warning MERCEDES-BENZ SLK CLASS 2007 Owners Manual

365 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Run Flat
IndicatorinoperativeThe Run Flat Indicator* is malfunc-
tioning.Have the Run Flat Indicator* checked by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
The Run Flat Indicator* has been
switched off due to a malfunction.
Tire pressureCheck tiresThe Run Flat Indicator* indicates
that the pressure is too low in one or
more tires.Carefully bring the vehicle to a halt, avoiding
abrupt steering and braking maneuvers. Observe
the traffic situation around you.
Check and adjust the tire inflation pressure as
required (
page 314).
If necessary, change the wheel (page 401).
Restart the Run Flat Indicator* after adjusting the
tire inflation pressure values (
page 314).
Check tiresThen restart
Run Flat IndicatorThere was a warning message about
a loss in tire inflation pressure and
the Run Flat Indicator* has not been
restarted yet.Make sure that the correct tire inflation pressure
is set for each tire.
Then restart the Run Flat Indicator*
(
page 316).
Warning!G
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire affects
the ability to steer or brake the vehicle.
You may lose control of the vehicle. Contin-
ued driving with a flat tire will cause exces-
sive heat build-up and possibly a fire.

367 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
USA only:
;
Canada only:
3
Check
brake fluid levelThere is insufficient brake fluid in
the reservoir.Risk of accident!
Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon as
it is safe to do so.
Turn off the engine.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Do not drive any further.
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
Do not add brake fluid! This will not solve the
problem.
2Brake wearThe brake pads have reached their
wear limit.Have the brake pads replaced as soon as
possible.
Warning!G
Driving with the message Check brake
fluid level
displayed can result in an
accident. Have your brake system checked
immediately. Do not add brake fluid before
checking the brake system.
Overfilling the brake fluid reservoir can
result in spilling brake fluid on hot engine
parts and the brake fluid catching fire. You
can be seriously burned.!If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark or
below, have the brake system checked for brake
pad thickness and leaks.
!Brake pad thickness must be visually
checked by a qualified technician at the intervals
specified in the Maintenance Booklet.

369 Practical hints
What to do if …
During severe operating conditions, e.g.
stop-and-go traffic, the coolant tempera-
ture may rise close to 248°F (120°C).
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
Observe the coolant temperature display
(
page 127).
If the temperature rises again:
Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz
Center immediately.
Warning!G
Driving when your engine is overheated can
cause some fluids which may have leaked
into the engine compartment to catch fire.
You could be seriously burned.
Steam from an overheated engine can cause
serious burns and can occur just by opening
the hood. Stay away from the engine if you
see or hear steam coming from it.
Turn off the engine, get out of the vehicle
and do not stand near the vehicle until the
engine has cooled down.
!The engine should not be operated with the
coolant temperature above 248°F (120°C).
Doing so may cause serious engine damage
which is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

370 Practical hints
What to do if …
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
•The cooling fan for the coolant is
malfunctioning.Observe the coolant temperature display
(
page 127).
If the coolant temperature is below 120°C,
you may continue driving to the nearest
specialist workshop.
Avoid heavy loads on the engine (e.g. by
driving uphill) as well as stop-and-go traffic.
Have the fan replaced as soon as possible.
/Top up coolant
See Oper. ManualThe coolant level is too low.Add coolant (page 300).
Comply with all warnings while doing so.
If you have to add coolant frequently,
have the cooling system checked by an au-
thorized 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 could be seriously burned.
!Do not ignore the low engine coolant level
warning. Extended driving with this message and
symbol displayed 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.

373 Practical hints
What to do if …
When the message Add 1 qt. (Canada:
1 liter) engine oil when next
refueling
(SLK 55 AMG) or Check oil
level when next refueling
(SLK 280,
SLK 350) appears while the engine is run-
ning and at operating temperature, the en-
gine oil level has dropped to approximately
the minimum level.
When this occurs, the warning will first
come on intermittently and then stay on if
the oil level drops further.Visually check for oil leaks. If no obvious oil
leaks are noted, drive to the nearest
service station where the engine oil should
be topped to the required level with an
approved engine oil. For information on
approved engine oils, refer to the Factory
Approved Service Products pamphlet
(USA only) or contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Display symbolDisplay messagePossible cause/consequencePossible solution
NEngine oil level
Reduce oil levelSLK 55 AMG only:
You have added too much engine
oil. There is a risk of damaging the
engine or the catalytic converter.Have oil siphoned or drained off.
Observe all legal requirements with respect
to its disposal.
Engine oil level
Stop, turn engine offThere is no oil in the engine. There
is a danger of engine damage.Stop the vehicle in a safe location or as soon
as it is safe to do so.
Turn off the engine.
Apply the parking brake (page 59).
Add engine oil (page 299) and check the
engine oil level (
page 296).
!The engine oil level warnings should not be
ignored. Extended driving with the symbol
displayed could result in serious engine damage
that is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.

