lights MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2004 User Guide

82 Controls in detailSeatsHeated seats*
Both switches are located in the center
console.
1Normal heating
2Rapid heating
Make sure the ignition is switched on.
All the lights in the instrument cluster
come on.Switching on seat heating

Press upper switch position1.
A red indicator lamp on the switch
lights up.
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
light up.Switching off rapid seat heating

Press lower switch position2 again.
iThe seat heater will be automatically
switched off after approximately
30 minutes.iThe system switches over to normal
heating mode after approximately five
minutes. Only one indicator lamp re-
mains lit.
!If one or both of the indicator lamps on
the seat heater switch are blinking,
there is insufficient voltage available
since too many electrical consumers
are turned on. The seat heater switches
off automatically.
The seat heater will switch back on
again automatically as soon as suffi-
cient voltage is available.

84 Controls in detailLightingDaytime running lamp mode (Canada
only)
Vehicles with automatic transmission
When the engine is running, the low beam
headlamps are automatically switched on.
In low ambient light conditions the parking
lamps will also switch on.
When you shift from a driving position to
positionN orP, the low beam switches off
(two seconds delay).
Vehicles with manual transmission
With the engine running, the low beam
headlamps are automatically switched on.
For nighttime driving you should turn the
exterior lamp switch to positionB to
permit activation of the high beam head-
lamps.Switching on front fog lamps

Make sure the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to first
stop.
The green indicator lamp‡ in the
lamp switch lights up.Switching on rear fog lamp

Make sure the low beam headlamps
are switched on.

Pull out exterior lamp switch to second
stop.
The yellow indicator lamp† in the
lamp switch lights up.
iThe high beam flasher is always avail-
able.
iFog lamps will operate with the parking
lamps and/or low beam headlamps on.
Fog lamps should only be used in con-
junction with low beam headlamps.
Consult your State or Province Motor
Vehicle Regulations regarding allow-
able lamp operation.

101 Controls in detail
Good visibility
1Mirror cover
Swing sun visors down when you expe-
rience glare.

Push mirror cover1 to the side, as
required.
Rear window defroster
The rear window defroster uses a large
amount of power. To keep the battery
drain to a minimum, switch off the defrost-
er as soon as the rear window is clear. The
defroster is automatically deactivated af-
ter a maximum of 12 minutes.
Activating
Switch on the ignition.

Press buttonF (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on the button lights
up.
Deactivating

Press buttonF (
page 102) again.
The indicator lamp on the button goes
out.
Warning!
G
Any accumulation of snow and ice should be
removed from the rear window before driv-
ing. Visibility could otherwise be impaired,
endangering you and others.!If the rear window defroster switches
off too soon and the indicator lamp
starts blinking, this means that too
many electrical consumers are operat-
ing simultaneously and there is insuffi-
cient voltage in the battery. The system
responds automatically by deactivating
the rear window defroster.
As soon as the battery has sufficient
voltage, the rear window defroster au-
tomatically turns itself back on.

107 Controls in detail
Climate control
Deactivating
It is possible to deactivate the air condi-
tioning (cooling) function of the climate
control system. The air in the vehicle will
then no longer be cooled or dehumidified. 
Press button± (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on the button±
lights up.Activating
Moist air can fog up the windows. You can
dehumidify the air with the air condition-
ing.

Press button± again (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on the ±button
goes out.
The air conditioning uses the refrigerant
R134a. This refrigerant is free of CFCs
which are harmful to the ozone layer.
Residual heat
With the engine switched off, it is possible
to continue to heat or ventilate the interior
for up to 30 minutes. This feature makes
use of the residual heat produced by the
engine.
Activating
Turn the key in the steering lock to
position1or0, or remove it from the
starter switch.

Press buttonÐ (
page 102).
The indicator lamp on the buttonÐ
comes on.
Warning!
G
While driving, deactivate the air conditioning
only temporarily to prevent window fogging.

203 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
¿
The yellow BAS/ESP malfunction
indicator lamp comes on while
driving.
The charging voltage has fallen below
10 volts and the BAS has switched off.

When the voltage is above this value
again, the BAS is operational again.

If necessary, have the alternator and
battery checked.
1
The red SRS indicator lamp lights
up while driving.
There is a malfunction in the restraint sys-
tems. The airbags or emergency tensioning
device (ETDs) could deploy unexpectedly or
fail to activate in an accident.

Drive with added caution to the
nearest authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.
Warning!
G
In the event a malfunction of the SRS is indi-
cated as outlined above, the SRS may not be
operational. For your safety, we strongly
recommend that you visit an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have
the system checked. Otherwise the SRS
may not be activated when needed in an ac-
cident, which could result in serious or fatal
injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and
unnecessarily which could also result in an
accident and/or injury to you or to others.

