MERCEDES-BENZ SLK55AMG 2005 R171 Owner's Manual

431 Technical terms
ABS
(A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem)
Prevents the wheels from locking up
during braking so that the vehicle can
continue to be steered.
Accessory weight
(
page 323)
Air pressure
(page 323)
AIRSCARF neck-level heating
AIRSCARF neck-level heating provides
the surrounding area of the occupants’
necks with a heated air stream flowing
from openings in the head restraints.
Alignment bolt
Metal pin with thread. The centering
pin is an aid used when changing a tire
to align the wheel with the wheel hub.
Aspect ratio
(page 323)BabySmart
TM1
air bag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special
system-compatible child restraint seat
is installed on the passenger seat.
The system will automatically
deactivate the passenger front air bag
when such a seat is properly installed
(the 75indicator lamp
located in the center console comes
on).
BabySmart
TM
compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front air bag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed. See
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for availability.
Bar
(
page 323)BAS
(B
rake A
ssist S
ystem)
System for potentially reducing braking
distances in emergency braking situa-
tions. The system is activated when it
senses an emergency based on how
fast the brake is applied.
Bead
(
page 323)
Bi-Xenon headlamps
Headlamps which use an electric arc as
the light source and produce a more in-
tense light than filament headlamps.
Bi-Xenon headlamps produce low
beam and high beam.
CAC
(Customer A
ssistance C
enter)
Mercedes-Benz customer service cen-
ter, which can help you with any ques-
tions about your vehicle and provide
assistance in the event of a break-
down.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.

432 Technical termsCAN system
(C
ontroller A
rea N
etwork)
Data bus network serving to control ve-
hicle functions such as door locking or
windshield wiping.
Cockpit
All instruments, switches, buttons and
indicator/warning lamps in the passen-
ger compartment needed for vehicle
operation and monitoring.
Cold tire inflation pressure
(
page 323)
Collapsible tire
An especially compact spare tire that
must be inflated with a provided air
pump before using. It should only be
used to bring the vehicle to the nearest
service station.COMAND
(Co
ckpit Man
agement and
D
ata System)
Information and operating center for
vehicle sound and communications
systems, including the radio,
CD changer and navigation system, as
well as other optional equipment (e.g.
telephone).
Control system
The control system is used to call up
vehicle information and to change
component settings. Information and
messages appear in the multifunction
display. The driver uses the buttons on
the multifunction steering wheel to
navigate through the system and to ad-
just settings.
Cruise control
Driving convenience system for auto-
matically maintaining the vehicle speed
set by the driver.Curb weight
(
page 323)
DOT
(Department o
f Transportation)
(
page 323)
Engine number
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the cylinder block to
uniquely identify each engine pro-
duced.
Engine oil viscosity
Measurement for the inner friction (vis-
cosity) of the oil at different tempera-
tures. The higher the temperature an
oil can tolerate without becoming thin,
or the lower the temperature it can tol-
erate without becoming viscous, the
better the viscosity.
ESP
(Electronic S
tability Pr
ogram)
Improves vehicle handling and direc-
tional stability.

433 Technical terms
ETD
(E
mergency T
ensioning D
evice)
Device which deploys in certain frontal
and rear collisions exceeding the sys-
tem's threshold to tighten the seat
belts. ->SRS
FSS (Canada vehicles)
(F
lexible S
ervice S
ystem)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. FSS evaluates en-
gine temperature, oil level, vehicle
speed, engine speed, distance driven
and the time elapsed since your last
maintenance service, and calls for the
next maintenance service accordingly.
GAWR
(G
ross A
xle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 323)Gear range
Number of gears which are available to
the automatic transmission for shifting.
The automatic gear shifting process
can be adapted to specific operating
conditions using the selector lever.
GPS
(G
lobal P
ositioning S
ystem)
Satellite-based system for relaying
geographic location information to and
from vehicles equipped with special re-
ceivers.
GVW
(G
ross V
ehicle W
eight)
(
page 323)
GVWR
(Gross V
ehicle W
eight R
ating)
(
page 324)Head-thorax air bag
Installed in the doors, these air bags
protect occupants during side impact
collisions exceeding a preset thresh-
old. Unlike normal side air bags,
head-thorax air bags are also designed
to provide protection for the head area.
Instrument cluster
The displays and indicator/warning
lamps in the driver’s field of vision, in-
cluding the tachometer, speedometer,
coolant temperature and fuel gauge.
Kickdown
Depressing the accelerator past the
point of resistance shifts the automatic
transmission down to the lowest possi-
ble gear. This very quickly accelerates
the vehicle and should not be used for
normal acceleration needs.
Kilopascal (kPa)
(
page 324)

