tow MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 CABRIOLET 2005 A209 Owner's Manual

ContentsSafety and Security........................... 59
Occupant safety................................... 60
Air bags .......................................... 61
Seat belts ....................................... 67
Roll bars ......................................... 71
Children in the vehicle .................... 72
Blocking of rear side
window operation ........................... 82
Panic alarm .......................................... 83
Activating ....................................... 83
Deactivating ................................... 83
Driving safety systems ......................... 84
ABS ................................................ 84
BAS ................................................ 85
ESP ................................................. 86
Anti-theft systems................................ 89
Immobilizer..................................... 89
Anti-theft alarm system .................. 89
Tow-away alarm ............................. 91
Controls in detail............................... 93
Locking and unlocking ......................... 94
SmartKey ....................................... 94
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ........ 98
Opening the doors
from the inside ............................. 105
Opening the trunk ........................ 106
Closing the trunk.......................... 107
Trunk lid emergency release ........ 109
Automatic central locking ............ 110
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................. 110
Seats ................................................. 112
Easy-entry/exit feature ................ 112
Removing and installing
front seat head restraints............. 113
Rear seat head restraints ............. 114
Multicontour seat* ....................... 116
Seat heating* ............................... 117
Seat ventilation* .......................... 118Memory function ............................... 119
Storing positions into memory ..... 120
Recalling positions from memory . 120
Storing exterior rear view
mirror parking position ................ 121
Lighting ............................................. 122
Exterior lamp switch .................... 122
Combination switch ..................... 126
Cornering fog lamps*
(CLK 320 with
Bi-Xenon* headlamps) ................. 126
Hazard warning flasher ................ 127
Interior lighting ............................ 128
Door entry lamps ......................... 129
Trunk lamp ................................... 129
Instrument cluster ............................. 130
Instrument cluster illumination .... 130
Coolant temperature indicator ..... 131
Trip odometer .............................. 131
Tachometer .................................. 132
Outside temperature indicator ..... 132

Contents
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Standards (U.S. vehicles) ............. 333
Tire ply material ........................... 335
Tire and loading terminology ........ 335
Rotating tires ............................... 339
Winter driving .................................... 340
Winter tires .................................. 340
Block heater* (Canada only) ........ 341
Snow chains................................. 341
Maintenance...................................... 342
Clearing the maintenance
service indicator........................... 343
Maintenance
service term exceeded ................. 343
Calling up the
maintenance service indicator ..... 343
Resetting the
maintenance service indicator ..... 344
Vehicle care ....................................... 345
Cleaning and care of vehicle ........ 345
Practical hints.................................. 353
What to do if …? ................................. 354
Lamps in instrument cluster ......... 354
Lamp in center console................. 361
Vehicle status messages
in the multifunction display........... 363
Where will I find...? ............................. 391
First aid kit.................................... 391
Vehicle tool kit .............................. 391
Minispare wheel............................ 394
Unlocking/locking in an emergency... 397
Unlocking the vehicle.................... 397
Locking the vehicle ....................... 398
Fuel filler flap ................................ 399
Manually unlocking
the gear selector lever .................. 400
Opening/closing in an emergency ..... 401
Operating roll bars manually ......... 401
Soft top emergency operation ...... 403
Replacing batteries in the SmartKey/
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ............. 412
SmartKey ...................................... 412
SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO* ....... 413Replacing bulbs .................................. 414
Bulbs............................................. 414
Replacing bulbs for front lamps .... 416
Replacing bulbs for rear lamps ..... 420
Replacing wiper blades ...................... 421
Removing wiper blades ................. 421
Installing wiper blades .................. 421
Flat tire............................................... 422
Preparing the vehicle .................... 422
Mounting the Minispare wheel...... 423
Battery ............................................... 427
Disconnecting the battery ............ 428
Removing the battery ................... 428
Charging and reinstalling battery .. 428
Reconnecting the battery ............. 429
Jump starting...................................... 430
Towing the vehicle.............................. 432
Towing the vehicle ........................ 432
Installing towing eye bolt .............. 434
Fuses.................................................. 436
Aids for changing fuses ................ 436
Mainfuse box in passenger
compartment ................................ 437
Fuse box in engine compartment . 437
Fuse box in trunk .......................... 438

