MERCEDES-BENZ CLK COUPE 2004 Owners Manual

248 Operation
Engine compartment
The windscreen
washer system and the
headlamp cleaning system have a common
supply from the windscreen washer fluid
re servoir. The reservoir has a capac ityof
either three or six litres (for vehicles with
either the headlamp cleaning system* or
the heate dwindscreen washer reservoir*).
Add windscreen washer concentrate to the
water all year round to prevent smearing.
Use:
! a washer flu idaddit ive, e.g. MB Sum-
merwash, for temperatures above
freezing point, to prevent smearing. !
a washer fluid additive, e.g. MB Winter-
wash, when there is a risk of frost, to
prevent the water from freezing on the
windscreen.
Mix the windscreen was her fluid in a con-
tainer beforehand. Adapt the mixing ratio
to sui tthe outside temperatures.
The windscreen washer fluid reservoir is
located in the front of the engine compart-
ment on the left-hand side when viewed in
the direction of travel.
1 Filling the windscreen washer fluid res-
er vo ir Opening the wash
er fluid reservoir
6 Pull cover 1up by the tab (arr ow). Closing the washer
fluid reservoir
6 Push cov er1 onto the filler neck until
it fully engages.
! Vehicle swith hea dlamp cleaning system*:
On lyuse wind screen washe rfluid which is suita-
ble for plastic lamp lenses. Uns uitabl ewind-
screen wa sherfluidcould damage the plastic
lamp lenses of the headlamps. Windscreen washer system,
headlamp cleaning system*
G
Risk of fire Windscreen washer concentrate is highly
fl am mable. Fire, naked flames and smoking
ar ethere fore prohibit edwhen youare han-
dling windscreen was herco ncentrate. P01
.00- 2226-31 209en_d2.boo Seite
248 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19

249
Operation
Tyres and wheels
! For safe tyreasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mend syou only use tyre swhich have bee nspe-
cially approved for yourvehicle byMercede s-
Benz. These tyres are specially suite dto your
vehicle's control systems, such as ABS or ESP.
Mercedes-Benz can accept no responsibility for
damage resulting from using tyr esother than
those approved for your ve hicle .Information
about tyr esmay be obtained from any
Mercedes-Benz Serv ice Centre.
If you use tyres other tha nthose which have
been test edand recommended for Mercedes-
Benz, cha racteristics suc hashandling, noi se
levels and fuel consum ption may beadversely
affected. Moreo ver, dimensional variations and
different tyre defo rmation characteristics when
running under load could cause the tyre to make
contact with thebo dywork or axle components.
The consequen cecould be damage to the tyre or
to the vehicl e. !
Retreaded tyres are neither tested nor
re commended for Mercedes-Benz vehicle s,as
previous damage cannot always be det ectedon
re treaded tyres. As aresul t, Me rced es-Benz
ca nnot guarantee driving safety.
Modification work on the brake system
and wheels is not permi tted, nor is the use
of spacer plates or brake dust shields. Any
such modifications invalidate the vehicle's
genera loperating permit. !
Only fit tyres and wheels of the same
type and make.
! Onlyfit ty res of the correct size to the
wh eels.
! Run in new tyres at moderate speeds
forthe first 10 0km.
! Check the tyres and wheels for damage
regularly, at least every 14 days. Dam-
aged rims could cause a loss of tyre
pre ssur ean d damag eto th e wheels.
! Check the tyre pressures regularly and
correct them if necessary – see Fuel
fil ler cap (
=pa ge 241).
! Do not continue to use tyres with se-
vere lyworn treads. Tyre grip dec reases
rapidly on wet roads below a tread
depth of 3 mm. Tyres and wheels
G
Risk of accident Only use wheels of the dimensions
stated in
the vehicle registration documents. If other
wheel sizes are used:
! the wheel brakes or chassis compo-
nents could be damaged
! wheel and tyre clearance scan be no
longer guaranteed Poi
nts to bear inmind 209en_d2.boo Seite
249 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19

250 Operation
Tyres and wheels
!
