Warning MERCEDES-BENZ SLK320 2003 R170 Owner's Manual

Our company and staff congratulate you
on the purchase of your new
Mercedes-Benz.
Your selection of our product is a demon-
stration of your trust in our company
name. Further, it exemplifies your desire to
own an automobile that will be as easy as
possible to operate and provide years of
service.
Your Mercedes-Benz represents the ef-
forts of many skilled engineers and crafts-
men. To help assure your driving pleasure,
and also the safety of you and your passen-
gers, we ask you to make a small invest-
ment of time:

Please read this manual carefully be-
fore putting it aside. Then return it to
your vehicle where it will be handy for
your reference.


Please follow the recommendations
contained in this manual. They are de-
signed to acquaint you with the opera-
tion of your Mercedes-Benz.


Please pay attention to the warnings
and cautions contained in this manual.
They are designed to help improve the
safety of the vehicle operator and oc-
cupants.
We extend our best wishes for many miles
of safe, pleasurable driving.
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
A DaimlerChrysler Company

Contents
Automatic central locking .............. 78
Locking and unlocking
from the inside ............................... 80
Seats.................................................... 81
Heated seats* ................................ 81
Head restraints............................... 82
Lighting ................................................ 83
Exterior lamp switch ....................... 83
Combination switch........................ 84
Hazard warning flasher................... 85
Interior lighting ............................... 86
Instrument cluster ............................... 88
Instrument cluster illumination....... 88
Coolant temperature gauge............ 88
Trip odometer................................. 89
Tachometer .................................... 89
Outside temperature indicator ....... 90
Setting clock .................................. 90
Manual transmission ............................ 91
Shifting into reverse ....................... 92
Automatic transmission* ..................... 93
One-touch gearshifting ................... 94
Gear ranges .................................... 95
Gear selector lever position ........... 96
Program mode selector switch ....... 97
Accelerator position ....................... 98Emergency operation
(Limp Home Mode) ........................ 98
Good visibility ...................................... 99
Rear view mirror............................. 99
Headlamp cleaning system* ........ 100
Sun visors .................................... 101
Climate control .................................. 102
Setting the temperature ............... 104
Adjusting air volume .................... 104
Adjusting air distribution .............. 104
Air recirculation mode .................. 105
Rear window defroster ................. 105
Air conditioning ............................ 106
Residual heat ............................... 107
Basic settings ............................... 108
Special settings............................ 108
Deactivating the climate control
system ......................................... 110
Audio system ..................................... 111
Audio and telephone, operation ... 111
Operating safety........................... 111
Operating and display elements ... 112
Anti-theft system.......................... 114
Button and soft key operation ...... 115
Operation ..................................... 115
Radio mode .................................. 116Cassette mode............................. 118
CD mode ...................................... 120
Telephone* operation .................. 123
Power windows.................................. 127
Opening and closing
the side windows ......................... 127
Retractable hardtop........................... 129
Opening and closing
the retractable hardtop ................ 129
Wind screen ................................. 134
Driving systems ................................. 136
Cruise control .............................. 136
Useful features .................................. 139
Interior storage spaces ................ 139
Ashtray ........................................ 142
Cigarette lighter ........................... 143
Telephone* .................................. 143
Tele Aid ........................................ 144
Garage door opener ..................... 152
Operation......................................... 157
The first 1000 miles (1500 km) ......... 158
Driving instructions ........................... 159
Drive sensibly – save fuel............. 159
Drinking and driving ..................... 159

8 IntroductionOperator’s Manual
Operator’s ManualThis Operator’s Manual contains a great
deal of useful information. We urge you to
read it carefully and familiarize yourself
with the vehicle before driving.
For your own safety and longer service life
of the vehicle, we urge you to follow the in-
structions and warnings contained in this
manual. Ignoring them could result in dam-
age to the vehicle or personal injury to you
or others. Vehicle damage caused by fail-
ure to follow instructions is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Your vehicle may have some or all of the
equipment described in this manual.
Therefore, you may find explanations for
optional equipment not installed in your
vehicle. If you have any questions about
the operation of any equipment, your au-
thorized Mercedes-Benz Center will be
glad to demonstrate the proper proce-
dures.We continuously strive to improve our
product, and ask for your understanding
that we reserve the right to make changes
in design and equipment. Therefore, infor-
mation, illustrations and descriptions in
this Operator’s Manual might differ from
your vehicle.
Optional equipment is also described in
this manual, including operating instruc-
tions wherever necessary. Since they are
special-order items, the descriptions and
illustrations herein may vary slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehicle.
If there are any equipment details that are
not shown or described in this Operator’s
Manual, your authorized Mercedes-Benz
C e n t e r w i l l b e g l a d t o i n f o r m y o u o f c o r r e c t
care and operating procedures.
The Operator’s Manual and Service Book-
let are important documents and should be
kept with the vehicle
Service and warranty information
The Service and Warranty Information
Booklet contains detailed information
about the warranties covering your
Mercedes-Benz, including:

New Car Limited Warranty,


Emission System Warranty,


Emission Performance Warranty,


California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont Emission Control System
Warranty
(California, Maine, Massachusetts, and
Vermont only),


State Warranty Enforcement Laws
(Lemon Laws).