16 IntroductionOperating safety
Proper use of the vehicle
Proper use of the vehicle requires that you
are familiar with the following information
and rules:

the safety precautions in this manual


the “Technical data” section in this
manual


traffic rules and regulations


motor vehicle laws and safety
standards
Warning!
G
Work improperly carried out on electronic
components and associated software could
cause them to cease functioning. Because
the vehicle’s electronic components are
interconnected, any modifications made
may produce an undesired effect on other
systems. Electronic malfunctions could
seriously impair the operating safety of your
vehicle.
See an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
for repairs or modifications to electronic
components.
Other improper work or modifications on the
vehicle could also have a negative impact on
the operating safety of the vehicle.
Some safety systems only function while the
engine is running. You should therefore
never turn off the engine while driving.
Warning!
G
Heavy blows against the vehicle underbody
or tires / wheels, for example when running
over an obstacle, road debris or a pothole,
may cause serious damage to and impair the
operating safety of your vehicle. If you feel a
sudden significant vibration or ride distur-
bance, or you suspect that damage to your
vehicle has occurred, you should turn on
your hazard warning flashers, carefully slow
down, and drive with caution to an area
which is a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the vehicle underbody and
tires / wheels for possible damage. If the
vehicle appears unsafe, have it towed to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz Center
or other qualified maintenance or repair
facility for further inspection or repairs.
Warning!
G
Various warning labels are attached to your
vehicle. These warning labels are intended
to make you and others aware of various
risks. You should not remove any of these
warning labels unless explicitly instructed to
do so by information on the label itself.
Removal of any of these labels may cause
you and others to be unaware of certain
risks which may result in an accident and/or
personal injury.

27 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Seat heater*, driver’s side
Seat ventilation*, driver’s
side
117
118
2
Parktronic (Parking as-
sist)* deactivation switch
263
3
ESP control switch
86
4
Hazard warning flasher
switch - switching on/off
127
5
Central locking switch
Central unlocking switch
110
110
6
Switch for lowering rear
seat head restraints
115
7
Tow-away alarm switch
Anti-theft alarm system in-
dicator lamp
91
92
Item
Page
8
Seat heater*, passenger
side
Seat ventilation*,
passenger side
117
118
9
Front passenger front air
bag off indicator lamp
79,
361
a
Audio system,
or
COMAND* (see separate
operating instructions)
139
b
Climate control (CLK 320)
Automatic climate control
(CLK 500/CLK 55 AMG)
Rear window defroster
180
190,
179

55 Getting started
Parking and locking
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows:
Parking brake
1Release handle
2Parking brake pedal
Step firmly on parking brake pedal2.
When the engine is running, the indica-
tor lamp ;(USA only)
or3(Canada only) in the instru-
ment cluster will be illuminated.
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
vehicle.Warning!
G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where com-
bustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Warning!
G
To reduce the risk of personal injury as a re-
sult of inadvertent vehicle movement, be-
fore turning off the engine and leaving the
vehicle always:

Keep right foot on brake pedal.


Firmly depress parking brake pedal.


Move the gear selector lever to
positionP.


Slowly release brake pedal.


When parked on an incline, turn front
wheel towards the road curb.


Turn the SmartKey to starter switch
position0 and remove, or press
start / stop button (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*).


Take the SmartKey or the SmartKey with
KEYLESS-GO* and lock vehicle when
leaving.

56 Getting startedParking and locking
Switching off headlamps
Turn the exterior lamp switch toM
(page 50).
For more information, see “Lighting”
(
page 122).
Turning off the engine 
Place the gear selector lever in
positionP.
Turning off the engine with the
SmartKey

Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
(page 34) to position0 and remove
it.
The immobilizer is activated.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey or SmartKey with KEYLESS-GO*
from the starter switch, take it with you, and
lock the vehicle. Do not leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle, or with access to an
unlocked vehicle. Children could release the
parking brake and/or move the gear selec-
tor lever from positionP, either of which
could result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
Warning!
G
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear se-
lector lever not fully engaged in positionP is
dangerous. Also, when parked on an incline,
positionP alone may not prevent your vehi-
cle from moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to positionP (
page 167).
When parked on an incline, turn front wheels
towards the road curb.
iAlways set the parking brake in addi-
tion to shifting to positionP.
On slopes, turn the front wheels to-
wards the curb.iThe SmartKey can only be removed
from the starter switch with the gear
selector lever in positionP.