434 Technical termsLine of fall
The direct line an object moves down-
hill when influenced by the force of
gravity alone.
Locking knob
Button on the door which indicates
whether the door is locked or un-
locked. Pushing the locking knob down
on an individual door from inside locks
that door.
Maintenance System (U.S. vehicles)
Maintenance service indicator in the
multifunction display that informs the
driver when the next vehicle mainte-
nance service is due. The Maintenance
System in your vehicle tracks distance
driven and the time elapsed since your
last maintenance service, and calls for
the next maintenance service accord-
ingly.Maximum loaded vehicle weight
(
page 324)
Maximum load rating
(page 324)
Maximum tire inflation pressure
(page 324)
Memory function
Used to store three individual seat,
steering wheel and mirror positions for
each SmartKey.
MON
(Motor O
ctane N
umber)
The Motor Octane Number for gasoline
as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the MON (Motor Octane Number) and
->RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Multifunction display
Two display fields in the instrument
cluster used to present information
provided by the control system.
Multifunction steering wheel
Steering wheel with buttons for operat-
ing the control system.
Normal occupant weight
(
page 324)
Overspeed range
Engine speeds within the red marking
of the tachometer dial. Avoid this
engine speed range, as it may result in
serious engine damage that is not
covered by the Mercedes-Benz Limited
Warranty.
Poly-V-belt drive
Drives engine components (alternator,
AC compressor, etc.) from the engine.

435 Technical terms
Power train
Collective term designating all compo-
nents used to generate and transmit
motive power to the drive axles, includ-
ing


Engine


Clutch/torque converter


Transmission


Transfer case


Drive shaft


Differential


Axle shafts/axles
Production options weight
(
page 324)Program mode selector switch
Used to switch the automatic transmis-
sion between standard operation (S)
and comfort operation (C).
Vehicles with steering wheel gearshift
control and manual shift program: in
addition toS andC (for regularS
or comfortC operation, see above),
you can useM for manual shift pro-
gram.
PSI
(P
ounds per s
quare i
nch)
(
page 324)
Recommended tire inflation pressure
(page 324)REST
(Residual engine heat utilization)
Feature that uses the engine heat
stored in the coolant to heat the vehi-
cle interior for a short time after the en-
gine has been turned off.
Restraint systems
Seat belts, belt tensioners, air bags
and child restraint systems. As inde-
pendent systems, their protective func-
tions complement one another.
Rim
(
page 324)
Retractable hardtop
Hardtop that can be opened and closed
at the push of a button and stored in
the trunk.

436 Technical termsRoll bar
Occupant protection system which
consists of tubular steel sheathed in
plastic.
RON
(R
esearch O
ctane N
umber)
The Research Octane Number for gaso-
line as determined by a standardized
method. It is an indication of a gaso-
line’s ability to resist undesired detona-
tion (knocking). The average of both
the ->MON (Motor Octane Number)
and RON (Research Octane Number) is
posted at the pump, also known as
ANTI-KNOCK INDEX.Shift lock
When the vehicle with automatic trans-
mission is parked, this lock prevents
the gear selector lever from being inad-
vertently moved out of positionP with-
out the SmartKey turned and the brake
pedal depressed.
Sidewall
(
page 324)
Speedshift
Steering wheel gearshift control for ve-
hicles with automatic transmission.
You can change the gears yourself with
the steering wheel gearshift buttons.
SRS
(Supplemental R
estraint S
ystem)
Seat belts, emergency tensioning
device and air bags. Though indepen-
dent systems, they are closely inter-
faced to provide effective occupant
protection.Tele Aid system
(T
elematic A
larm I
dentification on
D
emand)
The Tele Aid system consists of three
types of response: automatic and man-
ual emergency, Roadside Assistance
and information. Tele Aid is initially ac-
tivated by completing a subscriber
agreement and placing an acquain-
tance call.
The Tele Aid system is operational pro-
vided that the vehicle’s battery is
charged, properly connected, not dam-
aged and cellular and GPS coverage is
available.
Tightening torque
Force times lever arm (e.g. a lug
wrench) with which threaded fasteners
such as wheel bolts are tightened.

