. Brake according to the situation or
take evasive action. Delayed intervention by
the driver can lead to an accident. G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot always detect
comple xtraffic situations properly.
In these cases, PRE-SAFE(R) Brake may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident. Always pay
particular attention to the traffic situation and
be ready to brake, especially if PRE-SAFE(R)
Brake warns you. Terminate the intervention
in a non-critical driving situation.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other rada rsources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example in parking garages
R a narrow vehicle traveling in front, e.g. a
motorbike
R a vehicle traveling in front on a different line G
WARNING
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake does not react:
R to people or animals
R to oncoming vehicles
R to crossing traffic
R in curves
As a result, PRE-SAFE ®
Brake cannot
intervene in critical situations. There is a risk
of an accident .Always pay careful attention
to the traffic situation and be ready to brake. In order to maintain the appropriate distance
to the vehicle in front and thus prevent a
collision, you must apply the brakes yourself.
X
To activate/deactivate: activate or
deactivate PRE-SAFE ®
Brake in the on-
board computer (Y page 190).
The 0001 symbol appears in the
multifunction display as long as the HOLD
function is not activate d(Ypage 168).
On vehicles with Parking Guidance, the
0001 symbol is displayed when Pis
engaged or is selected or if you drive faster
than 22 mph (35 km/h).
For PRE-SAFE ®
Brake to assist you when
driving, the radar senso rsystem mus tbe
switched on (Y page 194) and be
operational.
Following damage to the front end of the
vehicle, have the configuration and operation
of the radar sensors checked at a qualified
specialist workshop. This also applies to
collisions at low speeds where there is no
visible damage to the front of the vehicle. Theft deterrent locking system
Immobilizer
The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey.
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.
X To activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
X To activate with KEYLESS-GO: switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door.
X To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be
started when the starter battery is fully
charged, the immobilizer may be faulty.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz 64
Theft deterrent locking systemSafety

G
WARNING
Only drive with the roof fully open or closed.
If the roof does not open or close fully, the
roof hydraulics are depressurized and the soft
top is lowered:
R after about seven minutes if the ignitio nis
switched on
R after about 15 seconds if the ignition is
switched off
Aw arning tone sounds shortly beforehand.
The 0008 symbol and the Retractable Roof Lowering message appears in the
multifunction display.
Lock the roof again before driving on.
Otherwise, the unlocked roo fcould open
during the journey and cause you to lose
control of your vehicle. You or other persons
could be injured as a result. G
WARNING
Closing the roof manually is a complex,
technically challenging procedure.
Attempting to manually close the roof may
cause damage to the roof and/or injury.
For this reason, the manual closing process
should only be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
! Never sit on the rear shelf or store heavy
objects there. You will otherwise damage
the roof and the rear shelf of your vehicle.
! Do not forget that the weather can
change abruptly. Make certain that the roof
is closed when you leave the vehicle. The
vehicle electronics can be damaged if
water enters the vehicle interior.
! When opening and closing the roof, make
sure that:
R there is sufficient upward clearance, as
the roof swings upwards.
R there is sufficient clearance behind the
vehicle, as the trunk lid swings
backwards beyond the bumper.
R the trunk is only loaded to below the
trunk partition. R
the trunk partition is not pushed up by
the load.
R the trunk partition is closed.
R the trunk lid is closed.
R the outside temperature is above
+5 ‡ (−15 †).
You could otherwise damage the roof,
trunk and other parts of the vehicle.
i Make sure that the roof and rear window
are clean and dry before opening the roof.
Otherwise, water or dirt could enter the
vehicle interior or trunk. Opening and closing with the roof
switch
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Before operating the retractable hardtop
(vario-roof), 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 the 0010or
000F button on the SmartKey. This
immediately interrupts the raising or lowering
procedure. You can then operate the
retractable hardtop switch or press the
0010 or000F button on the SmartKey to raise
or lower the retractable hardtop away from
the danger zone. Roof
83Opening/closing Z

Opening and closing
X
Close the trun kpartition (Y page 85).
X Close the trunk lid.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Open the cover on the lower sectio nofthe
center console.
Roof switch 0002is located under the cover.
X To open: pull roof switch 0002until the roof
has been fully retracted into the trunk and
the Vario-Roof in Operation message
disappears from the multifunction display.
All of the side windows open.
X To close: press roof switch 0002until the roof
is fully closed and the Vario-Roof inOperation message disappears from the
multifunction display.
All of the side windows open.
X To close all side windows, pull the switch
under the cover on the center console
(Y page 80).
i If you operate the roof switch and the
Trunk partition Open message appears
in the multifunction display, the trunk
partition has not been closed correctly. Opening and closing with the
SmartKey
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Before operating the retractable hardtop
(vario-roof), 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 the 0010or
000F button on the SmartKey. This
immediately interrupts the raising or lowering
procedure. You can then operate the
retractable hardtop switch or press the
0010 or000F button on the SmartKey to raise
or lower the retractable hardtop away from
the danger zone.
Opening and closing i
The SmartKey must be close to the
driver's door handle.
X Close the trunk partition (Y page 85).
X Close the trunk lid.
X Point the tip of the SmartKey at the driver's
door handle.
X To open: press and hold the 0010button
on the SmartKey until the roof is fully
opened.
The roof and the rear side windows open.
The front side windows close.
X To interrupt the opening procedure:
release the 0010button.
X To open the front side windows: press
and hold the 0010button on the SmartKey
again. 84
RoofOpening/closing

