warning light MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2004 Owner's Guide

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.

227 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Rear lamps Notes on bulb replacement


Use only 12-volt bulbs of the same type
and with the specified watt rating.


Switch lights off before changing a bulb
to prevent short circuits.


Always use a clean lint-free cloth when
handling bulbs.


Your hands should be dry and free of oil
and grease.


If the newly installed bulb does not light
up, visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center.


Have the LEDs and bulbs for the follow-
ing lamps replaced by an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.

Additional turn signals in the
exterior rear view mirrors


High mounted brake lamp


Xenon* lamps


Front fog lamps
Lamp
Type
7
Brake lamp
1154/ 32 cp
8
High mounted brake
lamp
LED
9
Backup lamp
1154 / 32 cp
a
Turn signal lamp
1156 NA
b
Tail, parking, stand-
ing and side marker
lamp
67 / 4 cp
c
License plate lamps
C5W
d
Rear fog lamp,
driver’s side
1155 / 32 cp
Warning!
G
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot.
Allow the lamp to cool down before
changing a bulb.
Halogen lamps contain pressurized gas.
A bulb can explode if you:

touch or move it when hot


drop the bulb


scratch the bulb
Wear eye and hand protection.
Because of high voltage in xenon lamps, it is
dangerous to replace the bulb or repair the
lamp and its components. We recommend
that you have such work done by a qualified
technician.

228 Practical hintsReplacing bulbsReplacing bulbs for front lamps
Low and high beam headlamps (Halo-
gen headlamps only)
Switch off the lights.

Open the hood (
page 174).
1Headlamp cover with locking tab

Push down locking tab at top and end
of headlamp cover1 and remove.2Electrical connector for low beam
headlamp bulb
3Electrical connector for high beam
headlamp bulb

Pull off electrical connector2 or3.

Unhook clamping ring and pull out the
bulb together with clamping ring.

Remove bulb.

Insert new bulb so that bulb sits prop-
erly in cutouts of bulb socket.

Mount clamping ring and reinstall.

Plug electrical connector onto the bulb.

Reinstall headlamp cover1.Low and high beam headlamps (Xenon*
headlamps only)
Warning!
G
Do not remove the cover for the xenon head-
lamp. Because of high voltage in xenon
lamps, it is dangerous to replace the bulb or
repair the lamp and its components. We rec-
om men d t ha t y ou ha ve s uc h w o rk do n e by a
qualified technician.

238 Practical hintsFlat tireInflating the tire
1Flap
2Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
3Union nut
4Electrical plug

Open flap1 on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug4 and air hose
with pressure gauge2.

Screw union nut3 with air hose2 on
to the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket.

Turn key in steering lock to position1
(page 29).

PressI on the electric air pump switch.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.
After 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose and the union nut can become hot
during inflation. Please exercise appropri-
ate caution.

If this tire pressure is not attained, turn
off the electric air pump, detach the air
hose from the tire valve, and again
drive vehicle back and forth very slowly
approximately 30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the tire.

Inflate the tire again.

Press0 on the electric air pump
switch.

Turn key in steering lock to position0.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.
Warning!
G
Observe safety instructions on air pump la-
bel.
!Do not exceed the maximum pressure
of 36 psi (2.5 bar).
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.

242 Practical hintsFlat tire
Unscrew the valve cap from tire
valve7.

Screw filler hose onto tire valve7.

Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket.

Turn key in steering lock to position1
(page 29).

PressI on electric air pump switch8.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.After 5 minutes, the pressure gauge must
display at least 26 psi (1.8 bar). The air
hose can become hot during inflation.
Please exercise appropriate caution.

If this tire pressure is not attained, turn
off the electric air pump, detach the fill-
er hose from the tire valve, and drive
vehicle back and forth very slowly ap-
proximately 30 ft (10 m).
This serves to better distribute the
TIREFIT sealant material inside the tire.

Unscrew the air pump’s air hose5
from flange6 of the TIREFIT contain-
er.

Screw air hose5 onto tire valve7
and inflate the tire again.

After attaining a tire pressure of 26 psi
(1.8 bar), press0 on electric air pump
switch8.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.

Turn key in steering lock to position0
(page 29).
iIf sealant has leaked out, let it dry. You
can then peel it off.!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than eight minutes without in-
terruption. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.
Warning!
G
If a tire pressure of 26 psi (1.8 bar) is not at-
tained, tire is too severely damaged for
TIREFIT to provide a reliable tire repair.
In this case, TIREFIT cannot properly seal
the tire.
Do not drive the vehicle.
Contact the nearest Mercedes-Benz Center
or call Roadside Assistance.

247 Practical hints
Flat tire

Remove the wheel.

Take the spare tire out of the trunk.
Mounting the new wheel
Wheel bolts1 Wheel bolt for

wheel rim size 7Jx16 H2 and 8Jx16 H2


AMG wheel rim size 7½ Jx17 H2 and
8½ Jx17 H2


spare wheel rim size 4½ Bx16 H2
2 Wheel bolt for


spare wheel rim size 4½ Bx15 H2
(located with electric air pump)

Clean contact surfaces of wheel and
wheel hub.

Guide the spare wheel onto the align-
ment bolt and push it on.

Insert wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly.

Inflate the spare tire using the electric
air pump (
page 249).
!Wheel bolts2must be used when
mounting spare wheel rim size
4½ Bx15 H2.
The use of any wheel bolts other than
wheel bolts2for spare wheel rim size
4½ Bx15 H2 can cause physical dam-
age to the vehicle.Warning!
G
Be sure to use original length wheel bolts
when remounting the original wheel after it
has been repaired.
Warning!
G
Inflate spare wheel with collapsible tire only
after the wheel is properly mounted.!To avoid paint damage, place wheel flat
against hub and hold it there while in-
stalling first wheel bolt.

