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

Contents
Control system .................................. 129
Multifunction display .................... 129
Multifunction steering wheel ........ 130
Menus .......................................... 132
Standard display menu ................ 134
AUDIO menu ................................ 134
NAV menu .................................... 137
Distronic* menu........................... 137
Malfunction memory menu .......... 138
Settings menu .............................. 139
Trip computer menu..................... 152
TEL menu* ................................... 154
Automatic transmission ..................... 157
One-touch gearshifting................. 158
Gear ranges ................................. 159
Gear selector lever position ......... 160
Steering wheel gearshift control
(Speedshift) CLK 55 AMG ............ 161
Program mode selector switch..... 163
Accelerator position ..................... 163
Manual shift program
CLK 55 AMG ................................ 164
Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ...................... 166Good visibility ..................................... 167
Windshield wipers ......................... 167
Headlamp cleaning system* ......... 167
Rear view mirror ........................... 168
Sun visors ..................................... 170
Rear window defroster .................. 171
Automatic climate control .................. 172
Setting the temperature................ 175
Adjusting air distribution............... 176
Adjusting air volume ..................... 177
Maximum cooling MAXCOOL ........ 177
Defrosting ..................................... 177
Air recirculation mode .................. 178
Charcoal filter ............................... 179
Deactivating the
climate control system ................. 180
Air conditioning............................. 181
Residual heat and ventilation* ...... 181
Rear passenger compartment
adjustable air vents....................... 182Audio system...................................... 183
Audio and telephone, operation .... 183
Operating safety ........................... 183
Sound system ............................... 183
Operating and display elements ... 184
Button and soft key operation ...... 186
Operation...................................... 186
Radio operation ............................ 189
Satellite radio (SAT)* (USA only)... 192
Cassette operation ....................... 196
CD changer* operation ................. 199
Telephone* operation ................... 203
Power windows .................................. 210
Opening and
closing the windows ..................... 210
Synchronizing power windows ...... 214
Soft top .............................................. 215
Opening and closing the soft top .. 215
Driving systems .................................. 226
Cruise control ............................... 226
Distronic* ..................................... 229
Parktronic (Parking assist)* .......... 241

ContentsLoading .............................................. 245
Ski sack* ...................................... 245
Loading instructions ..................... 249
Useful features .................................. 250
Interior storage spaces ................ 250
Ashtrays ....................................... 253
Cigarette lighter ........................... 254
Floormats* ................................... 255
Telephone*................................... 256
Tele Aid* ...................................... 257
Garage door opener ..................... 265
Operation......................................... 271
The first 1 000 miles (1 500 km)......... 272
Driving instructions............................ 273
Drive sensibly – save fuel ............. 273
Drinking and driving ..................... 273
Pedals .......................................... 273
Power assistance ......................... 273
Brakes .......................................... 274
Driving off .................................... 275
Parking ......................................... 275
Tires ............................................. 276
Hydroplaning ................................ 277
Tire traction.................................. 277
Tire speed rating .......................... 278
Winter driving instructions ........... 279
Standing water ............................. 280
Passenger compartment .............. 280
Driving abroad.............................. 280
Control and operation
of radio transmitters .................... 281
Catalytic converter ....................... 281
Emission control .......................... 282
Coolant temperature .................... 283At the gas station .............................. 284
Refueling ...................................... 284
Check regularly and
before a long trip ......................... 286
Engine compartment ......................... 287
Hood ............................................ 287
Engine oil ..................................... 288
Transmission fluid level ................ 291
Coolant ........................................ 292
Battery ......................................... 294
Windshield washer system and
headlamp cleaning system*......... 295
Tires and wheels................................ 296
Important guidelines .................... 297
Life of tires................................... 297
Direction of rotation..................... 297
Checking tire inflation pressure ... 298
Rotating wheels ........................... 299
Winter driving .................................... 300
Winter tires .................................. 300
Block heater*............................... 301
Snow chains................................. 301

26 At a glanceCenter consoleLower part
Item
Page
1
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop
button
33
2
Soft top switch
218
3
Storage compartment
251
4
Thumbwheel for setting
distance in Distronic*
236
5
Distance warning func-
tion* on/off switch
237
Item
Page
6
Program mode selector for
automatic transmission
163,
164
7
Gear selector lever for
automatic transmission
157

44 Getting startedDrivingAutomatic transmissionGearshift pattern for automatic
transmissionPPark position with gear selector lever
lock
RReverse gear
NNeutral
DDrive position
For more information, see “Automatic
transmission” (
page 157).Starting with the SmartKey

Make sure the gear selector lever is set
toP.

Do not depress accelerator

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
to position3 (
page 31) and release it
again immediately ("touch-start").
The engine then starts automatically.

