2016 MERCEDES-BENZ SLK-CLASS ROADSTER maintenance

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment 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.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
Overview of climate control systems
General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the
following pages. The windows could other-
wise fog up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:
Rswitch off climate control only briefly
Rswitch on air-recirculation mode only
briefly
Rswitch on the cooling with air dehumidifi-
cation function
Rswitch on the defrost windshield function
briefly, if required
Climate control regulates the temperature
and the humidity in the vehicle interior and
filters undesirable substances out of the air.
Climate control can only be operated when
the engine is running. Optimum operation is
only achieved with the side windows and roof closed.
The residual heat function can only be acti-
vated or deactivated with the ignition
switched off (
Ypage 133).
iWhen the weather is warm, ventilate the
vehicle for a brief period. This will speed up
the cooling process and the desired vehicle
interior temperature will be reached more
quickly.
iThe integrated filter filters out most par-
ticles of dust and soot and completely fil-
ters out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pol-
lutants and odors. A clogged filter reduces
the amount of air supplied to the vehicle
interior. For this reason, you should always
observe the interval for replacing the filter,
which is specified in the Maintenance
Booklet. As it depends on environmental
conditions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the
interval may be shorter than stated in the
Maintenance Booklet.
122Overview of climate control systems
Climate control

unsure,pullover to a safe location and stop
before operating the telephone.
Bear inmind that at a speed of only 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), the vehicle covers
a dist ance of 44 ft (approximately 14 m) per
second.
Drive sensibly – save fuel
Observe the fol lowing tips to save fuel:
RThe tires should always beinflated to the
recommended tire pressure.
RRemove unnecessary loads.
RWarm up the engine at low engine speeds.
RAvoid frequent acceleration or braking.
RObserve the service intervals inthe Main-
tenance Booklet or inthe service interval
disp lay. Have all the maintenance work car-
ried inaccordance with Daimler AG regu-
lations.
Fuel consumption also increases when driv-
ing inco ldweather, instop-start traff icand in
hilly terrain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNIN G
Drinking and driving and/o rtaking drug sand
driving are ver ydangerous combinations.
Even asmal lamoun tof alcohol or drug scan
affect your reflexes, perception sand judg-
ment.
The possibilit yof aserious or eve nfatal acci-
den tis greatl yincreased when you drin kor
tak edrug sand drive.
Do no tdrin kor tak edrug sand driv eor allow
anyone to driv ewho has been drinkin gor tak -
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNIN G
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gase ssuc has carbon monoxide. Inhalin g
these exhaust gase sleads to poisoning .Ther e
is aris kof fatal injury. Therefore never leav e
theengin erunnin gin enclosed spaces with-
out sufficien tventilation .
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
theleve l ofpois onous components inexhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exact ly inaccordance with
the manufacturer's specifications. All work
on the engine must becarried out only by
qualif ied and authorized Mercedes-Benz
technicians.
The engine settings must not bechanged
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific service work must becarried out at
regular intervals and inaccordance with the
Mercedes-Benz service requirements. Detai ls
can befound inthe Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display
The ECO display provide s feedbac k on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you inachieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailin g conditions. Your
driving style can significant lyinfluence the
vehicle's consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAccel.
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value isthe average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50 %.A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
164Driving tips
Driving and parking

Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal while
driving, the braking system can overheat. This increases the stopping distance and can even
cause the braking system to fail. There is a
risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Never
depress the brake pedal and the accelerator
pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately, but
drive on for a short while. This allows the air-
flow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after the vehicle has been washed or driven through deep water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal
more firmly. Maintain a greater distance from
the vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehi- cle washed, brake firmly while paying atten-
tion to the traffic conditions. This will warm up
the brake discs, thereby drying them more
quickly and protecting them against corro-
sion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and
brake pads. This can result in a significantly
longer braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up in
the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine
is running
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 immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (SmartKey in position 0or 1in
the ignition lock) if the electric parking
brake is being tested on a brake dynamom-
eter (maximum 10 seconds).
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system.
All checks and maintenance work on the
brake system must be carried out at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
Information on BAS (Brake Assist)
(
Ypage 62).
Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
have brake pads/linings installed on your
vehicle which have been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which correspond
to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
166Driving tips
Driving and parking

Useful information............................276
Engine compartment ........................276
ASSYST PLUS .................................... 280
Care .................................................... 281
275
Maintenance and care

Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment 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.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
Engine compartment
Hood
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the hood is unlatched, it may open up when the vehicle is in motion and block your view.
There is a risk of an accident.
Never unlatch the hood while driving. Before
every trip, ensure that the hood is locked.
GWARNING
When opening and closing the hood, it may
suddenly fall into the closed position. There is a risk of injury to persons within range of
movement of the hood.
Open and close the hood only when no one is
within its range of movement.
GWARNING
Opening the hood when the engine is over-
heated or when there is a fire in the engine
compartment could expose you to hot gases
or other service products. There is a risk of
injury.
Let an overheated engine cool down before
opening the hood. If there is a fire in the
engine compartment, keep the hood closed
and contact the fire department.
GWARNING
The engine compartment contains moving
components. Certain components, such as
the radiator fan, may continue to run or start
again suddenly when the ignition is off. There is a risk of injury.
If you need to do any work inside the engine
compartment:
Rswitch off the ignition
Rnever reach into the area where there is a
risk of danger from moving components,
such as the fan rotation area
Rremove jewelry and watches
Rkeep items of clothing and hair, for exam-
ple, away from moving parts
Opening the hood
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and touch only the components described in the
following.
GWARNING
When the hood is open and the windshield
wipers are set in motion, you can be injured by
the wiper linkage. There is a risk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before opening the hood.
!Make sure that the windshield wipers are
not folded away from the windshield. You
could otherwise damage the windshield
wipers or the hood.
276Engine compartment
Maintenance and care

