side is not adopted for the front-passenger
side.
XTo switch off:press theábutton.
The indicator lamp in the ábutton goes
out. The temperature setting for the driv-
er's side is adopted for the front-passenger
side.
Defrosting the windshield
General notes
You can use this function to defrost the wind-
shield or to defrost the inside of the wind-
shield and the side windows.
Switch off the "Windshield defrosting" func-
tion as soon as the windshield is clear again.
Switching the "windshield defrosting"
function on or off
XTurn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock (
Ypage 139).
XTo switch on: press the¬button.
The indicator lamp in the ¬button lights
up.
The climate control system switches to the
following functions:
Rhigh airflow
Rhigh temperature
Rair distribution to the windshield and
front side windows
Rair-recirculation mode off
XTo switch off: press the¬button.
The indicator lamp in the ¬button goes
out. The previously selected settings are
restored. Air-recirculation mode remains
deactivated.
or
XDual-zone automatic climate control: press
the à button.
The indicator lamp in the ¬button goes
out. Airflow and air distribution are set to
automatic mode.
MAX COOL maximum cooling
The MAX COOL function is only available in
vehicles for the USA.
MAX COOL is only operational when the
engine is running.
XTo activate: press theÙbutton.
The indicator lamp in the button lights up.
XTo deactivate: press theÙbutton.
The indicator lamp in the button goes out.
The previously selected settings are
restored.
When you activate MAX COOL, climate con-
trol switches to the following functions:
Rmaximum cooling
Rmaximum airflow
Rair-recirculation mode on
Defrosting the windows
Windows fogged up on the inside
XActivate the ¿orÁ cooling with air
dehumidification function.
XDual-zone automatic air conditioning: acti-
vate the Ãmode button.
XIf the windows continue to fog up, activate
the ¬ "Windshield defrosting" function.
iYou should only select this setting until
the windshield is clear again.
Windows fogged up on the outside
XActivate the windshield wipers.
XAir-conditioning system: press the Por
O button.
XDual-zone automatic air conditioning:
press the _button until the Por
O symbol appears in the display.
iYou should only select this setting until
the windshield is clear again.
Operating the climate control systems131
Climate control
Driving
Important safet ynotes
GWARNING
Objects in th edriver's footwell can restric tth e
peda ltrave lor obstruct adepressed pedal.
The operatin gand road safet yof th evehicle is
jeopardized. There is aris kof an accident.
Mak esur ethat all objects in th evehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they canno tente r
th edriver's footwell. Install th efloormat s
securely and as specifie din order to ensur e
sufficien tclearanc efo rth epedals. Do no tuse
loose floormat sand do no tplac efloormat son
to pof on eanother.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correc tusag e
of th epedals, e.g. :
Rshoes withthic ksoles
Rshoes wit hhig hheels
Rslipper s
There is aris kof an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensur ecorrec t
usag eof th epedals.
GWARNING
If you switch of fth eignition whil edriving,
safety-relevant function sare only available
wit hlimitations, or no tat all. Thi scould affect,
fo rexample, th epowe rsteerin gand th ebrake
boostin geffect .You will require considerably
more effort to steer and brake .There is aris k
of an accident.
Do no tswitch of fth eignition whil edriving.
GWARNING
If th eparking brake has no tbee nfull y
release dwhen driving, th eparking brake can :
Roverheat and cause afir e
Rlos eits hol dfunction .
There is aris kof fir eand an accident. Release
th eparking brake full ybefor edrivin goff.
!Do no twarm up th eengin ewit hth evehi-
cl e stationary. Drive of fimmediately. Avoid
hig hengin espeeds and drivin gat full throt-
tl e until th eengin ehas reached it soperat -
in g temperature .
Only shift th eautomatic transmissio nto
th edesire ddrive position when th evehicle
is stationary.
Where possible, avoid spinnin gth edrive
wheels when pulling away on slipper y
roads. You could otherwise damage th e
drive train .