248 Practical hintsFlat tire

Unscrew the alignment bolt, install last
wheel bolt and tighten slightly.
Lowering the vehicle

Lower vehicle by turning crank coun-
terclockwise until vehicle is resting ful-
ly on its own weight.

Pull the jack out of the jack support
tube.

Install jack tube cover.1 - 5Wheel bolts

Tighten the five wheel bolts evenly, fol-
lowing the diagonal sequence illustrat-
ed (1to5), until all bolts are tight.
Observe a tightening torque of 80 lb-ft
(110 Nm).
Warning!
G
Always replace wheel bolts that are dam-
aged or rusted.
Never apply oil or grease to wheel bolts.
Damaged wheel hub threads should be re-
paired immediately. Do not continue to drive
under these circumstances! Contact an au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
Roadside Assistance.
Incorrect mounting bolts or improperly
tightened mounting bolts can cause the
wheel to come off. This could cause an acci-
dent. Be sure to use the correct mounting
bolts.
Warning!
G
Use only genuine equipment
Mercedes-Benz wheel bolts. Other wheel
bolts may come loose.
Do not tighten the wheel bolts when the ve-
hicle is raised. Otherwise the vehicle could
tip over.
Warning!
G
Have the tightening torque checked after
changing a wheel. The wheels could come
loose if they are not tightened to a torque of
80 lb-ft (110 Nm).

249 Practical hints
Flat tire

Before storing the jack in the trunk, it
should be fully collapsed, with pin and
handle folded in.
Inflating the collapsible spare tire

Take the electric air pump out of the
trunk (
page 214).
1Flap
2Air hose with pressure gauge and vent
screw
3Union nut
4Electrical plug

Open flap1 on air pump.

Pull out electrical plug4 and air hose
with pressure gauge2.

Unscrew valve cap from spare wheel
tire valve.

Screw union nut3 with air hose2 on
to the tire valve.

Insert electrical plug4 into vehicle
cigarette lighter socket.

Turn key in steering lock to position1
(page 29).

PressI on the electric air pump switch.
The electric air pump should now
switch on and inflate the tire.

Inflate the collapsible tire to around
36 psi (2.5 bar).This takes about 5 minutes for the col-
lapsible spare tire. Air hose2 and
union nut3 can become hot duration
inflation.

Press0 on the electric air pump
switch.
The electric air pump should now be
switched off.

Turn key in steering lock to position0.

If the tire pressure is above 36 psi
(2.5 bar) release excess tire pressure
using the vent screw.
Warning!
G
Observe instructions on air pump label.
!Do not operate the electric air pump
longer than 8 minutes without interrup-
tion. Otherwise it may overheat.
You may operate the air pump again af-
ter it has cooled off.


250 Practical hintsFlat tire

Detach the electric air pump.

Reinstall tire valve cap.

Stow the electrical plug and the air
hose behind the flap and place the air
pump back in the trunk.

Close the trunk lid.Storing collapsible spare wheel in
wheel well
Before you can store the spare wheel with
collapsible tire in the wheel well you have
to release the air pressure of the tire.

Unscrew valve stem removal tool,
which is part of the valve cap, from tire
valve.

Using the valve stem removal tool,
open tire valve slightly by turning the
tire valve insert counterclockwise to
release air pressure.

When the air pressure has been re-
leased, remove tire valve insert (pro-
tect it from dirt and sand) using the
previously removed tire valve cap.

Once all air is out of the tire, and the
tire has collapsed to its original shape,
reinstall the tire valve insert and valve
cap.

Place spare wheel in wheel well and
secure it with the pump holder.

Turn pump holder clockwise to its stop.
Warning!
G
Follow recommended inflation pressures.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflating tires
can result in sudden deflation (blowout) be-
cause they are more likely to become punc-
tured or damaged by road debris, potholes
etc.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated tires
wear unevenly, adversely affect handling
and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail
from being overheated.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified vehicle capacity weight (as indicat-
ed by the label on the pillar in the driver’s
door opening). Overloading the tires can
overheat them, possibly causing a blowout.
Warning!
G
To prevent possible injury when unscrewing
air pump filler hose from tire valve after in-
flating the tire, use a rag since the tire valve
could be hot.


255 Practical hints
Jump starting
The battery is located on the right side of
the engine compartment.
Make sure the two vehicles do not
touch.

Turn off all electrical consumers.

Apply parking brake.

Shift gear selector lever to positionP
(manual transmission to Neutral).

Open the hood.

Connect positive terminals1 and2
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Clamp cable to charged battery1
first.1Positive terminal of charged battery
2Positive terminal of discharged battery
3Negative terminal of discharged
battery
4Negative terminal of charged battery

Start engine of the vehicle with the
charged battery and run at idle speed.

Connect negative terminals3 and4
of the batteries with the jumper cables.
Clamp cable to charged battery4
first.

Start the engine of the disabled vehi-
cle.
You can now again turn on the electrical
consumers. Do not turn on the lights under
any circumstances.

Remove the jumper cables first from
negative terminals3 and4 of the
batteries and then from positive
terminals1 and2.
You can now turn on the lights.

Have the battery checked at the near-
est authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Warning!
G
Keep flames or sparks away from battery.
Do not smoke.
Observe all safety instructions and precau-
tions when handling automotive batteries.
!Never invert the terminal connections.
iVehicles with automatic transmission:
Do not tow-start vehicle.