Depress the brake pedal.
The gear selector lever lock is released.
For information on turning off the engine
with the SmartKey, see (
page 54).Starting with KEYLESS-GO*
You can start your vehicle without the
SmartKey in the starter switch using the
KEYLESS-GO start/stop button on the
gear selector lever.
The SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO must be
located in the vehicle.
1KEYLESS-GO start/stop button

47 Getting started
Driving
Switching on headlampsExterior lamp switch1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the switch toB.
For more information, see “Exterior lamp
switch” (
page 119).
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector le-
ver out ofPorN if the engine speed is high-
er than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could accel-
erate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.!Simultaneously depressing the acceler-
ator pedal and applying the brake re-
duces engine performance and causes
premature brake and drivetrain wear.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.!Place the gear selector lever in
positionR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.!Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high
engine speeds may shorten the service
life of the engine.

87 Controls in detail
Locking and unlocking
Seats
Memory function
Lighting
Instrument cluster
Control system
Automatic transmission
Good visibility
Automatic climate control
Audio system
Power windows
Soft top
Driving systems
Loading
Useful features

129 Controls in detail
Control system
Control system
The control system is activated as soon as
the SmartKey in the starter switch is
turned to position1 or as soon as the
KEYLESS-GO* start/stop button is in
position1. The control system enables you
to

call up information about your vehicle


change vehicle settings
For example, you can use the control sys-
tem to find out when your vehicle is next
due for service, to set the language for
messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play, and much more.
The control system relays information to
the multifunction display.
Multifunction display
1Outside temperature
2Trip odometer
3Automatic transmission program mode
4Main odometer
5Current gear selector lever position
iThe displays for the audio systems (ra-
dio, CD player, cassette player) will ap-
pear in English, regardless of the
language selected.
Warning!
G
A driver’s attention to the road and traffic
must always be his /her primary focus when
driving.
For your safety and the safety of others, se-
lecting features through the multifunction
steering wheel should only be done by the
driver when traffic and road conditions per-
mit it to be done safely.
Bear in mind that at a speed of just 30 mph
(approximately 50 km/h), your vehicle is
covering a distance of 44 feet (approximate-
ly 13.5 m) every second.

157 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
Information on driving with an automatic
transmission is found in the “Getting
started” section (
page 44).
Your vehicle’s transmission adapts its gear
shifting process to your individual driving
style by continually adjusting the shift
points up or down. These shift point adjust-
ments are performed based on current
operating and driving conditions.
If the operating conditions change, the
automatic transmission reacts by
adjusting its gear shift program.The automatic transmission selects indi-
vidual gears automatically, depending on:


the gear selector lever positionD with
gear ranges4, 3, 2, 1 (
page 159)


the selected shift program
(C/S)(
page 163)
or
(C/S/M) (CLK 55 AMG only)
(
page 163)


the position of the accelerator pedal
(page 163)


the vehicle speed
The current gear selector lever position
and shift program (
C/S) or (
C/S/M) appear
in the multifunction display (
page 129).
An additional indication of the current gear
selector lever position can be found on the
cover of the shifting-gate. The indicators
come on when you activate a switch (e.g.
unlocking the vehicle or opening a door)
and go out after approximately
15 minutes.When the gear selector lever is in
positionD, you can influence transmission
shifting by


limiting the gear range


changing gears manually
iDuring the brief warm-up, transmission
upshifting is delayed. This allows the
catalytic converter to heat up more
quickly to operating temperature.
Warning!
G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out of P or N if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.

158 Controls in detailAutomatic transmissionOne-touch gearshifting
Even with an automatic transmission you
can change the gears manually when the
gear selector lever is in positionD.
Downshifting
Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the left in the D–direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next lower gear. This action
simultaneously limits the gear range of the
transmission (
page 159).Upshifting

Briefly press the gear selector lever to
the right in the D+direction.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear to the next higher gear as permitted
by the shift program. This action simul-
taneously extends the gear range of the
transmission.Canceling gear range limit

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D+direction until D reappears in
the multifunction display.
The transmission will shift from the current
gear range directly to gear rangeD.
Shifting into optimal gear range

Press and hold the gear selector lever
in the D–direction.
The transmission will automatically select
the gear range suited for optimal
acceleration and deceleration. This will
involve shifting down one or more gears.
Warning!
G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced
vehicle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not
prevent this type of loss of control.
iTo avoid overrevving the engine when
the gear selector lever is moved to
theD–direction, the transmission will
not shift to a lower gear if the engine's
max. speed would be exceeded.

159 Controls in detail
Automatic transmission
Gear ranges
With the gear selector lever in positionD,
you can limit the transmission’s gear range
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
left (D-), and reverse the gear range limit
by pressing the gear selector lever to the
right (D+).The selected gear range appears in the
multifunction display. If you press on the
accelerator when the engine has reached
its rpm limit, the transmission will upshift
beyond any gear range limit selected.
Effect
é
The transmission shifts through
fourth gear only.
è
The transmission shifts through
third gear only.
With this selection you can use
the braking effect of the engine.
Effect
ç
The transmission shifts through
second gear only.
Allows the use of engine’s
braking power when driving:

on steep downgrades


in mountainous regions


under extreme operating
conditions
æ
The transmission operates only
in first gear.
For maximum use of engine’s
braking effect on very steep or
lengthy downgrades.