2012 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG instrument cluster

been switched on using the Start/Stop
button.
Applying automatically Your vehicle's electric parking brake is
applied automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS
(vehicles with automatic transmission only)
or the HOLD function stops your vehicle or is
keeping your vehicle stationary. In addition,
at least one of the following conditions must
be fulfilled:
R the engine is switched off.
R the driver's door is open and the seat belt
is not fastened.
R the vehicle is stationary for a lengthy
period.
The red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
lights up.
Releasing automatically i
The electric parking brake can only be
released automatically on vehicles with
automatic transmission.
Your vehicle's electric parking brake is
automatically released if all of the following
conditions are met:
R the engine is running.
R the transmission is in position Dor R.
R the seat belt has been fastened.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
If the transmission is in position R, the trunk
lid must be closed.
If your seat belt is not fastened, the following
conditions must be fulfilled to automatically
release the electric parkin gbrake:
R the driver's door is closed.
R you have shifted out of position Por you
have previously drive nfaster than 2mph
(3km/h). Emergency braking The vehicle can also be braked during an
emergency by using the electric parking
brake.
X
While driving, push handle 0002of the electric
parking brake (Y page 150).
i The vehicle is braked as long as you keep
the handle of the electric parking brake
pressed. The longer the electric parking
brake handle is depressed, the greater the
braking force.
During braking:
R a warning tone sounds.
R the Please Release Parking Brake message appears.
R the red 0005(USA only) or 000A(Canada
only) indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes.
When the vehicle has been braked to a
standstill, the electric parking brake is
engaged. Parking the vehicle for
along period
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
four weeks, the battery may be damaged by
exhaustive discharge.
X Connect a trickle charger.
i You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from a qualified specialist
workshop.
If you leave the vehicle parked for longer than
six weeks, the vehicle may suffer damage as
a result of lack of use.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop and
seek advice. Parking
151Driving and parking Z

Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
G
WARNING
The layer of salt on th ebrake discs and the
brake pads/linings may caus eadelay in the
braking effect, resulting in a significantly
longer braking distance, which could lead to
an accident.
To avoid this danger, you should:
R occasionally brake carefully, without
putting other road users at risk, when you
are driving on salted roads. This helps to
remove any salt that may have started to
build up on the brake discs and the brake
pads/linings.
R maintain a greater distanc eto the vehicle
ahead and drive with particular care.
R carefully apply the brakes at the end of a
trip and immediately after commencing a
new trip, so that salt residues are removed
from the brake discs.
Servicing the brakes !
If the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and you hear a
warning tone while the engine is running,
the brake fluid level may be too low.
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked
immediately. This work should be carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. Consult a
qualified specialist workshop to arrange this.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop. G
WARNING
If brake pads or brake fluid other than those
recommended are used, the braking properties of the vehicle can be degraded to
an extentt
hat safe braking is substantially
impaired. This could result in an accident.
! As the ESP ®
system operates
automatically, the engine and the ignition
must be switched off (SmartKey in position
0 or 1in the ignition lock) if the electric
parking brake is being tested on a brake
dynamometer (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP ®
may seriously damage the brake system.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the
functionality of your brakes at regular
intervals. To do so, press firmly on the brake
pedal when driving at a high speed. This
improves the grip of the brake pads. G
WARNING
Make sure that you do not endanger other
road users when you apply the brakes.
You can find a description of Brake Assist
(BAS) on (Y page 57).
High-performance brake system for
AMG vehicles The high-performance brake system is
installed only on the SLK 55 AMG.
G
WARNING
New vehicle brake pads and discs, and
replacement brake pads and discs may take
several hundred miles of driving until they
provide optimum braking efficiency. Until that
time, you may need to use increased brake
pedal pressure while braking. Please be aware
of this and adjust your driving and braking
accordingly during this break-in period.
Excessive high-demand braking will cause
correspondingly high brake wear. Please be
attentive to the brake warning lamp in the
instrument cluster and brake condition
messages in the multifunction display.
Especially for high performance driving, it is 154
Driving tipsDriving and parking