!Mercedes-AMG vehicles :at low engin e
oil temperature sbelo w68 ‡(+2 0†), th e
maximum engin espeed is restricte din
order to protect th eengine. To protect th e
engin eand maintain smoot hengin eoper-
ation ,avoid drivin gat full throttle when th e
engin eis cold.
SmartKe ypositions
SmartKe y
gTo removeth eSmartKey
Shift th etransmissio nto position P.
1Powersupply fo rsom econsumers ,suc h
as th ewindshield wipers
2Ignition (power supply fo rall consumers )
and drive position
3To start th eengin e
iThe SmartKey can be turned in th eigni-
tion loc keve nif it is no tth ecorrec tSmart -
Key fo rth evehicle. The ignition is no t
switched on .The engin ecanno tbe started.
Driving139
Driving and parking
Z
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
Wiper Malfunction‐
ing
The windshield wipersare malfunctioning.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Hazard Warning
Flashers Malfunc‐
tioning
The hazard warnin glamp sare faulty.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
SmartKey
Display messagesPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Â
Key DoesNot
Belong to Vehicl e
You haveput th ewrong SmartKey in th eignition lock.
XUse th ecorrec tSmartKey.
Â
Tak eYourKeyfrom
Ignition
The SmartKey is in th eignition lock.
XRemove th eSmartKey.
Â
Obtain aNew Key
The SmartKey needs to be replaced.
XVisit aqualified specialist workshop .
Â
ReplaceKeyBattery
The SmartKey battery is discharged.
XChange th ebattery (Ypage 75) .
Â
Don't Forget You r
Key
The SmartKey is notin th eignition lock. You hav eopened th e
driver's doo rwit hth eengin eswitched off.
The multifunction display shows th edisplay message amaximum
of 60 seconds and is simply areminder .
XTaketh eSmartKey wit hyou when you leav eth evehicle.
Â
Key Not Detected
(re ddisplay message )
The SmartKey is no tin th evehicle.
A warnin gtone also sounds.
If th eengin eis switched off, you can no longer loc kth evehicl e
centrall yor start th eengine.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 160).
XLocate th eSmartKey.
XPress aon thesteerin gwhee lto confirm th edisplay mes -
sage .
240Display messages
On-board computer and displays
XPush a round pen into opening
=(
Ypage 272) for approximately three
seconds.
The zone currently selected appears in
compass display ;(
Ypage 272).
XTo select the zone: push a round pen into
opening =(
Ypage 272) until the desired
zone is selected.
If, after a few seconds, the display in com-
pass display ;(
Ypage 272) changes
direction, the zone has been selected.
Calibrating the compass
XMake sure that there is sufficient space for you to drive in a circle without impeding
traffic.
In order to calibrate the compass correctly,
do the following:
Rcalibrate the compass in the open and not
in the vicinity of steel structures or high-
voltage transmission lines.
Rswitch off electrical consumers such as the
climate control, windshield wipers or rear
window defroster.
Rclose all doors and the trunk lid.
XSwitch on the ignition.
XPush a round pen into opening
=(
Ypage 272) for approximately six sec-
onds, until symbol C
is shown in compass
display ;(
Ypage 272).
XDrive your vehicle in a full circle at approx-
imately 3 mph (5 km/h) to 6 mph
(10 km/h).
When the calibration has successfully been
completed, the current direction is shown
in compass display ;(
Ypage 272).
Floormats
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a depressed pedal.
The operating and road safety of the vehicle is
jeopardized. There is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats
securely and as specified in order to ensure
sufficient clearance for the pedals. Do not use
loose floormats and do not place floormats on
top of one another.
XSlide the seat backwards.
XTo install: place the floormat in the foot-
well.
XPress studs :onto retainers ;.
XTo remove:pull the floormat off retain-
ers ;.
XRemove the floormat.