Fit single new tyres on the front wheels
first if tyres of the same size are fitted
on the front and rear wheels.
! Remove the rust from corr oded steel
wh eels and repaint them.
! Replace the tyres at least every
6years, irrespective of their degree
of wear.
! Adjust the tyre pressures if the vehicle
is laden – see Fuel filler cap
(= page 241).
! Storetyres ina cool, dry place, preferably in
the dark. Protect the tyres from oil, grease,
petrol and diesel.
Do not clean your wheels with acidic wheel
cl eaners since these could corrode the wheel
bolts. Tyres with a specified direction of rotation
offer additional benefi
ts,e.g. with regard
to aquaplaning. These benefits are only
available to you ifthe correct direction of
rotation isobserved.
An arrow on the sidewa llof the tyre indi-
cates its correct direction of rotation.
i A spare wheel* may also be fi tted against
th edirection of rotatio n. The MO
Extended run-flat system allows
you to cont inue driving your vehicle, even
if there is a complete loss of air in one or
more tyres.
You can only use the MO Extendedrun-flat
system in conjunction with the tyre pres-
sure loss warning system.
For notes about driving in the event of a
flat tyre, see the Practical advice section
( = page 373). Direc
tion of rotation MOExtended
run-flat system* 209en_d2.boo Seite
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251
Operation
Tyres and wheels
Only correct the tyre pressures when the
tyres are cold.
The pressures of warm tyres should only
be corrected if the yare too low for the cur-
rent operat ing condi tions. Warm tyres al-
ways have higher tyre pressures than cold
tyres.
You will find a table oftyre pressures for
va rious operating conditions on the inside
of the veh icle's fuel filler flap. i
Tyre pressure values given for low loads are
mi nimum value swhich offer you good ride com-
fort charact eristics.
You can, however, also usethe value sfor higher
lo ads. These are permissible and do not adverse-
ly aff ect the running of thevehicle. However, ride
co mfort will be impaired to som edegree.
Als ocheck thet yre pressure of thespare
wheel*.
Ty re pressure changes by approximately
0. 1b ar for every 10 °C change in ambient
temperature. If you measure the tyre pres-
sures indoors where the temperature dif-
fers from the outside temperature, you will
have to correct the measured values ac-
cor dingly.
When the vehicle isdriven, the tyre tem-
perature, and wi thit the tyre pressure, in-
crease as a function of the road speed and
the load on the tyres. During the journey, the tyre pressure loss
warning system monitors the set tyre pres-
sure by comparing the speed of rotation of
the
wheels. This enables the system to de-
tect whether there has been a significant
drop in tyre pressure in one of the tyres. If
the rotation speed of a wheel changes be-
cause of a drop in tyre pressure, a corre-
sponding warning message appears in the
multi -function display. Tyre pr
essure G
Risk of accident If the press
urein a tyre drops repeatedly:
! inspect the tyre for foreign objects
! check whether the wheel or valve is
leaking H
Environmental note Ch
eck the tyre pressures regularly, at least
every 14days. Tyre pressure loss war
ning system 209en_d2.boo Seite
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252 Operation
Tyres and wheels
The tyre pressure loss warning system is
restricted in its function ordelayed if:
! snow chains are fitted to your vehicle
! road and traffic con ditions are affected
by wintry conditions
! you are driving ove ra loose surface
(e.g. sand or gravel)
! you adopt a sporty driving style (with
high cornering speed or rapid accelera-
tion)
! you are driving with a very heavy or
large trailer
! you are driving with roof loads or very
heavy loads Reactivating the
tyre pressure loss warning feature
You must reactivate the tyre pressure
loss
warning featur ein the following cases, if
you:
! have changed the tyre pressure
! have changed the wheels or tyres
! have fitted new wheels or tyres
6 Before reactivating, make sure that the
tyre pressure of all four tyres is set cor-
rectly for local driving conditions using
the table on the inside of the fuel filler
flap.
6 Make sure that the ignition is switched
on. G
Riskofaccident The tyre pressure loss warning system does
not warn
youof an inco rrectly set tyre pres-
sure. The table on the inside of the fuel filler
flap will help you to decide whether the tyre
pressur eshould be corrected.
