MERCEDES-BENZ SLK280 2008 R171 Owner's Manual

400 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp
assemblies are in good working order at
all times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
headlamp adjustment.
Warning!G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas.
A bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot

drop the bulb

scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in Xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.
iIf the headlamps are fogged up on the inside
as a result of high humidity, driving the vehicle a
short distance with the lights on should clear up
the fogging.
iBackup bulbs will be brought into use
when lamps malfunction. Read and observe
the messages in the multifunction
display (
page 381).

401 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Front lamps
LampType
1Additional turn signal
lampLED
2Turn signal lamp3457 AK
3Halogen headlamp:
Low beam
H7 (55 W)
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
Low and high beam1
1Vehicles with Bi-Xenon* headlamps: Low beam
and high beam use the same D2S-35W lamp. Do
not replace the Bi-Xenon* bulbs yourself. Contact
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
D2S-35 W
4Front fog lampHB4 (51 W)
Front fog lamp
(vehicles with Sport
Package* and
SLK 55 AMG)H7 (55 W)
Corner illuminating
front fog lamp*H7 (55 W)
LampType
5Parking and standing
lampW5W
6Halogen headlamp:
High beam/high beam
flasher
H7 (55 W)
Bi-Xenon* headlamp:
High beam flasher
H7 (55 W)
7Side marker lampW5W

402 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Rear lamps Notes on bulb replacement

Only use 12-volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.

Switch the lights off before replacing a
bulb to prevent short circuits.

Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.

Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.

If the newly installed bulb does not
come on, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.Have the LEDs and bulbs for the following
lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center:

Additional turn signal lamps in the
exterior rear view mirrors

Bi-Xenon* lamps

Front fog lamps

High mounted brake lamp

Brake lamps

Front and rear side marker lamps

Parking/standing lamps in the tail
lamp assemblies
LampType
8Rear fog lamp (driver’s
side only)P21W
9High mounted brake
lampLED
aSide marker lampLED
bTail, parking, standing,
and brake lampLED
cLicense plate lampsC5W
dBackup lampP21W
eTurn signal lampPY 21 W
!Do not replace the LEDs yourself. You could
otherwise damage the LEDs or parts of the
vehicle. Only have the LEDs replaced by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.

403 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 109).
Open the hood (page 294).
1Housing cover for low beam (halogen
headlamps only)
Housing cover for Bi-Xenon* head-
lamps. Do not remove.
2Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
3Bulb socket for high beam/high beam
flasher lamp
4Bulb socket for parking and standing
light lamp
5Bulb socket for low beam bulb
(Halogen headlamps only)
Warning!G
Do not remove the cover1 for the
Bi-Xenon* headlamp. Because of high volt-
age in Bi-Xenon lamps, it is dangerous to
replace the bulb or repair the lamp and its
components. We recommend that you have
such work done by a qualified technician.

404 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Low beam bulb (Halogen headlamps
only)
Turn housing cover1 counterclock-
wise and remove.
Turn bulb socket5 with the bulb
counterclockwise and remove.
Pull the bulb out of bulb socket5.
Press the new bulb into bulb socket5.
Place bulb socket5 back into the
lamp and turn it clockwise.
Reinstall housing cover1.
High beam/high beam flasher bulb
(Halogen headlamps) / High beam
flasher bulb (Bi-Xenon* headlamps)
Turn bulb socket3 with the bulb
counterclockwise and remove.
Pull the bulb out of bulb socket3.
Press the new bulb into bulb socket3.
Place bulb socket3 back into the
lamp and turn it clockwise.Front turn signal bulb
Turn bulb socket2 with the bulb
counterclockwise and remove.
Press gently onto the bulb and turn it
counterclockwise out of bulb
socket2.
Press the new bulb gently into bulb
socket2 and turn it clockwise.
Place bulb socket2 back into the
lamp and turn it clockwise.
Parking and standing lamp bulb
Turn bulb socket4 with the bulb
counterclockwise and remove.
Pull the bulb out of bulb socket4.
Press the new bulb into bulb socket4.
Place bulb socket4 back into the
lamp and turn it clockwise.
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a rear
lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 109).
Open the trunk lid (page 99).
Tail lamp unit
1Bulb socket for rear fog lamp
(driver’s side only)
2Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
3Bulb socket for backup lamp

405 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Fold corresponding trim to side.
Turn the respective bulb socket coun-
terclockwise and remove.
Press gently onto the bulb and turn
counterclockwise out of its bulb sock-
et.
Press the new bulb gently into its bulb
socket and turn clockwise.
Reinstall the bulb socket and turn
clockwise until it engages.
Reinstall trim.License plate lamp
1ScrewsLoosen both screws1.
Remove the license plate lamp.
Replace the bulb.
Reinstall the license plate lamp.
Retighten screws1.

