fuel MERCEDES-BENZ SLK250 2012 R172 Owner's Guide

Problems with the transmission
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
The transmission has
problems shifting gear. The transmission is losing oil.
X
Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist
workshop immediately. The acceleration ability
is deteriorating.
The transmission no
longer changes gear. The transmission is in emergency mode.
It is only possible to shift into
secondgear and reverse gear.
X Stop the vehicle.
X Shift the transmission to position P.
X Switch off the engine.
X Wait at least 10seconds before restarting the engine.
X Shift the transmission to position Dor R.
If D is selected, the transmission shifts into secondgear; ifRis
selected, the transmission shifts into reverse gear.
X Have the transmission checked at a qualified specialist
workshop immediately. Releasing the parking lock manually
In the event of an electrical malfunction, it is
possible to release the selector lever lock
manually to move it out of position P, e.g. if
you wish to tow the vehicle away. !
Do not use any sharp-edged objects to
remove the selector lever gaiter from the
center console. This could damage the
selector lever gaiter. X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X Press the frame of selector level gaiter 0002
together somewhat on the side edge at the
back and hold with one hand 0003.
X With the other hand, pry off the frame of
selector level gaiter 0002with a flat, blunt
object (e.g. a screwdriver wrapped in cloth)
at rear edge 0023, pulling it up and out at the
same time.
X Press release buttons 0022down and
simultaneously move the selector lever out
of position P.
The selector lever can now be moved freely
until it is returned to position P. Refueling
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous.
It burns violently and can cause serious
personal injury. 146
RefuelingDriving and parking

Never allow sparks, flames or smoking
materials near gasoline.
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Whenever you are around gasoline, avoid
inhaling fumes and any skin or clothing
contact.
Direct skin contact with fuels and the
inhalation of fuel vapors are damaging to your
health. G
WARNING
Overfilling of the fuel tank may create
pressure in the system which could cause a
gas discharge .This could cause the gasoline
to spray back out when removing the fuel
pump nozzle, which could cause personal
injury.
! Do not use diesel to refuel vehicles with a
gasoline engine. Even small amounts of the
wrong fuel result in damage to the fuel
system and engine.
! Do not switch on the ignition if you
accidentally refuel with the wrong fuel.
Otherwise, the fuel will enter the fuel lines.
Notify a qualified specialist workshop and
have the fuel tank and fuel lines drained
completely.
! Overfilling the fuel tank could damage the
fuel system.
! Take care not to spill any fuel on painted
surfaces. You could otherwise damage the
paintwork.
! Use a filter when refueling from a fuel can.
Otherwise, the fuel lines and/or injection
system could be blocked by particles from
the fuel can.
Further information on fuel and on fuel grades
can be found in the "Fuel" section
(Y page 325). Refueling
Fuel filler flap 0002
Fuel filler flap
0003 To insert the fuel filler cap
0023 Tire pressure table
0022 Fuel type
The fuel filler flap is unlocked or locked
automatically when you open or close the
vehicle with the SmartKey or with KEYLESS-
GO.
The position of the fuel filler cap 0010is
displayed in the instrumentc luster.The arrow
next to the filling pump indicates the side of
the vehicle.
Opening X
Switch off the engine.
X Remove the SmartKey from the ignition
lock.
X KEYLESS-GO: open the driver’s door.
This corresponds to SmartKey position 0:
"SmartKey removed".
The driver’s door can be closed again.
X Press the fuel filler flap in marked area 0002.
Fuel filler flap 0002swings up.
X Turn the fuel filler flap counter-clockwise
and remove it.
X Insert the fuel filler cap into the holder
bracket on the inside of filler flap 0003. Refueling
147Driving and parking Z

X
Completely insert the fille rneck of the fuel
pump nozzle into the tank and refuel.
X Only fill the tank until the pump nozzle
switches off.
i Do not add any more fuel after the pump
stops filling for the first time. Otherwise,
fuel may leak out.
Closing X
Replace the cap on the filler necka nd turn
clockwise until it engages audibly.
X Close fuel fille rflap 0002.
i If you drive with the fuel filler cap open,
reserve fuel warning lamp 0010flashes .In
addition, the 000ECheck Engine warning
lamp may light up. Amessage appears in
the multifunction display (Y page 219).
For further information on warning and
indicator lamps in the instrument cluster,
see (Y page 234). 148
RefuelingDriving and parking