too late. This could cause an accident in which
you and/or others could be injured.
G
WARNING
The "Resume" functio nshould only be
operated if the driver is fully aware of the
previously set speed and wishes to resume
this particular preset speed. G
WARNING
Your undivided attention to street and traffic
conditions is necessary at all times whether
DISTRONIC PLUS is active or not.
The use of DISTRONIC PLUS can be
dangerous on winding roads or in heavy traffic
because conditions do not allow safe driving
at a constant speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to stationary
objects on the road (for example, a vehicle
stopped in traffic or an abandoned vehicle).
DISTRONIC PLUS likewise does not react to
oncoming vehicles.
Deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS:
R when changing to the right lane, if the
vehicles in the left lane are driving slower
R when driving into a filter lane or an
expressway exit
R in complex driving situations, for example
in construction sites on an expressway
In these situations DISTRONIC PLUS will
maintain the set speed if it is not deactivated.
DISTRONIC PLUS is intended only for
maintaining a set speed and a set distance
from the objects moving in front of the
vehicle. G
WARNING
An intermittent warning sounds and the
distance warning lamp 000Cin the instrument
cluster is illuminated if the DISTRONIC PLUS
system calculates that the distance to the
vehicle ahead and your vehicle's current
speed indicate that the DISTRONIC PLUS will
not be capable of slowing the vehicle
sufficiently to maintain the preset following distance, which creates a danger of a
collision.
Immediately brake the vehicle to increase
your distance to the preceding vehicle. The
warning sound is intended as a final caution
in which you should intercede with your own
braking inputs to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation. Do not wait for the
operation of the warning signal to intercede
with your own braking. This will result in
potentially dangerous emergency braking
which will not always result in an impact being
avoided.
Tailgating increases the risk of an accident.
G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with a
maximum deceleration of 13 ft/s 2
(4 m/s 2
).
This corresponds to approximately 40% of
your vehicle's maximum braking force.
To avoid a collision, you must apply the brakes
yourself. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes the vehicle
just enough to restore the preset speed or the
preset distance to the vehicle in front. G
WARNING
If you do not receive visual or acoustic
warning signals during a critical traffic
situation, DISTRONIC PLUS has either not
recognized the collision risk, has been
deactivated or is malfunctioning.
Remember, whether or not DISTRONIC PLUS
is operating, it is ultimately always the drivers
responsibility to apply the brakes in order to
control the vehicle and avoid a collision. 160
Driving systemsDriving and parking

parking spaces on both sides of the vehicle.
When driving at speeds below 19 mph
(30km/h), you will see parking symbol 0003as
a status indicator in the instrument cluster.
When a parking space has been detected, an
arrow towards the right 0023or the left 0002also
appears. Parking Guidance only displays
parking spaces on the front-passenger side
as standard. Parking spaces on the driver's
side are displayed as soon as the turn signal
on the driver's side is activated. To park on
the driver's side, you must leave the driver's
side turn signal switched on until you have
engaged reverse gear.
Parking Guidance will only detec tparking
spaces:
R that are parallel to the direction of travel
R that are at least 5 ft (1.5 m) wide
R that are at least 4.3 ft (1.3 m) longer than
your vehicle
Ap arking space is displayed while you are
driving past it, and until you are
approximately 50 ft (15 m) away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
The Parking Guidance is only an aid and may
no td etec tall obstacles. The Parking
Guidance does not relieve you of the
responsibility to pay attention. You are always
responsible for safety and must continue to
pay attention to your immediate surroundings
when parking and maneuvering. Otherwise,
you could endanger yourself and others.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking space
symbol shows the desired parking space in
the instrument cluster.
X Vehicles with manual transmission :shift to
reverse gear. Vehicles with automatic transmission: shift
into position
R.
The following message appears in the
multifunction display: Check vehicle surroundings Confirm with OK .
X Press the 000Cbutton on the multifunction
steering wheel to confirm.
The multifunction display switches to
Parking Guidance.
Depending on your distance from the
parking space, the Please reverse message appears in the multifunction
display. X
If necessary, reverse towards the parking
space. This is indicated by an arrow
pointing backwards.
Continue backing up until you hear a tone.
Stop –the parking position has been
reached. The arrow is white.
The Please steer to the right or
Please steer to the left message
appears in the multifunction display. X
While the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel in the specified direction Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

Useful information
............................180
Important safety notes ....................180
Displays and operation ....................180
Menus and submenus ......................184
Display messages ............................. 199
Warning and indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster ............................228 179On-board computer and displays