The tyre pressure loss warning system isnot
a substitute for check ing the tyre pressures
on a regular basis sin ceequal pre ssureloss
in all fo urtyres cannot be detected by the
tyre pressure loss warning system.
Th etyre pressure loss warning system isnot
able to warn you of a sudden loss of pres-
sure, e.g. following penet ration by aforeign
obje ct. In such cases ,stop th evehicle by
braking carefully. Do notma keany sudden
steering movements. G
Risk of accident Th
ety re pre ssureloss warning system can
only work reliably if you have set the tyre
pressure correctly.
If an incorr ect tyre pressure is set, this in-
correct value will be monitored. 209en_d2.
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253
Operation
Tyres and wheels
The standard display app ears in the multi-
function display ( =page 112).
6 Press the jork button on the
multi-function steering wheel repeat-
edly until the following message ap-
pears in the multi-function display:Ty re pressure monitor Reactivation
us ingæ
6 Press the æbutton on the multi-
function steering wheel.
The fo llowing message appears inthe
display:
Ty re press. nowOK?
If you want to confirm activation:
6Press the æbutton on the multi-
function steering wheel again.
The following message appears inthe
display:
Ty re pressure monitoring
reactivated
After a certain teach-in period, the tyre
pressure loss warning feature monitors
the wheels for loss of pressure. If you want to cancel act
ivation:
6 Press the çbutton on the mul ti-
function steering wheel.
or
6 Wait until the
Tyre press. now OK?
message disappears.
On vehicles with the same size wheels at
the front and rear, the wheels can be inter-
changed every 5,000 to 10,000 km, de-
pend ing on the degree of tyre wear. The
same direction of rotation must be main-
tained. The front and rear wheels wear differently,
depending on the operating conditions.
Interchange the
wheels before too definite
a wear pattern forms on the tyres. The
front tyres typically wear more on the out-
er shoul der, and the rear tyres in the cen-
tre of the tread.
Each time you interchange the wheels,
you should clean the contact areas on the
wheels and brake discs thoroughly. Check
the tyre pressures. Interchanging wh
eels G
Risk of accident Interchange th
efront and rear wheels only if
th ey have the same dimensions, e.g. size,
tread depth, etc. 209en_d2.
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254 Operation
Tyres and wheels
Although you may be able to control the
vehicle fully at a given speed on a dry road
surface, you must reduce your speed on a
wet or icy road surface to achieve the
same level of road safety.
You should pay particular attention to the
road conditionswhen the temperatures
are around freezing.
If ice has formed on the road surface (e.g.
due to fog), a thin film of water quickly
forms on the ice when you brake, which
greatly reduces tyre grip. You should drive
part icularly carefully in such weather con-
ditio ns. G
Risk of accident Have th
etight ening torque checked after a
wheel cha ngeat a qual ified specialist work-
shop which has the necessary specialist
knowl edge and tools to carry out the work
require d.Mercedes -Benz rec ommends that
you use a Mercedes-Benz Service Cen tre for
this purpose. In particular ,work relevant to
safety or on safety-relate dsystems must be
carried out at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
The wheel bolts coul dwork loose if they are
not tightened to a torque of 110 Nm.
Mercedes-Benz rec ommends tha t,for safety
reasons, you only use suitable wheel bolts
whi chhave been approved for Mercedes-
Benz. Tyre grip209en_d2.boo Seite
254 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19

255
Operation
Driving tips
You will find basic driving tips inthe
"Getting started" section ( =page 32). On
long and steep downward gradients,
you shou ldshi ftto a lower gear (shift rang-
es 1,2or 3) (
=page 137). This prevents
the brakes overheat ing and wearing too
qui ckly.
If you have subjected the brakes to a very
high load, do not switch the vehicle off im-
mediately, but drive on for a short dis-
tance. The brakes will cool more qui ckly in
the airflow.