Problems with fuel and the fuel tank
Problem Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
Fuel is leaking from the
vehicle.
G
Risk of explosion or fire
The fuel line or the fuel tank is defective.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the ignition lock immediately
and remove it (Y page 131).
X Do not restart the engine under any circumstances.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. The fuel filler flap
cannot be opened. The fuel filler flap cannot be unlocked using the button on the
SmartKey.
or
The SmartKey battery is discharged.
X
Unlock the vehicle using the mechanical key (Y page 70).The fuel filler flap is unlocked, but the opening mechanism is
jammed.
X
Consult a qualified specialist workshop. Parking
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system. Do not park the vehicle on
dry grassland or harvested grain fields. These
materials could be ignited by the hot exhaust
system and cause a vehicle fire.
Vehicle movement can cause serious
personal injury or damage to the vehicle or
the vehicle drivetrain. Therefore, always do
the following before turning off the engine and
leaving the vehicle:
R keep your right foot on the brake pedal.
R engage the parking brake.
R shift the manual transmission to firstgear
or reverse gear R.
R shift the automatic transmission to park
position P. R
slowly release the brake pedal.
R when parked on an incline, always turn the
front wheels towards the road curb.
R turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to
position 0and remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
R take the SmartKey with you and lock the
vehicle when leaving. G
WARNING
Manual transmission: Wait until the vehicle is
stationary before removing the SmartKey
from the starter switch. The vehicle cannot be
steered when the SmartKey is removed from
the starter switch. Parking
149Driving and parking Z

Driving tips
General driving tips
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Always remember that you mus tconcentrate
primarily on driving the vehicle. The driver's
concentration must always be directed
primarily at road traffic. For your own safety
and that of others, we recommend that you
stop the vehicle at a safe place and in
accordance with the traffic conditions before
making or accepting a phone call.
Comply with all legal requirements if you use
the telephone while driving. Use the hands-
free system and only use the telephone when
road, weather and traffic conditions permit. In
some jurisdictions, it is forbidden for drivers
to use mobile phones while driving.
Only operate the audio system or COMAND
(Cockpit Management and Data System) in
compliance with all legal requirements and
when the road, weather and traffic conditions
permit. You may otherwise not be able to
observe the traffic conditions, endangering
yourself and others.
Remember that your vehicle covers a distance
of 44 ft (approximately 14 m)a second when
it is traveling at only 30 mph (approximately
50 km/h).
Drive sensibly –save fuel Observe the following tips to save fuel:
X
The tires should always be inflated to the
recommended tire pressure.
X Remove unnecessary loads.
X War mup the engine at low engine speeds.
X Avoid frequen tacceleration or braking.
X Have all maintenance work carried out as
indicated by the service intervals in the
Maintenance Booklet or by the service
interval display. Fuel consumption also increases when
driving in cold weather, in stop-and-go traffic
and in mountainous terrain.
Drinking and driving G
WARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and
driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibility of a serious or eve nfatal
acciden tare greatly increased when you drink
or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or
taking drugs.
Pedals G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals' range of movement.
Keep the driver's footwell clea rofall
obstacles. If there are any floormats or
carpets in the footwell, make sure that the
pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneuvers,
the objects could get caught betwee nthe
pedals. You could then no longer brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents and
injury.
Rolling with the engine switched off G
WARNING
There is no power assistance for the steering
and the brake when the engine is not running.
Steering and braking requires significantly
more effort and you could lose control of the
vehicle and cause an accident as a result.
Do not turn off the engine while the vehicle is
in motion. 152
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Coolant temperature display
G
WARNING
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 which can occur jus tby opening
the engine hood. Stay away from the engine
if you see or hear steam coming from it.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location away from
other traffic. Turn off the engine, get out of the
vehicle and do no tstand nea rthe vehicle until
the engine has cooled down.
The coolant temperature gauge is in the
instrumentc luster on the right-hand side.
Under normal operating conditions and with
the specified coolan tlevel, the coolant
temperature may rise to 248 ‡ (120 †).
! Adisplay message is shown if the coolant
temperature is too high.
If the coolant temperature is over
248 ‡(120 †), do not continue driving. The
engine will otherwise be damaged. Tachometer
The red band in the tachometer indicates the
engine's overrevving range.
! Do not drive in the overrevving range, as
this could damage the engine.
The fuel supply is interrupted to protect the
engine when the red band is reached. Outside temperature display
The outside temperature display is in the
multifunction display (Y page 183).G
WARNING
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device
and is therefore unsuitable for that purpose. Indicated temperatures just above the
freezing point do not guarantee that the road
surface is free of ice. The road may still be icy,
especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
Changes in the outside temperature are
displayed after a shor tdelay. Speedometer with segments
The segments in the speedometer indicate
which speed range is available.
Cruise control (Y page 156) activated:
The segments light up from the stored speed
to the maximum speed.
DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 158) activated:
One or two segments in the set speed range
light up.
DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front:
The segments between the speed of the
vehicle in fron tand the stored speed light up. Operating the on-board computer
Overview The on-board compute
ris activated as soon
as you turn the SmartKey to position 1in the
ignition lock.
You can control the multifunction display and
the settings in the on-board computer using
the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel. Displays and operation
181On-board computer and displays Z

