center console MERCEDES-BENZ CLK-CLASS 2004 User Guide

113 Controls in detailSeats
Seat ventilation*
Both switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.
1Seat ventilation
The blue indicator lamps on the switch
show which ventilation level you have
selected:

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.
Switching on seat ventilation

Press lower switch position1.
Two blue indicator lamps on the switch
come on.

Continue pressing switch1 until the
desired seat ventilation level is
reached.
Switching off seat ventilation

Press lower switch position1 repeat-
edly until all blue indicator lamps go
out.
Level2
Two indicator lamps on
1
One indicator lamp on
off
No indicator lamp on
!If one or all of the lamps flash on the
seat ventilation switch, there is insuffi-
cient voltage due to too many electrical
consumers being switched on. The seat
ventilation switches off automatically.
The seat ventilation will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.
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114 Controls in detailSeatsSeat heating*
Vehicles without seat ventilation*
Both switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press upper switch position1 again.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
Both red indicator lamps on the switch
come on.Switching off rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2.
iThe seat heating will be automatically
switched off after approximately
20 minutes. iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately ten
minutes. Only one indicator lamp re-
mains lit.
!If one or both of the lamps on the seat
heater switch are flashing, there is in-
sufficient voltage available since too
many electrical consumers are turned
on. The seat heater switches off auto-
matically.
The seat heater will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.
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115 Controls in detailSeats
Vehicles with seat ventilation*
Both switches for the front seats are locat-
ed in the center console.
1Seat heating
The red indicator lamps on the switch
show the heating level you have selected:

Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lamps in the instrument cluster
come on.
Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1 twice.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
comes on.
Switching off seat heating

Press upper switch position1 again.
Switching on rapid seat heating

Press upper switch position1 once.
Both red indicator lamps on the switch
come on. Switching off rapid seat heating mode

Press switch position1 twice.
Level2
Two indicator lamps on
1
One indicator lamp on
off
No indicator lamp on
iThe seat heating will be automatically
switched off after approximately
20 minutes.
iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately ten
minutes. Only one indicator lamp re-
mains lit. !If one or both of the lamps on the seat
heating switch are flashing, there is in-
sufficient voltage due to too many elec-
trical consumers are turned on. The
seat heating switches off
automatically.
The seat heating will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.
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163 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Program mode selector switch
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
S Sport For standard driving
C Comfort For comfort driving

Press the program mode selector
switch 1 repeatedly until the letter of
the desired shift program appears in
the multifunction display (
page 129).
SelectCfor comfort driving:


The vehicle starts out in second
gear (both forward and reverse) for
gentler starts. This does not apply if
full throttle is applied or gear
range1 is selected.


Traction and driving stability are
improved on icy roads.


Upshifts occur earlier even when
you give more gas. The engine then
operates at lower rpms and the
wheels are less likely to spin.


The power transmission ratio for
gear selector lever positionR
changes depending on the program
mode selected (SorC).
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle Earlier upshifting
More throttle Later upshifting
Kickdown
Use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
The transmission shifts into a lower
gear.

Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
!Never change the program mode when
the gear selector lever is out of
positionP. This could result in a
change of driving characteristics for
which you may not be prepared.
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164 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionManual shift program CLK 55 AMG
In the manual shift program mode you can
change the gears manually on the steering
wheel (
page 161) or by using the gear
selector lever (
page 158).
Allow engine to warm up under low load
use. Do not place full load on the engine
until the operating temperature has been
reached. Shift into reverse gear only when
the vehicle is stopped.Program mode selector switch
The program mode selector switch is
located on the lower part of the center
console.
1Program mode selector switch
S Sport For standard driving
C Comfort For comfort driving
M Manual For manual gear shifting
The selected shift program (
C/S/M) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 129).Activating manual shift program

Press program mode selector
switch1 repeatedly until the
M for
manual shift program appears in the
multifunction display.
The program mode switches to manual
program modeM. Automatic shifting is
switched off. The gear range is not
limited.
You can change the gears manually when
the gear selector lever is in positionD. You
can upshift or downshift through the gears
in succession.
The current gear selector lever position
and the selected shift program (
C/S/M) is
indicated in the multifunction display
(
page 129).
!Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. This may cause
serious damage to the drive train which
is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
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212 Controls in detailPower windows
Stopping windows
Press or pull respective switch again.Opening and closing the windows with
the soft top switch
The soft top switch is located in the center
console.
1Soft top switch
In addition to the power window switches,
the windows can also be opened or closed
with the soft top switch1.
!If the upward movement of a door win-
dow is blocked during the closing pro-
cedure, the door window will stop and
open slightly.
Remove the obstruction, pull the
switch again past the resistance point
and release.
If the door window still does not close
when there is no obstruction, then pull
the switch and hold it. The door window
will then close without the obstruction
sensor function.
Warning!
G
Driver's door only:
If within five seconds you again pull the
switch past the resistance point and re-
lease, the automatic reversal will not func-
tion.
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236 Controls in detailDriving systemsDeactivating Distronic
There are several ways to deactivate the
Distronic system:
Briefly tip cruise control lever in the di-
rection of arrow3 (
page 233).
or