383 Practical hints
Where will I find...?
1Collapsible wheel chock
2Vehicle jack
3Protective wrap
4Alignment bolt
5Towing eye bolt
6Wheel wrench
7Spare fuses, fuse extractor and valve
extractor
8Electric air pumpVehicles with TIREFIT*
1TIREFIT kit
2Vehicle jack
3Collapsible wheel chock
4Towing eye bolt
5Alignment bolt
6Wheel wrench
7Spare fuses, fuse extractor and valve
extractor
8Electric air pump
Open the trunk (page 100).
Lift up trunk floor.Vehicle jack
Warning!G
The jack is designed exclusively for jacking
up the vehicle at the jack take-up brackets
built into both sides of the vehicle. To help
avoid personal injury, use the jack only to lift
the vehicle during a wheel change. Never
get beneath the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack. Keep hands and feet away from
the area under the lifted vehicle. Always
firmly set parking brake and block wheels
before raising vehicle with jack.
Do not disengage parking brake while the
vehicle is raised. Be certain that the jack is
always vertical (plumb line) when in use,
especially on hills. Always try to use the jack
on level surface. Make sure the jack arm is
fully seated in the jack take-up bracket. Al-
ways lower the vehicle onto sufficient
capacity jackstands before working under
the vehicle.

390 Practical hints
Opening/closing in an emergency
Raising retractable hardtop manually
Warning!G
If the retractable hardtop does not com-
pletely open or close, the roof hydraulics will
lose pressure and the retractable hardtop is
lowered

after approximately 7 minutes when the
ignition is switched on

after approximately 15 seconds when
the ignition is switched off
Shortly before the hardtop is lowered, a
warning will sound. In the multifunction dis-
play you will seeK and the message
Retractable roof being opened.

Properly lock retractable hardtop before
continuing to drive (
page 240).
Warning!G
Manually closing the retractable hardtop is a
complicated and technically demanding pro-
cedure and should only be performed by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or quali-
fied technician. Attempting to manually
close the retractable hardtop may cause
damage to the retractable hardtop and/or
personal injury.
Warning!G
To prevent possible accidents, drive the
vehicle only with the retractable hardtop
either completely closed and locked, or fully
lowered into its storage compartment.

391 Practical hints
Replacing SmartKey batteries
Replacing SmartKey batteries
If the batteries in the SmartKey are
discharged, the vehicle can no longer be
locked or unlocked. It is recommended
to have the batteries replaced at an autho-
rized Mercedes-Benz Center.Batteries contain materials that can harm
the environment if disposed of improperly.
Recycling of batteries is the preferred
method of disposal. Many states require
sellers of batteries to accept old batteries
for recycling.SmartKey
Replacement batteries: Lithium, type
CR 2025 or equivalent.
Remove the mechanical key from the
SmartKey (
page 387).
1Mechanical key
2Battery compartment
Insert mechanical key1 into opening.
Press mechanical key1 in direction of
arrow.
Battery compartment2 is unlatched.
Pull battery compartment2 out of the
housing.
Warning!G
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive
substances. Therefore keep the batteries
out of reach of children.
If a battery is swallowed, seek medical help
immediately.
iWhen inserting the batteries, make sure
they are clean and free of lint.
iWhen replacing batteries, always replace
both batteries.
The required replacement batteries are available
at any Mercedes-Benz Center.


393 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs
Bulbs
Safe vehicle operation depends on proper
exterior lighting and signaling. It is there-
fore essential that all bulbs and lamp
assemblies are in good working order at
all times.
Correct headlamp adjustment is extremely
important. Have headlamps checked and
readjusted at regular intervals and when a
bulb has been replaced. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center for
headlamp adjustment.
Warning!G
Bulbs and bulb sockets can be very hot. Al-
low the lamp to cool down before changing
a bulb.
Keep bulbs out of reach of children.
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.
iIf the headlamps are fogged up on the inside
as a result of high humidity, driving the vehicle a
short distance with the lights on should clear up
the fogging.
iBackup bulbs will be brought into use
when lamps malfunction. Read and observe
the messages in the multifunction
display (
page 375).

396 Practical hints
Replacing bulbs
Replacing bulbs for front lamps
Before you start to replace a bulb for a
front lamp, do the following first:
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionM (
page 109).
Open the hood (page 294).
1Housing cover for low beam (halogen
headlamps only)
Housing cover for Bi-Xenon* head-
lamps. Do not remove.
2Bulb socket for turn signal lamp
3Bulb socket for high beam/high beam
flasher lamp
4Bulb socket for parking and standing
light lamp
5Bulb socket for low beam bulb
(Halogen headlamps only)
Warning!G
Do not remove the cover1 for the
Bi-Xenon* headlamp. Because of high volt-
age in Bi-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.