height MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2005 Owners Manual

38 Getting startedAdjusting
Manual seat adjustment
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Backrest tiltSeat fore and aft adjustment

Pull handle1.

Slide the seat to the desired position.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that allows you to reach the
accelerator/ brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far rearward as
possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.

Allow handle1 to reengage with an
audible click.

Check for proper engagement before
driving.
Warning!
G
Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in this vehicle, except in a
Mercedes-Benz authorized BabySmart
TM1

compatible child seat, which operates with
the BabySmart
TM system installed in the ve-
hicle to deactivate the passenger front
air bag when it is properly installed.
Otherwise they will be struck by the air bag
when it inflates in a crash. If this happens,
serious or fatal injury will result.
Infants and small children must be seated in
an appropriate BabySmart
TM compatible in-
fant or child restraint system, which is prop-
erly secured with the vehicle’s seat belt,
fully in accordance with the child seat
manufacturer’s instructions.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
!When moving the seats, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or
behind the seats. Otherwise you could
damage the seats.

39 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat height
Pull or push handle2 up or down and
adjust the seat cushion until your legs
are slightly supported.
Backrest tilt

Pull handle3 and adjust the backrest
until your arms are slightly angled
when holding the steering wheel.
For more information, see “Seats”
(
page 99).Power seat* adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the outer side of each seat.
1Seat fore and aft adjustment
2Seat height
3Backrest tilt
4Seat cushion tilt

Switch on the ignition (
page 35).
or

Open the respective door.Seat fore and aft adjustment

Press the horizontal switch forward or
backward in direction of arrow1.
Adjust seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach
the accelerator / brake pedal safely.
The position should be as far rearward
as possible, consistent with ability to
properly operate controls.
Seat height

Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrow2 until your legs
are slightly supported.
Backrest tilt

Press the vertical switch forward or
backward in direction of arrow3 until
your arms are slightly angled when
holding the steering wheel.

40 Getting startedAdjustingSeat cushion tilt
Press the horizontal switch up or down
in direction of arrow4 until your up-
per legs are lightly supported.
Head restraint height
Head restraint
Adjust the height of head restraints
manually by pulling them upwards or
pushing them downwards.
Steering wheel
Warning!
G
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust head restraint so that the head re-
straint supports the back of the head at eye
level. This will reduce the potential for injury
to the head and neck in the event of an ac-
cident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat
head restraints. Head restraints are intend-
ed to help reduce injuries during an acci-
dent.
iAdjust the head restraint in such a way
that it is as close to the head as
possible.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driv-
ing. Adjusting the steering wheel while driv-
ing, or driving without the steering wheel
adjustment feature locked could cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the electrical steering wheel
adjustment feature* can be operated when
the driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.

75 Safety and Security
Occupant safety
BabySmart
TM1
air bag deactivation
system
175indicator lamp
Infants and small children should never
share a seat belt with another occupant.
During an accident, they could be crushed
between the occupant and seat belt.
Children too big for child restraint systems
should use regular seat belts. Position the
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be neces-
sary to achieve proper belt positioning for
children from 41 lbs until they reach a
height where a lap/shoulder belt fits proper-
ly without a booster.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle and
the child is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
When the child restraint is not in use, re-
move it from the vehicle or secure it with the
seat belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an ac-
cident.
Do not leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle; even if the children are secured in a
child restraint system. Unsupervised chil-
dren in a child restraint system may use ve-
hicle equipment and may cause serious
personal injury.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.

95 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Opening the trunk
A minimum height clearance of 5.78 ft
(1.76 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
The handle is located above the rear
license plate recess.
Pull on the handle.

Lift the trunk lid.
The trunk lid can also be opened from its
inside in an emergency, see “Trunk lid
emergency release” (
page 96).
Closing the trunk
1Handle
Lower the trunk lid using handle1.

Close the trunk lid with hands placed
flat on the trunk lid.
iThe vehicle or trunk lid must be
unlocked before the trunk lid can be
opened.!When the trunk lid is lifted slightly, it
swings open upwards automatically.
Always make sure there is sufficient
overhead clearance.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible personal injury, always
keep hands and fingers away from the trunk
lid opening when closing the trunk lid. Be es-
pecially careful when small children are
around.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. It is possible
for children to open a locked door from the
inside, which could result in an accident
and/or serious injury.Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk lid closed as,
among other dangers such as visibility
blockage, exhaust fumes may enter the ve-
hicle interior.