13 Introduction
Symbols
Symbols
The following symbols are found in this
Operator’s Manual:
* Optional equipment is identified
with an asterisk. Since standard
equipment varies between models,
the descriptions and illustrations in
this manual may differ slightly from
the actual equipment of your vehi-
cle.

This symbol points to instructions for
you to follow.

A number of these symbols appearing
in succession indicates a multiple-step
procedure.
 Page This symbol tells you where to
look for further information on a
topic.
This continuation symbol marks
an interrupted procedure which
will be continued on the next
page.
-> In the glossary of technical
terms, this symbol is used to
cross-reference term defini-
tions.
Display
Words appearing in the multi-
function display are printed in
the type shown here.
Warning!
G
Warning notices draw your attention to haz-
ards that may endanger your health or life,
or the health or life of others.!Highlights hazards that may result in
damage to your vehicle.iHelpful hints or further information you
may find useful.

14 IntroductionOperating safety
Operating 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 stan-
dards
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 in-
terconnected, any modification made may
produce an undesired effect on other sys-
tems.
Electronic system malfunctions could seri-
ously impair the operating safety of your ve-
hicle.
Ensure that any repairs or modifications to
electronic components are carried out by an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center.
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 nev-
er turn off the engine while driving.

21 At a glance
Instrument cluster
Item
Page
1
Left indicator lamps
with:W
Low windshield
washer and head-
lamp washer* sys-
tem fluid level
warning lamp
200
/
Low engine coolant
level warning lamp
201
N
Low engine oil level
warning lamp
200
1
Supplemental re-
straint system indi-
cator lamp
52,
197
2
Brake pad wear in-
dicator lamp
202
?
Engine malfunction
indicator lamp
199
_
Telescoping steer-
ing column warning
lamp*
200
Item
Page
2
Warning display with:D
Coolant tempera-
ture gauge
88
A
Fuel gauge with fuel
reserve warning
lamp
201
Outside temperature
indicator
90
3
Knob for:

Instrument cluster illu-
mination
88


Resetting trip odome-
ter
89


Activating Flexible Ser-
vice System (FSS) indi-
cator
185
4
Speedometer with:L
Turn signal
K
indicator lamps
v
Electronic Stability
Program (ESP)
warning lamp
68,
194
Trip odometer
89
Main odometer
5
Knob for:

Setting clock
90
6
Tachometer with:Selector lever position
41, 93
Digital clock
90
7
Right indicator lamps
with:$
Exterior lamp failure
indicator lamp
203
A
High beam head-
lamp indicator
43, 84
#
Charge indicator
lamp
202
Item
Page

22 At a glanceInstrument cluster
Item
Page
;
Brake warning
lamp, except
Canada
47,
198
3
Brake warning
lamp, Canada only
¿
Brake Assist Sys-
tem (BAS)/Elec-
tronic Stability
Program (ESP) mal-
function indicator
lamp
68,
194
-
Antilock Brake Sys-
tem (ABS) malfunc-
tion indicator lamp
66,
196
<
Seat belt nonusage
warning lamp
57,
199

23 At a glance
Center console
Center console
Upper part
Item
Page
1
Cup holder
140
2
Center air outlet adjust-
ment
102
Side air outlet adjustment
102
3
Climate control
102
Rear window defroster
105
4
Audio system
111
5
Seat heater* passenger
side
81
6
Anti-theft alarm system in-
dicator lamp
71
Tow-away alarm switch
72
7
Central locking switch
78
8
Hazard warning flasher
switch – switching on/off
85
9
ESP control switch
70
10
Headlamp washer* switch
100
11
Seat heater* driver’s side
81

29 Getting started
Unlocking
Steering lock positionsSteering lock0For removing key
The steering is locked when the key is
removed from the steering lock. If nec-
essary, move steering wheel slightly to
allow the locking mechanism to en-
gage.
1Power supply to some electrical con-
sumers, such as seat adjustment
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock the vehi-
cle. Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked vehi-
cle. Unsupervised use of vehicle equipment
may cause an accident and/or serious per-
sonal injury.iThe key can only be withdrawn in
position0.
If necessary, move steering wheel
slightly to allow the key to be turned
clockwise to position1.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
The key can only be removed from the
steering lock with the gear selector
lever in positionP.
!To prevent accelerated battery dis-
charge and a possible dead battery,
always remove the key from the
steering lock.

30 Getting startedAdjusting
AdjustingSeats
The seats can be adjusted either manually
or electrically, depending on the vehicle’s
equipment.Warning!
G
All seat, head restraint, steering wheel, and
rear view mirror adjustments, as well as fas-
tening of seat belts, must be done before
the vehicle is put into motion.
Warning!
G
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
back reclined. Sitting in an excessively re-
clined position can be dangerous. You could
slide under the seat belt in a collision. If you
slide under it, the belt would apply force at
the abdomen or neck. That could cause se-
rious or fatal injuries. The seat back and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in an upright position and belts are
properly positioned on the body. Your seat
must be adjusted so that you can correctly
fasten your seat belt (
page 37).
Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being ad-
justed.
Warning!
G
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
key from the steering lock and lock your ve-
hicle.
The power seats* can also be operated with
the driver’s or passenger door open. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle, or
with access to an unlocked vehicle. Unsu-
pervised use of vehicle equipment may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.