87 Safety and Security
Driving safety systems
For more information, see “Practical hints”
(page 353).Switching off the ESP
To improve the vehicle's traction, turn off
the ESP in driving situations where it would
be advantageous to have the drive wheels
spin and thus cut into surfaces for better
grip such as:


starting out on slippery surfaces and in
deep snow in conjunction with snow
chains


sand or gravel
Warning!
G
The ESP cannot prevent the natural laws of
physics from acting on the vehicle, nor can
it increase the traction afforded. The ESP
cannot prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The
capabilities of an ESP equipped vehicle must
never be exploited in a reckless or danger-
ous manner which could jeopardize the
user’s safety or the safety of others.
!Because of the ESP’s automatic
operation, the engine must be shut off
when

the parking brake is being tested on
a brake test dynamometer


the vehicle is being towed with the
front axle raised
Active braking action through the ESP
may otherwise seriously damage the
brake system.
iThe ESP will only function properly if
you use wheels of the recommended
tire size.
Warning!
G
The ESP should not be switched off during
normal driving other than in the circum-
stances described below. Disabling of the
system will reduce vehicle stability in stan-
dard driving maneuvers.!Turn on the ESP immediately if the
aforementioned circumstances do not
apply anymore.

90 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsArming the alarm system
The indicator lamp is in the switch for the
tow-away alarm in the center console.
1Indicator lamp

Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash three times
to indicate that the alarm system is
activated. Indicator lamp1 begins to
flash after approximately 30 seconds
after arming the alarm system.Disarming the alarm system

Unlock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO*.
The turn signal lamps flash once to
indicate that the alarm system is disarmed.
iIf the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system (
page 277) provided
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iIf the turn signal lamps do not flash
three times, one of the following
elements may not be properly closed:

a door


the trunk lid


the hood
Close the respective element and lock
the vehicle again.
iThe alarm system will rearm automati-
cally after approximately 40 seconds if
no door or the trunk lid was opened.

91 Safety and Security
Anti-theft systems
Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey
Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
or

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Pull the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button.
Tow-away alarm
Once the tow-away alarm is armed, a visual
and audible alarm will be triggered when
someone attempts to raise the vehicle.Arming tow-away alarm

Lock the vehicle with the SmartKey or
KEYLESS-GO*.
The tow-away alarm is automatically
armed after about 30 seconds.
iThe tow-away protection alarm is
triggered, for example, if the vehicle is
lifted on one side.
If the alarm stays on for more than
30 seconds, a call to the Response
Center is initiated automatically by the
Tele Aid system (
page 277) provided
Tele Aid service was subscribed to and
properly activated, and that necessary
cellular service and GPS coverage are
available.
iWhen you unlock the vehicle, the
tow-away protection disarms
automatically. The tow-away alarm
remains disarmed until you lock the
vehicle again.

92 Safety and SecurityAnti-theft systemsDisarming tow-away alarm
To prevent triggering the tow-away alarm,
switch off the tow-away alarm feature
before 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
console.
1Tow-away alarm off switch
2Indicator lamp
Switch off the ignition and remove the
SmartKey.

Press switch1.
Indicator lamp2 in switch1 comes
on briefly.

Exit and lock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or (vehicles with
KEYLESS-GO*) the lock button at each
door handle.
The tow-away alarm remains disarmed
until you lock the vehicle again.Canceling the alarm
To cancel the alarm:
With the SmartKey

Press the Œ or ‹ button on the
SmartKey.
or

Insert the SmartKey in the starter
switch.
With KEYLESS-GO*

Pull the outside door handle.
or

Press the KEYLESS-GO start/stop
button.
iYou cannot disarm the tow-away alarm
while the ignition is switched on.