Trip menu
Standard display X
Press and hold the 0001button on the
steering wheel until the Trip 0002
menu
with trip odometer 1 and odometer 2 is
shown. 0003
Trip computer "From start" or "From
reset" The values in the
From Start submenu are
calculated fro mthe start of a journey, while
the values in the From Reset submenu are
calculated from the last time the submenu
was reset (Y page 186).
X Press the 0002or0005 button on the
steering wheel to select the Trip menu.
X Press the 0003or0004 button to select
From start or
From reset .
Example: trip computer "From start"
0002
Distance
0003 Time 0023
Average speed
0022 Average fuel consumption
The From Start trip computer is reset
automatically when:
R the ignition has been switched off for more
than four hours.
R 999 hours have been exceeded.
R 9999 miles have been exceeded.
When 9,999 hours or 99,999 miles have been
exceeded, the trip computer is automatically
reset From Reset .
Displaying the range and current fuel
consumption X
Press the 0002or0005 button on the
steering wheel to select the Trip menu.
X Press the 0003or0004 button to select the
current fuel consumption and the
approximate range (except for AMG
vehicles). 0002
Approximate range
0003 Current fuel consumption (not for AMG
vehicles)
Approximate range 0002is calculated
according to current driving style and the
amount of fuel in the tank. If there is only a
small amount of fuel left in the fuel tank, the
display shows a vehicle being refueled 0009
instead of range 0002. Menus and submenus
185On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
000A The battery is no
tbeing charged.
Possible causes are:
R a defective alternator
R a torn poly-V-belt
R a malfunction in the electronics
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely and switch off the engine,
paying attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Open the hood.
X Check whether the poly-V-belt is torn.
If the poly-V-belt is torn:
! Do not continue driving. The engine could otherwise overheat.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop.
If the poly-V-belt is not damaged:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. 0012
Check Engine Oil
At Next Refueling The engine oil level has dropped to the minimum level.
Aw
arning tone also sounds.
X Chec kthe oil level when next refueling, at the latest
(Y page 261).
X If necessary, add engine oil (Y page 262).
X Have the engine checked at a qualified specialist workshop if
engine oil needs to be added more often than usual. Information on approved engine oils can be obtained from any qualified specialist workshop
or on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com (USA only).
! The oil level is too low. Avoid long journeys with too little engine oil. There is a risk of
engine damage.
The display messages and the corresponding symbol that indicate that the oil level is too
low must not be ignored. 218
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
0010
Fuel Level The fuel level has dropped into the reserve range.
X
Refuel at the neares tgas station. 0009 There is only a very small amoun
toffuel in th efuel tank.
X Refuel at the neares tgas statio nwithout fail. 0010
Gas Cap Loose The fuel system pressure is too low. The fuel filler cap is not closed
correctly or the fuel system is leaking.
X
Check that the fuel filler cap is correctly closed.
If the fuel filler cap is not correctly closed:
X Close the fuel filler cap.
If the fuel filler cap is correctly closed:
X Visit a qualified specialist workshop. Driving systems
Displa
ymessages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
0001
Attention Assist:
Drowsiness
Detected Based on specific criteria, ATTENTION ASSIST has determined that
the driver is tired or paying less attention
.Awarning tone also
sounds.
X If necessary, take a break.
During long journeys, take regular breaks in good time so you get
enough rest. 0001
Attention Assist
Inoperative ATTENTION ASSIST has failed.
X Visi taqualified specialist workshop. 0001
Off The HOLD function is deactivated. the vehicle is skidding.
Aw
arning tone also sounds.
X Reactivate the HOLD function later (Y page 168). The HOLD function is deactivated. When the brak
epedal is firmly
depressed, an activation condition is not fulfilled.
Aw arning tone also sounds.
X Check the activation conditions for the HOLD function
(Y page 168). Display messages
219On-board computer and displays Z

Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
Cruise Control
Inoperative Cruise control is defective.
Aw
arning tone also sounds.
X Visi taqualified specialist workshop. Cruise Control
--- mph Ac
ondition for activating cruise control has not been fulfilled.
You have tried to store aspeed below 20 mph (30 km/h), for
example.
X If conditions permit, drive faster than 20 mph (30 km/h) and
store the speed.
X Check the activation conditions for cruise control
(Y page 156). Tires
G
WARNING
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. Continued driving with a flat tire will cause excessive heat build-up
and possibly a fire. G
WARNING
Follow recommended tire inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires .Underinflated tires wear excessively and/or unevenly, adversely affect
handling and fuel economy, and are more likely to fail from being overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated tires can adversely affect handling and ride comfort, wear
unevenly, increase stopping distance, and resul tinsudden deflation (blowout) because they are
more likely to become punctured or damaged by road debris, potholes etc. Display messages Possible causes/consequences and
0001 Solutions
Tire pressures
will be displayed
after driving a
few minutes The tire pressure monito
ris measuring the tire pressure.
X Drive on.
The tire pressures appearint he multifunction displayafter you
have bee ndriving for a few minutes. Tire Press. Monitor
Inoperative The tire pressure monitor is faulty.
X
Visi taqualified specialist workshop. Tire Press. Monitor
Inoperative No
Wheel Sensors The wheels mounted do not have a suitable tire pressure sensor.
The tire pressure monitor is deactivated.
X
Mount wheels with suitable tire pressure sensors.
The tire pressure monitor is activated automatically after driving
for a few minutes. 222
Display messagesOn-board computer and displays