103 Controls in detail
Memory function*
Memory function*
You can store up to three different settings
for each SmartKey.
The following settings are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the outer side of the
driver’s seat:

Driver’s seat and backrest position


Steering wheel position


Exterior rear view mirror positions
These key-dependent memory settings
can be deactivated if desired. For informa-
tion on key-dependent memory settings,
see “Setting key-dependency”
(
page 143).The following settings are not
key-dependent. They are stored when us-
ing the buttons on the outer side of the
passenger seat:


Passenger seat and backrest position.
!Prior to operating the vehicle, the driv-
er should check and adjust the seat
height, seat position fore and aft, and
seat backrest angle if necessary, to en-
sure adequate control, reach and com-
fort. The head restraint should also be
adjusted for proper height. See also the
section on air bags for proper seat po-
sitioning (
page 63).
In addition, adjust the steering wheel to
ensure adequate control, reach, opera-
tion and comfort. Both the interior and
exterior rear view mirrors should be ad-
justed for adequate rear vision.
Fasten seat belts. Infants and small
children should be seated in a properly
secured restraint system that complies
with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards 213 and 255 and Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 213
and 210.2.
Warning!
G
Do not activate the memory function while
driving. Activating the memory function
while driving could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

237 Controls in detail
Retractable hardtop
Retractable hardtop
Opening and closing the retractable hardtop
For safety reasons, the retractable hardtop
can only be opened and closed when the
vehicle is standing still.Warning!
G
Before operating the switch for the retract-
able hardtop, make sure no persons are in-
jured by the moving parts (retractable
hardtop, roof frame, and trunk lid).
Hands must never be placed near the roof
frame, upper windshield area, retractable
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 re-
tractable hardtop switch. This immediately
interrupts the raising or lowering procedure.
You can then operate the retractable hard-
top switch to raise or lower the retractable
hardtop away from the danger zone.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsuper-
vised use of vehicle equipment may cause
an accident and/or serious personal injury.!Never sit or place heavy objects on the
rear shelf. Doing so could cause dam-
age to the retractable hardtop and the
rear shelf.
!When opening and closing the retract-
able hardtop, make sure

there is sufficient clearance for the
retractable hardtop to move up and
the trunk lid to move back


the luggage cover is extended and
closed


the trunk is only loaded to the
height of the luggage cover


the luggage/cargo does not push
the closed luggage cover up


the trunk lid is closed


no roof luggage carrier is installed


the outside temperature is above
+5°F (-15°C)
Otherwise the roof and other parts of
the vehicle could be damaged.

238 Controls in detailRetractable hardtopLuggage cover
The luggage cover is located in the trunk.Luggage coverClosing
Pull the luggage cover at the handle in
direction of the arrow until it engages
on both sides at the trunk sill.Opening

Press the release handle on the lug-
gage cover.

Guide the luggage cover forward to its
end stop.Retractable hardtop!To prevent damage to the retractable
hardtop or luggage/cargo when lower-
ing the roof:

Load trunk only to the height of the
luggage cover.


Do not permit luggage/cargo to
push up the closed luggage cover.


Do not place anything on top or in
front of the luggage cover.


Do not place anything on the shelf
behind the roll bar.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible accidents, drive the ve-
hicle only with the retractable hardtop either
completely closed and locked, or fully low-
ered into its storage compartment.iFor safety reasons, the retractable
hardtop cannot be opened or closed
while driving.
Make sure the retractable hardtop and
the rear window are dry before you
open it. Otherwise water may enter the
interior and/or trunk.

252 Controls in detailUseful featuresShelf behind roll bars
Cup holder
1Cover plate

Press briefly on cover plate1 to open
the cup holder.
The cup holder opens automatically.

Press cover plate1 until the cup hold-
er engages to close it.
Warning!
G
The shelf behind the roll bars should not be
used to carry objects. This will prevent such
objects from being thrown around and injur-
ing vehicle occupants during an accident or
sudden maneuver.
The trunk is the preferred place to carry ob-
jects.
Warning!
G
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants, only use containers that
fit into the cup holder. Use lids on open con-
tainers and do not fill containers to a height
where the contents, especially hot liquids,
could spill during braking, vehicle maneu-
vers, or in an accident.
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. An open cup holder may cause injury
to you or others when contacted during
braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an acci-
dent.
Keep in mind that objects placed in the cup
holder may come loose during hard braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior. Ob-
jects thrown around in the vehicle interior
may cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.

287 Operation
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Hood
Opening
The hood release is located on the driver
side under the instrument panel.
1Hood lock release lever

Pull hood lock release lever1 in direc-
tion of arrow.
The hood is unlocked.
2Lever for opening the hood

Push lever2 on the hood upward to
release hood.

With the hood released, lift the hood by
lifting it at the front edge.
The hood will be automatically held
open at shoulder height by gas-filled
struts.
Warning!
G
Do not pull the release lever while the vehi-
cle is in motion. Otherwise the hood could
be forced open by passing air flow.
!To avoid damage to the windshield
wipers or hood, never open the hood if
the wiper arms are folded forward away
from the windshield.
Warning!
G
To help prevent personal injury, stay clear of
moving parts when the hood is open and the
engine is running. Make sure the hood is
properly closed before driving. When closing
the hood, use extreme caution not to catch
hands or fingers.
The radiator fan may continue to run for ap-
proximately 30 seconds or even restart af-
ter the engine has been turned off. Stay
clear of fan blades.