towing MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 CABRIOLET 2004 A209 Owner's Manual

Contents
Maintenance...................................... 302
Clearing the service indicator ...... 302
Service term exceeded ................ 302
Calling up the service indicator .... 303
Resetting the service indicator..... 303
Vehicle care ....................................... 304
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 304
Practical hints.................................. 311
What to do if …? ................................. 312
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 312
Lamp in center console................. 319
Messages in the display ................ 320
Where will I find...? ............................. 343
First aid kit.................................... 343
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 343
Minispare wheel............................ 346
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 348
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 348
Locking the vehicle ....................... 349
Changing batteries in
the SmartKey/ SmartKey
with KEYLESS-GO* ....................... 350
Fuel filler flap ................................ 352
Manually unlocking
the gear selector lever .................. 352
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 353
Operating roll bars manually ......... 353
Soft top emergency operation ...... 355Replacing bulbs .................................. 372
Bulbs............................................. 372
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 374
Side marker lamp bulb.................. 377
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 378
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 379
Removing wiper blades ................. 379
Installing wiper blades .................. 379
Flat tire............................................... 380
Preparing the vehicle .................... 380
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 380
Battery ............................................... 385
Disconnecting the battery ............ 386
Removing the battery ................... 386
Charging and reinstalling battery .. 386
Reconnecting the battery ............. 387
Jump starting...................................... 388
Towing the vehicle.............................. 390
Towing the vehicle ........................ 390
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 392
Fuses.................................................. 394
Fuse box in
passenger compartment ............... 394
Fuse box in engine compartment . 395
Auxiliary fuse box in trunk ............ 396

85 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Arming tow-away alarm
When you lock your vehicle, the tow-away
alarm is automatically armed after about
30 seconds.
When you unlock your vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms
automatically.Disarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm
feature, switch off the tow-away alarm be-
fore towing the vehicle, or when parking on
a surface subject to movement, such as a
ferry or auto train.
The switch is located on the center con-
sole.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp

Turn off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press upper half1 of the switch.
Indicator lamp2 in the switch comes
on briefly.

Exit and lock your vehicle with the
SmartKey or (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) the lock button at each
door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed un-
til you lock your vehicle again.iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
while the ignition is turned on.

107 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Separately unlocking the trunk
Pull the mechanical key out of the
SmartKey (
page 348).

Insert the mechanical key in the trunk
lid lock.

Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise to neutral position1.
You can now open the trunk
(page 98).
A minimum height clearance of 5.41 ft
(1.65 m) is required to open the trunk lid.
Automatic central locking
The doors and the trunk automatically lock
when the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of ap-
proximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or more.
You can open a locked door from the in-
side. Open door only when conditions are
safe to do so.
You can deactivate the automatic locking
using the control system (
page 149).
For more information on towing the vehi-
cle, see “Towing the vehicle” (page 390).
Warning!
G
Only drive with the trunk closed. Among oth-
er dangers, such as your view being blocked,
exhaust fumes may enter the vehicle
interior.
iThe doors unlock automatically after an
accident if the force of the impact ex-
ceeds a preset threshold.
The vehicle automatically locks when
the ignition is switched on and the
wheels are turning at vehicle speeds of
approximately 9 mph (15 km/h) or
more. You could therefore lock yourself
out when the vehicle

is pushed or towed


is on a test stand

250 Controls in detailUseful features
Useful featuresInterior storage spaces
Glove box
1Glove box
2Glove box lid releaseOpening the glove box

Pull lid release2.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box

Push lid up to close.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when stowing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
g a g e o r c a r g o i n t h e t r u n k i f p o s s i b l e . D o n o t
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
an accident.
!Make sure no objects fall into the open-
ings of the subwoofer between the rear
seats.
If necessary, contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center to remove any
objects which may have fallen into the
openings.
iThe glove box lid contains a compart-
ment for eyeglasses.
Close the compartment for glasses first
before closing the glove box.
Audio system/COMAND* with CD
changer*: The CD changer is located in
the glove box.

251 Controls in detail
Useful features
Cup holder in the dashboardOpening cup holder

Push cover1.
The cup holder opens automatically.
Closing cup holder

Push the cup holder back until it engag-
es.Armrest storage space
Opening compartment in armrest

Lift armrest by pulling on handle1.
Closing

Lower armrest until it locks into place.
Warning!
G
When not in use, keep the cup holder
closed. Place only containers that fit into the
cup holder to prevent spills. Use lids on
open containers and do not fill containers to
a height where the contents, especially hot
liquids, could spill during vehicle
maneuvers.
!Do not store any items between the
telephone holder and the cover for the
blower. Otherwise these items could
be damaged when the holder is closed.
Use the space in the front door pocket
for stowing.

261 Controls in detail
Useful features
A voice connection between the Roadside
Assistance dispatcher and the occupants
of the vehicle will be established. When a
voice connection is established, the audio
system mutes and the message
Tele Aid
– Roadside Assistance call active
ap-
pears in the multifunction display.