X
To close: press and hold the 000Fbutton
on the SmartKey until the roof is fully
closed.
The roo fand the side windows close.
X To interrupt the closing procedure:
release the 000Fbutton.
i Whe nthe roof is closed and the trunk
partition is open, the roof cannot be
opened using the SmartKey functions.
Instead, all side windows open or close
simultaneously (Y page 80). Additionally,
the Trunk partition Open message
appears in the multifunction display. Locking the roof again
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.
The roof is not locked when:
R the 0008 symbol and the Vario-Roof in
Operation / Retractable Roof in
Operation message appearint
he
multifunction display
R the 0008 symbol and the Retractable Roof Not Open/Close Completely
appearint
he multifunction display and a
warning tone is heard
R you hear a warning tone for up to ten
seconds when pulling away or while driving.
You can lock the roof again if it is not locked
fully.
X Stop the vehicle immediately, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Make sure that the SmartKey is in position
2 in the ignition lock.
X Press the roof switch (Y page 84). Trunk partition
General notes The trunk partition can be used to cover
luggage and loads in the trunk.
!
To avoid damaging the roof or luggage
when folding back the roof, you should:
R only load the trunk to below the trunk
partition
R not place any objects on or in front of the
trunk partition
R not place any objects on the cover
behind the roll bars
R not allow the cargo to push the trunk
partition upwards
Opening and closing X
To close: pull back trunk partition 0002by
the handle in the direction of the arrow until
it engages on both sides in the eyelets on
the trunk sill.
X To open: grip the handle of trunk
partition 0002.
X Press the release button in the handle of
trunk partition 0002.
Trunk partition 0002is released.
X Pull trunk partition 0002up out of the eyelets
on the trunk sill.
X Push trunk partition 0002forwards against
the direction of the arrow by the handle. Roof
85Opening/closing Z

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's
Manual. Country-specific differences are
possible. Please note that your vehicle may
not be equipped with all features
described. This also applies to safety-
related systems and functions.
i Please read the information on qualified
specialist workshops (Y page 23).Correcting the driver's seat position
Observe the safety guidelines on
(Y
page 93).
X Check whether you have adjusted seat 0023
properly.
Manual seat adjustment (Y page 94)
Electrical seat adjustment (Y page 94)
When adjusting the seat, make sure:
R you are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible.
R you are sitting in a normal upright
position.
R you can fasten the seat belt properly. R
you have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position.
R you have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported.
R you can depress the pedals properly.
X Check whether the head restraint is
adjusted properly (Y page 95).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by
the center of the head restraint.
Observe the safety guidelines on
(Y page 96).
X Check whether steering wheel 0002is
adjusted properly.
Adjust the steering wheel manually
(Y page 97)
Adjust the steering wheel electrically
(Y page 97)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure:
R you can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
R you can move your legs freely.
R you can see all the displays in the
instrumen tcluste rclearly.
Observe the safety guidelines on
(Y page 48).
X Check whether you have fastened seat
belt 0003properly (Y page 50).
The seat belt should:
R fit snugly across your body.
R be routed across the middle of your
shoulder.
R be routed in your pelvic area across the
hip joints
X Before starting off, adjust the rear-view
mirror and the exterior mirrors
(Y page 98) in such a way that you have
a good view of road and traffic conditions.
X Vehicles with memory function: save the
seat, steering wheel and exterior mirror
settings (Y page 100). 92
Correcting the driver's seat positionSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Setting the air distribution
Air distribution settings Air-conditioning system
0007
Directs the airflow through the
defroster vents
0018 Directs the airflow through the
footwell air vents
0019 Directs the airflow through the center
and side air vents
i You can also activate several air
distribution settings simultaneously .To do
this, press multiple air distribution buttons.
The air is then directed through various
vents.
Dual-zone automatic climate control
0019 Directs the airflow through the center
and side air vents
0018 Directs the airflow through the
footwell air vents
001A Directs the airflow through the center
and side air vents as well as the
footwell air vents
0007 Directs the airflow through the
defroster vents
0014 Directs the airflow through the
defroster, center and side air vents. 10
0013 Directs the airflow through the
footwell and defroster vents
0015 Directs the airflow through the
defroster, center and side air vents as
well as the footwell air vents 10
i Regardless of the air distribution setting,
airflow is always directed through the side
air vents. You can only close the side air
vents, by fully closing the adjuster on the
side air vents (Y page 127). Air-conditioning system X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press one or more of the 0019,0018,
0007 buttons.
The corresponding indicator lamp lights up
briefly.
Dual-zone automatic climate control X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Press the 0015button repeatedly until the
desired symbol appears in the display. Setting the airflow
Air-conditioning system X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X To increase/reduce: turn thumbwheel
0014 clockwise or counter-clockwise
(Y page 117).
Dual-zone automatic climate control X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the
ignition lock.
X To increase/reduce: press the0017or
0016 button. Switching the ZONE function on/off
This function is only available with automatic
climate control.
X To switch on: press the0003button.
The indicator lamp in the 0003button lights
up.
The temperature setting for the driver's
side is not adopted for the front-passenger
side.
10 Canada only. Operating the climate control systems
123Climate control Z