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).Important safety notes
You will find an illustration of the instrument
cluster in the "At a glance" section
(Y page 27). G
WARNING
The driver's concentration must always be
directed primarily at road traffic.
For your safety and the safety of others,
selecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions permit
it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a distance of 44 feet (approximately 14 m) per
second. G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving conditions,
such as
R speed
R outside temperature
R warning/indicato rlamps R
malfunction/warning messages
R failure of any systems
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, do so with added
caution .Contactana uthorized Mercedes-
Ben zCenter as soon as possible. G
WARNING
Malfunction and warning messages are only
indicated for certain systems and are
intentionally not very detailed. The
malfunction and warning messages are
simply a reminder with respect to the
operation of certain systems. They do not
replace the owner's and/or driver's
responsibility to maintain the vehicle's
operating safety. Have all required
maintenance and safety checks performed on
the vehicle. Bring the vehicle to an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to address the
malfunction and warning messages. Displays and operation
Instrument lighting
The brightness control knob is located on the
bottom left of the instrument cluster
(Y page 27).
X Turn the brightness control knob clockwise
or counter-clockwise.
Instrument cluster: if the light switch is set
to 0005, 0011or0009, brightness control
takes ambient light into account.
i The light sensor in the instrument cluster
automatically controls the brightness of
the multifunction display.
In daylight, the displays in the instrument
cluster are not illuminated.
Displays and switches in the vehicle
interior: if the light switch is set to 0005,
brightness control takes ambient light into
account. If the light switch is set to 0011or
0009, brightness control does not take
ambient light into account. 180
Displays and operationOn-board computer and displays

the
0001 symbol as long as the HOLD
function is not activated (Y page 168).
Vehicles with Parking Guidance: if
PARKTRONIC is activated and you are driving
at a speed under 22 mph (35km/h) the 0013
symbol for Parking Guidanc eis displayed
instead of the 0001symbol.
Activating/deactivating ATTENTION
ASSIST X
Press the 0002or0005 button on the
steering wheel to select the DriveAssistmenu.
X Press the 0003or0004 button to select
Attention Asst. .
X Press 000C.
The current selection is displayed.
X To activate/deactivate: press000C
again.
When ATTENTION ASSIST (Y page 176) is
activated, the 0001symbol appears in the
multifunction display when the ignition is on. Service menu
In the
Serv. menu, you have the following
options:
R calling up display messages (Y page 199)
R checking the tire pressure electronically
(Y page 301)
R calling up a service due date
(Y page 264) Settings menu
Introduction The
Sett. menu can be used for:
R changing the instrument cluster settings
R changing the light settings
R changing the vehicle settings
R changing the convenience settings
R restoring the factory settings
Instrument cluster Selecting the unit of measurement for
distance
The
Display Unit Speed-/Odometer: function allows you to choose whether
certain displays appearink
ilometers or miles.
The selected unit of measuremen tfor
distance applies to:
R digital speedometers in the Trip menu
R odometer and the trip odometer
R Trip computer
R current consumption and the range
R navigation instructions in the Navi menu
R DISTRONIC PLUS
R ASSYST PLUS service interval display
X Press the 0002or0005 button on the
steering wheel to select the Sett. menu.
X Press the 0004or0003 button to select the
Instr. Cluster submenu.
X Press 000Cto confirm. Menus and submenus
191On-board computer and displays Z

Safety systems
Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
0014000B
Currently
Unavailable See
Oper. Manual G
Risk of accident
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ESP ®
(Electronic Stability
Program), BAS (Brake Assist), the HOLD function and hill start
assist are temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the 000B,0012and0014 warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
The self-diagnosis function might not be complete, for example.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
X Carefully drive a short distance on a suitable stretch of road,
making slight steering movements at a speed above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. G
Risk of accident
ABS, ESP ®
, BAS, the HOLD function and hill start assist are
temporarily unavailable.
BAS PLUS and PRE-SAFE ®
Brake may also have failed.
In addition, the 000B,0012and0014 warning lamps light up in
the instrument cluster.
For example, the on-board voltage may be insufficient.
ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated.
The brake system continues to function normally, but without the
functions listed above. The wheels could therefore lock if you
brake hard, for example.
X Drive on carefully.
If the display message disappears, the functions mentioned
above are available again.
If the display message continues to be displayed:
X Drive on carefully.
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 200
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays