MERCEDES-BENZ CLK550 2008 C209 Repair Manual

60 Getting started
Parking and locking
When the engine is running, the
warning lamp;(USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the clock will
be illuminated.
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(
page 129).
Turning off the engine
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).Turning off the engine with the
SmartKey
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0 (
page 38).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
Turning off the engine with
KEYLESS-GO*
Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop but-
ton to shut off the engine.
With the driver’s door closed, the start-
er switch is now in position1. With the
driver’s door opened, the starter switch
is set to position0, same as SmartKey
removed from starter switch
(
page 38).
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake and/or move the gear selec-
tor lever from positionP, either of which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
PositionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects. Always set the parking brake in ad-
dition to shifting to positionP (
page 174).
When parked on an incline, always turn the
front wheels towards the road curb.
Getting out of your vehicle without taking
the above measurements to secure it is
dangerous.
iAlways set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels towards the
curb.
iThe SmartKey can only be removed from the
starter switch with the gear selector lever in
positionP.


61 Getting started
Parking and locking
Releasing seat belts
Press the seat belt release button
(
page 49).
Allow the retractor to completely re-
wind the seat belt by guiding the latch
plate.
LockingExit the vehicle, take the SmartKey or
the SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* with
you, and close all doors and the trunk
lid.iIf you hear a warning signal, you have tried
to turn off the engine while the gear selector le-
ver was not inP.
In addition, the message
Selector Lever In
Park
appears in the multifunction display.
Place the gear selector lever inP.
!Make sure the seat belt retracts fully so that
the seat belt and/or latch plate cannot get
caught or pinched in the door or in the seat
mechanism. This can damage the seat belt and
impair the effectiveness of the seat belt, and/or
cause damage to the door and/or door trim pan-
el. Such damage is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limit Warranty.
Damaged seat belts must be replaced. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the door
openings when closing the doors. Be espe-
cially careful when small children are
around.
Before closing doors, make sure there is no
possibility of someone getting caught in a
door during closing.
Warning!G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. A child’s unsupervised ac-
cess to a vehicle could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
iIf you hear a warning signal you have
forgotten to switch off the low beam headlamps
or the parking lamps before opening the driver’s
door.
In addition the message
Switch Off Lights
appears in the multifunction display.
Switch off the low beam headlamps or the park-
ing lamps.
If the message
Switch Off Lights or Re-
move Key
appears in the multifunction display
remove the SmartKey from the starter switch or
switch off the automatic headlamp mode.
!Failure to switch off the exterior lamps when
leaving the vehicle may result in a discharged
battery.
iOpening a door causes the windows on that
side of the car to open slightly. They will return to
the up position when the door is closed.

62 Getting started
Parking and locking
Locking with the SmartKey
Press lock button‹on the
SmartKey (
page 36).
With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 106).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “SmartKey”
(
page 100).Locking with KEYLESS-GO*
1Lock button
Press lock button1 on an outside
door handle.With the trunk and both doors closed:

All turn signal lamps flash three
times.

An acoustic signal sounds three
times.
For more information, see “Factory
setting” (
page 106).

The locking knobs in the doors
move down.

The anti-theft alarm system is
armed.
For more information, see “SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO*” (
page 103).

63 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Panic alarm
Driving safety systems
Anti-theft systems

64 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
In this section you will learn the most im-
portant facts about the restraint system
components of the vehicle.

Seat belts (page 77)

Child restraints (page 86)

Lower Anchors and Tethers for
CHildren (LATCH) (
page 87)
Additional protection potential is provided
by:

Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
with

Air bags (page 65)

Air bag control unit (with crash
sensors)

Emergency tensioning device (ETD)
for seat belts (
page 80)

Active head restraints (page 81)

CLK cabriolet: Roll bars (page 82)Air bag system components with

Front passenger front air bag off
indicator lamp (
page 76)

Front passenger seat with Occupant
Classification System (OCS)
(
page 72)
Although the systems are independent,
their protective functions work in conjunc-
tion with each other.The SRS system conducts a self-test when
the ignition is switched on and in regular
intervals while the engine is running. This
facilitates detection of system malfunc-
tions. The1indicator lamp in the in-
strument cluster comes on when the
ignition is switched on and goes out no lat-
er than a few seconds after the engine has
been started.
The SRS components are in operational
readiness if the 1indicator lamp is not
lit when the engine is running.
A malfunction in the system has been
detected if the 1indicator lamp:

fails to go out after approximately
4 seconds after the engine was started

does not come on at all

comes on after the engine was started
or while driving
iFor information on infants and children
traveling with you in the vehicle and restraint
systems for infants and children, see “Children
in the vehicle” (
page 83).