Step on the brake pedal.
Distronic will be deactivated. The last
speed set will be stored into memory.Distronic deactivates automatically when


you set the parking brake


you drive slower than 25 mph
(40 km/h)


the ESP is active (
page 79) or you de-
activate the ESP


you move the gear selector lever into
positionN.
A si gnal wi ll s ound. T he
Distronic off

message appears in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.Setting the following distance in
Distronic
You can set the specified following dis-
tance for Distronic by varying the time set-
ting between 1.0 and 2.0 seconds. Using
this time setting and the current speed of
your vehicle, Distronic calculates and sets
the required following distance to the vehi-
cle ahead. The set distance will be shown
in the multifunction display field.
The thumbwheel for making the time set-
ting is located on the lower section of the
center console.
iThe following message will appear in
the multifunction display for approxi-
mately five seconds:
Distronic off
.
The last stored speed is deleted when
you turn off the engine.
Warning!
G
Distronic switches off and releases the
brakes when the vehicle decelerates below
the minimum speed of approximately
25 mph ( 40 km / h) by operation of the sys-
tem. At that time the driver must apply the
brakes in order to reduce vehicle speed fur-
ther or bring it to a stop.
Warning!
G
It is up to the driver to exercise discretion to
select the appropriate setting given road
conditions, traffic, driver’s preferred driving
style and applicable laws and driving recom-
mendations for safe following distance.
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253 Controls in detail
Useful features
Parcel net in front passenger footwell
A small convenience parcel net is located
in the front passenger footwell. It is for
small and light items, such as road maps,
mail, etc.
Ashtrays
Center console ashtray
Opening ashtray
Briefly touch cover plate1.
The ashtray opens automatically.Removing ashtray insert

Secure vehicle from movement by set-
ting the parking brake. Move the selec-
tor lever to positionN.
Now you have more room to take out
the insert.

Push sliding button2 to the right.
The ashtray is disengaged and slides a
short way in direction of arrow3.

Remove insert from ashtray frame.
Warning!
G
Do not place heavy or fragile objects, or ob-
jects having sharp edges, in the parcel net.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, they could be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants.
Warning!
G
Remove front ashtray only with vehicle
standing still. Set the parking brake to se-
cure vehicle from movement. Move gear se-
lector lever to positionN. With gear selector
lever in positionN, turn off the engine.
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319 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Lamp in center consoleProblem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
PASS. AIRBAG OFF
The indicator lamp comes on.
A BabySmart
TM1
child seat is installed on the
front passenger seat. Therefore the passen-
ger front airbag is switched off.
1BabySmart
TM is a trademark of Siemens Automotive Corp.

Have the system checked as soon as
possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
The system is malfunctioning when there is
no BabySmart
TM child seat installed on the
front passenger seat.
PASS. AIRBAG OFF
The indicator lamp does not
come on with a BabySmart
TM
child seat properly installed on
the front passenger seat.
The system is malfunctioning.

Make sure there is nothing between
seat cushion and child seat and check
installation of the child seat.

If the light remains out, have the sys-
tem checked as soon as possible by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not use the BabySmart
TM restraint
to transport children on the front pas-
senger seat until the system has been
repaired.
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419 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.
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.BabySmart
TM1
airbag deactivation
system
This system detects if a special system
compatible child restraint seat is in-
stalled on the front passenger seat. The
system will automatically deactivate
the passenger front airbag when such a
seat is properly installed (indicator
lamp PASS. AIRBAG OFF in the center
console comes on). See your autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center for avail-
ability.
BabySmart
TM compatible child seats
Special restraint system for children.
The sensor system for the passenger
seat prevents deployment of the pas-
senger front airbag if a BabySmart
TM
compatible child seat is installed.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.
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.
1BabySmart
TM
is a trademark of Siemens
Automotive Corp.
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