If you drive for a long period in heavy rain
withou tbr ak ing, the first tim eyou br ake:
! the brakes may not react immediately
! you may have to depress the brake
more firmly
You should therefore maintain a greater
distance from the vehicle in front. Brake carefully after driving on a
wet road
surface, particularly if sal thas been spread
on the road. The brake discs will become
warm, will dry quicker and will be protect-
ed from corros ion.
If you only use the brakes moderately, you
shoul doccasionally check their effective-
ness. To do so, brake more firmly and at a
higher speed. This improves brake grip.
Mercedes-Benz recommends that, for
safety reasons, you only fit brake pad sto
your vehicle whi chhave been approve dfor
Mercedes-Benz. Brake pads whi chhave
not been approved for Mercedes-Benz ve-
hicles may adversely affect the safety of
your vehicle. Dr
iving tips Rolling with the engine swi
tchedoff G
Risk of accident There is no power assistance for the
steer-
ing or service brake when the engine is not
running.
You will re quire considerably more effort to
st eer and brake and you could therefore
lose control of the veh icle and cause an
accid ent.
Never switch the engine off while the vehicle
is in motion. Braking
G
Risk of accident Make sure that other road users ar
enot en-
dangered when you brake. 209en_d2.boo Seite
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256 Operation
Dri
ving tips
CLK 55 AMG High-performance brake system
The high-performance brake system is de-
signed for heavy loads. This means that
there may be noise under braking. This de-
pends on:
! Speed
! Braking force
! Environmental conditions, e.g. temper-
atureand humidity
The wear of individual components in the
brake system, e.g. brake pad sor brake
discs, depends on:
! your individual drivin gstyle
! the operating conditions
For this reason ,it is not possible to provide
a general indication of wear based on mile-
age. Wearis particularl y highif an aggres-
sive style of driving isadopted. If a certain amount of water has accumu-
lated on the road surface, there is a danger
of aquaplaning, even
if:
! you are driving at low speeds
! the tyre tread is of sufficient depth
You should therefore avoid driving in tyre
ru ts and should brake carefully. If you have to drive on stretches of road on
which water has collected, pl
ease note
that:
! you must not drive on stretches of road
flooded to a still water depth gre ater
than 25 cm
! the maximum speed you may drive at is
walking speed
! Note that vehicles in front or oncoming vehi-
cles create waves. This may meanthat the max-
imum permitted water depth is exceeded.
Yo u must observe thesenotes, other wise dam-
age ma yocc urto the:
! Engine
! Electrics
! Transmission Driving
inwet weather Driving on flooded roads209en_d2.
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257
Operation
Winter driving
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a
qualified specialist workshop, e.g. at a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre, at the on-
set of winter. This servi ceincludes the fol-
lo wi ng:
! Engine oil change,
if the current oil used has not been
approved for winter use
! The antifreeze /anti-corrosion
concentration is checked
! A concentrated cleanin gagent is
added to the windscreen and headl amp
cleaning system fluid*
! The battery is checked
! A tyre change Us
ewinter tyres at temperatures below
+7 °C and on snow or ice-covered roads.
Th e maximum effect of the ABS and ESP
dri ving systems is on lyachieved in win ter
with these tyr es.
Us ewinter tyres of the same make and
tread on all wheels to maintain safe han-
dling characteristics. Always observe the maximum permitted
speed sp
ecified for the winter tyres you
have fitted. If you fit winter tyres whi ch
have a lower maximu mpermitt ed speed
than that of the vehicle, affix an appropri-
ate warning sign in the driver's field of
vision. This ca nbe obtained at a qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. at a Mercedes-
Benz Service Centre.
In such circumstances, you should also
restrict the maximum speed of the vehicle
to the maximum permitted speed for the
winter tyres using permanent Speedtronic
( = pa ge 211). Winter dri
ving Win
terty res* G
Risk of accident You must re
place wint ertyres with tread
de pth sof less than 4 mm immediately.
These tyres are no tsuitable for use in winter
an d do not provide sufficient grip. You could
therefore lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accide nt. 209en_d2.boo Seite
257 Dienstag, 25. Mai 2004 7:26 19