65 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Air bags
Warning!G
Modifications to or work improperly con-
ducted on restraint systems (such as seat
belts and anchors, emergency tensioning
devices, seat belt force limiters or air bags)
or their wiring, as well as tampering with in-
terconnected electronic systems, can lead
to the restraint systems no longer function-
ing as intended.
Air bags or emergency tensioning devices,
for example, could deploy inadvertently or
fail to deploy in accidents although the de-
celeration threshold for air bag deployment
is exceeded. Therefore, never modify the re-
straint systems. Do not tamper with elec-
tronic components or their software.
Warning!G
In the event that the 1indicator lamp
comes on during driving or does not come
on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a
malfunction. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked; otherwise the SRS may
not deploy when needed in an accident,
which could result in serious or fatal injury,
or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnec-
essarily which could also result in injury.
In addition, improper repair work on the SRS
creates a risk of rendering the SRS inopera-
tive or causing unintended air bag deploy-
ment. Work on the SRS must therefore only
be performed by qualified technicians. Con-
tact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is necessary to modify an air bag system
to accommodate a person with disabilities,
contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.
Warning!G
Air bags are designed to reduce the poten-
tial of injury and fatality in certain frontal im-
pacts (front air bags) or side impacts (CLK
coupe: front side impact air bags, rear side
impact air bags*, and window curtain air
bags. CLK cabriolet: head-thorax air bags
and rear side impact air bags*). However, no
system available today can completely elim-
inate injuries and fatalities.
The deployment of the air bags temporarily
releases a small amount of dust from the air
bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious
to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in
the vehicle. The dust might cause some tem-
porary breathing difficulty for people with
asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle
as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any
breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the
vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.

66 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for the
driver and front passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belts.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated position
with your back against the backrest. Fasten
your seat belt and make sure it is properly
positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with considerable
speed and force, a proper seating and hands
on steering wheel position will help to keep
you at a safe distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it inflates
with great force in the blink of an eye:

Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.

Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possi-
ble rearward, still permitting proper op-
eration of vehicle controls. The distance
from the center of the driver’s breast-
bone to the center of the air bag cover
on the steering wheel must be at least
10 in (25 cm) or more. You should be
able to accomplish this by a combina-
tion of adjustments to the seat and
steering wheel. If you have any prob-
lems, please see an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Do not lean your head or chest close to
the steering wheel or dashboard.

Keep hands on the outside of steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms in-
side the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when driver’s front air bag inflates.

Adjust the front passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.

Occupants, especially children, should
always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts and use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
Failure to follow these instructions can re-
sult in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.

67 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Warning!G
CLK coupe:
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
There is a possibility for a side impact air
bag related injury if occupants, especially
children, are not properly seated or re-
strained when next to a front side impact air
bag and/or rear side impact air bag* which
needs to deploy rapidly in a side impact in
order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children, should
never place their bodies or lean their
heads in the area of the door or the rear
side trim panel where the front side im-
pact air bag and/or the rear side impact
air bag* inflates.
This could result in serious injuries or
death should the front side impact air
bag and/or the rear side impact air bag*
be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts and for
children 12 years old and under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.
If you believe that, even with the use of
these guidelines, it would be safer for your
rear seat occupants to have the rear mount-
ed side impact air bags* deactivated, then
deactivation can be accomplished upon
your written request to do so at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center at an additional
cost.
Please contact your local authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer
Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes
(1-800-367-6372) for details.Warning!G
CLK cabriolet:
Accident research shows that the safest
place for children in an automobile is in the
rear seat.
There is a possibility for a head-thorax air
bag or rear side impact air bag* related inju-
ry if occupants, especially children, are not
p r o p e r l y s e a t e d o r r e s t r a i n e d w h e n n e x t t o a
head-thorax air bag and/or rear side impact
air bag* which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury, please
follow these guidelines:
(1) Always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts and for
children 12 years old and under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint or booster seat recom-
mended for the size and weight of the
child.
(2) Always wear seat belts properly.