Features273
Stowage and features
Z
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
Matte finish care
!Never polish the vehicle or the light alloy
wheels. Polishing causes the finish to
shine.
!The following may cause the paint to
become shiny and thus reduce the matte
effect:
Rstrong rubbing of the paintwork with
unsuitable materials
Rfrequent use of automatic car washes
Rwashing the vehicle in direct sunlight
!Never use paint cleaner, buffing or pol-
ishing products, or gloss preserver, e.g.
wax. These products are only suitable for
high-gloss surfaces. Their use on vehicles
with matte finish leads to considerable sur-
face damage (shiny, spotted areas).
Always have paintwork repairs carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop.
!Do not use wash programs with a hot wax
treatment under any circumstances.
Observe these notes if your vehicle has a
clear matte finish. This will help you to avoid
damage to the paintwork due to incorrect
treatment.
These notes also apply to light alloy wheels
with a clear matte finish.
iThe vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
iUse only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of recommended and
approved Mercedes-Benz care products.
Cleaning the vehicle parts
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle (dirt
blasters) can cause invisible exterior damage
to the tires or chassis components. Compo-
nents damaged in this way may fail unexpect-
edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced imme-
diately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, particularly
after having cleaned the wheels with wheel
cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the windshield wipers if they start moving while cleaning the
windshield or wiper blades. There is a risk of
injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers and
the ignition before cleaning the windshield or
wiper blades.
!Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing sol-
vents to clean the inside of the windows. Do
not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
windows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away. This
can lead to corrosion damage and damage
to electronic components.
284Care
Maintenance and care
XSwitch on the hazard warning lamps
(
Ypage 111).
XInstall the towing eye (Ypage 302).
XSecure the rigid towing bar or the towing
rope.
XDepress and hold the brake pedal.
XTurn the SmartKey to position2in the igni-
tion lock.
XDepress the clutch pedal fully, engage sec-
ond gear and keep the clutch pedal
depressed.
XRelease the brake pedal.
XTow-start the vehicle.
XRelease the clutch pedal slowly; do not
depress the accelerator pedal while doing
so.
XAs soon as the engine starts, depress the
clutch pedal immediately and shift to neu-
tral.
XStop at a suitable place, in accordance with
the traffic conditions.
XDepress the parking brake.
XRemove the rigid towing bar or towing rope.
XRemove the towing eye (Ypage 302).
XSwitch off the hazard warning lamps.
Fuses
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you manipulate or bridge a faulty fuse or if
you replace it with a fuse with a higher amper- age, the electric cables could be overloaded.
This could result in a fire. There is a risk of an
accident and injury.
Always replace faulty fuses with the specified
new fuses having the correct amperage.
!Only use fuses that have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles and which
have the correct fuse rating for the system concerned. Otherwise, components or sys-
tems could be damaged. The fuses in your vehicle serve to close down
faulty circuits. If a fuse blows, all the compo-
nents on the circuit and their functions stop
operating.
Blown fuses must be replaced with fuses of
the same rating, which you can recognize by
the color and value. The fuse ratings are listed
in the fuse allocation chart.
If a newly inserted fuse also blows, have the
cause traced and rectified at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop, e.g. an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Before changing a fuse
XSecure the vehicle against rolling away
(
Ypage 160).
XSwitch off all electrical consumers.
XTurn the SmartKey to position
0in the igni-
tion lock and remove it (
Ypage 139).
or
XOn vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, make sure
the ignition is switched off (
Ypage 140).
All indicator lamps in the instrument cluster
must be off.
The fuses are located in various fuse boxes:
RFuse box in the engine compartment on the
left-hand side of the vehicle, when viewed
in the direction of travel
RFuse box in the trunk
The fuse allocation chart is located in the
vehicle tool kit in the stowage compartment
under the trunk floor (
Ypage 290).
Fuse box in the engine compartment
i
Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 304).
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.
304Fuses
Breakdown assistance