206 Practical hintsWhat to do if …When the low engine oil level warning lamp
does not go out after starting the engine,
or comes on while the engine is running
and at operating temperature, the engine
oil level has dropped to approximately the
minimum mark on the dipstick.When this occurs, the warning lamp will
first come on intermittently and then stay
on if the oil level drops further.
If no oil leaks are noted, continue to drive
to the nearest service station where the
engine oil should be topped to the “full”
mark on the dipstick with an approved oil.Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
_
The red telescoping steering
column* warning lamp remains
lit after starting the engine.
The adjustable steering column is not locked
properly.

Lock the steering column
(page 34).
W
The yellow low windshield and
headlamp* washer system fluid
level warning lamp remains lit af-
ter starting the engine or lights
up while driving.
The fluid level has dropped to about
1/3 of
total reservoir capacity.

Add washer fluid (
page 184).
N
The yellow low engine oil level
warning lamp remains lit after
starting the engine or comes on
while driving.
The engine oil level has sunk to the minimum
level.

Check the engine oil level
(page 175) and add oil as required
(page 179).

If you must add engine oil frequently,
have the engine checked for possible
leaks.!The low engine oil level warning light
should not be ignored. Extended driv-
ing with the light illuminated could re-
sult in serious engine damage that is
not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

207 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
The fuel reserve and fuel cap placement
warning lamp:

lights up while driving
The fuel level has gone below the reserve
mark.

Refuel at the next gas station
(page 171).


blinks
The fuel cap is not closed tight.

Check the fuel cap.
A fuel system leak has been detected.

Have the fuel system checked as soon
as possible by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center
B
The yellow low engine coolant
level warning lamp remains lit af-
ter starting the engine or lights
up while driving.
The coolant level is too low.

Add coolant (
page 180).

If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Do not spill antifreeze on hot engine parts.
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which
may burn if it comes into contact with hot
engine parts. You can be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant
level warning light. Extended driving
with the light illuminated may cause
serious engine damage not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Do not drive without sufficient amount
of coolant in the cooling system. The
engine will overheat, causing major
engine damage.

208 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
#
The red charge indicator lamp
lights up while the engine is
running.
The battery was charged with a battery
charger or jump started.

Have the battery checked at a service
station.
The battery is no longer charging.
Possible causes:

alternator malfunctioning


broken poly-V-belt

Stop immediately and check the
poly-V-belts.
If one is broken:

Do not continue to drive. Otherwise
the engine will overheat due to an in-
operative water pump which may re-
sult in damage to the engine. Notify
an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
If it is intact:

Drive immediately to the nearest
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Adjust driving to be consistent with
reduced braking responsiveness.

209 Practical hints
What to do if …
Problem
Possible cause
Suggested solution
2
The yellow brake pad wear indi-
cator lamp lights up while brak-
ing.
The brake pads have reached their wear limit.

Have the brake pads replaced as soon
as possible.
.
The yellow exterior lamp failure
indicator lamp lights up while
applying the brake and stays on
until the engine is turned off.
One of the brake lamps is malfunctioning.

Replace the bulb as soon as possible
(page 226).
.
The yellow exterior lamp failure
indicator lamp remains lit after
starting the engine or lights up
while driving.
One of the following lamps is malfunctioning:

parking lamp


tail lamp


brake lamp


low beam head lamp

Replace the bulb as soon as possible
(page 226).
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the
intervals specified in the Service book-
let.
iAdditional lighting equipment, if not
properly installed (e.g. auxiliary head-
lamps etc.), could cause the failure in-
dicator monitoring unit to malfunction.
We therefore recommend that an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center install
such equipment for you.
iIf an exterior lamp fails, the indicator
lamp will come on only when that lamp
is switched on.

210 Practical hintsWhat to do if …Additional indicators in the speedometer displayDisplay
Possible cause
Suggested solution
9
Perform minor service (A) (
page 190).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to perform service.
´
Perform major service (B) (
page 190).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to perform service.
9
1000
Perform service (A) or (B) after calculated
distance remaining in miles (km)
(page 190).
For example: Service in 1000 miles (km).

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to perform service.
š
10
Perform service (A) or (B) after calculated
remaining time in days (
page 190).
For example: Service in 10 days.

Visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center to perform service.
Á
î
The
Start
message lights up in
addition to the
Error
message.
The immobilizer is not operational.

Contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA),
or 1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).