406 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Placing wiper arms in vertical position
1Wiper arms
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position1 (
page 37).
Turn combination switch to wiper
settingII (
page 56).
With wiper arms 1 in vertical position,
turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position0.
Remover the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Warning!G
For safety reasons, switch off wipers and
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch before replacing a wiper blade.
Otherwise, the motor could suddenly turn
on and cause injury.
Warning!G
Wiper blades are components that are
subject to wear and tear. Replace the wiper
blades twice a year, preferably in the spring
and fall. Otherwise the windows will not be
properly wiped. As a result, you may not
be able to observe surrounding traffic condi-
tions and could cause an accident.
!To avoid damage to the hood:

The wiper arms should only be folded for-
ward when in the vertical position.

Never open the hood when a wiper arm is
folded forward.
!Hold on to the wiper when folding the wiper
arm back. If released, the force of the impact
from the tensioning spring could crack the wind-
shield.
Do not allow the wiper arms to contact the wind-
shield glass without a wiper blade inserted.
For your convenience, we recommend that you
have this work carried out by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

407 Practical hints
Replacing wiper blades
Removing wiper blades
Fold the wiper arms forward until they
engage.
1Wiper blade
2Tabs
3Attachment
4Cover
Press tabs2 together and tilt wiper
blade1 in direction of arrow.
Tabs2 on both recesses of
attachment3 are detached.
Maintaining its tilted position, remove
wiper blade1 out of attachment3.
Installing wiper blades
1Cover
2Guide tab
3Attachment
4Tabs
Maintaining a tilted position of the
wiper blade, place cover1 onto
attachment3 so that guide tab2 is
under cover1.
Tilt the wiper blade in direction of the
arrow towards the wiper arm.
Simultaneously press tabs4 together
and let the wiper blade engage into
both recesses of attachment3.
Check if the wiper blade is securely
fastened.
Fold the wiper arm backward to rest on
the windshield.
Make sure you hold on to the wiper arm
when folding it back.
!Do not pull on the wiper blade inserts. They
could tear.
!Make sure the wiper blades are properly
installed. Improperly installed wiper blades may
cause windshield damage.

408 Practical hints
Flat tire
The SLK 55 AMG with Performance
Package* is equipped with a TIREFIT kit.
Preparing the vehicle
Park the vehicle in a safe distance from
moving traffic on a hard, flat surface
when possible.
Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
Turn the steering wheel so that the
front wheels are in a straight ahead
position.
Set the parking brake (page 53).
Move the gear selector lever* toP
(manual transmission to first or reverse
gear).
Turn off the engine (page 61).
Remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch.
Have any passenger exit the vehicle at
a safe distance from the roadway.
Sealing tires with TIREFIT
Small tire punctures, particularly those in
the tread, can be sealed with TIREFIT.
TIREFIT can be used in ambient tempera-
tures down to -4°F (-20°C).Foreign objects (e.g. screws or nails)
should not be removed from the tire.
Take TIREFIT, the sticker, and the
electric air pump out of the trunk
(
page 389).
Two-part sticker
1Sticker for instrument cluster
2Sticker for wheel
Attach sticker part 1 where it will be
easily seen by the driver on the instru-
ment cluster.
Attach sticker part 2 to the damaged
tire (close to the tire valve).iOpen door only when conditions are safe to
do so.
iSLK 55 AMG with Performance Package*
only.
Warning!G
TIREFIT is a limited repair device. TIREFIT
cannot be used for cuts or punctures larger
than approximately 0.16 in (4 mm) and tire
damage caused by driving with extremely
low tire inflation pressure, or on a flat tire, or
a damaged wheel.
Do not drive the vehicle under such circum-
stances.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
for assistance or call Roadside Assistance.

409 Practical hints
Flat tire
Warning!G
Take care not to allow the contents of
TIREFIT to come in contact with hair, eyes
or clothing. TIREFIT is harmful if inhaled,
swallowed or absorbed through the skin –
causes skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Any contact with eyes or skin should be
flushed immediately with plenty of water.
If clothing comes in contact with TIREFIT,
change clothing as soon as possible.
In case of allergic reaction or rash, consult a
physician immediately.
Warning!G
Keep TIREFIT out of reach of children.
If swallowed, rinse mouth immediately with
plenty of water and drink plenty of water.
Do not induce vomiting!
Consult a physician immediately.
Keep away from open flame or heat source.
iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You can
then peel it off.
Warning!G
Observe safety instructions on air pump
label.
iYour vehicle may be equipped with either of
two versions of the electric air pump:

Version 1
The air hose with pressure gauge and the
electrical plug are located behind a flap.

Version 2
The pressure gauge is located in the pump
housing.
The following description applies to both
versions. Differences in usage are expressly
declared.