XMake sure that the windshield wipers are
turned off.
XPull release lever:on the hood.
The hood is released.
XReach into the gap, pull hood catch han-
dle ;up and lift the hood.
If you lift the hood by approximately 15 in
(40 cm), the hood is opened and held open automatically by the gas-filled strut.
Closing the hood
XLower the hood and let it fall from a height
of approximately 8 in (20 cm).
XCheck 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 your driving style, the vehicle
consumes up to 0.9 US qt (0.8 liters) of oil per
600 miles (1,000 km). The oil consumption
may be higher than this when the vehicle is
new or if you frequently drive at high engine
speeds.
Mercedes-AMG 55 SLK: before operation on
race tracks, check the oil level (
Ypage 277)
and top up (
Ypage 278) if necessary. Race
track operation is only permitted with a max- imum engine oil level.
Depending on the engine, the oil dipstick may
be in a different location.
When checking the oil level:
Rpark the vehicle on a level surface.
Rthe engine should be switched off for
approximately five minutes if the engine is
at normal operating temperature.
Rif 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 dip-
stick
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and touch only the components described in the
following.
Engine compartment277
Maintenance and care
Z

ExampleXPull oil dipstick:out of the dipstick guide
tube.
XWipe off oil dipstick :.
XSlowly slide oil dipstick :into the guide
tube to the stop, and take it out again.
If the level is between MIN mark =and
MAX mark ;, the oil level is correct.
XIf the oil level has dropped to MIN mark =
or below, add 1.1 US qt (1.0 liter) of engine
oil.
Adding engine oil
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool down and touch only the components described in the
following.
GWARNING
If engine oil comes into contact with hot com- ponents in the engine compartment, it may
ignite. There is a risk of fire and injury.
Make sure that engine oil is not spilled next to
the filler neck. Let the engine cool down and
thoroughly clean the engine oil off the com-
ponents before starting the engine.
HEnvironmental note
When adding oil, take care not to spill any. If
oil enters the soil or waterways, it is harmful to
the environment.
!Only use engine oils and oil filters that
have been approved for vehicles with a ser-
vice system. You can obtain a list of the
engine oils and oil filters tested and
approved in accordance with the
Mercedes-Benz Specifications for Service
Products at any Mercedes-Benz Service
center.
Damage to the engine or exhaust system is
caused by the following:
Rusing engine oils and oil filters that have
not been specifically approved for the
service system
Rreplacing engine oil and oil filters after
the interval for replacement specified by the service system has been exceeded
Rusing engine oil additives.
!Do not add too much oil. If the oil level is
above the "max" mark on the dipstick, too
much oil has been added. This can lead to
damage to the engine or the catalytic con-
verter. Have excess oil siphoned off.
Example: engine oil cap
XTurn cap :counter-clockwise and remove
it.
XAdd engine oil.
If the oil level is at or below the MIN mark on
the oil dipstick, add 1.1 US qt (1.0 l)of
engine oil.
278Engine compartment
Maintenance and care

XReplacecap :on th efiller neck and tur n
clockwise .
Ensur ethat th ecap locks into plac e
securely.
XChec kth eoil level again wit hth eoil dip-
stick (
Ypage 277).
Further information on engin eoil
(
Ypage 349).
Checking and addin gother service
products
Checking coolant level
GWARNIN G
Certain component sin th eengin ecompart-
ment, suc has th eengine, radiato rand part s
of th eexhaust system, can become ver yhot .
Working in th eengin ecompartmen tposes a
ris kof injury.
Where possible, let th eengin ecool down and
touch only th ecomponent sdescribed in th e
following.
GWARNIN G
The engin ecoolin gsystem is pressurized, par-
ticularly when th eengin eis warm .Whe n
openin gth ecap ,you could be scalded by hot
coolan tsprayin gout .There is aris kof injury.
Let th eengin ecool down before openin gth e
cap .Wear eye and han dprotection when
openin gth ecap .Ope nth ecap slowly half a
tur nto allow pressur eto escape.
Exampl e
XPark thevehicl eon alevel surface.
Only chec kth ecoolan tlevel when th evehi-
cle is on alevel surfac eand th eengin ehas
cooled down .
XTurn theSmartKey to position 2in th eigni-
tion loc k (
Ypage 139).
On vehicles wit hKEYLESS-GO ,press th e
Start/Sto pbutto ntwice (
Ypage 140).
XCheckth ecoolan ttemperature gauge in
th emultifunction display.
The coolan ttemperature mus tbe belo w
15 8 ‡ (70 †).
XTurn th eSmartKey to position
0 (
Ypage 139) in th eignition lock.
XSlowly tur ncap ;half atur ncounter-
clockwise to allow excess pressur eto
escape.
XTurn cap ;further counter-clockwise and
remove it .
If th ecoolan tis at th elevel of marke rbar =
in th efiller neck when cold, there is enough
coolan tin coolan texpansion tan k:.
If th ecoolan tlevel is approximately 0. 6in
(1.5 cm ) above marker bar =in the fuel
filler neck when warm, there is enough
coolant in expansion tank :.
XIf necessary, add coolant that has been tes-
ted and approved by Mercedes-Benz.
XReplace cap;and turn it clockwise as far
as it will go.
For further information on coolant, see
(
Ypage 350).
Windshield washer system
GWARNING
Certain components in the engine compart-
ment, such as the engine, radiator and parts
of the exhaust system, can become very hot.
Working in the engine compartment poses a
risk of injury.
Where possible, let the engine cool downand
touch only the components describe d in the
foll owin g.
Engine compartment279
Maintenance and care
Z