437 Technical terms
TIN
(T
ire I
dentification N
umber)
(
page 325)
Tire load rating
(page 325)
Tire ply composition and material used
(page 325)
Tire speed rating
(page 325)
Traction
(page 325)Tread
(
page 325)
Treadwear indicators
(page 325)
Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards
(page 325)
Vehicle capacity weight
(page 325)
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
(page 325)VIN
(V
ehicle I
dentification N
umber)
The number set by the manufacturer
and placed on the body to uniquely
identify each vehicle produced.
Wind screen
Screen for deflecting wind from the ve-
hicle interior when the hardtop is low-
ered.

438

439 Index
A
ABS 80
Braking 80
Description 431
Display message 350
Emergency brake maneuver 80
Indicator lamp 342
Accelerator position, automatic
transmission 159
Accessory weight 323
Accident 55
Adjusting (Getting started) 37
Air bags 63
BabySmart
TM air bag deactivation
system 75
BabySmartTM air bag deactivation
system, description 431
BabySmartTM compatible child
seat 74
BabySmartTM self-test 76
Children 64
Front 68
Head-thorax 69
Head-thorax, description 433
Kneebag 68Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 76
Safety guidelines 66
Air conditioning
Automatic climate control 188
Climate control 178
Air conditioning refrigerant 424
Air pressure see Tire inflation pressure
AIRSCARF neck level heating
(Seats) 102
Description 431
Alarm system see Anti-theft systems
Alignment bolt (Vehicle tool kit) 369,
391
Description 431
Anticorrosion/antifreeze 427
Antilock brake system see ABS
Anti-theft systems 85
Activating 86
Alarm system 85
Canceling alarm 86
Canceling alarm (Tow-away) 87
Deactivating 86
Immobilizer 85
Tow-away alarm 86
Transporting the vehicle 87Ashtray 253
Aspect ratio 323
AUDIO menu (Control system) 123
Audio system 191
Adjusting balance 196
Adjusting sound functions 195
Adjusting volume 195
Audio and telephone, operation 191
Button and soft key operation 194
CD changer 209
CD operation 207
Introduction to satellite radio
(USA only) 202
Operating and display elements 192
Operating safety 191
Operation 194
Radio operation 197
Returning sound functions to factory
settings 196
Returning volume distribution to
factory settings 197
Switching on/off 194
Telephone muting 197
Telephone operation 216
Weather band 201

440 IndexAuto-dimming for rear view mirrors 168
Automatic climate control
Air conditioning 188
Air distribution 186
Air recirculation mode 186
Air volume 186
Automatic mode, basic setting 185
Control panel 185
Defrosting 189
Overview 182
REST 189
Switching off 190
Temperature 185
Automatic locking
Control system 141
When driving 97
Automatic shift program 158
Automatic transmission 152
Accelerator position 159
Automatic transmisson fluid
(ATF) 293
Comfort program mode 158
Driving 50
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) 166
Fluid level 293Gear ranges 155
Gear selector lever 152
Gear selector lever
(Unlocking manually) 376
Gear selector lever position 152, 156
Gear shifting malfunctions 166
Gearshift pattern 48
Kickdown 159
Manual shifting 154
One-touch gearshifting 154
Program mode selector switch 158B
BabySmart
TM
Air bag deactivation system 75
Air bag deactivation system,
description 431
Compatible child seat 74, 75
Compatible child seats,
description 431
Passenger front air bag off indicator
lamp 75
Self-test 76
Back-up lamp 381
Bar 323
BAS 81
Description 431
Display message 351
Battery (SmartKey)
Replacing 378
Battery (Vehicle) 294, 396
Charging 397
Disconnecting 397
Jump starting 399
Removing 397
Bead 323