68 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
Safety guidelines for the seat belt,
emergency tensioning device and
air bagiAir bags are designed to deploy only in cer-
tain frontal impacts (front air bags) and in side
impacts (CLK coupe: front side impact air bags,
rear side impact air bags*, and window curtain
air bags. CLK cabriolet: head-thorax air bags and
rear side impact air bags*) which exceed preset
thresholds. Only during these events will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always wear
their seat belts. Otherwise it is not possible for
the air bags to provide their supplemental
protection.
In case of other types of impacts and impacts be-
low air bag deployment thresholds, air bags will
not deploy. The driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a properly
fastened seat belt. A properly fastened seat belt
is also needed to provide the best possible
protection in a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence of the
air bags in order to avoid wearing your seat belt.
It is important to your safety and that of your pas-
sengers that you replace deployed air bags and
repair any malfunctioning air bags to make sure
the vehicle will continue to provide supplemental
crash protection for occupants.
Warning!G

Damaged seat belts or belts that were
highly stressed in an accident must be
replaced and their anchoring points
must also be checked. Only use belts in-
stalled or supplied at an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Air bags and Emergency Tensioning
Devices (ETDs) contain Perchlorate
material, which may require special han-
dling and regard for the environment.
Check with your local government’s dis-
posal guidelines. California residents,
see http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/Hazard-
ousWaste/Perchlorate/index.cfm.

Air bags and emergency tensioning de-
vices (ETDs) are designed to function on
a one-time-only basis. An air bag or ETD
that is deployed must be replaced.

Do not pass belts over sharp edges.
They could tear.

Do not make any modification that could
change the effectiveness of the belts.

Do not bleach or dye seat belts as this
may severely weaken them. In a crash
they may not be able to provide ade-
quate protection.

No modifications of any kind may be
made to any components or wiring of
the SRS. This includes changing or
removing any component or part of the
SRS, the installation of additional trim
material, badges, seat covers
(CLK cabriolet) etc. over the steering
wheel hub, front passenger front air bag
cover, outboard sides of the front seat
backrest (CLK cabriolet), door trim pan-
els (CLK coupe), door frame trims (CLK
coupe), or rear side trim panels, and in-
stallation of additional electrical/elec-
tronic equipment on or near SRS
components and wiring. Keep area be-
tween air bags and occupants free from
objects (e.g. packages, purses, umbrel-
las, etc.).

69 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
When you sell your vehicle, we strongly
urge you to give notice to the subsequent
owner that it is equipped with an SRS by
alerting them to the applicable section in
the Operator’s Manual.

CLK coupe: Do not hang items such as
coat hangers from the coat hooks or
handles over the door. These items may
turn into projectiles and cause head and
other injuries when the window curtain
air bag is deployed.

Air bag system components will be hot
after an air bag has inflated. Do not
touch.

Never place your feet on the instrument
panel, dashboard, or on the seat. Always
keep both feet on the floor in front of the
seat.

In addition, improper repair work on the
SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS
inoperative or causing unintended air
bag deployment. Work on the SRS must
therefore only be performed by qualified
technicians. Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

For your protection and the protection
of others, when scrapping the air bag
unit or emergency tensioning device,
our safety instructions must be fol-
lowed. These instructions are available
from any authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.

Given the considerable deployment
speed, required inflation volume, and
the textile structure of the air bags,
there is the possibility of abrasions or
other, potentially more serious injuries
resulting from air bag deployment.
Warning!G
CLK cabriolet: Only use seat covers which
have been tested and approved by
Mercedes-Benz for your vehicle model. Us-
ing other seat covers may interfere with or
prevent the deployment of the head-thorax
air bags. Contact your authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center for availability.