Describe the nature of the need for as-
sistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Roadside assistance
dispatcher will either dispatch a qualified
Mercedes-Benz technician or arrange to
tow your vehicle to the nearest authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center. For services such
as labor and/or towing, charges may ap-
ply. Refer to the Roadside Assistance man-
ual for more information.These programs are only available in the
USA:


Sign and Drive services: Services such
as jump start, a few gallons of fuel or
the replacement of a flat tire with the
vehicle spare tire are obtainable.


Remote Vehicle Diagnostics: This func-
tion permits the Mercedes-Benz Road-
side Assistance dispatcher to
download malfunction codes and actu-
al vehicle data.iThe indicator lamp on the Roadside As-
sistance button• remains illumi-
nated in red for approximately ten
seconds during the system self-check
after turning the ignition (position2) on
(together with the SOS button and the
Information button¡).
See system self-check (
page 258)
when the indicator lamp does not come
on in red or stays on longer than ap-
proximately ten seconds.
If the indicator lamp on the Roadside
Assistance button• is illuminated
continuously and there was no voice
connection to the Response Center es-
tablished, then the Tele Aid system
could not initiate a Roadside Assis-
tance call (e.g. the relevant cellular
phone network is not available). The
message
Roadside Assistance –
Call failed
appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Roadside Assistance calls can be ter-
minated using the ìbutton on the
multifunction steering wheel.

311 Practical hints
What to do if …?
Where will I find...?
Unlocking/locking in an emergency
Opening/closing in an emergency
Replacing bulbs
Replacing wiper blades
Flat tire
Battery
Jump starting
Towing the vehicle
Fuses

343 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
Where will I find...?
First aid kit
The first aid kit is stored in right hand side
of the trunk underneath the trunk floor in
an separate storage space.
Lift cover1.

Remove first aid kit2.
Vehicle tool kit
The vehicle tool kit is stored in the com-
partment underneath the trunk floor.
The following is included:

Towing eye bolt


Vehicle jack


Wheel wrench


Alignment bolt


Wheel bolts


Fuse extractor


Straps for soft top emergency opera-
tion
iCheck expiration dates and contents
for completeness at least once a year
and replace missing/expired items.
iHex wrench:
You will find the hex wrench for
manually operating the roll bars
(page 353) or the soft top
(page 355) in the Mercedes-Benz
vehicle literature pouch.

390 Practical hintsTowing the vehicle
Towing the vehicleTowing the vehicle
Mercedes-Benz recommends that the vehi-
cle be transported with all wheels off the
ground using flatbed or appropriate wheel
lift/dolly equipment.When circumstances do not permit the
recommended towing methods, the vehi-
cle may be towed with all wheels on the
ground or front wheels raised only so far as
necessary to have the vehicle moved to a
safe location where the recommended
towing methods can be employed.
!Use flatbed or wheel lift/dolly equip-
ment with SmartKey in starter switch
turned to position0.
Do not tow with sling-type equipment.
Towing with sling-type equipment over
bumpy roads will damage radiator and
supports.
To prevent damage during transport,
do not tie down vehicle by its chassis or
suspension parts.
Switch off the tow-away alarm
(page 84) and the automatic central
locking (
page 149).
!If the vehicle is towed with the front
axle raised, the engine must be shut off
(SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1). Otherwise, the ESP will immedi-
ately be engaged and will apply the rear
wheel brakes.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground, the selector lever must
be in positionN and the SmartKey
must be in starter switch position2.
When towing the vehicle with all wheels
on the ground or the front axle raised,
the vehicle may be towed only for dis-
tances up to 30 miles (50 km) and at a
speed not to exceed 30 mph (50
km/h).

391 Practical hints
Towing the vehicle
!
To be certain to avoid a possibility of
damage to the transmission, however,
we recommend the drive shaft be dis-
connected at the rear axle drive flange
for any towing beyond a short tow to a
nearby garage.
Warning!
G
Prior to towing the vehicle with all wheels on
the ground, make certain that the SmartKey
is in starter switch position
2.
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch posi-
tion
0 for an extended period of time, it can
no longer be turned in the switch. In this
case, the steering is locked. To unlock, re-
move SmartKey from starter switch and re-
insert.
If circumstances require towing the vehicle
with all wheels on the ground, always tow
with a tow bar if:


the engine will not run


there is a malfunction in the power sup-
ply or in the vehicle’s electrical system
as that will be necessary to adequately con-
trol the towed vehicle.
Warning!
G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and steering
systems. In this case, it is important to keep
in mind that a considerably higher degree of
effort is necessary to brake and steer the ve-
hicle. Adapt your driving accordingly.iTo signal turns while being towed with
the hazard warning flasher in use, turn
SmartKey in starter switch to
position2 and activate the combina-
tion switch for the left or right turn sig-
nal in the usual manner – only the
selected turn signal will operate.
Upon canceling the turn signal, the haz-
ard warning flasher will operate again.